Joined 31.05.16

louby40

Do you not save for Christmas? I put £50 into a separate savings account each month. So when November comes around I have £500 or so sitting there. It really helps. I wouldn't have £500 to spend during November/December.

Poor_Single_lady

The thing is that in order to save money you need to have something to save and I don't have this. I just don't. My debt payments are iro £450 so the saving is not going to happen.
If/when this reduces I will rethink - but to be honest I think it's going to take a long time to become a saver. I think all in Christmas is about £450 which is 3 of those stupid loan payments so in the future it will be manageable and really I can see the end of the "very hard times" is coming.

I'm staying In next month and not drinking. I'm saying no to literally everything. Everything. No London trips, no nights out, no beers or wines, no dinners, no theatre, nothing. Just back to basics books, baths, films and lie-ins. I want to take holiday from work but I don't have enough worked. If I haven't found a new job by June I'm going to take a week off and be at home tho. Had enough of this poverty. I can't imagine a life Where the payments are manageable.

Poor_Single_lady

I do take on board what you are saying Louby. I just read my post back, it sounds quite dismissive and this isn't what I meant. I'm sorry it's coming across like that against my actual thoughts! I think you are completely right and This time next year I will have a Christmas fund (and likely think if you when I top it up) so yes for 2018 and no for 2017. But you are right and it is good advice thank you. xxx

GoingToDoIt

Hi PSL, just remember there is light at the end of the tunnel. Like you say, maybe next year you can have an xmas fund, once the loan is "dead".
If you are having a quiet few weeks, have a think about the "extra income" boards, you might find doing surveys or selling stuff online could bring in a few quid after a few weeks, might pay for a bottle of wine or a cinema trip.

Verbatim

Dare I ask how much the furniture cost? I'm guessing it went on a cc. Perhaps the one you cleared with your bonus?
What is your plan for Christmas if not putting money aside beforehand?

louby40

PSL please don't worry that I'm offended. I'm not.

I would love to spend the £50 I save for Christmas on myself but I don't, I know Christmas is coming and in the past I would have paid for everything on my CC but now I save it. It's a major priority for me as it's a big spend.

I understand you might not have the money to save but come Christmas how will you pay for it?

Poor_Single_lady

Verbatim you are keeping me in check. The furniture went into the overdraft. But it felt like I needed something for me to keep me sane after paying my entire bonus onto the debts (although I did go to theatre and get few non essential things in regent street)
Plus the furniture makes the flat look so much bigger. Both were rare good choices by me. And both will last and won't need to be replaced.

I'm probably unusual in that I don't actually spend too much money at Christmas. Probably about £300 All in which I think Is less than other people.

At a guess
On presents-
Parents, grandparents £120
Siblings £80
Friends children £40
Niece/nephews £60

I don't buy for any of my friends and I try to wriggle out of the secret santas. I know that sounds miserable but i always put so much effort i and alway get something weird back.

Then a bit more costs in the going out/ drinks and possibly some clothes.

I don't have a specific plan but I do have some positives.

Loan ends October so November and December income increases by £153.

Travel costs are set up so that when I am off work at some point there will be holiday at the right time to mean a whole months pay with no travel costs. This will make a difference of about £400

But I have applied for a job closer to home. I'm not sure if I really want it or not. But it would be good experience and I could always apply back to London in the future.

Payday is almost here. I'm quite busy next week but then after that it's a whole month staying in and no drinking. I think It will do me so much good on health and money, stress and time for myself.
Drank far too much recently. It's way too excessive and I would like things to be calmer.

Low key day today waiting for the money to arrive.

GoingToDoIt

Hi PSL
I know it's not always helpful to have loads of suggestions of doing things different ways but there is one thing I thought of to suggest - your choice whether it might work for you!? It worked for me recently anyway. As you are paying around £450 each month on debt, can you re-arrrange that so that you do minimum payments on all but one cc, and pick one cc which is low that you pay a lot to-which would mean you might pay one cc off quickly? Maybe an mbna one? Or kill a low one like hulifax, then move the mbna to it?

This really depends on how much your minimum payments are, but for my cc's they were about £30/£40 per card per month. So I paid that, then £200 per month on one card. Just an idea of a "quick win" for you to consider. For me, as I say, I liked "slaying" a card. Plus once you finish a 0% card, you can usually transfer other debt to it at 0%, and so can re-use it - for example if another card with debt on is ending it's 0% period and getting interest, then you have an "empty" card to move that balance to.

I know there is always a cost to moving balance transfers, but the thing is when you have over 5k debt you are unlikely to pay it off in a year so you have to accept some charges along the way I think. And better to pay 3% balance transfer fee than pay interest, in most cases.

blue_eyed_girl123

Good luck with the not drinking . I don't tend to drink much as I often work weekends and regardless of how much I drink I always seem to wake up feeling rubbish. You could always plan things in for Saturdays and Sundays that make up for not drinking, I like to go out with a friend for coffee and cake sometimes .

[Deleted User]

Oh good luck with the job application & the giving up drinking!

Dxxx