Rebuilding my life.

birdsfoottrefoil

Hi @ManiacalRed

Just read through your diary so far. Sorry you’ve had such a rubbish time of it!! Willing you on for better things.

Sarahwithlove

I know it's not ideal but have you considered letting the card default as you already have one against you and by sounds of it you won't be able to afford to buy a property in next few years. 

Is your mobile phone in contract? As that's high so when out of contract I'd suggest moving to a sim only. 

Regarding an Emergency Fund I would suggest getting one for about £500 as that would cover most things that might crop up and avoid any further debts until your credit card is paid off. 

I found unsubscribing from emails helped me with shopping temptations and removing my card details and turning off auto save of log in details. When you have to try and remember password you used etc it becomes less tempting 

ManiacalRed

Thanks guys n gals, just in from walking the dogs. Glad to report that when I got home from work there was no old dog with a dicky tummy related mess to be cleaned. He's on the mend. Booked into the vet next week for tests to find out why this is happening more frequently. 

Managed to stick to my shopping list. £4.14 in Aldi, £3.49 home bargins. Hardest bit was staying away from the reed diffusers and special buys in Aldi- never know when that horse blanket will come in handy. Also, the cleaning products, smellies and seasonal storage offers were calling to me in HB. I told the oven cleaner I already have 2 of him that have been hiding under my kitchen sink for far 2 long, I ran past the rest. Think I need to invest in those blinkers that the race horses wear.

My phone is in contract until march 26. No idea why I got the new one when my last contract was up, I went from an S21 ultra to a S23 FE. I think I downgraded as I don't think the S23 FE has the same functionality or is as fast or has a better camera or screen than the S21 Ultra but it has a higher number 🙄. - strike that, I know why I got a new but worse phone, I was feeling low, my relationship was on its last legs, I was losing everything I knew, I was in a wellpaying but stressful job, I had my head stuck in the sand regarding the debt I already had, I convinced myself that spending £35 a month was better than the £75 I had been spending and for 5 mins after opening it it felt good to have a new phone.
Regarding the CC, I really don't want another default on my file, I'm looking forward to Oct 29 when it falls off and I'm hoping by then I will have paid off my debt, saved up a fair chunk for a deposit. Thanks for the suggestion though. Keep them coming.
Plans for 2nite. Inventory the cupboards, freezer and fridge. 
Quick tidy.
Complete some tasks from the flylady thread. 
Wash all the dog bedding. 
Bath the old pup. 
Dinner. 
Bed.

Moneywhizz

You seem to have got yourself well organised and a good plan for going forward. A couple of questions about your SOA. What is your plan for the money left over every month? It might be a good idea to allocate to different 'pots' such as emergency fund, treat fund, dentist, clothes etc rather than just see it as spare money. Having money set aside for these things might help you stick to your plan over the long term, when it becomes a bit of a slog paying out all your money on debt. Also your car insurance seems really high, do you shop around to get the best deal at your renewal? 

ManiacalRed

Thanks @Moneywhizz.
I have alway been able to start things off well and with the best of intentions no matter what I do, following through and ending up in a good place has always been the problem,  I'm hoping the diary will help me keep myself in check. I know I will slip, I know things will happen, but being honest with myself, and using the diary, will hopefully allow me to avoid those ostrich moments. And with absouletly no disrespect intended, the fact that you are all strangers and can look at thing objectively helps massively, I have zero incentive to sugar coat.

Regarding the insurance I have always thought it was high, it does include £11 I pay separately for for AA, the actual monthly ammount is £66.12, rounded up almost all my outgoings that weren't exact figures. I've never had the best of luck with cars no matter their age so breakdown service is a must. Saying that never made a claim and no accidents till this year in a work vehicle, I scuffed a bumper of a parked car. Have reported it to insurance so no doubt it will be even higher next year. I always check all the comparison sites and go with the cheapest, Would like to be in a position to start paying annually, what really confuses me was my Ex who was unemployed lived at the same address as me had been driving for only 1 year longer than me same no claims, got insured for £300 last year on his car which I paid outright (he wasn't my Ex at the time) however I believe my annual quote was cheapest ~£650. Maybe the algorithm knows I'm a Ginger 🤷‍♂️🧑🏻‍🦰

I was planning on using my money left over to pay down the CC. I was gonna use my occasional OT for my emergency fund and treats. But setting up pots for these sounds good. In terms of clothes, I could probably clothe the 5000. Well not quite. But I have enough to keep me going for a while yet, except my hiking boots.

I should probably add that I have spent £££££s on geek memorabilia and retro games and consoles over the decades a lot of limited edition items that have held value and some have appreciated handsomely. I have been going back and forth with whether to sell and start again when im in a better financial position, but honestly they are most prized possessions. Basicly the only thing I have left other than my dogs(and the cat) that have any value to me. I don't have an exact figure and don't know if they can be counted as assets or not.

Edited to include the cat 🐈 😱

ManiacalRed

Think I becoming addicted to this, I suppose there are worse things to be addicted 2.
Tonight the inventory took longer than expected over an hour. Filled 4 pages of my note book. Good thing is I have enough for complete main meals and lunches for at least a week or 2.
 
My friend has booked us into the local Cat cafe for a late lunch 2moro, her treat since I paid for lunch last week. Anyone else order what they really want when it's their turn to pay, But when it's someone else's go for the cheaper option or is that just a me thing.
Looking forward to my first 2 days off that don't include an Xmas or New year in over a month.

Got an engineer coming in the morning to install my new broadband, 4th time lucky, I've been assured this time it's all good to go, fingers crossed last time he spent more time admiring my swarovski batmobile than actually doing any work, but i really didnt mind 🤣. Gets me away from over paying to Virgin, the new price is already in my SOA.

My SIL invited me to take her, my niece and brother to the Irn-bru carnival on Saturday after work. I politely declined, letting her know that I had used all my entertainment budget for the month. It would have cost me £20 in fuel, £20 ticket, probably another £20 in food and whatever I bought my niece. I got told if money was the issue that she gets paid (benefit- I have no problem with people in general who need or rely on benefits, I have done so imyself in the past, I do however with my SIL and brother) and would loan me the money. It irkes. The less said the better. 

LzzyIsGod

Just wanted to say I was reading and cheering you on. Saying no (politely or otherwise) can be really tough so well done on standing firm

Sarahwithlove

Well done for saying no! 

SandyShores

Mobile phone is definitely a good one to look at next year when your contract is up.  I used the MSE deal for Lebara - its £6.90 a month with 12gb data.  I tend to buy a phone and then just use it until the battery is so weak that I have to get another.  I tried having the battery changed last time but it didn't last very long so ended up at Argos.  I know LadyWithAPlan buys refurbished phones so something to consider for next year.

I've sold a lot of stuff, some of it was sentimental including a set of china that was stored in the loft so never used.  I put the £200 I made towards a garden bench and was just relieved that we hadn't smashed any of the china in our two house moves.  I have got some gold jewellery and did think about selling, but there's something about it and I don't have much else I've kept.  I tell myself I keep it as a sort of emergency fund that I'd sell if I needed the money for something specific like another car.  Might be worth you working out what your games are worth and then at least you'd know what you might be able to realise if you ever needed to.

The cat is our most treasured possession too.  He's sat here snuggled up to me while I'm typing.  

Moneywhizz

I agree that you shouldn't sell things that are valuable to you unless you absolutely have to. I do think though that building up an emergency fund is something you should do as quickly as you can rather than overpay your credit card. You don't have very much allocated to car maintenance and if a car is vital for you getting to work, you need to be in a position where you can pay for any repairs that may be needed. Once you have a decent amount behind saved, you can throw as much as you like at the credit card. Well done for standing your ground and not giving into the pressure to do something you know you can't afford at the moment.