Third time's a charm!

twiggy86

@Lizzybop - we had half a bottle of cheap coke in the fridge which I put in with it. It had gone flat so OH probably definitely wouldn't have drunk (I only like the diet variety) so was extra MSE to use rather than waste!!! 

twiggy86

Hello Diaryland!

Yesterday OH put the car boot funds in the bank for me - although I only technically made £10.50 I'm counting it as £30 given that I had been throwing odd bits of money in a pot for change for a couple of weeks. So by getting it back in the bank it effectively puts it back in "circulation" - does that make sense to anyone else?! Although ideally I would have liked to have topped up my pots, given that my personal spends was very low I put £10.50 in the "present pot" and £19.50 towards personal. Whatever is in the present pot at the end of the month will be paid off the CC to cover (some/all) of the ticket cost. 

Today I have also been paid £45 for the leafleting. Again would have loved to topped up the pots but I need to go food shopping (which was again getting low) so this has gone to the grocery pot. 

OH has been waiting on some money since before the weekend, so I am hoping that this will go in today! Given that he's self-employed it changes weekly so difficult to budget with! However, I did a pre-emptive budget based on receiving only £500 from him this month (however he does owe me £100 on top of this). So I'll feel a lot more comfortable when he's able to give me some money and I can do everything planned in my pre-emptive budget! This is also the reason personal/grocery spends are low as I only put in a certain amount from my wage with the rest planned to come from OH - well I also can't deny that personal was low after we splurged abit the first weekend of the month! 

My pre-emptive budget also accounts for me making an extra £100 this month - so far I'm up to £78.40! I will also receive £5 reward from my bank and hoping to hit the payout threshold on Shopp*x which will be another £5. However, still hoping I'll get another round of leaflets which will take me over this and also help ease some pressure! 

A while ago I received a £105 Amaz*n voucher when I changed my broadband. I needed a few bits so I have ordered from there using the voucher. I've spent £72.11 so £32.89 remaining. I've also just remembered that I think I have a gift card with something left on it in my purse - must check what's on there and where I can use and remember to use it next time I'm somewhere! 

twiggy86

OOO cheeky badgers! One4Al1 have started deducting money off the card! Spent ages trying to find a book I liked the look of online (for less than the amount left on the card including delivery) and can't find how to use it! Even though their website says you can use online for that shop!!! Wanted to use it before they took more money off!!! 

dizzydonkey2

When I used mine I think I had to put it in as if you were paying by card. I lost a lot of money once not realising that they started to deduct, was difficult to spend them during the pandemic

twiggy86

Thanks @dizzydonkey2 - I just tried it and it seemed to work! I would normally try to avoid paying to postage but on this occasion seems more sensible to use the balance whilst I can! (Plus it had to be £30 to get free delivery but could only use the card if the total was less than the amount on the card which was only £12.40!)

twiggy86

Feeling overwhelmed by money today. I think I over-stretched myself by paying off the TV this month meaning things are feeling a bit bleak at the moment - plus OH is having issues with getting paid which is really not helping! I've come on here to work out the positive steps I've made this year in the hopes that will help! 

So far this year I have:

• Totally cleared two debts - Ne*t and the TV - meaning there are two less things to split my money between
• Bought my debt total down by just over £3k (i.e. after accounting for any interest and any additional debt I've incurred as there have been a few CC spends)
• Bought my debt total down to under £15k 
• Put money aside for various things, such as car insurance/ tax 

Hmm I was hoping that would help writing that down more than it has... However regardless of how I'm feeling right now, I'd be feeling worse if I hadn't made the above progress I guess. Maybe tomorrow will feel like a better day! 

SusieT

twiggy86 said:

Feeling overwhelmed by money today. I think I over-stretched myself by paying off the TV this month meaning things are feeling a bit bleak at the moment - plus OH is having issues with getting paid which is really not helping! I've come on here to work out the positive steps I've made this year in the hopes that will help! 

So far this year I have:

• Totally cleared two debts - Ne*t and the TV - meaning there are two less things to split my money between
• Bought my debt total down by just over £3k (i.e. after accounting for any interest and any additional debt I've incurred as there have been a few CC spends)
• Bought my debt total down to under £15k 
• Put money aside for various things, such as car insurance/ tax 

Hmm I was hoping that would help writing that down more than it has... However regardless of how I'm feeling right now, I'd be feeling worse if I hadn't made the above progress I guess. Maybe tomorrow will feel like a better day! 

You are doing really well, I totally understand the feeling of doing too much, but you WILL get through somehow, and when the next payday arrives you will not be putting anything towards the tv, so perhaps use that money to give yourself a treat - even if it is just a bar of chocolate you will know that it is your reward for getting it paid off and for being under 15k now. 

twiggy86

Thanks @SusieT - I had planned to ease up on the debt payments next month in view of giving myself extra personal spends for my birthday (which was part of the reason I paid the TV in full this month). But at the moment I can't see there being much to go around. Hoping tomorrow I'll wake up in a better frame of mind!

It hasn't helped that my friend plays for another netball team on Wednesday (we play Thursdays) and is short on players and asked if I would play for them. I said I couldn't as couldn't afford the £5 and she has said she'll pay - which is incredibly lovely but makes me feel like a scrounger! Particularly when my financial situation is only down to me and past poor budgeting/ wrong decision making.

twiggy86

Oops - I haven't done a post-weekend check-in yet! However, I'm pleased to report that it was relatively spend free! We did have a bbq which meant I spent more on food that I had intended - however the money OH gave me covered this. Although I really should have shuffled that money away...

Last night I went food shopping - pleased to report I did a meal plan, shopping list and stuck to the list!! I went to L*dl as I had a £5 off a £40 spend - however given how bare their shelves were I wasn't sure I;d get to £40 but of course I did! (£46.91 to be precise) So I then ended up having to go to Ald* for the remaining bits and spent a further £16.74. Which leaves £14.83 for groceries for the rest the month! Uh oh!!! We'll forget about that for now!

I also had to post something to Australia - it's my friend's daughter's birthday and I had made her a crochet lion so no cost for the present but £1 for a card and then £13.65 to post!!! I now need to start on my nephew's present so will have a look through my stash to see what I can use! 

I have made a few decisions to avoid future damage to the budget!

• Today I have re-activated a number of listing on Et5y - my lack of confidence meant I simply let these expired - i.e. thinking they're carp and no-one wants my makes. But put on my big girl pants and re-listed them and will try do a bit of promotion on my Insta
• I'm going out for a friend's birthday but will drive so I can spend very little 
• Next month is a friend's wedding and we had intended to stay in a hotel overnight (it's about 40 minutes away). However I will look into alternative arrangements e.g. check how much a taxi back will be (no doubt cheaper than a hotel!) and then potentially get train there and taxi back - or if still too much will simply have to not drink and drive 

Unfortunately I don't think there are any more leaflets at the moment as another round would have come in handy! 

twiggy86

Time for an honest update...

So the reason I was feeling so stressed about money last week is that OH walked away from his job. Now we've been here before which is why I didn't want to bore anyone if it changed again in a few days! However on this occasion I am on-board with his decision - although I wish I'd had a bit of notice!!

Last week his "boss" last minute cancelled work for Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday OH was home by 12:15 and Thursday 11:30, as rather than go on to another job boss had called it a day. So how is OH ever meant to get ahead with money when he is limited like this?! OH wasn't insured on the work truck so was tied to working the hours dictated. And money (or lack of money/ earning opportunities) has a big impact on OH's mental health so it just couldn't keep continuing. 

OH's plan is to set out on his own and this is something he's talked about for a few years - so I've told him I hope this is kick up the rear to get this in action! However we need money now and also money to get his venture started. He has been busy looking for opportunities and has a few things lined up for the coming weeks/ months. And hopefully he has something sorted for next week (and potentially any breaks in between other jobs). So fingers crossed things will be brighter in the future!