I've really got to sort it out

stymied

Are you using tax free childcare?

Have you tried downshifting on nappies or shopping around for the best deals?

stopspendingstopspending

So I am ashamed to admit that things got out of control, instead of clearing my debt it increased to £-4,450. I just wanted to post here so I can feel shame. I am definitely an emotional buyer and things got out of hand lately. 

13thlegion

We all have those moments. Just means it is time re-evaluate and try again. 

Sarahwithlove

What did you end up buying? Can any of it go back. I found taking my card details off websites helped, or maybe your phone if you pay that way? 

Your groceries seem high for 3 people. Do you menu plan at all? 

stopspendingstopspending

So...... where have I been the whole year? Getting into more and more and more debt. It has been a challenging year and my mental health just wreaks havoc on all areas of my life, finances including. Most of the spending was on private healthcare but some is just uncontrolled grocery and eating out.

I am hoping that I can count myself accountable here via weekly check-ins and using this diary to motivate me to become more financially responsible. 

My debt now:

Santander	-4752
Virgin	-5225
HSBC	-3975
Total:	-13952

It has never ever been so bad so clearly something is very wrong and I continue to just spend. 

My goal by end of 2025 is to clear £1,200.

Steps to take:
1. Use Revolut pockets to stay on track with spending by categories that are assigned in the budget
2. Do not buy drinks during office days. 1 prepacked lunch per week.
3. See if I can sell anything on Marketplace or ebay/ etc.
4. If I need to buy something new (e.g. frying pan - make money for it first / make sure I have already saved room for it through something else in the budget rather than thinking - I will cover that later).
5. Set and follow grocery routine - ensuring I am using my employee discounts before i shop.
6. Absolutely no new subscriptions.
7. Try to make it at least to January without any private medical healthcare bills.
8. Look for extra work (long-term) - extend hours or pick up something manageable.
9. Continue using Shoppix, TesterUp (I leverage Google Opinion Rewards earnings there), for tiny boosts of £5 voucher here and there.
10. Make use of voucher offers (only when needed) but have like a little wallet for this so they are always ready.

This is going to be hard.

honeybee1234

I think your targets are useful, and I wonder if what else would be useful is to identify those areas where you've said you've had uncontrolled spending and what purpose is the spending serving?

For example, the eating out. If you have a think about what's actually going on when you make the decision to eat out rather than eat at home. There might be different reasons, or one overarching one. Is it maybe convenience  - you've been busy and not had time to cook/pick up groceries, or you're out with the little one, they're hungry and it's a lot quicker to get something where you are rather than go home? 

Or is it for the social aspect - an opportunity to sit with the family, or friends and catch up, or to get out of the house at the weekend for something to do? Or something else that might be going on? Once you know what's happening, it'll be easier to focus on how you can work on it. 

I think it's also worth thinking about the fact you're spending that amount on groceries and simultaneously spending a lot on eating out. Is the grocery bill comprised of just groceries or might there be children's things in there as well? 

stopspendingstopspending

@honeybee1234, thank you for your input! I really appreciate it. The three categories where uncontrolled spend happens are groceries (and the budget includes groceries, household, nappies etc - all consumables but not childrens clothing or toys), childrens toys and clothing, and the eating out.

The reason for almost all of them is just craving of fun.So it is like convenience but also wanting something new and make a day go easier. At work it is exciting sushi lunch to make work more bearable, at home its a new toy or puzzle so I am engaged with toddler more. Going out is to enjoy the change in the environment and have good memories and to have a treat.

At supermarket also I do really feel the difference between the expensive pasta for example and the supermarket one and this is where it became maybe not sustainable, with the recent price rises. I couldnt believe my eyes seeing that 500g of organic mince at Sainsbury's was £9.75!!!! I dont spend anything on my clothes or beaty (or barely anything). But the food is just sort of buying everything i fancy, not sticking to the plan.

itsthelittlethings

The thing that really helped me was committing to not using credit any more. Never mind spending on a credit card with the intent to pay it off when I got paid. Just stop spending on credit and live within your budget. This means continually reviewing your budget through the month to know.

Once you stop spending on credit, you can start to pay off the debt that you have. It’s better to pay this off slowly and leave yourself enough to live on, so you aren’t in the position of using credit at the end of the month. Are you doing a budget every month when you get paid?