A welcome wake up call

twiggy86

Thanks Lemon Tree! I actually gave someone a lift home so had company on the walk back last night. However, I'll need to walk back a different way if I'm on my own as a bit too dark and quiet for my liking! Beautiful walk along the clifftop in the morning though! I think because I pay monthly, I'd never really added up the full cost!

twiggy86

This diary really does keep me accountable! I just was going to write "I've been slipping this week at updating my spending diary - must do that". But instead, I just updated it before posting! I think the reason I was reluctant to update it is because I'm going to go over budget this month. However, I did really pull the purse strings in when doing my budget on the basis I wouldn't get any help from OH, which obviously isn't the case, fortunately. Also, I have had a few "one off" expenses - like a friend having twins! I could use my "present pot" to cover some of it, but for some reason I'm reluctant! Kind of annoyingly, another friend has gone into labour 5 weeks early and I could have potentially ordered their presents together and saved on the postage! Oh well! Babies are truly special! Oh and I did go via TCB and got cashback through my bank too!

Of course, I am saving on my parking! I did have to pay to park today as I had a doctors appointment and so was already late and didn't think it was appropriate to take another 20 mins to walk in. (Need to try and rearrange a physio appointment on Monday otherwise I'll face the same issue then! So that was £5.10 out of the £80 I had budgeted. I will see how much I spend this month. However, there was an incident near my work yesterday morning which does make me feel a little unsettled - I didn't pick the best time of year to trial this!

On the debt busting front, I did pay off £12.23 yesterday. This was a combination of prolific, field agent and monthly reward from my bank. Once confirmed, I've got enough to cash out again in prolific and also nearly at the cashout limit in Shoppix! And got £22 pending in TCB!

However, no where near paying off Vcard this month which still has £278 sat on it and we're half way through the month! The new M&S card minimum was more than I anticipated though - £100 whereas I thought it would be about £40! But current amount of CC payments for the month is only at £242 - need to up my game!

MoneysavingmadGem

Great thread.

I'm trying savings pots too but like yourself I can't bring myself to use them, I end up taking the mo et out of my monthly spending allowance. Like parts for my car this last weekend.

So need to look into how yo manage the pots more...

dizzydonkey2

May I suggest that on a spreadsheet you set up a pot for everything that you will need money for, which is what I did

At first I just transferred a few pence into them and increased the amount that went in each month as funds became available.

I found it very helpful as even if there was only a small amount there I felt I was more in control.

I now have fully funded pots for all the bills, car repairs, etc.

Good luck

clearmydebts

Stay safe Twiggy. There is no point in saving money if you feel frightened walking towards your car!

twiggy86

Thanks for your comments! I do actually have a spreadsheet with the various pots set out! I just don't like wiping them out again, which is totally silly and defies the point of having them! So I have just updated my spreadsheet and transferred the money to my main account. I will still go over what I'd allocated myself as general spends in my budget though!

And thanks clearmydebts - I don't feel frightened as I walk back along the main roads rather than walk through a park in the dark. But it is still concerning when these things happen right by where I work!

I've started my Christmas shopping! I spent £17.98 in TK Maxx and have 3 little one's presents! And yes, I have transferred it from my Xmas pot! Annoyingly I tried to use a gift card but because I didn't know how much was on there, they couldn't use it! So I've now checked and there is £3.02 on there - which I have noted on the back of the card so I don't forget! I have an increasing number of little ones to buy for, with my friend's having added 4 babies this year! They tell me not to but its a precious time for little ones and I love seeing them playing with what I've bought!

I am up to the cash out limit on Prolific but will wait until the end of the day and then will cash out as got a couple of other surveys pending. Also, hopefully once my receipt processes I should be able to cash out another £5 on Shoppix! Need to check how long that took but think it was under two months (well I've done it twice since I came back on here at end of July!) I'm visiting my best friend tomorrow and will raid her purse for receipts (which she found highly amusing last time!)

Think that's enough ramble for now!

twiggy86

Feels like forever since I last posted - actually it was only Friday!

In that time I’ve managed to buy Christmas presents for 14 little ones! And all for under £100! (Which I know is still a lot!) Works out at £6.78 per child which I think is pretty good, especially as I am incredibly happy that each present matches the child! TK Max is definitely my friend this year as 10 presents were from there! Now I just have my parents and OH to buy for.

I have also made a couple of small CC payments - £5.05 from Prolific and £5 from Shoppix. Oh and I managed to use my £3.02 gift card! Only paid £252.27 off the CCs so far this month - which feels really disappointing but I am hoping I’ll “find” some money to make some more payments before the end of the month. Particularly as Vcard still stands at £267.84 (had £31 interest added this month but shouldn’t be as much next month - I hope!). Maybe I’ll get the energy company refund back this month which will take off a good chunk! Plus I just remembered I did it through MSE energy club thingy which gets me £25 cashback! I will be so happy when I’ve got rid of that debt!

In non-MSE news… I did a ring pull-up last night! This makes me very happy as I’m really trying to master pull ups! Hopefully I’ll manage a “proper” one soon!!! I also must crack on with my crochet project (stuffed animals for my friend’s little ones). I gave my friend’s daughter a pink bunny last week and her face was delightful! However I now have lots of time before the next one is due, but then have quite a lot of birthdays in quick succession - so I really need to get ahead now!

twiggy86

Oops - it's been a week since I last posted. I think the reason I've been awol is that I haven't really been making any progress - although I did make a payment this morning of £1.52!!! (The amount I received from TCB).

The main thing I've done is that I did a balance transfer to clear Vacrd (£251.42) to my Hcard as it was fee free and although not interest free, it is 4.9% instead of 18.33%. I was slightly reluctant to do it as I kept promising myself that I would be able to clear it, but as I haven't managed to yet I decided to stop being silly and paying unnecessary interest. So I will wait until next month, pay any interest and then close!

I am still waiting on the refund from my old energy supplier which I'm hoping will clear soon, as that will be thrown straight at the Hcard. I don't like seeing a balance that is more than when I started - I haven't spent on it but have shifted balances over to there to reduce the interest!

I must also look at my budget for last month and see if there's anything I can reassign to debt payments. For example, I still have £75 left for parking and £30 for petrol - neither of which I will fully need before payday on Friday. So maybe I'll use the £75 and leave £30 in case I need to top up or the weather in the morning is horrific (in which case I may pay to park - although this morning I just wrapped myself up as it was raining). Right decision made so that's what I'll do when I stop waffling on here!!!

I also have a small amount in quidco (£1.03) that I can now cash out, so I should do that too! I must also keep myself motivated with Prolific and OnePoll as these amounts all add up! Basically what I need at the moment is a bit of a kick up the rear! I'm in that post "I've had my LBM and I'm raring to go" phase, plus all the main payments this month were made "ages" ago!

Iwantanewlife

twiggy86 wrote: »

Oops - it's been a week since I last posted. I think the reason I've been awol is that I haven't really been making any progress - although I did make a payment this morning of £1.52!!! (The amount I received from TCB).

The main thing I've done is that I did a balance transfer to clear Vacrd (£251.42) to my Hcard as it was fee free and although not interest free, it is 4.9% instead of 18.33%. I was slightly reluctant to do it as I kept promising myself that I would be able to clear it, but as I haven't managed to yet I decided to stop being silly and paying unnecessary interest. So I will wait until next month, pay any interest and then close!

I am still waiting on the refund from my old energy supplier which I'm hoping will clear soon, as that will be thrown straight at the Hcard. I don't like seeing a balance that is more than when I started - I haven't spent on it but have shifted balances over to there to reduce the interest!

I must also look at my budget for last month and see if there's anything I can reassign to debt payments. For example, I still have £75 left for parking and £30 for petrol - neither of which I will fully need before payday on Friday. So maybe I'll use the £75 and leave £30 in case I need to top up or the weather in the morning is horrific (in which case I may pay to park - although this morning I just wrapped myself up as it was raining). Right decision made so that's what I'll do when I stop waffling on here!!!

I also have a small amount in quidco (£1.03) that I can now cash out, so I should do that too! I must also keep myself motivated with Prolific and OnePoll as these amounts all add up! Basically what I need at the moment is a bit of a kick up the rear! I'm in that post "I've had my LBM and I'm raring to go" phase, plus all the main payments this month were made "ages" ago!

Sounds like your still on the right tracks, agree about that 'post LB' stage. I know im on the final furlong, but it seems to be dragging with not much progress!

SusieT

Well done for doing the transfer. It may not be your first choice, but if you were to be paying the same amount every month you would be paying off less interest and more capital, do its the sensible move and will get it cleared sooner - all those pence in interest saved add up over time.