Trying to clear my debt part two - Doing it this time!

Lexi321

Last summer or something I posted about wanting to clear my debts etc and got some good advice, mostly just saying don't worry and it's good you've recognised it etc, but I found that really helpful...Anyway I'm rambling.
I think most the debt I owed then was to my boyfriend at the time. And a bit of overdraft. Anyway, cut to now, I left university because my course was just not for me and I thought a happy lexi is more important than a educated lexi and put the studies on hold. In between leaving my course and coming home getting an ok job I lived from my overdraft limit, I don't regret this, I had to do it to get through a rough time.
And then my boyfriend left me. I owed him a fair amount of money by my student standards, and by his, but he said not to worry about it, at first I tried to tell him I paid him back but he insisted I didn't and then avoided any contact with me...I think quite probably he felt it was small compensation for shattering my future dreams and plans of the time - I was all set to marry this guy. So I guess that was one debt taken out of my hands. However I spent alot in this time, and the few months after, I have issues with spending for happiness.

Buying new clothes etc make me happy, however this pushes my debt up which makes me depressed, so I spend more to make me happy. Etc etc

Now I am mostly happy (on my good days) and earning about 200 pounds a week (in my good weeks). However I have about 2300 pounds worth of debt. 2150 of it is in a nationwide overdraft, I don't pay much interest on it. The other 150 is to a very good friend who knows my situation and is fine with me paying him back whenever I have a 'good money' month. However I hate the fact I'm in debt to him. Especially when I go out with him and he's watching me spend money I could technically use to pay him back. He'd rather me spend the money on going out with him than paying him back though.

It's not a huge amount of money. But it's haunting me. I want rid of it. I want to move out next january and I'd like to be on track of my finances, and I know my friend who I'm moving out with would also appreciate it if I'm on top of things before he ventures into living with me.

It sounds so obvious that to pay off my overdraft I just need to spend less, but it never seems to work out.
I currently earn about 750 a month if I get full time hours (which after talking to my boss I should be getting every week now)
I pay 50 pounds a week rent
My phone bill is 23 pounds a month, however I have a bad habit of going over it, and my last bill was 50 :eek: so there's the obvious thing to cut back on.

I eat most my meals out, usually at work because I get 50% off, but somehow end up still spending 30 a week on food.
Then I probably spend about 50 pounds a week on socialising/travelling and whatever I have left seems to go on clothes and shopping.

I also have some library books hidden under my bed but I'm scared t take them back because I know I can't afford the fine, however the longer I keep them there the bigger the fine is going to get I got so worked up about this the other night I actually was thinking of putting them in a bag and leaving them somewhere in the library with a note saying I couldn't afford the fine but wouldn't be using the library anymore and I was really sorry.


I always seem to spend everything I have!

I realise none of the above is really interesting to anyone. But I needed to get it off my chest and writing it down showed me that I should be having money left, but I don't ever seem to. I think I am probably also still depressed and have anxiety issues, but I am scared to go to the doctors about them, even though I might have less spending issues if I could sort my head issues out.

GirlRacer_2

Hey chick of course we're interested in your problems, that's why we all visit this site daily. Reading your post you know what you must do, cut sown on the eating out, cut down on the socialising and stop using your phone as much

As for the library - how much exactly is the fine? I thought they fined you pennies, unless you've had the books for years. Try not to worry and take the books back next pay day. You'll feel so much better doing it.

If you took packed lunch to work for a month and cut two night of socialising out you could pay off your friend.

It would then give you the incentive to get the OD sorted. Have you thought about mystery shopping, you could put all the money earned into a separate account to pay off the OD. Or even get a bar job, then you could socialise and earn money the same time.
Don't put yourself down, you can do this you just need a little kick start to get you going.

GR x

tallyhoh

Call the library & renew the books over the phone to stop the debt going up, then go in & leave them on the desk with a note saying they are being returned.
As for your friend? Why dont you just cut down on spending money & repay him, your outgoings are not huge & you can afford it if you cut your spending down.

Once thats out the way you can start to tackle your overdraft.

I dont mean to sound all moral & stuff but you have loaned off 2 people now & not yet repaid them, you dont want people to talk;)

Lexi321

tallyhoh wrote: »

Call the library & renew the books over the phone to stop the debt going up, then go in & leave them on the desk with a note saying they are being returned.
As for your friend? Why dont you just cut down on spending money & repay him, your outgoings are not huge & you can afford it if you cut your spending down.

Once thats out the way you can start to tackle your overdraft.

I dont mean to sound all moral & stuff but you have loaned off 2 people now & not yet repaid them, you dont want people to talk;)

My boyfriend wasn't so much a loan like that though, it was more, I earn more money than you, we are together, so right now at this time I'll help you out, in the hope that you'll do the same. He lent me the money in two ways kind of, the first was so I could pay my rent a certain month and live, the second was he paid most the holiday we went on. And because he had alot more money than me, he was ok with paying it, but because he had this really big thing about he shouldn't pay any more than me I was always going to pay him back. Till like, he ditched me.

And my best friend isn't really letting me pay him back right now because he'd rather I had the money because he knows I am low, he has it on a credit card so technically hasn't paid it himself, it's from booking things we were going to do together like going to liverpool. No one knows about the money other than him,

What I think I will do is pay off the overdraft in my small account next over the next few weeks, (200) then use that account as my spending account, and give myself 130 of my income, over into that for the first few weeks and see how I go with that, I think leaving my card at home

...I've got a bar job, It's my only job But I get full time etc on it.

I have loads planned in May, So this summer from june/july is going to be the summer of the moneysaving to me I think.

Lexi321

Oh..and the fine is about 30 pounds last time I checked, and I have been keeping them renewed most the time. I've had the books a few months, I know I should have taken them back but life was abit crazy the time they were due back.

RoxieW

take the books back and pay the £30 fine - then forget about it immediately afterwards- theres nothing you can do about it so dont beat yourself up. You'll feel better for getting that out of the way!

why dont you post up an soa?

best
r