Another DFW diary!

pm2326

Hi guys, I hope you don't mind if I create another diary but I need to do this for my own sanity !

I'm struggling with my finances at the minute because I waste money on things I dont need. I need to get on top of this pretty quickly as my overdraft is getting bigger and to top it off, I could be out of work by August through redundancy :eek: .

There is only me and my income is £1123 per month. I pay out £789 per month on 'essentials', as listed below:

Mortgage £280 (interest only)
B&C Insurance £28
C Tax £68
Water Rates £17
Gas & Elec £40
BT £11
Broadband £12.50
TV Licence £12
Mobile £45 (contract ends Oct 08)
PPI £10 (mortgage)
Homecare £26
Food £125
Travel £46 (annual pass)
Loan £69

Now by my reckoning i should have £335 a month left over for anything else, but i have a £500 overdraft and its gone every month :mad: ......i blame the invention of the Debit Card (makes things too easy)....

I have switched everything i could for cheaper except for the mobile, that will be changed come October.

My goal is to try and limit myself to only buying things i really really need and try and get rid of the overdrafts by end of July 2008:eek: , then i want to start on the mortgage or loan

I'm hoping this diary will help stop the purse from opening so easy coz you will all see how wasteful i can be otherwise..........

I need a miracle..... :wave:

pm2326

I've got two weeks off work starting tomorrow but have company tomorrow so my first task on Tuesday is to start ploughing through the spare room looking for stuff to put on ebay or amazon ...

I dont get paid until 25th of every month, at the minute i have £18 in my purse and thats it, overdraft is maxed. so i'm going to see how long i can stretch the £18...

wish me luck ...

tealady

Hi have you looked at the store cupboard challenge, it may help your pennies stretch further.

Tesco_points_addict

Go for it!
Will all the help and advice on here, your sure to do it
TPA x

beanielou

You can do it!

tenmah

Good Luck - will be watching with interest!

pm2326

thanks for the votes of confidence !

I've started reading the storecupboard challenge but its soooo long... might have to skip a few pages or stay up all night.. However I have planned my meals for the next few days, but need to see what is lurking at the back of the freezer before making a full weeks menu

going to read the up the income boards aswell as i could do with a bit more cash coming in

oh also think I have a PPI complaint from a loan i took out in 2006, so going to post a letter tomorrow and see what happens...already done the bank charges and spent that money ...

epsilondraconis

Hope everything goes well for you. Keep posting and you'll get some good feedback.

pm2326

well today i've managed to spend £5.05 of my £18.. i gave up smoking weeks ago but started again when work got too much and became depressed .. i will kick it again soon though.

I read a lot of other threads last night and realised my debts seem minor compared to some of the other people using this site, makes my concerns seem miniscule and ridiculous.

Totalled my debts today and its £500 overdraft, £5,800 loan and £58,800 for the mortgage, dont have any catalogues, credit cards etc.
Up until now i never classed my mortgage as a debt, does this make me sound stupid?? I also realised I dont want to be making minimum payments to any of this as it'll take me 30 years to pay off everything :eek: and the stress will finish me

pm2326

Had to go shopping today, no cat food or milk left... remembered i had a £5 voucher for sainsburys so dug that out.

Spent £7.72, but with my £5 voucher and a coupon for free milk i only had to pay £1.85 in cash....good deal me thinks :T

pm2326

Grrr... got a letter from opticians, i cancelled my monthly DD for contact lenses last month. they say i owe them another £13 and have until friday to pay it or they will pass my details to their legal team... i dont get paid until next wednesday ..too late

they will have to wait!