Taking Control - My DFW Diary

Eshka_2

After much faffing around, I'm finally ready to start this. I've got my plan of action, and I'm gonna stick to it!

Here's my SOA, with amendents/plans in red (which will all be put into effect as of this week):

Income: £1054 per month, from benefits and child maintenance.

Expenditure:

Rent - £420
Electric - £50 - getting meter in, pay as you go, aim to save £20 p/m
Food - £200 - budgeting back to £100 p/m
Petrol - £50 - cutting down to £40 p/m
Sky TV - £40 - cancelled!!!!
TV License - £10
Mobile phone - £30 - using only free stuff, £20 p/m
Landline phone - £80 - emergencies only, £20 p/m
Car Insurance - £45 - gonna shop around...
Car Finance - £115
Oil Heating - £50
Bank Loan - £88 - This and other debts listed below will be dealt with under CCCS DMP, process starts this week.
Argos Card - £30
Credit Card - £30
Student O'draft - £50

Total monthly expenditure £1288 *Danger danger danger!!!*
*If I stick the amendements above, I could be saving a cool £240 per month.....!!!

Eshka_2

And here goes my plan of action:

Tonight:
1. Shop around for cheaper car insurance and a new bank account
2. Pull together all documents relating to creditors and make a ''Creditor File'', listing the debts, balances, APR, regular payments, account details and relevant contact numbers (I need this cos I am so, so disorganised with these letters).
3. Batch together stuff to sell on eBay (discovered a metric ton of stuff around my house today, eep, cash just sitting around!)
4. Make list of things to do for tomorrow, i.e. phoning creditors as suggested by CCCS and explaining situation, ask for frozen interest etc.

That's it for now...think I've earned myself a cuppa after all that mad scrounging around for eBay stuff!

sparky0107

Eshka wrote: »

After much faffing around, I'm finally ready to start this. I've got my plan of action, and I'm gonna stick to it!

Here's my SOA, with amendents/plans in red (which will all be put into effect as of this week):

Income: £1054 per month, from benefits and child maintenance.

Expenditure:

Rent - £420
Electric - £50 - getting meter in, pay as you go, aim to save £20 p/m
Food - £200 - budgeting back to £100 p/m
Petrol - £50 - cutting down to £40 p/m
Sky TV - £40 - cancelled!!!!
TV License - £10
Mobile phone - £30 - using only free stuff, £20 p/m
Landline phone - £80 - emergencies only, £20 p/m
Car Insurance - £45 - gonna shop around...
Car Finance - £115
Oil Heating - £50
Bank Loan - £88 - This and other debts listed below will be dealt with under CCCS DMP, process starts this week.
Argos Card - £30
Credit Card - £30
Student O'draft - £50

Total monthly expenditure £1288 *Danger danger danger!!!*
*If I stick the amendements above, I could be saving a cool £240 per month.....!!!

Hi Eshka,
Welcome to the madness, well done on posting your SOA, I noticed you haven't put council tax, do you pay this? as this should be included. I'm sure some very knowlagable people will be along shortly to give you some more advice & pointers for becoming debtfree

Have you done the snowball calculator? Link below

http://www.whatsthecost.com/snowball.aspx?country=uk

Also the spending diary to keep tabs on spending

http://www.spendingdiary.com/


Hope this helps helps, and once again welcome

Eshka_2

To answer your question, I don't pay council tax as I live in NI and receive full housing benefit, it's all covered there. Thanks for the reply

Eshka_2

This might seem silly, but I started this diary mainly to keep myself on track, as something to refer to, so I'm gonna add in every little thing I do that contributes towards sorting myself out. Sorry if it bores anyone!

This evening I conquered a major job that has needed doing for...well, years!:o

I'm really, really bad at personal admin stuff, keeping bills, statements etc all together - I had an ever expanding pile of paper growing in various spots throughout the house, but now I have neat, tidy little poly-pocketed files!:cool: Get me *shakes booty*. I think my habit demonstrated my whole 'keep your head in the sand and it'll go away' attitude. But that's gone now, woo!

So I'm having a wee break now, then I'm going to compile my 'debt file' before bed to give me a kind of at-a-glance guide on my debts and what's happening with them. I'm going to include call logs and everything, so that when I look back I can see exactly how far I've come. Finally, I'll write up my 'to do' list for tomorrow .

This getting organised lark kinda makes you feel good!