Taking back the control

Thick_n_Thin

Feeling frustrated atm with eBay buyers who don’t pay promptly, sold 3 items on Thursday evening and so far only one has paid, I have sent payment reminders but still nothing...
plans for today ... working until 8pm so should be a nsd not planning on buying anything so may leave my debit card at home.
Take lunch and snacks, parking is already paid for so the most I can hope for is some Tilly tidying of my current account to keep me focused x

Thick_n_Thin

So yesterday was a nsd, had an urge to pick up a bottle of wine on my way home but the thought of having to use my personal spending money was enough of a deterrent! Normally o would pick one up and deduct the amount from our shop budget but this was happening a few times a month and with the odd top up shop it’s now easy to see where our money was being wasted. I have now withdrawn my cash for the month so have no need to use my debit card at all. All ready I feel like my mindset has changed as I have a visual representation of my cash, when I spending on my card it dosnt feel like I’m spending money!

When I got home last night the latest credit card statement was waiting for me and also a separate letter to inform me over the last 12 months I have incurred more in interest and late payment charges than I have actually paid back and if I don’t increase my monthly payments on a regular basis they will stop the card. I haven’t used the card in over 2 years but I am annoyed at the old me for not tackling this sooner, straight away I paid my minimum payment plus an additional £61 as this months overpayment, I really need to try and get a 0% balance transfer card so I can get this shifted as the apr on this card is around 19%! So along with looking for another deal for my car insurance that is my task list for today and tomorrow.

Parents are round later for Sunday lunch, I am cooking as part of my Father’s Day gift, sometimes we would go out for a family meal on occasions such as Father’s Day but would cost in excess of £100 for 4 of us so that is off the cards for now x

Thick_n_Thin

So yesterday’s Father’s Day meal was a success, we had a nice roast dinner with free range chicken and a dessert with 2 bottles of wine which cost a smidge over £25 for 4. I must say I enjoyed this more than actually going out. I set the table and made everything nice so even though I had to cook and wash up it was still nicer than going to a busy restaurant and would of cost well over £100 especially when you add a few rounds of drinks on top so really pleased that I didn’t succumb to the usual routine.

2 eBay non payers have now paid so I have 3 parcels to get to the post office today. I think I will leave the car at home and walk there and back, I need to loose some weight as shamefully I have gained around 2 stone over the last 2 years so I need to take action on this now as it’s affecting my mood and my mindset which will not help with debtbusting as I spend when I feel depressed so this needs to be tackled. So jobs list for today,

Post eBay parcels ( funds need to pay eBay fees for last month unfortunately)
Walk to post office
Search for 0% balance transfer deal for credit card
Visit dentist ( have budget of £50 for this)
No unplanned spends
Get work uniform ready for rest of week

Thick_n_Thin

So it’s definitely a case of 1 step forward and 2 back with trying to stay within budget. I have managed to be accepted for a 0% balance transfer with no fee so that is all up and running and have made the balance transfer so I am now not paying any interest on the remaining 1700. Would love to get this paid of by end of the year but think I may be pushing my luck a bit but I will set a conservative challenge of under £500 by 31st December!
I was on a roll and phoned my car insurance provider to challenge the 33% hike up on last years premium after finding a like for like quote on a comparison site for just under what I was originally paying, they couldn’t match it so I have cancelled the policy, decided to try and get the same deal with Quidco with £75 cash back but it increased the policy by £80, so not sure if Quidco is the way to go on this one, one thing I didn’t think about though was the intitial one off payment when 1st setting up a new policy which will be around £75 so I’m going to have to find that from somewhere this month, I’m hoping the eBay gods will be kind to me this month, I have put a reminder in my phone for a few days before the policy expires and will look then, hopefully I’ll have magic money from somewhere. My dentist came to £60 with an additional £9 for some antibiotics so again I am about £20 out on my calcutions and will need to make this deficit up out of my personal spends ....... no wonder I can never get myself straight. I have posted my eBay parcels so that is another thing ticked of the list!

CCW007

Well done for getting back to posting!

Thick_n_Thin

Thanks ccw007 I think it’s the one thing that really enables me to stay on the straight and narrow knowing that I will be reporting to my diary makes me feel more accountable!

Thick_n_Thin

So I have spent an enjoyable afternoon at the garden centre with my parents, spent my last £10 out of this weeks spending money on some plants for my garden and some lettuce plants that I’m going to plant in a spare trough that I found at the back of the shed, we decided against the coffee shop and instead waited until we got home. We then spent a couple of hours sitting in the sun and pottering around. I love these Little simple days x

Thick_n_Thin

So it transpires I have been driving around in an untaxed car!!! Opened a letter from dvla last night warning me that my car tax expired on 31st May. I completely have no recollection of receiving the reminder so quickly looked through all the old post that is currently in the tinned food cupboard ( don’t know why) and there it was!! So I quickly paid the £80 over the phone, how the hell I missed this I don’t know as I have never forgotten a bill before! Anyway that’s another £80 I will need to find this month, I’ve now got a horrible feeling I am going to have to increase my overdraft again this month which I am loath to do. I will have a think on how to resolve this as I really don’t want to go back into my overdraft!

Thick_n_Thin

The money for the car tax has come from OH’s personal savings, and will be repaid to him from next months money. Another example on how we are like chalk and cheese when it comes to money management, out of our personal spends each month my OH always saves some of his cash into a separate (from me) savings account, I don’t know how much he has probably a couple of hundred but I spend everything I have..... determined to do better with my cash this month. I have £60 left to last me 3 weeks ( that’s for personal money and only has to cover my wants! Think I should be able to do it.

Thick_n_Thin

I’m thinking about holidays.... the sensible me is saying that we can’t possibly save enough in time for a week away in September but spendy me is saying that we could. This is exactly why I’m in the mess financially that I am, constantly wanting things that I haven’t planned for and buying them anyway, I feel a bit stressed out now even thinking about it so I’m going to try and forget about it for the time being.