Paranoid's Debt Free-Wannabe Diary!

Paranoid124

Haven't updated this in a while, its been a very busy period to say the least!

Unfortunately it's also a period that has seen me come off the rails a bit moneysaving-wise! I've yet to get a clear picture of my situation now as I have money shifting between all sorts of accounts and so I need to wait until things settle down over the next week.

To sum up what has happened though:

* Spent a relatively small fortune over my mum's 50th birthday weekend - trains, food, plane-delayed entertainment!!

* Didn't make a SINGLE packed lunch last week at work!

* Food bill that seemed to keep increasing this weekend...although it should last me 2 weeks now!

I'm just generally feeling rubbish! I've put on ALOT of weight over the last 2 months and its starting to really show. I adjusted my budget and have now joined my local gym to try and give me a boost prior to my holiday to Rome in 2 weeks...going with a friend and I just know he'll keep joking about my MASSIVE belly! And fully justified too! lol!

I'm determined to get back onto the straight and narrow!

* I've made my lunch for tomorrow

* Going to the gym tomorrow night for the first time and hoping to build up a schedule for that to keep me motivated

* I'm still selling stuff on ebay, and have 'made' about £150 so far which I'm pleased about, but probably wont see the benefit of given the above splurges!

Could really use all your guys support right now! I know things have been going my way of late, what with my promotion and stuff, but in reality work is really slow at the moment and a bit unpredictable for the next month and I'm really struggling to find something to occupy my time and keep me interested in stuff outside of work...at the moment all I do is sit on my fat @rse and watch tv all night and day!

Buffythedebtslayer

ooooooooooooo you are me!!

thanks for your reply to my other post, I am having similar work expenses, instead of getting the bus in I have been getting a cab, which is 8 times as expensive.......really not a good couple of weeks.

to be honest I am going to let things settle and take some time over the long weekend to figure a more realistic budget and time frame, like you I get paid pretty well and really shouldn't be in this mess!!!

I have so much to get through this week I really will have to get in by cab, I shall have to write off march I think

so good luck with your plans for this week - and the gym V impressive! me I am going to bumble through this week and make a new plan!

xxxx

Paranoid124

Thanks Buffy, goodluck with the new plan! I've been an avid reader of all your posts btw...you seem to be one of the most active around here that's for sure!

I've just gone and drawn up a new SOA to try and reassure myself of things! Here we go...

My SOA as of 16/03/08:

Monthly Incomings:
My salary - £2,452.00
Total Income - £2,452.00


Monthly Outgoings:
Rent - £785
Mortgage - £238.73
TV License - £22.58
Phone - £15.50
Insurance - £11.70
Income Protection - £8.17
Mobile - £26.50
Gym Membership - £41.00
Lovefilm.com - £9.99
Food Budget - £100.00
Entertainment Budget - 200.00
Total Outgoings: £1,459.17

'Spare' Monthly Cash: £992.83

Debts:
Lloyds Current A/C: £1374.51 OD (0% with Limit of £1500)
A&L Current A/C: £782.54 OD (0% with Limit of £950)
BoS Current A/C: £738.00 OD (0% with Limit of £750)
Egg Money CC: -£128 (16.93% APR with Limit of £750)
Lloyds CC: £4556.25 (6.25% APR until July '08 with Limit of £10,000)

Total Debt: £7579.30

Tustastic

Hi Paranoid, well done on the huge pay rise and the packed lunches. Are you going to pay that pesky little Egg CC off as a personal Easter present to yourself? And have you worked out a budget for the upcoming trip to Rome?
Edit to say you should look at that income protection to see if it's any practical use at all. If you're employed by a local authority you've got reasonable terms of employment anyway e.g. if you were seriously ill you'd be on full pay for six months. There's an article about it on the main site which is worth reading. I know it's only £8.17 but every little helps and better in your pocket than anyone else's.

Paranoid124

Hey Tustastic,

Yeah Egg CC will be cleared and CLOSED by end of this month! Only got it to make use of the balance transfer trick Martin recommended a while back.

As for Rome, I've tried to give myself as much as possible as I know I'll never stick to a strict budget. So I've got £600 to last me 8 nights in Rome (including hostel accommodation!).

I've got another week after Rome back home in Glasgow which may turn out to be costly too, so hoping £600 will last over both weeks but we'll see (if not I've budgeted for my normal £75/week food/ent anyway)

Paranoid124

Oh my god! Went to the gym today for my first session.

Now in the past I've had an induction session where they write down a programme for you, introduce you to the machines etc.

Well not in this gym it appears! I got a 5 minute whistle-stop tour of the gym (and even that was just a tour of the treadmill, X-Trainer, lazy bikes), and then the trainer guy said he charged £25 for a 1 hour session and would I be interested?

I had to stop myself from laughing...he sounded like some hooker on a street corner (not that I have any experience in that department!!). I foolishly said yes thinking he was going to talk me through the programme I should use to match my goals etc.


Oh how wrong I was...He took me around the machines, 10mins on the X-Trainer (which I hate), 10mins on the bike, then hitting the weight machines!

I passed out after about half an hour...well almost - I went white as a sheet, nearly threw up twice, was on the verge of collapsing...he had to take me aside and give me a glass of orange juice to boost my sugar levels! 2 minutes later he had me back on the weights with a higher weight than when I 'passed out'.

Somehow made it to the end of the session only for him to sell me more sessions! Said yes to a £15 fitness check session, but when he offered another £25 session I politely declined!


So an expensive venture all round, and by god am I going to hurt tomorrow (my arms hurt already!!)

Have to say I was put off a little by the whole experience, the trainers just see a goldmine in me and so want to take all the can get from me! It's a shame, but I do have a 10 day cancellation option which I might consider but will give it some thought - want to join a gym but it looks like this might not be the one for me!

chimp_choker

Paranoid124 wrote: »

Oh my god! Went to the gym today for my first session.

Now in the past I've had an induction session where they write down a programme for you, introduce you to the machines etc.

Well not in this gym it appears! I got a 5 minute whistle-stop tour of the gym (and even that was just a tour of the treadmill, X-Trainer, lazy bikes), and then the trainer guy said he charged £25 for a 1 hour session and would I be interested?

I had to stop myself from laughing...he sounded like some hooker on a street corner (not that I have any experience in that department!!). I foolishly said yes thinking he was going to talk me through the programme I should use to match my goals etc.


Oh how wrong I was...He took me around the machines, 10mins on the X-Trainer (which I hate), 10mins on the bike, then hitting the weight machines!

I passed out after about half an hour...well almost - I went white as a sheet, nearly threw up twice, was on the verge of collapsing...he had to take me aside and give me a glass of orange juice to boost my sugar levels! 2 minutes later he had me back on the weights with a higher weight than when I 'passed out'.

Somehow made it to the end of the session only for him to sell me more sessions! Said yes to a £15 fitness check session, but when he offered another £25 session I politely declined!

So an expensive venture all round, and by god am I going to hurt tomorrow (my arms hurt already!!)

Have to say I was put off a little by the whole experience, the trainers just see a goldmine in me and so want to take all the can get from me! It's a shame, but I do have a 10 day cancellation option which I might consider but will give it some thought - want to join a gym but it looks like this might not be the one for me!

Well I'm a veteran of the gym cancellation, lol... I do have a chronic back problem and also an infallibility streak so even though i think I'm only 23 and still a para I'm really 46 and a cripple and the body can't take it now......lol.

Cancel the gym and spend the money on a good ipod / music mp3 player thingy and download some fitness music from the web. I can point you in the direction if you need it and then start walking then power walking then running etc. For weights you have tins of beans don't you then progress to doing weight type exercises using the body's own weight. Example. To build up the calf muscles you can use a stepper. Why not stand on the edge of the bottom stair and do the exercise there. For triceps lower yourself off a chair seat that has been placed up against the wall etc... Disclaimer, check out these safely before doing the actual exercise. As you are hurting you should have been shown cool down techniques but it seems as if you haven't.

Tustastic

chimp_choker wrote: »

Well I'm a veteran of the gym cancellation, lol... I do have a chronic back problem and also an infallibility streak so even though i think I'm only 23 and still a para I'm really 46 and a cripple and the body can't take it now......lol.

Cancel the gym and spend the money on a good ipod / music mp3 player thingy and download some fitness music from the web. I can point you in the direction if you need it and then start walking then power walking then running etc. For weights you have tins of beans don't you then progress to doing weight type exercises using the body's own weight. Example. To build up the calf muscles you can use a stepper. Why not stand on the edge of the bottom stair and do the exercise there. For triceps lower yourself off a chair seat that has been placed up against the wall etc... Disclaimer, check out these safely before doing the actual exercise. As you are hurting you should have been shown cool down techniques but it seems as if you haven't.

Chimp Choker's got the right idea, Paranoid! Cancel that gym and try CC's suggestions. And look round the Freebies Board on this forum for some free trial gym passes. Last but not least, check out the local council leisure centres, plus their website for details of local fitness groups. It's definitely more fun exercising in company I find.
I envy you going to Glasgow. I'm a proud Londoner but I think Glasgow's a great place. Have a lovely time there and in Rome.

findingmyownway

Hi Paranoid
I just wanted to say it sounds like you are doing very well. With £900+ spare a month you will soon be making a massive difference to DFD. And just think how good it will feel when all that money is your own!!

A point which might help with both money making and the boredom.. have you applied to AQA (any question answered). I earn about £10/hourjust pottering on the internet answering questions that people text in.

Paranoid124

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the advice and support!

I was taken through a cool down but the training session I was given was so impersonal it was ridiculous! I hadn't been in a gym for well over a year, my main target was weightloss, and I have registered for for a 10k run in July to keep me motivated. My PT guy found out none of this, and put me on a highly anaerobic (is that the right word) regime something which I know just makes you hungier afterwards!

I'm thinking about cancelling this Friday when I've next got a chance to go in. They do have a 10 day cancellation policy (although I was never given the card they flashed in front of me...will probably have to argue my case!).

Thanks for the suggestions CC, but I do prefer the surroundings of a gym and my working hours don't allow me to go for a jog outside without nightvision goggles and a bulletproof vest! So planning to switch to my community leisure centre. They're cheaper, set you up with a programme, and also have a swimming pool which will give a bit of variety.

I'm not a novice to the gym and so I know when I'm being ripped off, and all I can say is avoid Fitness First centres like death!


Findingmyownway - I've heard about AQA and looked into it briefly but I heard they're fully subscribed for UK workers and not looking for anymore right now. Has this changed? Also isn't the entry exam a bit hard to get through?