Broke and lonely with it

PennysIntoPounds

Hi @ET22, just came across your diary and wanted to say well done for being brave and self-aware enough to start it, and having a reasonable plan for getting rid of those debts and thoughts about saving and managing your income. 
Also, a lot of times I see people recommending that one should put personal debts such as to relatives to the bottom of the pile, which may make sense financially but it's nice to see someone prioritising being honourable so well done you. I hope your relative was okay with you postponing the remaining £50 for a little while since you've paid the bulk back

Sarahwithlove

Yes emergency fund is important, like everyone has said even if you put £25 a month in it all adds up. The common amount is £1k but it's also about what's realistic for you based on your income. I'd recommend at least £250-500 as most emergencies can be covered by that. Just stops you getting in more debt or having to borrow from relatives again. 

I use a zero based budget which means everything I get paid has a place. I give myself a budget for food/spends and if I need more I have to be creative in getting the extra or go without 

ET22

Thankyou everyone for your advice. This week is defintely going to be a struggle and im not sure my morgage dd or my ekectricty dd will be covered but i can only hope  for the best. 

Im hoping to be in a better position next week. Ive been run off my feet in work and i havent kept my eye on the bank balance. 

My relative fine about waiting for the 50 pounds. I just dont expext they should wait to be paid, they have bills to pay too.

Once ive given her the last payment, i should be able to start moving forward with the plan. 

Sarahspangles

ET22 said:

Thankyou everyone for your advice. This week is defintely going to be a struggle and im not sure my morgage dd or my ekectricty dd will be covered but i can only hope  for the best. 

Im hoping to be in a better position next week. Ive been run off my feet in work and i havent kept my eye on the bank balance. 

My relative fine about waiting for the 50 pounds. I just dont expext they should wait to be paid, they have bills to pay too.

Once ive given her the last payment, i should be able to start moving forward with the plan. 

I hope this week is less busy. I’m seeing all the ads about Stoptober at the moment and thinking that it’s a grotty time of year to be tackling anything that is a bit stressful, just when it’s peeing down and workplaces are getting busy. I hope you’re getting some breaks.

ET22

Ok well this week was more stressful than last! I'm basically training to be a business officer for board work. It is bloody hard going lol. What a nightmare I have had trying to fit 8 different groups meetings on a 6 weekly basis, two every 12 weeks,  for the next 12 month so they do not overlap. In the end I decided i had made it far more complicated than it needed to be.What a nightmare. I used to work in a related field but this is as hard to learn as previous job! People are askng me for documents etc and I have no idea what they areand why. 

Then my bank card was declined at the local shop i use often and that was embarrassing. 

However, I made a council tax payment today and will be getting my hair done this afternoon because the relative said they didnt mind waiting for the last 50 quid. The trip to the hairdressers is unplanned but I have to have something to cheer me up. 

So today, its the hairdressers, then a walk to a local Aldi, then a taxi back home with the shopping and get going with the housework. I only need to clean everywhere at home again lol, because if I dont, one week rolls into the next and I cant be doing with the place being untidy and needing a clean when I'm likely to be demented in work. I spent last weekend unable to motivate myself properly and Im not letting a job ruin my own time outside of work like the last one did. It doesnt pay enough for that. I still have paint for my living room which i have not yet used because I had been feeling very down. 

Im looking forward to next pay day when I will make two council tax payments and pay the relative. 

The week after, I will pay 200 pounds service charges on 11th October and 200 on 18th November. 

Pay day on Friday 25th October will be to cover my mortgage and electricity bill.    

The schedule for the repayments plan to get out of some debt and up to date with bills has changed slightly but I think the main thing is im moving forward with it al.

I am determined to have a good weekend regardless of what happens. Life is too short to spend worrying about work.I might go and viist my sister too if she is still temporarily living locally. I definitely need human contact this weekend.I think when I get down, I start to withdraw from everyone and dont make an effort to reach out to people. Its a nice sunny day day here even if it is windy!

Stoptober I will use as a way of stopping vaping because I have still been wasting money on that. I dont drink but vaping is ridiculous.So stoptober starts today for me. 

I did buy two jumpers from M nS on Vinted for a cost of about 8 pound in total including postage. Very nice they are too and Im using them as a staple part of my work wardrobe.  



   

   


      


      

             

ET22

I think after the next couple of months, by th ebeginning of December anyway, I will start to be able to save small amounts and increase these after christmas. Once im caught up with my bills, I will be able to save for an emergency fund and I think 2000 is probably a good amount to eventually have. 

i also need to get out of the overdraft Im in, but for now i will concentrate on getting the service charges paid up to date.   

ET22

I lost my job yesterday probably because i couldnt think straight and i sas only weeks in and i hadnt done the role before. 

Hiwever, i have a job  interview tomorrow which will be a role i will find less challenging so fingers crossed so i can pay the bills this month!. 

Sarahspangles

ET22 said:

I lost my job yesterday probably because i couldnt think straight and i sas only weeks in and i hadnt done the role before. 

Hiwever, i have a job  interview tomorrow which will be a role i will find less challenging so fingers crossed so i can pay the bills this month!. 

I’m sorry to hear that but it sounds like it may not be a bad thing? In the meantime can you access JSA/ESA?

ET22

Thanks @Sarahspangles, yes i think iys for the best tbh. I will applyfor JSA tomorrow and hopefully will get the job too. Im a believer in there is always a reason for things so i will do my best to stay positive 😊

Blackcats

Good luck with the interview tomorrow.