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CreditCardJunkie's back again...

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  • Oh wow I'm overwhelmed at the response! Thank you Louofsparkle - that sounds fantastic what bank allows you to create the folders??

    Hi princess pennies! Thank you. I was literally just having a quick read at your diary, I will head back over for a better read! Thanks for the link I will give that a watch after!

    Hi positive balance, I know the realisation of the acronym came much later after I created my account!! Tough love is often much needed! And I've found everyone's advice to be constructive! I agree with the physical cash being too easy to get my hands on at this point! I'll have a look about the secret shopping, although I expect the income to be relatively low (they are low paid and few and far between in my area) I definitely don't want to get in trouble with the tax man! I agree about what you say about what you think you're spending Vs what you're actually spending...I added up a few months ago what I spent on what I thought was the odd work lunch out here and there in a month and it was frightening - all onto the CC might I add!

    Hi drawingalline! Thank you, I did try ynab before but I couldn't get my head around it at all!

    My motivation is that I don't want my baby to miss out on things because of my spending habits. I want to have a comfortable cushion so that if she needs anything, there is no question of where the money is coming from.

    Tonight I have put my CC in my drawer in my bedroom and removed it from PayPal. I could be naive but I think this month will be an easier month to not use my CC as a crutch - I have a few things planned that aren't costing me any money like the spa day etc.
    Debt Free as of December 2020 👏

    Save 12k in 2024 #25 - £500 / £2000

    MFW - 19 months shaved off the mortgage
  • I was only planning on updating this around payday, but I just had to share my mystery shopper experience! I really enjoyed it and hopefully my report will get the very helpful employee a bonus too, if not at least a pat on the back!

    I'm supposed to be getting £12 for doing it, it says on the website it's paid around the 15th of the month so fingers crossed.

    I did spend £2.20 on a slushie when I was there with some change in my purse.
    Debt Free as of December 2020 👏

    Save 12k in 2024 #25 - £500 / £2000

    MFW - 19 months shaved off the mortgage
  • PositiveBalance
    PositiveBalance Posts: 1,268 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hi positive balance, I know the realisation of the acronym came much later after I created my account!!

    Could be worse: you could have Boris Johnson's initials! :rotfl: :eek:
    I definitely don't want to get in trouble with the tax man! I agree about what you say about what you think you're spending Vs what you're actually spending...I added up a few months ago what I spent on what I thought was the odd work lunch out here and there in a month and it was frightening - all onto the CC might I add

    It soon adds up, doesn't it? Where I work there was nowhere to buy lunch for a while, so we were all forced to bring in food otherwise starve and it must have saved me a fortune! :eek: I'm trying to keep it up now. I've only slipped up twice in about 3 months, which isn't too bad, but it definitely adds up.
    My motivation is that I don't want my baby to miss out on things because of my spending habits. I want to have a comfortable cushion so that if she needs anything, there is no question of where the money is coming from.

    Tonight I have put my CC in my drawer in my bedroom and removed it from PayPal. I could be naive but I think this month will be an easier month to not use my CC as a crutch - I have a few things planned that aren't costing me any money like the spa day etc.

    This is a brilliant reason to want to change your financial habits and it will help you to bring up your baby with a good attitude to money once (s)he gets to the appropriate age. Good for you! :T

    Also, make sure you CC details aren't lurking in any other websites. *Cough* the river one *cough* etc. so that you can't get tempted in a moment of weakness. ;)
    I was only planning on updating this around payday, but I just had to share my mystery shopper experience! I really enjoyed it and hopefully my report will get the very helpful employee a bonus too, if not at least a pat on the back!

    I'm supposed to be getting £12 for doing it, it says on the website it's paid around the 15th of the month so fingers crossed.

    I did spend £2.20 on a slushie when I was there with some change in my purse.

    Honestly. hang around when you can: you will pick up more tips and hints and if you are posting on here you are less likely to be spending! :rotfl:

    For instance, my local supermarket were selling yellow stickered 6-packs of perfectly good apples at 16p a pack about a week ago. There was nothing wrong with them so I bought them, have eaten some, and now they have started to look a bit sorry for themselves I have stewed them.

    Apple crumbles ahoy! :rotfl:
    Debt: £11,640.02 paid in full! DFD: 30/06/20
    Starter Emergency Fund (#187): £1000/£1000
    3 month Emergency Fund (#45): £3300/£3300
  • Lol thanks positive balance.

    I've been keeping a spreadsheet of every penny of spending and it's definitely keeping me on track. I met a friend for coffee last night and ordered a mocha made with almond milk (I'm lactose intolerant) which tasted vile. Normally I'd have ordered something else, but I didn't because I'm very much aware of my spending already this month.

    DH paid for my birthday haircut early, which I had today - bonus was I had £4 worth of loyalty with my hairdresser which came off the total.

    Nothing much else to report, other than I've another mystery shop on Monday £5 worth of lunch from a high street location plus £2 for doing it & I would sometimes eat in that place anyway!

    Looking forward to the weekend!
    Debt Free as of December 2020 👏

    Save 12k in 2024 #25 - £500 / £2000

    MFW - 19 months shaved off the mortgage
  • Drawingaline
    Drawingaline Posts: 2,988 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Monzo are a Bank that let you set up pots within your account I believe.
    Debt free Feb 2021 🎉
  • Keeping track of my spends on a spreadsheet is eye-opening. Now I see why I have to set aside money for spending. I can't believe how much I've spent outside of my budget!!

    UNPLANNED SPENDS 1st - 15th June

    eBay fees £8.80 (forgot about these)
    Primark (needed bras, nighties and t-shirts because nothing fits) £42.10
    Extra spends on house (homeware which was definitely nonessential, cleaning stuff etc) £44.00
    Farrier £10.00
    Lunch 07/06 £5.73
    McDonald's 06/06 £4.99
    Phone case eBay (mine is literally falling apart) £3.99
    Boots (stretch mark cream and stuff for hospital bag) £15.78
    MCDONALD'S 11/06 £10.52
    Coffees 06/06 £11.40
    Total £167.31!!!!!!!

    Of this, some of my birthday money covered, and extra funds from mystery shopping. My current shortfall is £67.20 which I owe to the car money out of next month's pay - I've been lucky this month because I had extra income of £50 and had £50 left over of birthday money after my haircut which made up a good bit of the shortfall. I'm starting to see how much the unaccounted for £10 here and there adds up!!

    PLANS 15th - 30th June
    No eating out, lunch, coffee, dinner or otherwise.
    Try not to spend!!!
    Debt Free as of December 2020 👏

    Save 12k in 2024 #25 - £500 / £2000

    MFW - 19 months shaved off the mortgage
  • Payday finally and I've made the following payments

    £147 NatWest CC
    £75 Car (now paid off!)
    £56 BC CC

    This along with my direct debits for my lease car and V12 finance brings my debt total to £2852 (from £3993 when I started this diary). I'm pretty pleased with that.

    I've made a smaller dent this month as I've had to book MOT for my car and get some last bits for the baby. I've left myself £70 for spends, of which if anything remains I'll pay off my debts.

    NatWest CC has £233 remaining
    Barclaycard has £2280 remaining (interest free)
    V12 has £138.84 remaining (£34.71 p/m interest free)
    Lease car has one remaining payment of £199.96 (horray!)

    It doesn't feel like I've made a huge dent, however I now own a car, free of finance that will save me £200 a month, I'll really feel the benefit of this when I return to work after having the baby! Keeping a spreadsheet of every spend is an eye-opener, would really recommend this!
    Debt Free as of December 2020 👏

    Save 12k in 2024 #25 - £500 / £2000

    MFW - 19 months shaved off the mortgage
  • PositiveBalance
    PositiveBalance Posts: 1,268 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    It doesn't feel like I've made a huge dent, however I now own a car, free of finance that will save me £200 a month, I'll really feel the benefit of this when I return to work after having the baby! Keeping a spreadsheet of every spend is an eye-opener, would really recommend this!


    Hopefully it will make a big dent straight away!


    A spending diary is definitely recommended - you can't believe where your money goes until you track it! :eek:
    Debt: £11,640.02 paid in full! DFD: 30/06/20
    Starter Emergency Fund (#187): £1000/£1000
    3 month Emergency Fund (#45): £3300/£3300
  • Reporting in half way through the month with a lot of unplanned spends which I owe to my credit card...£178 worth ��

    Petrol cap £8.95 (preparing car for mot)
    Door handle £45.99 (preparing car for mot)
    Wall sticker £10.00 (to finish the nursery)
    Dinner out 04/07 £30.00 (yeah this one was total guilty pleasure after our final scan)
    Argos 09/07 £6.00 (lampshade for the nursery)
    Lunch 09/07 £2.86
    Petrol 11/07 £10.79
    Lunch 11/07 £3.90
    Dinner 11/07 £6.25
    b&m 11/07 £20.00 (part of DH bday present which I got a good offer on, this will come out of the money I planned to put aside for this next month)
    Primark 14/07 £29.35 (nothing fits and it's HOT!)
    Dinner 14/07 £3.95

    A lot of food, which could definitely be avoided. Ive been really lazy with the meal planning/shopping because I've been so tired and still suffering from 'morning' sickness.

    In addition to what I plan to spend for DH birthday, I'd say out of my next wage I'll only get the NatWest card cleared and no more. The outstanding amount on the Barclaycard is interest free in increments until June, August and September next year. I should be able to cut 1k off it before my stat maternity pay kicks in. I will pay off what I can during maternity pay, but I'm not going to leave myself skint to pay off 0% debt. My main aim will be to keep reducing the amount of debt, as long as it's going down I'll be happy.

    On a happy note, our first little baby is due NEXT month, nursery is finished, hospital bag packed, baby clothes washed ironed and ready to go!
    Debt Free as of December 2020 👏

    Save 12k in 2024 #25 - £500 / £2000

    MFW - 19 months shaved off the mortgage
  • Sayschezza
    Sayschezza Posts: 744 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 500 Posts Name Dropper
    I write down on a scrap of paper exactly what cash I need for the following month, withdraw this from the bank on payday and keep it in a separate purse. It covers things like hairdressers, coffees out, club funds, birthday cards/presents etc. As the month progresses I cross off what's spent adjusting the amount as I go. If I have over spent on one thing I do without something else on the list so I don't overspend in total. For instance on your list above in the month you have to spend on the car, I wouldn't have eaten out or bought the rest of the nursery stuff. They would have been put forward onto the next months list. Hope this makes sense and is helpful. BTW I can spend for England if I don't keep to a plan.
    All that clutter used to be money
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