Ghgghhgggg

ReadingTim

Deleted User wrote: »

think this is a bit of a p@ss take...problems with your BMW, don't know whether to buy your husband a personalized number plate..life must be hell

Sadly not - check out the numbers of SOAs on here where the poster is up to their eyeballs in debt yet p!ssing money away on Sky TV and mobile phones every month.

andyfromotley

Hi,

At the risk of sounding all ZEN 'change must come from within'.

I have found the following websites/podacsts very helpful in altering my relationship with money.

Mr Money Mustache
Dave Ramsey podcast.
Living Stingy.

dazla

A private number plate isn't really worth it, save the money instead to reduce your debts

Debtslayer

Hi OP
In 2013 you were posting that you were debt free; so you must be able to remember that feeling of being debt free and how good it felt.
You must have also reigned in your spending once to enable yourself to become debt free; so you can do it again

Happytravelling

I'd echo andyfromotley's suggestion of the Mr Money Mustache blog, he's more extreme than most people want to be (certainly more than I want to be), but putting under scrutiny the things everyone shells out for without thinking certainly makes you see things differently. I think it was him that said something like every £1 spent today is a £1 stolen from your future self.

I remember, a long time ago, doing badly in an exam and going shopping in the afternoon and buying a £50 top. Do you know, it was absolutely lovely, I got a lot of compliments and I wore it loads. I had it for about 5 years! It was fortunate that I didn't regret it (at the time I only earned about £120 a month from my weekend job) in the long term, but I remember getting home and feeling hollow. It was a good early lesson not to see retail as a therapy.

Doing badly in an exam seems so irrelevant compared to some of life's challenges since, but some of my hobbies now such as baking and going for walks in the country are especially good when I am stressed or need a pick me up. If you fill your time with these kind of activities, you're less likely to spend time thinking about all the things you think you need or coming up with new things to need :A

I don't really see what joy or pleasure you can get from a personalised number plate, it doesn't improve the comfort or speed of the car, it doesn't result in good memories or create experiences, or make life easier. Its pounds spent on no obvious benefit... Not sure you even get bragging rights when its purchased on credit :eek: This is just my perspective, there's no right or wrong, but it does mean I have 0 desire to waste money on something like this :money:

Aegean

I am also a spending machine!

I find that having a really focused goal in mind helps me to curb my spending needs. I mean, I will literally spend money on ANYTHING. It's like I'm allergic to it!

I want to pay off my debts by December - nearly two years early - which has focused my spending (to put it lightly), but other things that help me focus are small goals.

Saving £1 a day has the knock-on effect of making you think about how many times a day you "only spend a £1".

saving £50 a month by cutting down on bills/other costs makes you wonder why £50 on a night out was such a feasible amount to spend.

Don't let yourself become a miser, but start thinking about how the pennies add up. You'll surprise yourself at just how easy it is to save once you do this!

Good luck

AliceBanned

*Vikki* wrote: »

Thanks all, I am either al or nothing. So count every penny or blow it all. I think its because Ive lost interest as it takes ages to pay off. And hate going without. Luckily its all 0%. But there is a small chance if I don't keep my job ill be out of it come September so I really need to stick to it now. Its unlikely I will be out of the job but I need to plan for worse. But even that isn't making me stick to budget as I hate feeling deprived. And lately loads of things have been needing to be done. Oh no I have one of those pushy window sellers coming around tomorrow!

Hi Vikki, I know what you mean, I yo-yo a lot with paying off debt/spending. I get impatient too.


Like an other post I recommend YNAB (You Need a Budget). I am still working on the discipline of sticking to it but I realise I need to pull the stops out as the debt is making me so fed up and making me poorer. Good luck, I hope you find a happy middle ground and manage to keep the debts down next time.

Ch1979

I'm also an impulsive buyer but I never would have labelled myself as a spendthrift. My own lightbulb moment came from using an app which analysed my spending by putting all my transactions in categories. I spent £400 per month in supermarkets and I live on my own?! Even with fags that's 300 quid unaccounted for. I'm in 5000 of debt. looked about my flat trying to find where all my money had gone and all I could find that I valued in the last year was art supplies,a nice skirt, Glastonbury festival, a holiday. That was it and I'd spent 11000! I'm now taking out 110 quid per week for all spending and using my purse as a cash system. I have on trees and coin keeper apps. Have paid an extra 75 on my debt and saved 75 and don't feel like I am losing out. I'm trying to change my entire outlook on money not just spiralling between spendthrift and miser. This past month I have still gone out for a meal, drinks with friends, bought art stuff and a pair of earrings and scarf. But the difference is I have traded them off with other things I care less about. It'll get easier as I go along as I'll know where to cut and splurge. You sound very similar to me and perhaps need a visual clue and system to keep you on track and not disheartened? btw you have had your lightbulb moment...its this post hehe!! :-)

Vikipollard

*Vikki* wrote: »

At the moment a private number plate for husband is calling me as id love to treat him to it for his birthday, Need to stop spending!

So you want to give him the gift that keeps on taking then? £80+ to keep it every time he changes his car.

Sorry, but until you have your lightbulb moment this is a waste of time.

You might want to start by filling in an SOA so you can see where you are leaking - or by the sounds of it, hemorrhaging - money. Perhaps that will shock you out of the downward spiral. There is no such thing as a 'safe' job anymore.

Catslovelycats

Keeping a spending diary has been mentioned a bit here.
I haven't had a problem with spending/debts but kept one for a few months cos I couldn't work out where my money was going. That is what gave me my LBM and might well be enough to get you yours, which I think is what you want.
Good luck.