Here Goes Nothing... always_amazed's debt diary

giggal

Oh hon, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself! You're obviously having a tough time with surgery and illness, so cut yourself a little slack. I can identify with so much of what you say though - I have to work really hard at organising myself. Lists are my friends, I make endless lists all the time otherwise I can't stay on top of things! We have the same aims, so if you ever want to talk about anything, feel free to PM me. Maybe we can spur each other on in 2008! xxx

Gemmzie

I pampered myself and I did my room up when I went into hospital too, it's definitely aids recovery being in a comfortable space.

I was just thinking, is there no way you could apply for DLA? It might be worth speaking to a welfare adviser, and getting them to apply for you (they know the right language to use). It's not much, but it's something, especially if it makes life easier.

always_amazed

Thanks guys, (sorry I don't know how to quote!!!)

You're right, re reading it, I realise it is a tad harsh on myself! That's my old friend, Self Hatred, popping into the office. Going to fight him off with a hot chocolate. Or maybe a black coffee, seeing as I'm trying to fight the chub!

The DLA application, sigh, yes. I finally DID it in August, even though it took forever (and due to my condition it was very horrible to fill it in), and was accepted. But then my 'situation changed'; as in I started the surgery, and no longer qualify. It's a pest but the nice man at the CAB, my doctor and I have all looked into every option, and there is no financial help. #

On the bright side though, I'm feeling better than I've done in years, and by this time next year I should be 100%, or something resembling that!

See, thats amazing... five minutes with you guys and I'm already looking on the bright side
thank you xxxxxxx

Lucy1982_2

Pleased to help!

always_amazed

Well I'm feeling much more positive today, which is brilliant. I don't know what came over me yesterday; I think it's hard as this time of year.
However getting sick is luck of the draw, and I'm back to being happy being alive!!!

Also going to print out EagerLearner's A4 cashback guide and get-a-going on that: I finally worked out how to delete my firefox and safari cookies!

And tomorrow I'm off to buy supplies for a wee party at mine, just cheap wine & mince pies; I don't want to spend more than £15-£20.... if Lidl has none left I'll cry. And I'm going to have a blitz at the tip in which I live, I can't have visitors coming while it looks like this!!!

I've noticed a real link between how messy my space is vs my spending; and it makes sense- I want to get out of a messy room (so I'll go and spend!) whereas if I stay in a nice tidy room I spend nowt.

painted_lady

Hi, I too have an ongoing health problem/disability that requires regular surgery. I can understand a lot of what you said. PM me if you ever need any support, health related or otherwise.

always_amazed

It's a late wee note for me tonight...

It's really strange, I'm finally beginning to GET it again. There's no point in me sitting wondering where I spend my cash if I don't write it down, which is why I've started a spending diary, starting today (well more like yesterday!!) I would have had a no spend day today, but I went to town to pay in a cheque, and the bank was shut early!!
It just shows me that disorganisation must be one of the reasons I stay in debt. Also I do spend when I feel down about things, and maybe it's time I wised up and spoke to mates or went online for advice when I'm down, rather than spending or eating like a hippo.

always_amazed

Phew, finally put what I now owe i my sig.

This is important to me, as I WON'T spend it again now I have it written down! I don't want to let myself down in front of you guys! I never realised how important a signature could be in the motivational aspect of getting debt free.

Just put £300 christmas cheque towards the CC.... and I'm going to try so hard next month, so fingers crossed what I have left at the end can go towards that as well.

Have decided to attack the CC before the OD,
although it's so much harder, psychologically, to see myself minus £1600 at the bank, that's at 0% and runs out in summer 2009, so I have to be sensible and pay off the one that ends earlier.

I know I'm lucky, having been able to get all this on 0%: and I've been SORELY tempted to pop what I'm paying off into a high interest account to get some free money off those banks.
But I don't trust myself to do this properly yet. 'Martin Says' that you have to be really quite disciplined to stooze properly.
Once this is paid off I'd like to give that a try.......

Night night Debt Diary!!
xxxx

always_amazed

last night I had a sit down with the calculator and I did a bit of working out.

My wee monthly challenge is :

To spend only £140 (excluding my DD bills) between now and January 28th.

This is going to be spent on:

a small party I'm hosting early Jan £20
christmas eve & this saturday £30
christmas day £10
hogmanay £20
mate's leaving party £10
toiletries purchase (I have an empty cupboard and it needs stocked, this is it done as cheap as possible on shopbots) £50

Now, I know most of this is frivolous but it's stuff I'll enjoy and for once, it's budgeted for...!
I owe ONE of my mates a drink, which I'll get her on Saturday. The rest of the nights out, I'll stick to my guns and buy my own! And for this wee party, I'm going to trawl the supermarkets in the new year to get cheap wine, beer and snacks, and hope I get given a few bottles for christmas!!

always_amazed

Oh deary me.

Had too much to drink last night and have awful hangover PLUS spent too much.... booo. Spent, yesterday, £7.13 on smokes (?!?!?!??!) and £21.95 in the pub!!! That's what comes from buying rounds and I won't do it again!

My action plan for tonight: not leave the house till 10pm; I'll tell people I'm running late. And not buy any rounds, I'll just say, guys I'm skint. So, budget wise, this leaves me technically with a whole 92p left to spend tonight and on christmas eve. I can't manage that, but I can limit the damage.

Growl.