Living within my means-the challenge

beckseven

Going to Asda tonight so need to look out for some bargains. The payments for my laptop will stop next month so will put these towards my debt. Need to find a way to make more cash too.

beckseven

have been away from the boards for a bit because my DS has had a nasty viral infection and was in hospital at the weekend. He is all ok now thank goodness and was desparate to get back to his mates at nursery today! managed to negotiate a better sky deal with sky plus thrown in by saying we were going to cancel sky-we honestly were but that swayed us as we have no video or dvd recorder! Also got bt down from £40 for our phone package to £23 by doing the same. Just goes to show! Bit of a ground hog day from my last post as I am going to asda and hoping to look for bargains! Have saved up £7 so far on my christmas saving card-hoping for £100 before Christmas. Think will aim for only a £1 tonight as am a bit skint! Every penny counts! Have also sent off for a £10 top shop voucher from pigspoints as I want a pair of Top shop maternity jeans-are quite dear at £40 but I lived in them last time-and managed to sell the last ones for £20 on ebay.

lucielle

Have you thought about getting some off e-bay this time? Instead of paying Asda a £1 and letting them have the interest can you pay it into your childs account then they can have the interest? Hope everybody is ok now.
L

beckseven

Hi-have been sporadically posting due to work committments and illness (I got the dreaded virus afterwards) but still doing well and am actually living within my means. Have done well with my shopping this month and have saved £9 on my Asda card. Didn't actually think about giving Asda my interest-I was using it as a psychological boost as it was 'on' my card. I got my jeans new from top shop in the end as I will sell them afterwards and I got given a load of stuff by a friend the other day which is very handy! I will get all my work trousers etc off ebay I've decided. I get paid on Friday and this month will concentrate on saving as much as possible as have my mot and service and tax coming up-yuck yuck yuck.

beckseven

I had a horrible virus for well over a week that made me feel sick and dizzy and generally out of action. It's been awful and today is my first day back at work for over a week. Hopefully on the mend now. I had a really successful month last month and managed ever so well so hoping for the same this month. However, have tax due on 1st October and need to check when Mot and insurance are due as think that this is due on the same day so need to be very careful and save the pennies. we have a sun holiday coming up on the 15th september also -four nights sc in caravan so will mainly cook in so won't cost us much but would like to have a pub meal out. Also yikes it's my wedding anniversary and my mums birthday on the 4th and my friend's little boys' birthday on the 15th so have quite a bit to get. Need to go shopping tonight and aim to spend £30 to stay in budget and on track for the month so will be fighting it out at the reduced section me thinks! Boxing gloves on! If I get desparate I have a Karen Millen top that I don't really like but my husband does (!!!!) that I could sell on ebay for quite a nice sum as it's hardly been worn

lucielle

Hope you are feeling better. Hows the bump doing? How many weeks are you now? Those totals are coming down nicely.
L

beckseven

Hi Lucielle. I'm feeling so much better-I'm really appreciating actually feeling well and feel very cheerful and upbeat. I'm 19 weeks pregnant now and the bump is little but definitely there! Spent £66 last night shopping which was £36 over budget but hopefully will be able to claw this back. I did have a funny feeling I wouldn't be able to stick to that as I had loads to get but hey ho.Going to the cinema tonight to see sing a longa mama mia which should be good! I haven't been out for ages due to illness so looking forward to it. I think I am going to have to watch every penny carefully this month though as I have got quite a lot to get so the Karen Millen top will have to go on ebay and think I'll have to try and get rid of some other stuff too. the totals are coming down slowly but surely and am getting myself in the mindset to not use my card. I have some savings now as well so have no excuse to. Thinking ahead to my maternity leave as well.

beckseven

Sing a longa sound of music was fab-had a great night. I spent £5 over the weekend on paying the minimum on my HSBC card! This month is going to be a struggle though! Have got to get my mum a birthday card and an anniversary card for my wedding anniversary today. I hate having so little available money as I umm and err over every pound but it's all my own fault for not really worrying for many years and using my cc's willy nilly!

beckseven

Really running out of money-sent my mum £30 for her birthday (she wanted a cheque to buy some plants) and felt really tight as she is far more generous than me but couldn't afford to give her anymore. This has left me with £50 for the month but am going out for a meal tonight so will be left with even left. Arrrrgh! What a nightmare. have got money for petrol and shopping so hopefully will be alright. Not going well this month-paying the minimum on my cards is crippling me as have very little available money. Do people think that I should maybe contact my card providers to see if I could pay any less as I pay £82.00 on m and s £28 on Halifax and £40 on the MBNA. Will this affect my credit rating? I have £160 a month that I allocate myself for spending on clothes, haircuts social life, bits and bobs for DS but I originally allocated £100 for CC so the extra money to pay off credit cards comes from the £160 leaving me with not much. Can anyone suggest anything?

lucielle

Glad you enjoyed Mamma Mia. We saw the musical at the theatre when we were away. Not sure about reducing your repayments, at the end of the day you have to do whats best for you. Can you make up the deficit through ebay?
L