Yet another new guy enters the frame.

HBFS

millionaire_in_training wrote: »

Wow I nearly fell off my chair at that mobile bill. O2 must just love you. Lots you can cut down on here if you concentrate but phone is mega

Unfortunately, I live 20 or so miles away from work so any other form of transport is out, other than getting a lift (the £75 is my share of the petrol... I live in High Wycombe and work at Heathrow). Any airport workers discount from High Wycombe is useless because I start at 0530 some mornings.

My flatmate pays half of the bills when they come in. I prefer not to DD the bills because the cash, 9 times out of ten, is never in when the bills turn up.

HBFS

CLAPTON wrote: »

you need to list all your spending, otherwise you can't rally see what you are actually spending.

so... if you ever socialise put down an estimate of your monthly spending
if you ever buy any clothes then work out an average over the year and divide by 12 put it down as a monthly average
if you buy any present/ xmas expenses again work out an average

so if you pay your electric and gas bills every quarter then divide by 3 and add to your monthly budget

any hobbies/activities same again
any newspapers/maazines etc
any weekends away/holidays etc ?
any optical medical, dental costs


start a spending diary and write down everything (that is absolutely everything) you spend and add it to your monthly budget.

Only then can you see if you are actually spending more than your income and by how much.

Then repost your SOA.

Good idea on the spending diary, thanks! That will help as I generally don't spend money on the same things per month.

Gemmzie

HBFS wrote: »

The mobile phone is an O2 contract, 600 minutes and 1000 texts.

It does sound a lot, but I'm just come out of a three-year relationship where I had to text and/or call her most of the day. Plus the main thing was using the internet on it (as I didn't have any access otherwise).

How much is the actual contract?

You'd be better off getting a cheap computer and broadband if you are paying up to £300 a month

HBFS

Gemmzie wrote: »

How much is the actual contract?

You'd be better off getting a cheap computer and broadband if you are paying up to £300 a month

The contract is about £41 overall. I've quit everything I had on it (24/7 Football at £5 a month and other such things)

I have a computer, but can't afford the one-off payment of £180 BT has assured me it would cost to get my flat connected.

Gemmzie

But are paying out more than £180 on the mobile bills? Cut back and save £60 for the next three months if it seems too much at once.

Sometimes you have to spend to save.

HBFS

Gemmzie wrote: »

But are paying out more than £180 on the mobile bills? Cut back and save £60 for the next three months if it seems too much at once.

Sometimes you have to spend to save.

True. However, the phone has been cut off at my behest (I can't afford the last bill, breakups are so expensive!) so I have to pay off that bill in bits till I finish it

Gemmzie

You're definitely still missing a few things on your SOA then, how much are you going to be paying them per month.

What's the total on your credit card the APR?

Same with the loan, total amount and APR?

HBFS

Gemmzie wrote: »

You're definitely still missing a few things on your SOA then, how much are you going to be paying them per month.

What's the total on your credit card the APR?

Same with the loan, total amount and APR?

APR on the loan is 19.9%

Credit Card is pretty much the same.

The O2 problem will be the same as I posted above.

Gemmzie

So £300 owed to O2.

Definitely start a spending diary.

I'd go with the debts in this order:
Rent arrears (you don't want to lose your home),
Credit card
Loan (if it allows overpayment)
Parents

Is there anyway your parents would accept a bit less for a few months so you can crack on with clearing the rent and then the credit card?

HBFS

Gemmzie wrote: »

So £300 owed to O2.

Definitely start a spending diary.

I'd go with the debts in this order:
Rent arrears (you don't want to lose your home),
Credit card
Loan (if it allows overpayment)
Parents

Is there anyway your parents would accept a bit less for a few months so you can crack on with clearing the rent and then the credit card?

The problem with that is that Dad has taken a lower-paying job after being made redundant in order to actually see my mother at one point and she is being made redundant in a month or two, so they really need the cash.

I do try my hardest to try and stick on the good path, but I tend to fall off spectacularly at some point in the month.