Goals and budgeting - my diary

MissG80

WinterWarrior said:

MissG80 said:

I think I need to do some Amazon housekeeping as I have 245 items on my Saved Later list!  

I feel seen 😅

Haha you're welcome.

MissG80

Deleting the Saved Items list on Amazon..

Light hearted update.

Gosh this was therapeutic 😂

The list is now mainly books, about 100 books. 

The last item was a book called The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down. I hope to slow down soon.

I came out with a phone case for £12 less than I'd budgeted. I also learned Ebay is often cheaper, always consider if can buy second hand.

And the exercise was training in weighing up pros and cons, getting down to what is important, what is needed (turns out not a lot).

I think I may also be getting to the root of some compulsive behaviours i.e. buying things I don't need to solve a problem that isn't real. 

Here's what happened.

A stainless steel water bottle- currently have about 5 (!) plastic ones but worried about plastic in water. I could ask for one for my birthday as DF said he'd get me something for £30.

Biodegradable dishwashing sponges x 14 - £9.99. Maybe I could cancel my Greenpeace donation and get these?!  I'm getting these. Ah no wait I still have sponges. Don't get these. But do cancel Greenpeace for 6 months.

Gummies Multivitamins - not getting these as I would be more likely to remember to take them but I have a massive pot of vitamins already.

Mindful patterns colouring book - you can literally print these off online.

Magnetic labels - no, I'm barely using the white board I bought.

Spare power bank - can't remember why I need two, no.

Saffron tablets - no this won't cure my ADHD.

Over the door vertical hooks - don't really need them.

A teeny tiny desk calendar - this is tempting, I love a little desk calendar. £6.99. But no. It's already May.

Dual monitor stand - ah this stresses me out. I can't explain the monitor situation at the moment. Too complicated but will leave them on the list for now.

Cole and Mason oil and vinegar pots - keep on there as could ask for as present, or maybe buy myself as a reward later.

Children's visual timer - I use one in the office a lot and don't want to move it, but I'd really like one in the bathroom. Probably a bit wierd to have one in there. Basically I want a clock in my bathroom. Found one on ebay for £10.99. 

To be honest do I look at clocks? I have the time awareness of an inert object, this is going to be a decorative item. Maybe a kitchen timer I can put away. Oh wait haha I have a watch with a timer. I just want to time myself in the bathroom, I'm not sure why. I think it's because the bathroom has no windows, which sounds obsessive.  I definitely have some unresolved anxiety going on here.  I think I need to instill clock-gate. There shall be no clock. Take as long as you think and feel without being late for work. 

Hard shell cabin case  - I do need one for next time I fly to visit family, so leave for now. But it's not urgent.

Rose quartz face roller- mine broke but maybe I can find cheaper on ebay. But face yoga is free, so no.

Travel hanging toiletry bag - haha, when I actually can budget then I may be able to afford a holiday, this can stay.

Office Desk storage - all these items can go as I learned I need as clear desk as possible and one basket.

Lakeland microfiber radiator brush - do I need this, no idea. I sure don't want it.

Memory foam travel pillow - two minds on these as they are quite bulky so not for everyday, I need to do more research, leave for now.

Aha new mobile phone case - have bought the same one for several years, noticed today it is filthy. Not sure if I should replace with leather as its £16.  Ooh wow turns out I've been way overpaying as I found one on ebay with a cover for £3.49. I'm not sure it's leather but it shuts and that's all I need to make sure I don't smash the screen (bad memories of spectacularly doing that the first week I got a smart phone despite having screen protector).

Draw dividers - no. My autistic self does not need these. Live with the different types of knickers freely mingling. It's good to have a tiny amount of chaos.

Natural electrolytes for gym £25 - no. I got into the habit of taking water, with a tiny amount of salt and an apple to the gym. Works fine.

Intensive moisturiser - ah I had dishydrotic eczema for YEARS then it just disappeared, love to know what I did that changed it, but I no longer need this. Actually I think it was starting an immune suppressant after I got poorly. 

Collagen powder - jury undecided, but seeing as I have some collagen tablets I've never taken, it's a no.

Handheld steamer - OK given the amount of ironing I do it's not necessary. More plastic. Maybe find a second hand one. Future me can do that.

Some kind of back tension roller - don't even know what this is, no.

Tile scrubber - old toothbrush will surely do for grout.

3 Swiss paring knives- I think these will be quite handy, current knives are on their way out and I think I can sell the set I have and replace with these. Keep for now.

Dry shampoo  - quite expensive compared to current one and it's all toxic anyway

Lambswool scarf - may treat myself at winter, leave.

Body tape measure - this was in my gym phase, haha no.

Every colour of Dylan clothes dye - no, don't do it.

Philliggi

Wow, you spend way too much time on amazon

MissG80

Philliggi said:

Wow, you spend way too much time on amazon

Not any more 😂

MissG80

No spend yesterday.  Hoping for 1 online sale today £10. No spend today.

Close to another sale.

Annoyingly overdraft is at £1320. Limit is £1200 so I have a while before I can reduce. 

Just need to maintain my spending holding pattern, keep adding into it and leave it there. 

Very busy work day today. Might treat myself to a bath at the end of it.

WinterWarrior

I hope you survive the work day.
i love a good browse on Amazon and save loads and loads of things for later. It’s like almost shopping without spending any money at all 😁

vampirotoothus

Hi re the clock, I use an old travel alarm clock by the shower, just so I can keep an eye on the time. V x

MissG80

Today is a good day.

A lovely lady came and collected the Facebook item, which I had originally thought was a scam. So £12 will cover groceries until pay day on the 28th.  

Spot of housekeeping. Noticed my energy has gone up so I had a look and have fixed for 12 months, bringing monthly payments down from £85 to £76. I am £40 in debit so I will adjust to £79 until it evens out = £72 saved over 12 months.

Heating has come right down from £67 in January (I think I was also using the immersion), to £22 last month. This month it will only be £11. 

Next plan is to sell a watch I've listed online.

MissG80

I created a debt repayment plan and feel more relieved.  It's good to have a path forward and I know it will feel even better once I'm making progress.  The process was sobering, making me realise that I've spent the last four years in a haze.

Total debt: £8,598.26

Overdraft £1,048.73 - aim to pay off by 28th June 2024
Lloyds credit card 0% £1,514.53 - aim to pay off by 28th July 2024
Barclays credit card 0% 27 months £6,035 - aim to reach £1,160 by Dec 2024

Savings goal - £1,800 by Dec 2024

Need to sell more things for the overdraft.

I'm unsure about repaying the Barclays credit card so quickly. I could build up a lot of savings quickly, as the long-term goal is a £10k fund.  

I'm rejoining the pension scheme in July, for various reasons I can't sooner. 

enthusiasticsaver

The soa you put up the other day showed around £500 spare so are you also aiming to use money raised from selling stuff to pay down the debt? That £500 could clear the overdraft 

The charges on unauthorised overdrafts are usually very high so how much will you need to pay for exceeding your overdraft limit? I think you are doing the right thing by prioritising the overdraft first.

It is good to have a plan and way forward. Make sure it is realistic though. Have you actually booked a holiday this year? Can that £140 be redirected?