Diary of a spendaholic!

Nichelette

Well done on paying off £600! Everyone has little blips sometimes, don't be too hard on yourself, just get up and start again. I know you are doing daily clicks, but if you don't feel like you are getting much out of them it might be an idea to try surveys (unless you already are). I've found that there are some really good sites, if you want me to give you a few names let me know. I think I've probably made about £300 out of them so far!

As far as your SOA goes the most obvious thing that screams at me is the mobile bill, that's huge! Is it all personal calls or do you use it for your job? If they are only personal I think you could probably save a LOT of money there. I've managed to get myself down to spending about £10 for two months on my phone, but I do get 300 free texts which helps. I've found 02 are really good for deals.

Tinkabell25

Hi, Thanks, the mobile is for two mobile bills, mine and the oh, his is way cheaper than mine, but i can't renew until next year. As for the survey sies, i do lightspeed and one poll, what others would you suggest? Despite the fact it looks like we have loads left over we don't especially as we've encountered large vet bills in the past month. I keep hoping with a couple of months of self discipline we'll get back on our feet!

Nichelette

Other good survey sites are valued opinions, you get paid in vouchers but I get a £10 one every other month on average. IPSOS which I only joined recently. I got a £10 voucher really quickly and already half way to another one. Also, if you can find a link to join pinecone is great, you get either £4 in luncheon vouchers or £4 via paypal per survey, I've had three in a week! I think it's better to get the vouchers as paypal will take a chunk of your money, whereas the vouchers can come off of the food shopping which you have to buy anyway. Yougov is good when you get to the payout threshold but people have mixed opinions about it, personally I don't mind waiting as long as I get the money in the end! There are others but I could be here all day...

As far as the phones go I think the best thing you can do is try not to go over your contract allowence, then switch to pay as you go when you can. My contract used to cost me £30ish every month, getting rid of it was one of the best things I have done.

CAFCGirl

Hi Tinka'

I've just caught up with your thread and thought I'd put my 2p's worth in (no cash alternative available I'm afraid LOL)....

Right down to your SOA.

Mobiles - High but you've alreayd mentionned that, would cutting down on some usage help at all?
Vets bills - if you find you're being hit with them do you have an account where you can put some more money aside for these emergencies, I see you listed emergency fund on your SOA.

I'm exactly the same with any surplus, it just seems to "go" somewhere, into the big black hole known as tesco's......
But thats a lot of money to just "lose" perhaps you should stick to overpaying your overdraft by a set amount, perhaps £200, pay it off start of the month by £100 and then end of the month by £100, and at the end of each month have your overdraft limit put down.
Theres no point paying it off to just run it up again!

Your SKy bill seems really high as well, can you not downgrade this, or cancel altogether and see what you can get cheaper. We have our Sky for internet and channels, and use BT for landline, and we pay about £2 more for those than you are on just the Sky.

Food bill is pretty high for 2 people as well. I'm guessing the pets are included in that, but still you could shave quite a bit off of this, but you neednt think you need to reduce it to £75, even by just £25 would be good. I would recommend using physical pots or envelopes labelled up, and withdraw your budgets for items on payday, leave all cards out of your wallet (hidden somewhere if need be!) and then you can only use the cash available. £175 on food should be more than enough to start with.

Are your gas and electric set up on DD's? Gas seems bit high to me, esp for 2 people working full time. I would look into swapping over to quarterly bills, we do that here, and our monthly equivalent is a lot lower than what the gas company wanted to put us on for DD's. Plus you can give them actual readings per quarter so they dont over estimate your usage.

Erm... gna have a cup of T and think about some other bits..... Hope this helps though xx

And P.S Well Done on £600 so far, that is not to be sniffed at! Congratulations!

Tinkabell25

Hi, thanks for the advice! The food bill is high and to be honest, our blck hole is called tescos as well! We spend a fortune when we go, and i always get cross with myself! I am going to do some no spend days unitl pay day next week. Then will be doing No spend days most of the month!!!!

CAFCGirl

Hi Again,

Best thing I can suggest is to try and get your head around meal planning and some organisation.
Thats how Tesco used to get me, I used to forget to get things out to defrost, so would then have to buy fresh, you just pop in and then £20 + pops out of your purse.... and you still havent bought the fresh stuff you went in for first!

We've all been ther. Maybe try and ease yourself into some no spend days, like Monday make sure you've got lunches to take to work, and leave your purse at home. I have a small change purse which I have an emergency £10 note in. I loathe to break into it, so I see how long I can make it last!

Start writing yourself a shopping list, have a look in the freezer and see what there is. Then plan in a couple of days when you can make ur lunch, leave the purse at home and make dinner from the freezer and cupboard. it gives an enormous sense of achievement in yourself to know a whole day hasnt cost you anything!

Good Luck and keep posting, there are lots of people around with lots of good advice to offer xx

Tinkabell25

I think i'll try your advice fro Saturday onwards (i go to sainsburys or something if i get bored on weekends!!!) and will see how i do. Thanks for the encouragement. Unfortunately i don't have any friends where i live as i've only lived here a year so noone is around to stop me being bored or spend!!! Will see if i can cook from the freezer all week too. I will post and do a strict record of all spending, the guilt will stop me!!
Tink xx

CAFCGirl

Whereabouts do you live then Tinka?

I always used to go out and about if I was bored, like yourself I know the people that I work with, but thats it! No real social life aside from if me and hubby go out. In some ways its good, i dont spend too much on going out, but on the flip side i spend too much on food and dvd's, cd's clothes etc!

Just remember Martin Says No! LOL

Tinkabell25

I live in wiltshire in a fairly sleepy town, and i work in Bath which is a bit lethal as i'm surrounded by shops! My OH and i can't afford to go out together unfortunately so we haven't been anywhere in the past year. No is my new word!!! :P

Cornishpixie_2

Trying to cut back on anything isn't easy. It's like saying right "that's it, I'm on a diet, no more drink etc." Is there anywhere you can go walking at the weekend?, I guess it's about enjoying the time you have on your own. I like running, or reading a good book, or economising in the week by doing a sort of store cupboard challenge and using up what's in. Then perhaps setting £3/4 aside per week, to maybe have a coffee in town with the paper, or a library book, or have a nosy around the charity shops, but only take your allowance with you.In the summer you could even go to local park/ beach with a good book and a flask of coffee and HM snack.Good luck. It will get easier as you start to see results.