Flo's Debt Free Diary

reality_check

Aw that was lovely, you're such a good writer. Be proud of how far you've come, you'll be debt free before you know it xx

Florence_J

Hi everybody.

I am spending the night at my parents before going to the hen party of my bestie tomorrow.

OH has taken liberties with the food shopping budget already in my absence.

I am hoping I get paid tomorrow. I should explain, I get paid on the 27th of each month, but if the 27th falls on a Monday (like this month) then for some reason because I am with the same bank company as my employer my pay goes through on the saturday before.

They may have fixed this glitch, so that's why I am 'hoping'

I will be getting up at 6am to check and do my customary 'sorting out my finances' first thing tomorrow if I have been paid.

Not much to report except I threw the last remaining 87p in my account at the Mr L CC, that's 87p I'll never have to pay interest in again.

I like ending the payday month with nothing in my account and starting again afresh the next day. Strange I know, some people see it as an achievement to still have money in their account at the end of the month, I like it empty.

I have already made full use of my parents 'Power Shower', gosh it makes my hair happy.

I am still blogging everyday on my blog, which is why I have been on here less, but I will never, ever leave MSE. I actually talk about you guys like friends to my OH.

Oh, I have just thought of something.

My main Christmas present in 2016 from my OH was that he would pay all the costs I need to attend my besties Hen Party and Wedding, on the basis that I can't afford to do that AND tackle my debt at a good rate and the fact that my bestie is like my other lover....(TMI? Sorry )

This week I went to the doctors to get some new medication to tackle my crippling social anxiety. A side effect is that it has made me very, very sleepy this week.

In a semi comatose tired state I asked my OH to transfer me the money over to my account, and as I was so sleepy I sort of mumbled 'for the hen party'

Later that evening he asked me what the money was for.

'For the hen party?' I said confused 'I did tell you'

'Oh really? I didn't hear"

'You mean, you just transferred me the money that I asked for, without knowing what it was for?"

'Yeah, well, you're good with money. I knew it was for a good reason'

That has made me so happy.

Because in late 2015, before I got my shhhhh together, I asked him for money as I had 'messed up'

He said no, that he needed to put his foot down and be cruel to be kind.

He trusts me again.

I feel good.

motivated

Hi Florence
Just popping in to say you are doing so well and to wish you luck on your journey. Hope your wages are sitting in your bank when you wake.

Enjoy the party
M

Florence_J

motivated wrote: »

Hi Florence
Just popping in to say you are doing so well and to wish you luck on your journey. Hope your wages are sitting in your bank when you wake.

Enjoy the party
M

They were!!!!

I am very very happy

Paid £100 off my overdraft and £23.69 to my Mr L CC.

Thank you for your kind words.

This means a new food month has begun. Let's hope my OH doesn't spend it all over the weekend

crazy_cat_lady

Happy days that payday has landed a couple of days early for you.
And even happier days that financial matters are so much better. Enjoy the hen do - you really deserve it.

Florence_J

crazy_cat_lady wrote: »

Happy days that payday has landed a couple of days early for you.
And even happier days that financial matters are so much better. Enjoy the hen do - you really deserve it.

Thank you. Thank you all. You are all so kind and I couldn't have made it to a brand new life without your support.

The Hen party weekend, including food I bought to eat at my Dad's house today which wasn't necessary as I did bring some tins with me, came to under £50. I had previously paid my bestie £55 to cover the hen party bits.

It was absolutely lovely.

It also made me realise I know my friend perfectly, as she was wearing a pair of next pjs I had nearly bought her as a present, and she had a lightbox which again I had nearly bought her as a present. This is good as it means 'Hooray, I know what to get her perfectly' it's also bad as I now have to get her a different present for her birthday.

I'm going to buy a little box of chocolates for her parents and sister as they were an integral part of organising the hen party.

Also my anxiety was nearly all gone. I took two of the new pills yesterday during the day (I can take up to 3 a day) and I felt fine. well, I had a 'base' level of insecurity, the old 'will all her friends I don't know think I'm weird?' but to be honest I have always had that, I think everyone has that, it wasn't a crippling thought, I didn't freak out or withdraw.

I was honestly very scared I was going to ruin the hen party, and I absolutely didn't.

I got my latest Clear Score credit score yesterday. I know most people on here hate clear score (there is a whole thread about it) and Martin's is obviously so much better, but I use it just as a little boost to see my credit score go up to give me an idea that I am making some progress. The score was the same as last month, but it is a huge step up from what it was when I got my credit score for the first time in years last January.

Remember when I was too afraid to get my credit rating checked? Now I absolutely love getting it. I suppose it's a lot different when it is going up and not down....

This means that the next payday month is exactly four weeks long, as I will getting paid on Sat 25th March, wooo.

We were nearly £45 over the food budget this month so will have to keep an eye on that. I will be officially trying to keep to £195 a month instead of £200 till the short fall is made up, but unofficially I am keeping an eye on it to see if eating better, at home more, with home made lunches might justify the budget being increased.

My job situation is not looking good. At the moment, if absolutely nothing changes, then I will be unemployed after 9th April. Hmmm, this is obviously a spanner in the works. I weathered it last year but I really don't want to have to weather it again. It will severely delay my debt repayments. At the moment I am not quite on track to pay it all off by my 30th birthday.

As some of you may remember I am doing a 'No Spend Year' and I still haven't bought anything unessential. I do have a lot of debates about what is and isn't ok. For instance I have decided that coffee bought to drink on long train journeys is not allowed, and I survived the train journey down fine. I nearly bought a chocolate bar today to eat on the train and decided against it as it wasn't allowed, but the weird thing is chocolate bars bought to eat at home are ok to buy by my logic. I'm not sure if that makes too much sense but to me the train journey food and drink is unessential whereas 'home' food is ok.

I'm in a bit of a pickle as I need a new, nude coloured bra. Ladies, I'm sure I'm not the only one, nude bras are something that is essential. It's not like a pretty, sexy, lacey victoria secrets number that is no good for day to day use....

I still don't want to spend any money on it, so I have Tesco Clubcard vouchers, and Shop and Scan New Look vouchers, but unfortunately neither of them seem to have any suitable bras in my size.

Peacocks do, and I love peacocks bras, and the £4 t shirt bra they have would be fine for at least a little bit, but I do not have peacocks vouchers.

I have heard on the crazy clothes challenge that Sainsbury's have good cheap bras. The trouble is I only have £5 in nectar points and may need more, also my Sainsbury's with clothes is a little far away.

I'm just remembered something. There's a Sainsbury's with a clothes section near work..

Ooooh, a plan is forming.

armchairexpert

A good, comfortable nude bra is definitely an essential, and this is coming from someone who loathes spending money on clothes of any sort. Go forth and buy your bra without guilt.

crazy_cat_lady

You can order Sainsbury's online and collect in store if you need to. I'm totally with you on just needing a couple of decent nude bras...

Florence_J

Ok, so something major has happened and I don't know quite how to comprehend it.

Due to a variety of bad things happening to my Mum's side of the family recently (and in general over the last 5 years) my Mum, an alcoholic who has been sober for nearly 16 years, has been drinking again.

I know I can't help her, she has to help herself. I don't know if this will turn out to be a temporary, one off bad mistake, or if it will be the beginnings of a path of destruction.

I once told my mum that if she ever started drinking again I would cut her out of my life and at the time she said she was glad to hear that as it would keep her on the right path.

Now that I am in this situation that seems a little harsh, but I still feel it is the right one to take.

What I'm going to do is send over her mother's day present and card early with a letter explaining that I will be making minimal contact until I know she is better again, and that I don't want to be contacted my phone.

This could be a very bad one off, or it could be more. I don't know. I'll just have to play it by ear.

crazy_cat_lady

Sorry to hear this Flo - but I think that you're doing the right thing. You need to be prepared to follow through on the things you said, and hopefully it will give her the push she needs to get herself better.