I Don't Need Any More Stuff (AGAIN!)

Skinnylatte

All your replies, are wonderful and very sensible, especially EH, thank you to you. I have 2 CC's, both I need for work, I have to pay for my fuel, travel and food, which I then claim back, I work away 4 days a week. 1 for UK and 1 for spending abroad. I can't cut them up or give them to a friend. I have managed this sensibly for 3 years, until now

A year ago I split with my partner and had to leave suddenly. As my house was rented (as a holiday home) I stayed with a friend and then decided to buy a second property instead of moving back to my house, the only thing I could afford was a small flat, but I managed to get the deposit/stamp duty/fees etc together from savings and budgeting hard. I moved into the flat in April, and had to decorate and furnish it from scratch, and I've just got carried away. All my savings have gone, and I haven't saved a penny since April. I've nothing set aside for Christmas and it's my sons 21st in a couple of weeks.

Oh, and I took a promotion at work, got a nice bonus, spent it on a new bathroom, hated the new job, went back to my old one and had to pay back the bonus - doh. (They did let me keep a my pay rise though which was nice of them).

This diary is to chart my progress back to sensibleness, I know I can do it, I've done it before, I guess I just fell off the wagon. I earn reasonable money and I'm not behind on any payments, I just need to rein it in. I find a diary helps a lot, you sort of become accountable to yourself!

I am ashamed to say I have also put a deposit down on a big holiday, it's not until next September, and I put the deposit down a month ago (on the CC of course ) I need to factor saving for that too.

I need to do another SOA

Anyhow, today was a no spend day again.

EssexHebridean

Fair enough - your explanation makes things a lot clearer and yes, these thing happen. Sometimes we make choices we later wish we hadn't - but learning from that is part of life.

I'm going to suggest (sorry!) that you have a long think about the holiday and whether this is really the right time for it or whether you'd do better to sacrifice the deposit and plan to re-book in the future. Think of the entire cost - so not only the cost of the holiday itself, but also any spending money you'll want to take with you, and the cost of things like travel to the airport, parking, cost of new clothes you'd ideally want for a trip of the type you've booked...add the lot together so you have a big number - only then can you make a realistic decision about it. The first question needs to be - disregarding the debt situation - can you actually afford that number?

You're very right about knowing you can do it - you know the steps, time to get down to them!

Skinnylatte

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Fair enough - your explanation makes things a lot clearer and yes, these thing happen. Sometimes we make choices we later wish we hadn't - but learning from that is part of life.

I'm going to suggest (sorry!) that you have a long think about the holiday and whether this is really the right time for it or whether you'd do better to sacrifice the deposit and plan to re-book in the future. Think of the entire cost - so not only the cost of the holiday itself, but also any spending money you'll want to take with you, and the cost of things like travel to the airport, parking, cost of new clothes you'd ideally want for a trip of the type you've booked...add the lot together so you have a big number - only then can you make a realistic decision about it. The first question needs to be - disregarding the debt situation - can you actually afford that number?

You're very right about knowing you can do it - you know the steps, time to get down to them!

Yep, you're very right too! I will have a long think about the holiday. I've paid a £700 deposit so won't be losing it, but I may be able to transfer it to the same holiday in 2021.

Another no spend day, just, a had a couple of hours to spend i Nottingham city centre, and managed not to buy anything:T

Nov 30th, the day after payday, I am setting aside the afternoon to set up all my savings pots again, do my SOA and do a budget. I'll have a better idea of where I am then.

EssexHebridean

No reason why you couldn't make a start on the budget ahead of payday so you're all set up and ready...just saying... ;-)

Andyjflet

Love your honesty, makes a refreshing change from some of the posts on here making excuses instead of accepting the issue and dealing with it. Good luck on your new journey, smash it.

Skinnylatte

Andyjflet wrote: »

Love your honesty, makes a refreshing change from some of the posts on here making excuses instead of accepting the issue and dealing with it. Good luck on your new journey, smash it.

Well if we can't be honest with our selves there's no hope!
Thank you

Skinnylatte

EssexHebridean wrote: »

No reason why you couldn't make a start on the budget ahead of payday so you're all set up and ready...just saying... ;-)

Well I have really, I've written down all my outgoings and how much I need to put in to each savings pot. I just need to wait til the payday end of this month as it'll be my first one since I've finished paying back the bonus, and with the pay rise so I'll know exactly what it is.
I've also started my christmas budget list.

A bad day, £17.94 interest charge on my BC statement. That's the first time I've paid interest in a looooooong time, I'm very unhappy with myself.
Also I scraped my car trying to get out of a ridiculously small hotel underground carpark. :mad: I think it will be a few £100 to sort, but it'll have to wait a while.
Another no spend day.
Barclaycard cash back arrived £12.49
Saturday I'll pick up the £80 I'm owed, Plus some-one else owes me £330 which they say they'll give me end of the month. So that's £410.
I'm going to sell my Apple watch too, which looking on Ebay might be worth £250-£300.
And ........ I just realised DS's rent hasn't arrived in my account, which is due 1st Nov. How lax I am becoming! That's the best part of £800 there. :T

Sanctioned_Parts_List

You should be able to get a pretty accurate estimate of your new salary without waiting until December through here: https://listentotaxman.com/ - just don't forget to include taxable benefits in kind in the deductions field for maximum accuracy.

Skinnylatte

Sanctioned_Parts_List wrote: »

You should be able to get a pretty accurate estimate of your new salary without waiting until December through here: https://listentotaxman.com/ - just don't forget to include taxable benefits in kind in the deductions field for maximum accuracy.

Thank you, that makes a good read, all that tax and NI
So I've done my SOA, and I'm putting together a 12 month plan, which does include the holiday, it just involves me making no unnecessary purchases for the next 12 months! The car loan won't be quite paid by then, but tbh I don't really class that as a debt, it's just a tool to fund a car which I need. by the time I've paid this one off, I'll probably be needing anew one anyhow.

The weekend was pretty good, I picked of the £80 I was owed, and DS gave me £50 cash for Novembers rent. I had a night out on Friday with an old friend, and our DDs came too, which was lovely. But we did end up funding them! I spent £23.75, which included a meal also, so not too bad. I gave up drinking in February, which makes a massive difference to the purse and the waistline.
Yesterday I spent £4 on a birthday card, flipping expensive, I must bulk buy these things in advance. Today was a no spend day, and away again all week so lots of no spend days this week too.

Skinnylatte

Ooooh, I just realised I should have put this on the debt free diary board - doh.
Anyway no spend day for me today. My Youtube channel has been accepted for monetisation again after being demonetised, so that's a little passive income. 96p yesterday!
New insurance policy purchased for property no 2 (holiday let), via TCB, so should be some cash back there.
I've been driving lots of miles this week, so the milage claim that'll go in Saturday should be decent.
Not much else to report, working hard and living sober!