Joined 31.05.16

louby40

PSL, there's nothing like a plan!


My July was going ok but I think I may have to dip into my overdraft this months slightly, which isn't great but it certainly won't be £500 like previous months.


Keep up the budgeting


Louby

ThatKiss

Didn't want to read and run - have just gone through your thread from start to finish and you're doing so well. We all have our own lifestyles to maintain as debt reduction doesn't necessarily have to be a race to the finish. There's no harm in living a little so long as you're reducing the debt overall.

Keep up the good work!

Poor_Single_lady

Thank you both so much for the encouragement. Very nice to wake up to. I feel slightly embarrassed at the thought of someone reading all this boringness from the beginning. Its very dull!
I wont have time to post later. Spent £5.85 on some food bits. Cereal, tinned tomatoes, chocolate and sauce. Trying to be good! xxx

[Deleted User]

That's not too bad.

I spent 8.75 this morning.

6.75 on flowers & a card as one of the girls in work is getting married & finishes up this week.

1.00 on juice for work.

Have a nice day my sweet!

Dxxx

hannahroberts1985

Hey PSL,

Just read your while diary. I started one years ago and have just returned and started a new one as things are now being paid off and were plodding along but I start maternity pay soon so need to keep track of what I'm spending so I don't go off rails.

It sounds like your making a really good go of things and making the right steps. Well Done on starting and keeping up with your diary they help so much don't they! It's tough with friends wanting to do things all the time and feeling like you need to cut them off to sort out your debt. I try to be the one now to make the plans and suggest cheaper things to do. In a few years when your friends have their LBM they will understand and come to you for help trust me!

I know a few people have suggested it and your not keen but I can't reccomend separate accounts enough. I have loads...my pocket money account £50 a week then if i have something big on my calendar I just have to crop the other weeks back to save enough to attend. A petrol/food account then my bill account. Once all the money is in the pots you'll feel sooooo much more in control I promise. Then once this is all set up start having pots for savings emergancy fund, clothing, birthday presents, Christmas etc. It sounds extreme but I have found micro managing my money the only way to get in control. The bank were a bit funny about me wanting so many accounts....but that's only because they want me to mess up and pay interest and charges it's how they make their money!!!!

I also noticed at the start you had a £25 charity dd did you get around to cancelling this? It's £300 a year if this was paid off your 18%card that would be £354 with the interest you'd be saving.

Also have your used a snow ball calculator? You enter all your debts and % etc and it'll tell you down to the penny what to pay off each monthly to get them paid back with paying the least amount of interest.

Also hope you don't mind me saying you seem to spend a lot on work lunches. It may be worth spending a little extra at the super market to make your lunches more exciting so you don't get tempted to spend in caf!s etc.You seem to be good at cooking so I'm sure a bit of pinteresting lunch ideas will get the creative juices flowing. Is there a nice park near work you can have lunch in so you can still escape the office? Even if you manage to skip one £5 spend on lunch a week this is nearly £300 saved in a year.

Anyway gonna go for now as feel like I'm rambling on. I'll subscribe if that's cool?

Hannah

Poor_Single_lady

Hi hannah. Thanks for your help. I have noticed the work lunches recently, its not always as bad as this. I think its just a lot right now but I don't think I realised how bad this can get. The thing is In my old job I worked in an office with around 25 young people and I literally had no one to go to lunch with. In central london this was totally lonely, but now im in a different role and things have improved so its hard because now for the first time ever i have actual real friendships at work. I am reigning it in tho. with a friend, I have just one more because I have a problem I need some advice on so its the last one this month i promise!
The charity thing im keeping. Its a charity where you adopt a child, I've had mine for 4 years and she is nearly 11 I think. It would honestly break my heart to cancel it. I know it defies logic but I cant do it. I also don't have kids or really plan to have any and I dont want to end up one of those bitter old women that hates children! I know its advisable to cancel but it would upset me too much.

The accounts I will probably do but I feel like at the moment its about damage limitation and then all of that later. The repayment demands leave me with very little so its hard to know where to put the money for the best. It will all come together, its just going to take time.
I honestly feel like if it was the other way round I would be way more supportive of my friends. My exams are getting closer tho so they have to understand right now.

A nsd today, but probably won't have another one now till monday. But all next week taking lunch to work and all the week after as well.

I will get there and very excited about being out of the overdraft and watching the amounts get reduced. Its just going to take a long time. Xxxx

hannahroberts1985

I hear you and it can be daunting when you've used one account for everything then you've always got a bit extra if you need something....but if you budget yourself a decent amount to live off you won't feel guilty everytime you spend because it's your fun money. I'm not talking scrap all fun completely. I give myself £200 a month as my pocket money. Roughly £50 a week which for me isn't too restrictive. I know my limits and will save money one week if I have a big even ahead. Also it makes me question every spend and if I want to spend my pocket money on things. Friends and socialising were a big part of how I got into debt in the first place. I have photo albums filled with amazing memories with good friends and family. I still need money to see my friends and family and I don't want to feel guilty about this, I just try to make better choices now xx

hannahroberts1985

P.s please don't think I'm nagging it's just this is the tactic that really helped me feel in control of my money.

Poor_Single_lady

Lol! I don't think that you're nagging at all. I think the socialising is the main root of the problem. A lot of my friends prioritise socialising above everything else and they cant understand it when im single but going out isn't my main priority. It doesn't make any sense to them and they think I am making a mistake or that I must be depressed. It's so frustrating. They don't realise they are making the problem worse. Hardly anything in the calander for august im keeping it that way apart from 1 friends birthday and 1 work lunch. Going to work hard to bring lunch in. Good luck to all in the countdown to payday. xxx

hannahroberts1985

They'll soon learn that you are happy with your choice to sort things out and will respect it. I think you said you have friends who have had babies and said they find out who their real friends are....it's kinda the same if someone really likes you for you and cares about spending time with you they will do it even if it's not their preferred choice of events. They are probably just nagging as your great fun to party with and were easily blagged before. I know I was. Now thought I have a couple of girlfriends left from pre DS and LBM one who doesn't have kids but will come sleep over when DP does nights ann watch a chic flic and have a few glasses of wine as she knows going out is a big faf with kids. You'll find the good ones xx