Fighting debt alone- the sword is out 24 December 2019 at 10:37AM in Debt free diaries 68 replies 4.1K views

Blackberrycurved

Thank you lovely people i've been megga blessed this weekend. I downloaded the Nero app and I had cards withstamps on them whichthey all transferred so I have at least coffee for 3 days free. My daughter saw a coffee maker in Oxfam for £19 which she bought for me, no box or instructions but it was very easy and my friend bought me 3 boxes of coffee capsules each with 16 in the box, they were on offer 3 for £9. I found a travel mug for £2 in the sale not sure if it leaks yet and I'm going to make a coffee before I leave and take it with me on some days.so that's me done for 2 or so months.
I'm decluttering but everywhere looks worse than when I started although I am starting to feel better as stuff is getting put in bin bags and moved outside. Sleeping is still a problem but I got up and planned my meals for the whole week instead of just planning in my head and then buying the stuff and being too tired to cook it. I literally labelled 12 plastic boxes with days and put the ingredients into each one in the fridge - no thinking. I made a massive saucepan of vegetable mash and a massive saucepan of couscous so open the box cook add mash or couscous and I cut up a box of salad for snacking. I've put up 6 packed lunches fingers crossed it works or I don't get bored.
my next cutting costs after coffee is cat litter.
Cat litter is on my list this week I spend more on cat litter than I do on food. Any ideas?

beanielou

Blimey.
More on cat litter than on food :eek:
Take it that you have a few cats?
I used wood litter when one of my cats would not go outside & used to get really big bags delivered by the local cat rescue which was reasonably priced.

Blackberrycurved

I'm writing this to keep me motivated hell this is hard. I can't believe it is Sunday night and I don't feel that I've had a weekend. Extra work is good and I'm seeing a bit of benefit on the overdraft front already but extra work is hard my back is killing me. So, I've done about 50 hrs this week nothing is on a contract and with half term coming in Feb that's a week with no money. I'm struggling to get out of bed with the depression but I'm trying to be more organised. I've prepared breakfasts and lunches to just grab for the week so no spending on food at all. I'm using the coffeemaker and taking my coffee in the morning and taking a diet coke for lunch. 3 days this week i'm working 12 hr days so I may get a cuppa out on those days.
So thanks to a few changes and the ideas of folk on here I should be saving about £50 a month although i had to buy 2 bras for my DD who was in dire need and didn't ask bless her. Washing is done, drying now I've spent only £40 on food for 2 weeks and I've worked 4 hours today just finished but going to cook something instead of getting a take away.

Thanks beanielou, I have 2 cats and I've tried a few cat litters, the scooping works okay if I'm around but not on these long days it is better just to change it completely, it's costing me about £10 on cat litter and £9 on food without dreamies a week..

i went to fat club on Saturday and I've lost 3.5 lbs I could do with cutting the cost of that but I do really enjoy the company as I'm struggling to do anything on the social front until I've paid this overdraft off. Also just paid £300 for car insurance on my cc because I didn't have it. I should filter these things in every month I haven't and I thought I was doing well being proactive and then you feel like hiding again and ignoring it all. Hope everyone has a good week.

supersaver1000

Keep going Blackberry. We've all been there, it is so exhausting but it will get better. Baby steps are still steps in the right direction. One day you will look back and say phew, we made it. The main thing is that you have started the process and the sooner you start the sooner it gets sorted. Well done!

beanielou

Keep plodding

mark55man

you are doing great especially cutting down on paid coffee and doing all the batch cooking - but it is a slog.

not much to add to all the other advice, other than its a balance you need to keep going because there is no going back to how you were, but equally don't beat yourself up if you have a bad week, and you can't snap your fingers so its going to take a while. But with your determination I am sure you will get there.

On another topic, and forgive me if its too personal or direct, or if I'm just wrong, but have you considered grief counselling (eg CRUSE) - you tag yourself depressed, but I wonder if you haven't fully come to terms with your sad loss. It will always hurt, but it doesn't have to be terrible.

Blackberrycurved

Mark88man Grief counselling is not an option in my area CRUSE closed it's doors because it was too busy and lost funding which is ridiculous. There is one on Wirral and one in Chester neither will let you attend but only if you have a CH postcode. There is a Listening Ear but they have a 18 month to 2 year wait unless you are referred from work via an occupational health dept. There is also another place where you can have 3 free sessions if you are sent by your GP, I've had my 3 sessions. My GP has range everywhere else as he thinks I have PTS because of the sudden way my fellah died even he can't believe there is nothing. They shut down because they can't cope with demand?? Private counselling is pretty much all the same price from £43 to £48 per hour unless it is paid for by your company. What I really need is just some time not working maybe 3 or 6 months getting my head around everything but of course you also lose their income and then you end up in a mess and have to work twice as much to make it up.
Enough moaning I am back to plodding I worked 9.30 until 2.30pm and working 6.30 until 9pm it's too far for me to go home and come back so I'm hanging about trying to keep warm and resist cake. Staying positive.

mark55man

I'm really sorry to hear that, and sorry if I re-opened old wounds - The level of support (not) available to you does sound appalling

beanielou

mark88man wrote: »

I'm really sorry to hear that, and sorry if I re-opened old wounds - The level of support (not) available to you does sound appalling

Agree with this

SillyBovary

You're doing really well. It's so much easier to just bury your head in the sand. Even small increases in debt payment make a difference over time. Reading others diaries it's clearly persistence that makes the difference. There will always be ups and downs.

I teach too, and have a similar amount of debt. I'm trying to stay focused in the face of the constant demands for money that life throws up - especially when you have children.

Are you buying fancy cat litter? Sainsburys do a decent sized bag for £1.80 which my cat doesn't seem to mind. I did try the wood chip but she wouldn't tolerate it.

I'm sorry about the grief counselling. You mention Wirral and Chester as being near by. Are you in Liverpool? That's where I am and the waiting lists for counselling are terrible. I also deal with CAHMs quite a lot in my role and there definitely shortages there too compared to five or six years ago.