debt free in 1200 months!?

bountiful

NSD=:D non-NSD-:o

Mon 30th ........£22.43:o
Tues 1st...........£8.08:o
Wed 2nd.........£30.60:o
Thurs 3rd........£28.16
Frid 4th...........£0.25
Sat 5th............£10.00
Sun 6th ..........£2.69

I am finding it a really good discipline to record my daily spends on my diary here - being transparent is helping me to see where I waste money. This week, I also paid the rent, council tax, utilities and debts - but not recording those on here.

Monday then, topped up my mobile (£10) in order to get my 300 free texts - suddenly I don't know who to text!!! Food shopping )£12.42).
Tuesday I had to buy stamps (£3.78); some local fresh veggies and a small bit of ginger cake from the farmers' market (£4.30).
Today, Wednesday, I decided to weigh myself on the machine at Boots - didn't have the right change so it cost me a quid (£1) - (I'm 9stone 9lbs and BMI 24 in case you want to know - right at the top end of the 'average' range for my height). I agononised over toothpaste, then let myself buy homeopathic no-nasties stuff from the wholefood shop (£3.35) - I have a fear of all the sugar, chemicals and fluoride etc they put in the normal toothpastes - I could have got Sarakan for £1.29 but I wanted the 'whitening' one....... in other words I overspent by at least £2 on this by indulging in a luxury item - unnecessary:o. I also paid £1 for an orphaned Jasmin plant at the florist's - have planted it and prayed over it - and hope it rewards me with growth and perfume.

PS I probably shouldn't encourage you - but Somerfield's Simply Value Milk Chocolate is 25p for 100g and is definitely alright - made in France. Hmm - chocolate 25p versus toothpaste £3.35 - no wonder I am in debt!

PPS - for those of you who are taking an interest - Wednesday's spend increased by £22.50 because I took my son to Pizza Express for a sort of Last Supper!

lucielle

Can you do enough clicks to cover the over spend?

bountiful

On a more serious note: Halifax caught me on the phone yesterday morning - I phoned National Debtline and they put me back on the straight and narrow - saying it was harrassment and giving me encouragement to stick to my offers and not be bullied by them - they also sent me a copy of their harrassment information so I can spot it better in future. Have blocked the Halifax numbers on my mobile so I don't have to listen to them.

How come budgets look so neat on paper, then seem not to work out in practice? I have just paid all my bills, rent etc and have £64 left for the month - when my budget says I should have about £240. I suppose my son only paid me £180 and I budgeted for £300, and I paid for a weekend course £140 which I thought I'd manage to pay for 'somehow'. Actually, the somehow is in the Credit Union - I will go tomorrow and withdraw the balance and put it in my current account - that should get me back on track. I am scarily dependent on my son paying me rent....... and he is off to America on 7th July promising to pay me from there whilst he is away ......... I feel sick....

bountiful

lucielle wrote: »

Can you do enough clicks to cover the over spend?

Hiya! I'm not into clicks - it takes too much time at the computer. I have been doing Pigsback for a while and only got pennies there, I also do Lightspeed consumer panel and have earned £10 from that in 6 months - I am not into bingo or whatever the other gambling sites are. What clicks do you do?

tenmah

I know just what you mean about the budgets. It is scary, especially when you are relying on a certain amount and then don't get it.

Try not to get too upset about things (easier said than done I know) It is difficult but you have to survive the month whilst dealing with everything else, so if everything doesn't quite go to plan, so be it....

You have so much going on, not only the debt busting but your son going to America. I know how I would be feeling. It was hard enough when my daughter went to Uni, let alone America!

lucielle

I do pigsback and cashinco. It does take time but as it is free I do it as and when.
L

bountiful

bountiful wrote: »

NSD=:D non-NSD-:o

Mon 30th ........£22.43:o
Tues 1st...........£8.08:o
Wed 2nd.........£30.60:o
Thurs 3rd.........£28.16:o
Frid 4th
Sat 5th
Sun 6th

Thursday - and it ain't over yet! Werther's Originals to keep me going on the bus (41p); bus journey can be reclaimed as part of my voluntary work, as can the lunch I had - and I REMEMBERED TO KEEP THE RECEIPTS ; I bought a book using a voucher I was given in return for completing a survey at college - it was a £5 book voucher and it took me ages to find a book for £5! They all seemed to be £7.99 minimum. I indulged in one of my money-wasters - postcards x 2 (50p); laundry (£8.55); food (£6.70) and tonight I am going to the cinema with my son to see Narnia (£12).

bountiful

On a more serious note: the Halifax, who I wrote to yesterday following advice from National Debtline, have tried to phone me twice on my mobile; sent me a text message asking me to phone them; and just phoned me on my landline (which I didn't know they had) - asking me to confirm my postcode. I said "I wrote to the Halifax yesterday stating that I am only willing to communicate with you by letter" and put the phone down......... scary....did I do the right thing? did I do the wrong thing? it was important that I did not let them 'talk' to me and distress/harrass me. If they want to tell me anything nice they can write, can't they?

I went to the Credit Union and they offered me a loan to match my savings - £130 - at 0.5% plus a repayment of £5 a month - I had to turn it down, because I cannot afford to take on any more loans - so, withdrew the £130 and have paid it into the bank to keep me out of using the draft on my 'safe' bank account.

Thanks for your message of support Tenmah!

Seaxwyn

Hiya bountiful. Well done for standing up to the Halifax - too right, let them communicate by in writing.

And well done for keeping the receipts I have just lost £11.40 because I can't find a train ticket I could have claimed for. Very very very annoying.

Hope you enjoy the film!

bountiful

bountiful wrote: »

NSD=:D non-NSD-:o

Mon 30th ........£22.43:o
Tues 1st...........£8.08:o
Wed 2nd.........£30.60:o
Thurs 3rd........£28.16:o
Frid 4th...........£0.25:o
Sat 5th............£10.00:o
Sun 6th ..........£2.69:o

Friday was a drink from the Klix machine on a training course again! Otherwise a good day - took packed lunch and tea to keep me going.
Saturday £10 for my son to buy supplies for his journey to USA (6 hrs on the coach, overnight in hotel, breakfast next day before flight at lunch time - still in the air as I type)
So total for the week £102.21 - hell, that seems a lot!
At the end of June I was over-budget by £48 - must do better!