6 months on and still a penny not a £ to my name

Penny2myName

19th March 2007 LBM£5,969.63
27th September 2007 £4,197.81 (£175.23) of total debt paid last month after reductions for added debt.

SOA October

Income
Income Support £236.60
Child Tax Credit £327.32
Child Benefit £120.80
Maintenance £100.00

Total £784.72

outgoings
Electric £30.00
Gas £40.00
Phone +BB £26.53 (need to work on making this smaller)
Tv Licence £11.05 (dropped by £10)
Water £33.30
Insurance £18.58
Saving DD £12.00
Saving DS £12.00
Saving Trips £5.00
Shopping £80.00 (personal challenge)
Total £268.46

Debts owing/payments
LittleWoods £729.20/£81.88 (9 payments)
Dell £ 66.30/£13.26 (5 payments)
DFS Dining £595.98/£22.10 (27 payments)
DFS Sofa £2254.77/£83.51 (27 payments)
Rent Arrears £10.37/£10.00 (2 payments x £5.00) (need to go in to pay the 37p)
Kev £180.00/£70.00 (3 payments)
Vanquis £ 202.00/£40.40 (5 payments)
LaRedoute £169.54/£33.90 (5 payments)
Fantasy Sci fi £55.95 (ok, that was a drastic order)
Total £411.37

Grand Total £679.83

leaving £104. 89

Which I need to get £112 b+b money from, plus DD's fares to school, and my fares to college. Then spending money!! Looks like maxing the card back out, and not forgetting DD's 13th birthday in less than 2 weeks time. Admittedly the way child benefit is paid means i can shuffle it around, and borrow next months this month for going away. Roll on November, all birthdays are gone, I already have most of christmas sorted (yes the kids new bikes will be done on catalogue but thats it £160) and all the holidays that where booked at beginning of year are finally over. Roll on 2008 when i have no commitments.

All my good intentions and savings £2's and change jar, seemed to get blown to bits. even my pigsback when they stopped doing the Boots voucher. Greasy palm ended up buying new uniforms instead of going to christmas. In so many ways I feel as though I have totally failed. Also have a £50 overdraft now, which will probs be used whilst away. It was used for the first time today, for 7 hours.

chevalier

Just to point out that if you stopped the savings for the children for a year this would allow you to pay of la redoute in 3 payments not 5, and then vanquis is less payments maybe too. Once they are paid off the money for them plus the children's savings would give you nearly £100 extra to pay off your debt with. Which could start paying off one of the other debts more quickly.

Once you are debt free you would be able to save for the children again at double the rate you are now easily, which would make the money up again.

Tough choice I know, but needs must......?
chev

Lucy1982_2

Hi Sweet!

Have you logged into pigsback recently? As the boots vouchers are BACK!! as are a load of others.

I've not got much to offer on the SOA it all looks good to me. keep you chin up, things will get better

x

Penny2myName

Ok i may be flagging slightly but not enough to worry about Bbuchanan Clark and Wells, calling me, and i cant get the underline off now!! Do they really believe i will run my bill up calling them.

Yay done it. Things may be tight, but I'm into the last 6months stretch of super tight belt, and then or though not out of debt, things are going to be alot easier as I will have an extra £230 a month roughly free. Admittedly I want to be sticking half of that into savings, for everything else that could be upcoming. Such as new £5 a month school trip fund

Penny2myName

The kids savings account cant be touched till it matures, or it loses its 10% value. My main problem is getting past this month.

rayday2

Lucy1982 wrote: »

Hi Sweet!

Have you logged into pigsback recently? As the boots vouchers are BACK!! as are a load of others.

I've not got much to offer on the SOA it all looks good to me. keep you chin up, things will get better

x

Pants! I didn't know that I choose bloomin Burtons ones as they were the next most useful I knew I should have waited!

Penny2myName

Have to admit, i ordered two cups and a stress pig instead :rotfl:Anyone for coffee!!!

Well instant saving has appeared at the door. My bike has arrived which I bought using my commission from Littlewoods (have £2 goods left avalible now) so that takes my bus fares down from £48 a month to train fair of £10 a month.

Yeap I have taken a leaf out of my daughter's book way back in March when she offered to bike/train it to work to save £22 a month. Have already started taking a packed lunch and flask, as I told one lady, I can not justify £3 a day on coffee's when my daughter is biking it part way to school to save money. For lunch coffee and bus fares a day it was costing £10. I just cant justify that.

Lucy1982_2

rayday2 wrote: »

Pants! I didn't know that I choose bloomin Burtons ones as they were the next most useful I knew I should have waited!

Oh No!!

I must admit I did have a really strop on about it and then they reappeared!

shopsalot

The lunch thing is a great idea - and it doesnt have to be boring. Have you heard of a bento (japanese style lunch boxes) can be made form leftovers so dont have to cost anything and are actually fun to eat (check out bento bolgs form the link on cookingcute.com for inspiration)

Also, not sure how your work is set up, but at a previous job i saved loads on vending beverages by keeping a jar of instant coffee/tea in my desk. Hot water is invarably free in the machines (and at starbucks/nero i beleive!) and no-one is any the wiser!

Penny2myName

Time to get back on this ball as much as possible, starting with meal planning, not bothered last two weeks as been trying to totally empty freezer so I could defrost it. That's now done, so did my plan then went shopping earlier

Thursday
Cheese and sweetcorn on toast (had all stuff in)

Friday
Veg Curry, rice and Nann

Saturday

Egg mayo Sandwiches (lunch)
Fish fingers Chips and beans (Tea)

Sunday
Pie, roast pots, yorks puds mixed veg + gravy (lunch)
Egg on Toast (tea)

Monday
mince & pasta (cauliflower cheese for me) with Garlic Bread (tea)

Tuesday
Egg Chips and beans

Wednesday
Jacket potatoes + choice of filling.

So apart from the yorkshire puds which they didn't have in, my washing powder and more milk, did the weeks shopping for £11.61 not much was value stuff so good there, and £6.17 worth of the stuff can do atleast 3 weeks. Had already got all toiletries and dog stuff in for this week. Next week just need to add shampoo and conditioners plus dog food to a basic £6 shopping list, and have a repeat of this weeks meals. After milk and powder will come to around £15.00 for this weeks shop.

Me_Myself_2

I've fallen off the DFW wagon so many times, that I've lost it!