Go on, do your worst ... I know I deserve it!

Jenna

Gosh it's been ages since I've managed to post on here - I've been on the forums generally but not done a proper update somehow sorry!

The only debt I've now got that's not on 0% is my OD and I've just BT'd that to my Virgin CC today ... should clear through in 7-10 days apparently. That will make my budget lots easier to look at! Thou it will be a bit depressing for my "target CC" balance!

As you can all see from my sig I'm still saving for Xmas and I've started saving for a holiday again ... we want to go away in (poss) July to visit friends in Italy. I checked Easyjet yday and flights are currently £80 each return. Hopefully we can stay in one of their relatives flat again (we did this last year as they themselves had gone on holiday the week that we were there) which would save lots on accomm! But I'm so unsure about spending money etc, I don't really want to spend lots, just a few days of sunshine would be nice is all. But I know OH will want to go mad! lol

I just feel a bit lost with it all lately, we need to prioritise a bit I think, I'm getting confused. We can't save up to move house (only renting but would need deposit) and pay off debts and go on holiday! Grr. And as soon as I start saving towards something else other than debts I feel it's a waste of money. Equally though I don't want to just "work, work, work" all year and end up burning out - I have to watch my health as I have M.E. and if I over-do it I could relapse into a stage where I can't work. Although (touch wood!) it all seems to be OK ish at the moment ... I'm making an effort to get more sleep and take my vitamins ... that probably doesn't affect the actual condition as such but it stops me feeling exhausted/overwhelmed and I haven't had a cold in ages so lol doesn't hurt either!

I currently have £242.17 saved towards paying off debts and £360.58 saved towards moving house ... plus a whole £17.09 towards a holiday lol. The OH has £92.50 saved towards moving house thou (hmm, something's not right there! lol) so in theory I could easily pull some money out of the "moving" pot and pay it onto my CC or something like that.

But I know I do want to move and I want to save the deposit, not get it on credit (as OH seems to want to do, and then pay it off 3 weeks later when we get our old dep back). So maybe it's better just to leave it where it is @ 360? I'd need more than that anyway...

And to make things even more complicated I'm trying to find a decent psych to go and see ... things from my past continue to rear their ugly heads and I can't feel positive about my future - some days it's hard just to get up and go to work. So that's gotta be sorted too. (why can't I just move on??)

I also need to book in some driving lessons (which my Mum has said she'll pay for, bless her! ) and get focused on passing my test. For one thing it would mean if the weather is rubbish (and lets face it, this is Britain!) I don't have to walk to work in the rain/wind!

And I'm trying to bring in some extra income too - need to spend some time focusing on promoting my business. And also the house is a mess and I'm just starting out with Flylady on that. I can't do all of it and my OT at work too!! (and then if I don't do my OT, I end up with even less money to pay off debts and save up etc) - grrr!!! I don't know what to focus on at all.

OH keeps promising to start paying me back some of the £££'s that he owes me but I'll believe it when I see it. It just gets frustrating sometimes esp. when it could pay back a chunk of my debts and I see him spending left right and centre (well ... he's not that bad really ... but he certainly hasn't had his LBM). And I want to do some further education/training towards setting up my own business and he isn't being very supportive of it - we had a massive fight over it and he did admit he was in the wrong and I should investigate it etc and it would be a good thing to do ... but I wait to see the result when it becomes an actual fact (e.g. when I sign up on the course).

Oh and the last straw (silly really I know, it shouldn't matter) being the arm has broken off my glasses and I've got to go and see if I can get it replaced later as can't afford new frames (not even saving towards them just yet as I'm focusing on the debt first).

Sorry for the rant, don't expect you to read/comment unless you want to (and I expect I'm quite boring lol) - just getting it off my chest, coz I have to somehow!

Hope everyone's weekend is going well xx

Jenna

Hello again!

I tried to talk to my OH yesterday about being confused about which thing(s) to work towards first, and he just said "Well it doesn't matter does it, you're managing your debts and they're not costing you anything, don't panic about it!". Is he right, am I worrying over a storm in a teacup?? I suppose at the end of the day all roads lead to Rome (e.g. save enough for the holiday / house deposit then we won't need to take a short-term loan for it and pay off debts also - obviously! - will reduce the amount I have borrowed).

I spent more than I should have done yesterday for a friend's birthday pressie but on the plus side, the opticians have done a temp fix on the glasses and they reckon I can get a bit more wear out of them before I have to give in and buy new frames. So I'm treating them v gently lol. Oh and stayed in last night which has saved us a bit I should think!

I'm sure someone suggested registering on Freecycle earlier in this thread and I finally managed it about 10 days ago, so thankyou again for the tip! I'm hoping I can pick up some bits and pieces for the flat that we haven't been able to buy yet (oven gloves for example!). And at some point I will get as far as de-cluttering with Flylady so I shall have a few things to list myself I reckon!

Hmm well I'm still as confused as ever and starting to feel the whole "debt free in 2008" thing is a bit of a pipe dream ... I really thought I could do it this year but now I'm not so sure. I've only paid off £336.08 so far! And desperately want them PAID as can't really focus on setting up my own business until I've paid off my personal debts and got some savings together too. Also I feel really guilty about owing the money and it hangs over my head making me stressed and feel rubbish.

Must look at MB again, I really thought I understood it before but then never had £50 spare, I could use £50 out of the moving house savings as don't think we'll be moving anywhere in the next few months! And must make more of an effort with OT and packed lunches, I've been pretty good but slipping up a bit lately.

Hope you all have a good Sunday, I'm now off for "family duty" aka seeing the relatives! xx

Jenna

Hello all,

Firstly - I know my posts are rambly and I don't expect you to read them! I just feel better for getting it off my chest somehow lol

Well this week is another week and I'm feeling much more positive than the last time I posted... not least of which because I work out my budget on 4 x my weekly wage, so when there's a 5th week in the month, it's a real bonus!!

I'm going to town today to buy some underwear, get a new battery for my watch (it's not had one for 6 weeks lol), and a few other bits and pieces. I want to get my hair cut & coloured but know I shouldn't! My friend said she'd help me colour it at home and that will have to do I think. She used to work in a salon so that will help, I've never tried colouring my own hair before! I'm very very excited in general but I do feel a bit odd with more than £25 to spend in a weekend. I've got £150 supposedly "spare" (ha ha) so I've got that in my account, but will save anything I don't spend (50/50 between holiday savings and CC savings).

Oh - the observant people amongst you will notice that my CC balance has gone up - don't worry I haven't bought another sofa!! I've BT'd my OD onto it as well (it was interest bearing at nearly 8% but is now on 0%). It is now quite a scary total and I'm very aware the interest free period runs out in 15 months (now 14?? from the account opening anyway) and counting ...

In addition to the £150 which might be spent or saved, I've also saved:

£? - cost of an eye test and (possibly) glasses - my work says I'm entitled to up to £100 towards this which I can re-claim on expenses! Yey!! I'm so excited coz I knew I couldn't afford glasses before & now I can!!

£30 - OH's birthday savings (in June but I want to get started now)

£30 - Moving house savings (mine are now at £390.58 in total)

£32.30 - Holiday savings (now at £49.39 - we think it will be in July but depends on if/when we can stay with friends e.g. free accomm! )

£26.38 - (my annual interest on my acc) - to my CC savings, which are now at a total of £268.55. The money I get back from work re my eye test / glasses I will then add to this savings pot

Some things that are making me happy today:

~ ALL my debt is now on 0%!
~ I had a fab Friday night yesterday and only spent £3.99 on a bottle of wine!
~ I don't have an OD (I've left it open as a contingency but I have steely willpower - as you can tell from the untouched savings pots figures!) so £0 actually MEANS £0 - sooooo much easier to budget!! And makes me feel better too! (e.g. my money is actually "mine" ... even though I do already owe it to other people / banks ... but it still feels better to get back to £0 each week rather than -£750, believe me!!)

I actually really want to pay the CC savings off my CC debt now ... it's nice seeing it building up but I hate that the CC figure hasn't gone down (in fact has gone up this week coz of the OD). I'm trying to be patient, not much point paying it off as it's on 0%, and I'm earning a small bit of interest in the meantime. I must look at opening a high-interest account (and if there's a bit of Quidco money in it! See I am learning ... slowly !!)

Right, I'd better be off to town then! I'll either come back having spent every last penny (but at least have some underwear that's not 18 months+ old - eek!!) or not having been able to spend anything coz I'm too used to only having £25 a weekend ... and it means I can save it on the CC and the holiday savings. Which would be exciting too! Oh dear ... what am I like ... I think the DFW thing is happening slowly:rotfl:

Hope everyone is having a lovely day xx

Buffythedebtslayer

I just wanted to say, hello and i know what you mean about being confused about what to focus on, there are so many things I want to do and some days I am really good and feel happy, and then other days I just arghhhhhh what I am doing nothing making any difference! i have many plans and schemes and really need to sort my head out!

and I really like reading your posts, they aren't rambling at all. keep going, you sound loads better in today's post.

must now go check up on my credit cards. ugh.

keep posting hon!
and hope you had a good time shopping

xx

Jenna

Hiya Buffy, good to know I'm not alone in being confused!! (I'm blonde so I'm often naturally confuzzled ... lol ... finances just make it worse! ). I hope whatever you were checking on your CC's was alright?

Well I went to town but was hopelessly disorganised (running very late lol) and only managed to get my eye test done! And I signed up to a DD for contact lenses ... but only because otherwise they charge you £40 just for the contact lens check ... but if you sign up to the DD you get 1 month's free lenses up front and it's £19.95 a month ... plus you get a 50% discount on glasses! So I'm going back there next Sat to pick out some frames (mine really are on their last legs!) and then (if I can keep it fairly cheap) I can re-claim the cost via my work expenses and pay it onto my CC! Obviously the contact lenses DD will be cancelled after I've got my glasses and I will then buy some lenses online ... I know Martin had an article on it ... will have a bit of a search later on!

Having completely run out of time in town, I went indoor climbing with friends which was really exhausting but also really great fun ... a really good challenge and if nothing else it forces me to not worry about 7 things at once ... I'm too busy worrying about where the next hand or foothold is! (and not falling off the wall, of course ... ... lol)

I'm going back into town tomorrow to finish up the things I was trying to do today ... this time I'll try to get to the stores without running late - and without needing to rush off and do something else afterwards!

Just seen the time which is ridiculously late if I want to be up and about tomorrow ... I thought it was only about 11 ish and it's half midnight! Eeek!! I'd better go but hope everyone is okay & having a lovely eve xx

cocalls

hi there, can i ask why you need to move house, is it for work or you dont like where you're living if you didnt need to move id concentrate on saving up for hols and paying off cc's first as moving house can be v expensive & a great big hassle!

Jenna

Hey there cocalls, it's not for work, and I do like where I'm living (with the exception of my neighbours!). Basically the walls are just pretty thin and it's frustrating. I don't know what we're doing right now though as there's nothing (that's good value for money anyway!) on the market ... it may be a case of saving up gradually whilst waiting it out (and trying our best to ignore him upstairs hehe). Thanks for ur post! xx

Jenna

Well I managed to get to the shops last week and got a good deal on a few essentials bits and pieces which I was rather chuffed with

Right well you lot don't care about shopping, so on to the budget update then! I now have:

~ £118.76 saved towards the electricity bill (dunno if this will cover it? I'm expecting a bill in the next month so will need to give meter readings then and just wait and see ... bit worried about the recent price hikes)
~ £62.84 saved towards my water bill (I suspect it's actually not really this high and so I could pay a bit of this onto the leccy if needs be)
~ £295.20 saved towards paying off the Virgin CC!
~ £30 each saved for my Mum's b'day (coming up soon!) & my OH's b'day (in a couple of months)
~ £49.39 saved towards the holiday
~ £390.58 saved towards moving house
~ £102.49 saved towards Xmas

I sooo want to pay the CC savings off my card but I know it's better in my savings acc earning me interest (and no, I still haven't got a high-interest one! Mine is reasonable but still, must must do that!).

I got my cashback out of Egg this week (and am due another 50p from them lol) so altogether that was another £15 in the CC savings kitty. And I've also re-designed my budget so it looks a lot "cleaner" and easier to read! I've also now taken into account going climbing once a week (£15 - of which £12.50 is for going + equip hire and I'm saving a few £'s each time towards buying my own kit ... when I have my own kit it'll only be £7.50 a time!). Possibly I shouldn't be doing it (it could be a few £'s off the CC) but I need to do some sort of exercise / social thing! Starting to go a bit mad cooped up in the house lol...

Ooh and I saw a HA scheme for part-buy and part-rent ... which would mean we could actually afford to buy somewhere (maybe 25% - 35% share in the property). And ... get this!!! ... it could actually lower our monthly outgoings by a couple of hundred quid! (which we would obviously save in a high-int acc in case interest rates rose and/or overpay onto the mortgage). I've called them about it today and left a message ... hoping they'll call back! *has fingers crossed* ... I don't know if the housing market just now is great to buy in but it's surely worth looking at??

Hmm well I've done my budget now and still irritated as the debts haven't gone away (I know, I know, it won't happen overnight lol) so gonna go chill out with my OH and watch him play on his Xbox (men and their gadgets, honestly lol).

Hope everyone is having a lovely Friday! xx

jak

Why not build a 'things for the house' category into your budget? That's what we do and when you are saving X a month, you think long and hard about whether you really need to buy something or not.
It is a lot for a sofa but hey, I spent £350 on my sofa from Argos, not in the sale and put it on my credit card 3 years ago... And i'm still paying off said credit card...and I hate the sofa now...but i'm stuck with it as a reminder not to be so bloody daft in future...flipping thing's indestructable tooo...
Everyone does it...we just hopefully learn from it.

Jenna

Ooh thx jak that's a really good idea! I know I can't afford to save for that now but I've added it to a section called "Things I can't afford but want to pay for / save for in the future ..." - it's got things like health ins and saving to run my own business in it too ... e.g. all the stuff that ideally I would be doing but can't til I'm debt free!