Time to sort my finances out

Flowers123

Thanks enthusiastic saver. I've switched to the c0op bank

Yes I need to take one step at a time at the moment.

I've spent £3 today on a posh loaf of bread for lunch and then had lots of little nibble which was really nice

Houseplant26

Hi Flowers,

Just dropping in after way too long away from this site!
It sounds like you're on top of things. Good luck for your interview today!!
Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Flowers123

Hi Houseplant. I thought you had been very quiet. Everything ok with you? How's the budgeting going? I'll pop over to your diary

Interview went ok but I was extremely nervous and it showed. Not getting my hopes up, I kind of believe in fate and things happen for a reason. If I don't get the job then I'm sure something else will be around the corner.

Spendy day today. I had to pay for parking as I was late for work after my interview so £4.20 there. I then had to pick up a prescription which was £8.40 and then grocery shopping was £20. I have about £40 left to last until payday and I have just over half a tank of fuel so I won't need to get anymore. Going to work more overtime this week and I may also do a few hours on Saturday to stop myself going out and spending. Payday is 8 days away and I've made loads of meals for the freezer this evening and I've got lunches for this week. I think I can get away with spending another £10 on fresh fruit etc over the next week as I've got enough in to last until payday. This means I won't go into my OD oh I have been charged £6 for my OD from last month

Looks like the next week is going to be a very quiet one for me which isn't a bad thing. I'm looking a bit knackered at the moment so this weekend I'm going to have a pamper weekend. Facial, nails, body scrub, hair conditioner, eyebrows. I'll do this all myself and it won't cost a penny as I have everything I need.

I'm currently lay in bed and moths keep flying in. They are driving me bonkers. I've found a lot of my lovely jumpers have been nibbled on so I'm going to need to buy some moth repellant!

Can't wait until payday.

Houseplant26

Pamper weekends are great I did my nails yesterday and felt a lot better for it! Feels good to use things up too and not spend any money. Well done for getting through your job interview! And well done for your freezer meals!

Flowers123

Thanks Houseplant. This frugal living lark is going to take some getting used to. Yes, I'm in desperate need of a pamper session as I look gross.

I did some overtime after work and I've only just got home. I needed a few essentials that weren't in my list yesterday. I ended up spending £18 in the supermarket :eek: that's a huge part of my budget gone so I'm going to have to be a hermit this weekend. I did end up buying some make up which is cheaper than my usual brand as I had run out and I'm looking a bit rough round the edges. I also got a bottle of wine as it was needed after today. Lesson learnt, I need to make a list every single time I set foot near a shop as I can't be trusted :mad:

Just about to have some dinner and waiting for my wine to chill. I was thinking about not doing overtime this weekend but after my blip this evening I will definitely be going in! I have found loads more clothes to sell which I just need to iron and photograph so this should be a few extra pounds. Really need to get a grip of my budget and stick to it.

Not heard back about the new job yet. Hopefully I'll find out this week.

Flowers123

Still not heard back from my interview. I don't have a good feeling about it. Never mind, I will keep my eye out for other positions in that area. I am lucky I have a full time job and overtime if I want it trying to be more positive. I have decided I definitely do want to move so if I don't get this position which I may be over experienced for then I will keep trying.

I've had a NSD which is kind of forced on me as I don't have much left until payday next week. I've do have loads of food in though. I will just need to get chicken for the weekend so I can make a curry instead of a takeaway.

I was going to put some items up to sell but I'm feeling extremely run down and exhausted from work at the moment. I can't wait for the bank holiday weekend!

I'm nearly at £4 on a survey site so I can withdraw this and I will pay it to my CC1. Swag bucks feels like I will take forever to even get near a pay out but I'll keep plodding.

I need to make a budget for next month. I'm thinking I will budget £50 for fuel as I want to go home at least twice. I will then budget £50 a week for groceries, clothing and social expenditure. I really need to get a grip and not buy clothes but I feel really scruffy at work at the moment. I did buy a skirt and top at the start of thid month for work but all my clothes seem to be wearing out at the same time. If I write lists and meal plan then I think £50 a week is more than enough, I can walk to work and take lunches. The first 2 weekends after payday I have already made plans for and I've already paid for most of it so it will just be the odd spend. I will try to make the other 2 weekends quiet ones.

I have been thinking about doing a bookkeeping course. It's a useful skill to have and I have seen the courses on Groupon which don't cost too much. Must budget for this. Can't afford it from my August pay but I should be able to save a small amount towards it from September pay cheque.

Soo tired today. I may have to have a nap. Not sleeping well at the moment with everything whirling on in my head. Flowers X

Smodlet

Hey, Flowers. Sorry you are not feeling great. Are you eating enough fruit, drinking enough water, etc? It sounds as if you are all over the salad thing.

If you wanted my opinion, I would construe you are still a little ambivalent towards this whole money-saving, getting out of debt lark. You sound, imho, resentful about being sensible and paying down your debt. I'm thinking most of it is a combination of feeling deflated after your interview, resentful about "going without" (or what constitutes that in your universe; £3 for one loaf of bread???) and feeling overdue for a foreign holiday. Plus, who likes doing overtime?

I guess it is a whole lot like going on a diet; it is a money-saving diet and, like the usual kind, if you do not stick to it and assimilate it into a new way of life, rather than a temporary fix, it will not work long-term. It sounds somewhat as if you may have "plateau-ed". Who knows, perhaps the news about this job will be good but, if nothing else, going for the interview appears to have helped you to crystallise your thoughts. You want to move closer to home so now, you can focus your energies on doing so while maintaining a healthy money-saving diet to assist in bringing your goal closer to you. You can do this if you just put your mind to it... or not, if it does not seem worth the sacrifice; it is up to you.

All pep-talked out, now. {Gasps} :cool:

Flowers123

Hi Smodlet. I think I'm just a bit run down and need a good few days off work to recover. Ah yes, it was an expensive loaf from a local farm shop. I got it for lunch at the weekend as my parents are gluten intolerant and can't eat the cheap white stuff I have. It's not a regular thing luckily. I did buy lots of fruit yesterday which was why I ended up spending more than I should have. I think I'm going to have to make a plan and go to the market at the weekend and stock up on fruit and veg. It's loads cheaper and it means I can still be frugal and eat healthily. As my grandparents say your health is your most important asset hope you're enjoying the lovely sunshine this week.

So my plan for th rest of the week..

1) Overtime tomorrow night for an hour and 4 hours at the weekend
2) Trip to the market on Sunday to stock up on cheap fruit and veg
3) Look into the bookkeeping course
4) Tidy house from top to bottom and hoover inside of my car
5) Take photos and list more items to sell
6) Nails, body scrub, hair condition etc
7) Drink more water and cut down on alcohol
8) Apply for another job nearer home ( I have seen a new role listed today which looks interesting)

Spa day for my birthday treat from my parents next Thursday. I can't wait

Smodlet

Stick at it, Flowers, you sound like someone who has a great deal to offer; you will get there. All the best, S x

Flowers123

So another NSD also I did 1.5 hours overtime so with the overtime I'm doing this weekend I should take home another £60 extra plus £25 from last week. This is all going towards my CC1. Determined to get rid of this one as soon as possible, it will probably take 12 months with my current budget but there is light at the end of the tunnel I can then concentrate on CC2 and while I'm paying these off my loan will be reducing by quite a bit anyway

I've just had one of my meals I made the other night from the freezer. It was lovely and so nice to have something healthy that's quick to cook.

I keep going on the snowball calculator. My current DFD is June 2020 still. Haha I don't know why I thought it would change. Im sure the time will go quick and if I get a pay rise or my circumstances change then I want to try and get rid of the debt by the end of 2019

Feeling determined this evening.

6 more days until payday! Yay!