Geriatricmum vs inner voice: A monologue

lucielle

 Chicken!  You know you want to (well we want you to!). L

Geriatricmum

lucielle said:

 Chicken!  You know you want to (well we want you to!). L

Ha! Yeah that and then some! 

Spendless

Geriatricmum said:

Spendless said:

I think not spending on the CC is a bigger win than not always taking packed lunch is a fail. That's assuming when you have to buy out you're getting the likes of a Tesco clubcard meal deal rather than a 3 course restaurant lunch! What facilities do you have a work, can you leave anything there? 

I'm buying cans of soup at the coop and taking those in, I'm not going out at lunch time as I know I'll over buy. I've taken previous advice and Ive bought a multipack of crisps and raisin bar things to take as snacks. My work has a fully functioning kitchen, they also provide free fruit so I'm munching my way through that too! 

Can't say I have regret buys but not dealing with all this a few years back when I returned to f-time work definitely.  

Listen to your inner voice and do the budget. At least then you'll be aware. Constantly depriving yourself won't work either though, you're more likely to long term fail. Set yourself a mini goal.  What's your fav drink at starbucks - if that's your go to place? Set yourself a mini goal of achieving x,y, z (for example it could be so many NSD, or taking packed lunch all month)  achieve it, buy yourself the Starbucks drink as a reward. Do this and I suspect either of the following will happen, you will really enjoy the drink, far more than you ever have and think it's far better to only do this sort of thing occasionally or you'll think that was a disappointment for the money it cost, not worth it and I'd rather spend the money on something else. 

I'll try and do the budget today! DD21 bought me a vanilla latte from Starbucks on Sunday so that's my fix for this week! Ha! 

You have a 21 yo DD as well as little ones? I'd cut yourself some slack on how your debt has built up. You must have spent a fair number of years either paying childcare and/or restricted on when you could work and no sooner got one semi-independent but with  teenage expenses and  then started all over again.

As to why everything breaks at once when you've just started to sort the debt out. That's a glass half full/empty answer. Either that's really annoying or thank goodness it's decided to happen now when I'm aware it needs sorted out. 


I agree we all want to know the budget.

Geriatricmum

Spendless said:

Geriatricmum said:

Spendless said:

I think not spending on the CC is a bigger win than not always taking packed lunch is a fail. That's assuming when you have to buy out you're getting the likes of a Tesco clubcard meal deal rather than a 3 course restaurant lunch! What facilities do you have a work, can you leave anything there? 

I'm buying cans of soup at the coop and taking those in, I'm not going out at lunch time as I know I'll over buy. I've taken previous advice and Ive bought a multipack of crisps and raisin bar things to take as snacks. My work has a fully functioning kitchen, they also provide free fruit so I'm munching my way through that too! 

Can't say I have regret buys but not dealing with all this a few years back when I returned to f-time work definitely.  

Listen to your inner voice and do the budget. At least then you'll be aware. Constantly depriving yourself won't work either though, you're more likely to long term fail. Set yourself a mini goal.  What's your fav drink at starbucks - if that's your go to place? Set yourself a mini goal of achieving x,y, z (for example it could be so many NSD, or taking packed lunch all month)  achieve it, buy yourself the Starbucks drink as a reward. Do this and I suspect either of the following will happen, you will really enjoy the drink, far more than you ever have and think it's far better to only do this sort of thing occasionally or you'll think that was a disappointment for the money it cost, not worth it and I'd rather spend the money on something else. 

I'll try and do the budget today! DD21 bought me a vanilla latte from Starbucks on Sunday so that's my fix for this week! Ha! 

You have a 21 yo DD as well as little ones?
Aye, although she is technically my stepdaughter I've known her since she was 2, so she's all mine!

I'd cut yourself some slack on how your debt has built up. You must have spent a fair number of years either paying childcare and/or restricted on when you could work and no sooner got one semi-independent but with  teenage expenses and  then started all over again.

Yeah the debt piled up during this maternity leave, we just couldn't keep up 

As to why everything breaks at once when you've just started to sort the debt out. That's a glass half full/empty answer. Either that's really annoying or thank goodness it's decided to happen now when I'm aware it needs sorted out. 

Still,  poo poo timing 

I agree we all want to know the budget.

OK ok budget time 

Geriatricmum

OK so after I pop my portion into the joint account I have £556.65 left with that I have already paid:

£97.93 to Virgin and I need to earmark £130 for MBNA. That leaves me with £328.72.

I have reduced my overdraft by £10 (which I have been doing for a few months now) it's sitting at £360 just now.

I'll NEED to pay for the following:
transport which is £46
clubs: £80 (this is quarterly) 
Phone: £34.78
Lottery ticket: £12.50
Barclaycard:£180
Overdraft charge £5

This will leave me with - £39.56

I'm in a bit of a pickle. 

I think I should pay £90 to the Barclaycard which will leave me a £50 buffer for unexpected bits. 

It's a lean month!

Spendless

I make it £29.56 you're short. Double check your figures and my maths!  If there's no room for reducing or getting rid of the things you've listed or making some additional money then yes you're going to have to juggle things around. I'm sure someone else with a keener eye for scrutiny than mine will come along though. 

PS - There was a reason inner voice was nattering at you. 

Geriatricmum

 Spendless said:

I make it £29.56 you're short. Double check your figures and my maths! 
Plus the £10 I paid off the overdraft! 

If there's no room for reducing or getting rid of the things you've listed or making some additional money then yes you're going to have to juggle things around.
All of that is fixed. No wiggle room. 

I'm sure someone else with a keener eye for scrutiny than mine will come along though. 

PS - There was a reason inner voice was nattering at you. 
Aye, at least they've shut up now

I don't think there's much I can do except have as many NSDs as I can and keep an eye on the bank balance 

Geriatricmum

Sold another item on vinted yesterday £1.50 more in the EF

enthusiasticsaver

Do you really need to do the lottery? The chances of winning are so remote and you have very little free money% 

Spendless

Of course the £10 towards the o/draft - my maths is often shaky! 

I'm guessing the lottery is a works syndicate and you'd rather not run the risk they all hit the big time and leave but you have to stay working  - whatever the odds? 

The clubs. I think what you need to do here for future is see this as a monthly bill even if the money is taken quarterly so each month you need to save approx £27 towards this.