Reality Check...

note3

Yay I'm glad you've made that decision to stop using cards. Great plan to pay 500 and save 200. Once you have some money in the kitty I would suggest you either reduce overdraft or get rid of altogether as unless you're extremely disciplined you'll be back using it..it'll creep up on you. I say this as someone who's been there. I honestly cannot trust myself with any form of credit and am now working on building funds for a rainy day whilst trying to clear debt

Tjh1412

Just read through your whole diary to catch up, didn't want to read and run so thought I'd say how well you're doing, given me a couple of ideas to try so keep going

reality_check

Tjh1412 thanks for popping by, god knows what I've taught you, probably what not to do lol good luck too!!

The credit cards have left the building!! My dad has taken them away and been warned to never give me them again, until I have the accounts cleared off and closed down and then I'll burn them!

Checked my bank and Virgin took £26.36 less than £27.99 expected, but I'm not complaining....every penny counts these days!!

My balance stands at £107.48 with 11 days until pay day. I would love to not spend a penny, but I have roughly half a tank of petrol and sadly coming to work is an essential so will need to top up. Need to be a bit more frugal with meal planning...I did do that meal plan and didn't really stick to it, but off the top of my head I have 2 packs of salmon, 2 lots chicken of chicken breasts, whole chicken, mince and sausages...so not like we will starve, I just need to make that last with a few fresh things...easily done, I hope!

Was txting my friend last night and she was asking what we are doing for my birthday as we normally go for a meal/drinks with our group of friends - it is normally an all day costly affair which I would rather avoid this year...anyway, she said she had a plan...I was honestly waiting on some extravagant spa day, followed by lunch, drinks and dinner lol but no, the plan is she has just moved house recently and a few of our friends haven't been over yet so she is going to host an afternoon tea as a birthday/mini house warming. Such a lovely idea and won't cost me a penny! I will take a bottle of something from the house, and my friend is pregnant so she will no doubt be my taxi as she lives 5 minutes away :rotfl::beer:

Today I will 100% call Virgin as my email hasn't got me anyway to chase them up with my complaint, also spoke to Specsavers and my £30.00 refund has been processed but can take up to 10 working days but at least it's done.

Hope you all have a great day, I am back to feeling positive about this debt busting mission xx

note3

Wow what a positive and productive post..great stuff!
Your friends may also be broke and relieved to do something cheap too...where I now explain to ppl that I'm not good with money I've realised I've been spending more than I earn so need to pay back debts I've found they've been really understanding ��

reality_check

Positive thoughts bring positive changes.... I need to get watching the secret again on youtube.

Spoke to Virgin last night after I rejected the original offer of £100 for loss of service, I was then offered £180, I said no and she asked what I wanted, I said a full refund lol but was told £250 was the max she could give me, so I took it! They wanted to credit my account but I got her to send me a cheque so that will be with me within the next few weeks.

Second good news after reading the weekly email from Martin Lewis about Experian credit reports -
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/experian-creditexpert-reclaiming?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=02-Mar-16-v1&utm_campaign=nt-hiya&utm_content=22

If you had a policy between January 2011 and July 2014 an insurance policy was automatically added on without giving customers the option. I called them up and I had the policy from September 2011 and I made 25 payments of £14.99. Whoever I spoke to was only able to process my claim but did say I had this insurance added onto my policy.... I don't know if that means I get my £14.99 for each month refunded or just the insurance extra that was added on....never had a claim like this, but fingers crossed I get something back.

Need to get on with my Amazon complaint, when they took £4.09 for 5 years for Lovefilm that I cancelled!! and also need to complete an online form for PPI for an Egg credit card to see if I have PPI as my friend and I took out the card at the same time, so I am hoping I had it....nothing to lose!

Also got an email from Laura Ashley the wonderful mirror is coming next Friday lol can't wait.

A frugal weekend ahead, need to buy some potatoes and vegetables for Sunday, the flowers and NEED to get my eyebrows threaded - an essential! Still all the above needs to come in at less than £20.00. No plans for the weekend really, need to take stuff to the tip, clean my oven and windows and my weekly deeeeep clean - rock and roll! Going round to my friends for a catch up tonight and got my Mothers day hosting on Sunday so that will be nice.

Off to complete that PPI survey...xx

note3

I did the experian claim and you get the insurance money back which is about £5 per month. Adds up nicely

That's terrible of love film! I paid money for about a ye despite forgetting to watch the film so I paid a lot for that privilege but it was my own fault so I can't claim...haha!

Ooh cleaning...sounds fun! Mind you its a nice feeling to have a clean house after. I need to do tip run too...back of the house looking like a garbage tip with all the odds and ends and now they're all wet & weather worn so I don't wanna put them in my car...whoops!

Hope you get everything within budget, make it a challenge and perhaps save any left over from that 20 into a tin for a rainy day or a future treat?

Popstess

reality_check wrote: »

Positive thoughts bring positive changes.... I need to get watching the secret again on youtube.

Spoke to Virgin last night after I rejected the original offer of £100 for loss of service, I was then offered £180, I said no and she asked what I wanted, I said a full refund lol but was told £250 was the max she could give me, so I took it! They wanted to credit my account but I got her to send me a cheque so that will be with me within the next few weeks.

Second good news after reading the weekly email from Martin Lewis about Experian credit reports -
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/reclaim/experian-creditexpert-reclaiming?utm_source=MSE_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=02-Mar-16-v1&utm_campaign=nt-hiya&utm_content=22

If you had a policy between January 2011 and July 2014 an insurance policy was automatically added on without giving customers the option. I called them up and I had the policy from September 2011 and I made 25 payments of £14.99. Whoever I spoke to was only able to process my claim but did say I had this insurance added onto my policy.... I don't know if that means I get my £14.99 for each month refunded or just the insurance extra that was added on....never had a claim like this, but fingers crossed I get something back.

Need to get on with my Amazon complaint, when they took £4.09 for 5 years for Lovefilm that I cancelled!! and also need to complete an online form for PPI for an Egg credit card to see if I have PPI as my friend and I took out the card at the same time, so I am hoping I had it....nothing to lose!

Also got an email from Laura Ashley the wonderful mirror is coming next Friday lol can't wait.

A frugal weekend ahead, need to buy some potatoes and vegetables for Sunday, the flowers and NEED to get my eyebrows threaded - an essential! Still all the above needs to come in at less than £20.00. No plans for the weekend really, need to take stuff to the tip, clean my oven and windows and my weekly deeeeep clean - rock and roll! Going round to my friends for a catch up tonight and got my Mothers day hosting on Sunday so that will be nice.

Off to complete that PPI survey...xx

You are doing amazing!!! Well done. I've heard of the book the secret but not the videos on YouTube, any good?

reality_check

I really recommend the book and watching the video...I truly believe it works, but some people do think it's all a bit head in the clouds stuff lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-mLQgNf8fs - that's the film if you're interested!

Sticking to the £20.00 budget didn't quite happen....went and got my eyebrows waxed £5 and it was quiet so decided to get my hair cut, it needed done so if it wasn't from this months money would have been from next month, went for a dry cut £12 and left a £1 tip, not much but I didn't go through with my no tip policy I had planned....I also spent £1 on 2 creme eggs, £12 on lunch on Saturday, £14.50 on flowers and £3.50 in Lidl on some vegetables.

With regards to lunch, it was a last minute plan, and I could have said no and put the £12 towards debt, but I've decided if I am putting my £500 to debt and £200 to savings each then I can do what I like with the rest within reason. I will need to budget and in March I am aiming for £120 on food but if I decide to spend £40 on a meal out and eat toast and beans for a week then that's just a choice I will need to live with - not that this is my plan. I just know that I need to live a bit in order to keep focused, I'm basically just trying to justify my lunch lol

Managed to get most of my cleaning done but still didn't manage the dump run, I've been doing this for weeks, so what's another week to prolong it! Will try do it an evening this week....

Had a lovely lunch yesterday, my mum loved her gifts! My daughter bought me beautiful flowers and a face mask that we both love, so basically a joint gift since i'm sure she used the last tub more than me! It is a tiny little tub for £40 called GlamGlow - but it is a miracle face mask. http://www.feelunique.com/p/GlamGlow-Mud-Mask-50ml incase anyone needs some gift inspiration for something for someone to get them...I'm not promoting spending money lol

Monday again, the weekend is not long enough! I have a holiday for Friday so at least it's a 4 day week. Here's to a frugal week with no unexpected spends needed..!! xx

reality_check

Nothing much to report today, just working and nothing exciting happening - a standard Tuesday night. Went a run this morning, and made a juice for breakfast. I juiced some spinach, kale, kiwi, lime and blended a banana - was lovely. Brought lunch to work too so a no spend day. Still not needed petrol, but I will need to after work tomorrow, so I've had 10 trips to work and not much inbetween for £38.00, so hopefully I have over estimated £100 per month on petrol, fingers crossed.

7 days until pay day!!! Can't come quick enough. Other than petrol I shouldn't really need to be spending any money....famous last words!!! xxx

reality_check

Still no takers on my Virgin experience voucher, might give Gumtree a go and then try Ebay.... Or might just book myself afternoon tea! xx