debt free in 1200 months!?

bountiful

Being in credit at the bank is good, I agree. But only in the day-to-day working account. I still have the overdraft, loan, and two credit cards + housing benefit debt and working tax credit debt.

I have just competed the spending diary report for March and am going to do a spreadsheet to compare month with month. Feb and March were distorted by the move, but other expenses should be extractable. I need to do a new SOA - but that isn't going to get done tonight.

I am SO tired! Last night I worked a 'sleep-in' - I got to bed at about 00.30 and was woken at 02.30 by service-user deciding it was time to get up and get dressed for the day! Got him back to bed, and was woken again at 05.15 by the sound of the kettle boiling - same person up, dressed and making breakfast - so that was my day beginning for real. Finished at 10.15 and felt like death-warmed-up - came home and had a nap for an hour before going out to do my voluntary work this afternoon.

My plan is to make a yummy vegge curry with naan and rice, watch a DVD, have a bath with essential oils and a couple of nightlights - earlyish night.;)

bountiful

Oh dear! Due (partly) to the fact that I have to squat on the floor in the cold hallway to connect to the internet, I have been a bit slack about keeping my diary up to date. Consequently, my attention to detail regarding my budget has also got a bit slack! :rolleyes: My son has paid me £800 from his student loan - which covers his rent for the next few months - it kind of gave me a false sense of wealth - and I have been to the ATM far too frequently - and have nothing to show for it! (hmm - new trousers - yes, NEW trousers, and knickers, and socks, and two t-shirts (don't ask me how much.... I am sorry, I just had to top up my wardrobe - in my defence, anyone who knows me will agree that I have the smallest collection of clothes they have ever seen!)(I could do with some new bras too - I have four that I bought about 5 years ago and they are getting a bit tired)

I have a day off tomorrow and was planning to sit down and work out my budget again and do an up-to-date SOA. Have to be up quite early (for a day off) to let the builder in to unblock the toilet for the third time since I moved in (he is now waiting for a plumber to come and install a new loo) - and friend phoned to say she would be in town and could we meet up - so looks like the day has got a bit taken over now. I could come back to it on Friday I think - I'll make a commitment to that right here: On Friday afternoon I will sit down and do a fresh budget based on my spending diary records and post a new SOA.

I don't know if anyone recalls my pledge to save £2 coins? and I also excluded Xmas from my initial budget. Well - I have matched those two together and have opened a Post Office Xmas Card and paid in £36 in £2coins. It's not a good investment -no interest or anything - but you can't touch it until the beginning of November - so, for the specific purpose of ensuring that I have some money at Xmas, it meets my need. So my aim will be not to have to do any extra spending at Xmas beyond what I have managed to put by on the Xmas Card.:D

melvis

bountiful wrote: »

I just had to top up my wardrobe - in my defence, anyone who knows me will agree that I have the smallest collection of clothes they have ever seen!)(I could do with some new bras too - I have four that I bought about 5 years ago and they are getting a bit tired)

I'm much the same... we are extremely strapped for cash as OH is not working and not entitled to ANY benefits, not even a Council Tax deduction. But last pay day he insisted I buy some new clothes (both our clothes are old and tatty but that's his 'style' lol) so I went out and bought a pair of jeans, 2 t shirts, 2 jumpers, some new shoes for work and 3 pairs of socks, only spent about £33 though so that was ok.

Worst thing about my wardrobe though is the ONE bra I own (yes ONE!) that it about 6 years old or more and is the wrong size and only fits as I give it no other option so OH has FORCED me (not that it took much arm twisting ) to order lots of new underwear. I ordered from Simply Yours which means going into slightly more debt til my next pay day but am awaiting a parcel full of goodies soon but got a 10% discount code so slightly MSE :j

maureenjscott

Hey bountiful, just reading through some of this thread, i've just got myself back onto the mse bandwagon and its very helpful to read other people's tales! You seem to have come a good way since your first post in Jan, just wanted to wish you best of luck for the rest of your journey!
And make sure you do that on Friday! lol

Mo x

bountiful

How nice to have an OH who insists you buy yourself new clothes! Good bras are a good investment. I read somewhere, long time ago, that you should spend most on the things you wear most - so as good a quality as you can afford on the undies, jeans and t-shirts and cheapo on the other stuff. I've tried to adhere to this as I think it makes sense. It is really easy to want to buy cheap undies and jeans etc (sometimes they are OK I know) and then spend a ridiculous amount on a frock or some little thingy for wearing on holiday, or "when I go out" (when I go out I usually wear my jeans anyway!) Whatever - enjoy your parcel and your new undies!

melvis

He's a man of few words when it comes to clothes lol so when I said "I really need to get some new clothes, he said "You do like" and I class that as insisting! He even went shopping with me lol I tend to pay a fair whack for jeans normally (about £35) but found some in Dotty P's for £15 this time and their not too heavy so will be good for summer. Then got 2 jumpers for £5 in the DP sale (BOGOF) and buy one get one half price fairtrade t shirts from tescos (£4 + £2) so didn't even feel guilty and will be getting some more as soon as I have a spare £10 as even with the new clothes I'm still lacking a decent wardrobe so they're gonna get knackered pretty soon with daily wear!

When it comes to underwear however, it's another story! He ordered the catalogue and made me look at and order the pretty bras!

bountiful

ah - that's lovely!
just thought I should explain the four bras: 5 years ago I split up with fairly long-term partner -and decided that for xmas I would buy myself some lovely new underwear. I went into the local posh-shop and bought 4 beautiful bras and about 8 pairs of matching knicks - it was one of the best presents I have ever had!

Seaxwyn

Had to smile ruefully at the bras chat. I have three, and none of them fit. I bought them years ago when I was breastfeeding my son, of course I'm a completely different shape now.

And jeans... I have two pairs, both bought in charity shops and both on the tight side.

I can feel this thread giving me permission to go out and spend........... but alas haven't got the means.

Good to hear from you bountiful, and sorry to hear about the hassles with the house - broadband and blocked toilet - urgh.

bountiful

Hi - just to let you know I am still alive and kicking! Seem to have been at work for the past week! Sure that's not true, but you know how it is!
The Oxfam thing - I took some stuff (someone else's) into Oxfam and got a voucher for £5 - the catch is you only get £5 off if you spend over £35 and it ends on 28th April! I knew M&S couldn't be giving out money for old rope!

A properly fitting bra is supposed to be the best thing you can do to look better! (Trinny & Suzannah) ..... sorry! Well, if you buy just one properly-fitting new bra, it won't delay your dfd that much, will it?

I haven't done that new SOA yet - so hang fire and I will show you how I cannot afford to spend anything on new clothes!!!! Spending outside the budget is like having your wellies stuck in the mud - so nothing very clever or to be emulated!

I just counted out all my 10p, 5p and 1p pieces I keep in a bottle - and I have £8. I have stoozed almost £700 in my A&L saver account at 5.5% so that I have at least one month's rent in hand.

Yesterday I went out for a 4-hour cycle ride as the sun was shining and I didn't have to be at work until 6pm. I got my laundry done first. I have been shamelessly neglecting my university work - but looking after my health better - doing yoga and a little aerobic and stretch exercise routine.

Right now - well, another load of washing up awaits - time for bed, and university tomorrow. Then a 10-10 shift on Friday - then weekend off! Yay!

The toilet saga continues: blocked for the third time, they put a new toilet pan in - did I tell you that they poured water down the loo but couldn't see it going through any of the drains in the manholes outside? Weird. However, it has now blocked for the fourth time (I got just a little bit annoyed) - and I am waiting for them to get a camera to have a look at what is going on down there. Apparently in the old days they used to use something called a saddle drain - which is basically a hole in a pipe that stuff drops down into......and it could be "anywhere under your house" - lovely thought! There are some really wet patched appearing on some of the walls already. Friend is going to lend me a good de-humidifier during the summer - and I'll have to see how things go. Previous tenant was here for 12 years so it can't have been that bad (could it?)

Did a 3-hour study session on the Mental Capacity Act today - very interesting. Still wavering between being a life-long student, starting a social work degree, or just letting go of all aspirations and settling down to being a support worker until I retire - enjoy my days off and don't take on any more pressure?? I dunno? I'm having a psychic reading on 21st (friend bought it for me as a house-warming present because I couldn't think of anything I wanted!) so - I'll keep you posted!

delboypass

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