Trying to stay in the black 18 September 2020 at 9:21PM in Debt free diaries 50 replies 2.7K views

PinkHairbrush

Seeing as trying to get the money sorted thought I’d give the house a good clear out while I’m at it. The roof space is by far (!) the worst. Aiming to have the whole house sorted by Christmas. 

Went through a bag of hand me down clothes that had been stuffed in the back of a cupboard months ago. Keeping three things and the rest going to the charity shop. Also bagged up a few silicone baking moulds, half a bag of too small clothes and the old bottle steriliser and bits - all of which can go to charity shop too. 

While I am sorting my life out might as well get rid of this extra half a stone I have put on as well!

[Deleted User]

Just seen your diary there
I'm going to follow you on your journey and sending lobe and support 😊 

moneyonmymindsam

Well done on the clear out, your doing well with keeping track and getting things organised 🤗
Some charities like you to phone ahead (due to covid) just thought I'd mention in case you lug it all there and you get turned away.

Is there anything you could clear on facebook selling pages or gumtree like a bundle of clothes or kids stuff. That could be a few quid in your pocket or maybe see if you have a "cash for clothes" type place near you they pay about £5 for a bin liner 10kg of unwanted clothes.
Just sharing ideas hope you don't mind 🤗

savingholmes

It would be worth you looking atbup your income threads and consider things like surveys and to receipt scanning to get money in

PinkHairbrush

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Greatly appreciated. 

Moneyonmymindsam I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with eBay! Have sold lots on it in the past but just can’t bring myself to put in the effort at the minute. Also like to give to the charity shop as I don’t have much else to contribute to charity this weather. We have so much that someone else is in more need of I’m sure. 

Savingholmes I have tried surveys before and Prolific was by far my favourite. Should give it another go. 

Didn’t get reporting on the events of yesterday. Spends were £20 on a takeaway which was in exchange for some babysitting. We all really enjoyed it but I am still annoyed at myself I didn’t just go to Tesco and buy a couple of frozen pizzas. Must try and go without these luxuries while things are so tight money wise. 

Continued to clear out and organise. Mostly the kids’ toys. Won’t feel like I’ve really achieved anything too much until I get the stuff away out of the house!

PinkHairbrush

Not too much clearing done today. Just a bundle of papers shredded. My method is a bit haphazard but with little ones running about I am just going with the flow and hoping that at some point I will have covered most parts of the house!

Spends were church collection, £23 in Tesco and £45 gas bill. 

Finishing the week in to the overdraft at -£240. This is down from -£350 this time last week. So at least an improvement. I do not have much wiggle room this week so if I can stay the same I will consider that (sort of) a success. 

moneyonmymindsam

If you think the car was an unexpected £200 on blades and pads soooo had it not been for that you would be only £50 in. 
You are doing great if you look at it in that context. Life happens so you can plan for everything but you really are doing so well.
Hope your week is good. 
Sam 

MidsHollie

Hey,
ive just added up the amount that you e spent over the past week for the things that you’ve costed here (not including the car and energy bill). It was over £150. 

It seems like you spend most days. 

I never realised how much I spent on things until I added it all up. It’s so easy to forget what you spend. Yesterday I was totalling up my spends for the week and thought that Saturday was a no spend day. Turns out I’d spent over £20 that in less than 24 hours I had completely forgotten about. 

Two things I have found helped me is writing down every penny I spend, and categorising it. And almost completely eliminating shopping online. I’m much more mindful about the things I buy if I’ve actually seen and touched them, and there is a level of effort to get it 

PinkHairbrush

You’re right moneyonmymindsam, it could definitely be worse. The whole car situation really highlights how much you need to have money budgeted in ‘pots’ for each spending category. I do not usually do this as from month to month I often have a little to allocate to what is needed but things have just been so tight recently there is no wiggle room. 

MidsHollie I definitely spend on most (if not every!) day. I used to have no spend days all the time but now I have children these seem to be non existent. Keeping track of spending is a must I agree! I think budgeting is like dieting - as soon as you take your eye off it, things go belly up! 

PinkHairbrush

I have been lying awake thinking about money matters the last couple of nights. My incomings are staggered throughout the month so I have found it harder to budget than when I got a lump sum once a month. 

I have a little put aside which was to pay for the next instalment of work on the house. I think the best thing to do is to take some of this money, pay off my overdraft and budget for October. Then the money that comes in throughout October I will keep to the side to pay for November. This would eliminate the difficulties I’ve been having budgeting with dribs and drabs coming in.

Hopefully soon I will be able to get a little extra work and that will help pay for the work on the house.