£29,303...Enough is enough!

WelshKitty85

Not much to report on the debt busting front as all my payments have already gone out for the month. I have however found my cheapest car insurance quote so far. I got it down to £189 including no claims protection, and I've got £177 saved towards it. I bought it straight away (before they change their minds) and have paid on the credit card to earn points. I'll pay it off in full next month. I still need to sort my energy switch but prices have gone up so much in the last year!

ETA I got my car insurance through TCB and *should* be due £60 cashback, although I'm not banking on it as I'm still waiting for cashback on life insurance I took out nearly a year ago.

Igamogam

WelshKitty85 wrote: »

ETA I got my car insurance through TCB and *should* be due £60 cashback, although I'm not banking on it as I'm still waiting for cashback on life insurance I took out nearly a year ago.

You should be able to raise a query with TCB about that and ask where the money is!

WelshKitty85

Igamogam wrote: »

You should be able to raise a query with TCB about that and ask where the money is!

I raised a ticket as it never even tracked. I just keep getting the "sorry for the delay" message and it doesn't seem to progress from there.

WelshKitty85

Struggling at the moment, not just with trying to balance the budget, but with the stress of constantly having to keep a step ahead of everything. Final straw last night was the phone/broadband bill being £28 more than it should be. It's sorted now, and they've given me an additional £20 credit as a "goodwill gesture", but it tipped me over the edge. I got in the car to drive to work this morning but had a mental breakdown en route. I came back home in tears and have taken the day off sick. I'm feeling really anxious and like I'm having panic attacks. I'm very conscious that I am the one holding everything together - I don't think DH even knows where most of our accounts etc are held - so I really need to sort my head out.

mark55man

sending support and best wishes - its not never ending but it does feel like that sometimes - at least a day at home in bed is very MSE - you could have blown out and spent spent spent - and added months to your challenge

Igamogam

WelshKitty85 wrote: »

Struggling at the moment, not just with trying to balance the budget, but with the stress of constantly having to keep a step ahead of everything. Final straw last night was the phone/broadband bill being £28 more than it should be. It's sorted now, and they've given me an additional £20 credit as a "goodwill gesture", but it tipped me over the edge. I got in the car to drive to work this morning but had a mental breakdown en route. I came back home in tears and have taken the day off sick. I'm feeling really anxious and like I'm having panic attacks. I'm very conscious that I am the one holding everything together - I don't think DH even knows where most of our accounts etc are held - so I really need to sort my head out.

I hear what you are saying and can certainly relate. Share with OH. Have you got your budget income outgoings on a spread sheet? Frugal challenge has an easy one to download - and loads of support and advice on there too. I have never used a spreadsheet before - just wrote things down and not very disciplined about it. But it has revolutionised how I an tracking my money...and I have been on here almost 10 years!! At the end of this month I still have just under half my salary intact in the bank! - bearing in mind I have had a 3k maxed out overdraft each month for the last dont know how many years just replacing each month with zeros.... I have to keep going back making sure I havent missed something. Dont know how long it will last but I am hopeful.

You know what to do. This is only a tiny blip. Re group and come back fighting....hey you gained £20:D

WelshKitty85

Thank you both. Yes I do have a spreadsheet - I'd be in a much worse mess without it! I had just balanced it yesterday when I saw the pending transaction, £28 over budget, that would have tipped me over my overdraft limit. Luckily I noticed in time and have managed to move things around to cover it. The refund due plus goodwill gesture means I won't have to make a payment at all next month and March will just be a small payment.

DH really frustrates me sometimes. I've repeatedly told him that the budget was short this month, but he acted like it huge shock to him today :mad:. He can be really difficult to talk to about finances and switches from pretending everything is fine to deciding he has to sell all his worldly possessions before the house is repossessed. There's no middle ground and it hard to have a rational conversation. We have talked (and shouted and cried) today though and I do feel a bit better for it.

This anxiety is horrible though. I've never felt it before, but keep having funny turns and feeling like I can't breathe. I did a Mr T shop this afternoon and at one point nearly had to ask a staff member to escort me back to the car because I was feeling so light headed. I know I'm my own worst enemy at times - I've felt this brewing for weeks but still haven't been taking proper care of myself. For a start I know I'm dehydrated, I don't drink anywhere near enough and my drink of choice is coffee. I also know my iron levels are ridiculously low, but I've not been taking my supplements. So my next target for myself is to start each day with a glass of water and an iron tablet.

Oh and I nearly forgot...2 sales today totalling £15. The mountain has almost vanished.

Spendy_Spenderson

De-lurking just to say remember to look after yourself in this process WelshKitty. Starting the day with a full glass of water and an iron tablet is a great aim - I've recently done the same but with a complex B vitamin each morning. Sometimes it's easier to do things for everyone else but do prioritize you too.
I'm always in awe of how much you accomplish but you need to be well first and foremost.

Igamogam

Self care, self care, self care WK!It is not being selfish. Maybe request a full blood test from GP. Vitamin D probably low too......Unfortunately it is not just a case of buying OTC supplements either......I speak from experience and did many months research to address my vit deficiencies!

WelshKitty85

Thanks for the encouragement and wise words. I'm doing ok so far with the iron tablets and water. Back to work today and it was fine on the whole. I'm not fully trained at my job yet and I do get a bit anxious about it at times, but luckily I have good colleagues who help me out lots. I caught part of a programme about stress tonight and it was talking about how exercise helps, so I'm going to attempt yoga again (at home using YouTube).

So it's the end of the month and I'm happy with the goals I achieved. The bedroom mountain has gone, there's still a carrier bag full but it's all photographed, listed, and selling slowly.
DC3s clothes are sorted but not listed for sale.
Toys sorted, but still none sold. At least they are tidy now.
Debt is below £25,000.
The £75 from last year's insurance had finally tracked and if my recent purchases all track ok then I'll have nearly £200 in TCB.
DH has enough work booked to cover Feb bills.

Time to set some goals for February I think:

1. List DC3s old clothes for sale!

2. Keep hydrated.

3. Take iron pills.

4. Practice yoga at least twice a week.

5. Clear the loft room to find & list items to sell.

6. Reduce debt below £24,500.

7. Pay at least £100 back to dad.