Chloe's diary on the road to debt-freeness!

chloebelle

I agree testandvote isn't great, I wouldn't use it for the rewards they offer but it just gives me another path via which I can get ipoints for which there is a potentially good reward.

gems2381

That's the only reason I use that site now too.

chloebelle

Hi guys,

this topic is total not MSE / DFW related, but as its my diary I think thats allowed! :rotfl:

My xmas do is on december 1st and I can't fit in my dress! :eek: . Mayor crisis!! Gotta get toned up asap!!!

I am going to start doing my callanetics video daily and try and stop eating so much c**p.

Callanetics is so incredible, you lose 1 inch per hour workout! If anyone wants to know about it for re-xmas toning up please PM me.

At least cutting out really bad snacks will help with bad spending habits!

huggystyle

Hi Chloe,

I've been reading your diary for the last few days and its been quite an inspiration for me to now get myself sorted out. Although I still can't bring myself to add everything up and work out my total debt. I'm almost 24 and wanna be debt free by 27 so I guess I better start now.

Keep up the good work and I'll keep reading. By the way what is all the points at the bottom of your posts, can you make money off them??

chloebelle

Hi Huggy,

sorry haven't updated diary in a while so have only just seen your post.

Yeah my sig details the survey sites I use to earn money and/or points to help with the debt! Sig doesn't include cashback sites as it would be too long!

Google search You gov, test and vote, pigsback, ipoints, valued opinion, juicy brains to earn some points.

Even better, there is a thread (I think) on the freebies site with detailed descriptions of survey sites which is very detailed and comprehensive.


Back to my week -

have spent £81.12
have made £56.73

total expenditure of £23.39


Thats actually not bad, spent less than last week but made less than less week.

Month to date:

spent - £194.54
Made - £124.69

Have learnt a couple of important lessons this week. Firstly, it is really important for me to consider extra earnings alongside expenditure. I was depressed this morning as felt I had had a bad week, but adding up the money I have made has really made me see that MSE / DFW' ing is much more than just what is spent, its about the money earnt as weel.

In addition, have had to accept that one-off payments are necessary and must be accounted for. Think the month overall isn't going to be great as have to buy another hugely expensive book and need to renew railcard. However there is no point being fed up about this, this is the nature of money!

On a postive note have stuff ending on ebay tonight so hopefully will have some profit!

On an annoying note wanted to open an alliance and leicester isa to save money. Read on here that if I do this through pigsback you get 5000 points! Went to the link but it doesn't seem to lead me to the right place and no other caskback site offer money for opening an isa. How annoying!

Here to a good week, my mission is to spend less and make more overall to take account of railcard and book to be bought!

bathgatebuyer

Chloe, another option for mobile phones is Envirofone. I managed to trade in an old Samsung (ROTTEN ROTTEN ROTTEN reception!) and got enough points to get a new stainless steel microwave from Argos! It depends largely on the phone you want to get rid of. I got just over £50 for mine, but for an old Blackberry, they would only offer £4!

chloebelle

Hi all

what a terrible weekend, was on my own at home all weekend so spent money on takeaways and wine! I am so ashamed and cross with myself, couldn't even face the sunday confessional!

However, have decided to make the best of a bad lot. Firstly, I have accepted that this has been a bad month, but primarily because of one-off spends. Therefore November is gonna be a serious detox month!

Spends this week - £170.26
Earnings - £47.78

Total spends - £122.48

Appalling, disgraceful, I am so cross with myself.

Month to date:

Spent - £364.80
Made extra - £172.47

Total £192.33


This has shown me how important it is for me to generate extra income. Without my extra earnings from ebay etc... I would have basically spent my salary already. Only worry is how to maintain this - I really don't have anything left to sell!!!

chloebelle

Hi all

Tomorrow is payday meaning today is the last day of the spending month. Have been number crunching to find out the facts for the month.

Total spend for month - £410.03

Total extra earnings for month - £189.49

Overall Figure - spent £220.54

The bad - initial spending value very bad, went over my actual wages.
Aimed to have 50% month as NSD, only achieved 5 out of 28 :mad:


The good - very good extra earnings, equates to earning 51% of my salary back!


Important consideration - A lot of one-off spends this month:

• 4 x books for uni
• annual renewel of rail card
• magazine subscription - saves money long term.
• sisters' birthday
• Annual weekend home alone, meant some treats!
• 2 x credit card payments, both cards now clear and no intention of using in the future.

However, also some very naughty spends:

• New top
• Some new undies
• a few bad spends on chocolates, drinks and snacks

Overall, I think i've actually done ok, all the one-off spends were totally necessary and just unfortunate that they all came at the same time. However, this first month has taught me so much about attitude to money saving and although the figures arn't fab, I actually feel positive and pleased of my inital efforts.


Personal November Challenges

• Chloebelle's detox month - To try and stick to essential spends only in the run up to december.
• To join Moozies weekly challenge and achieve low weekly spends on a strict budget.
• To join 'make £10 a day in November challenge' and try really hard!
• To start doing clicks again, have failed badly at this.
• To have 50% NSD.
• To earn back 50% of my monthly salary through other means.

Ok thats it! Heres to a really good month, actually feel quite motivated.

chloebelle

Hi all,

first week of the new spend month, the scores on the doors are as follows:

total spends - £32.65
total earnt - £88.75

Total - +£65.10

:T :T :T :T :T

Oh my god, am actually in positive figures! Have earnt more than I've spent! Fantastic! Earnings have been from some yougov surveys, 6 hours overtime at work, ebay sale, amazon refund, piggy voucher. Must keep this up for the whole of november!

:j

duchy

Wow great start to the month Chloe