Escaping the grind...in search of a life less ordinary

MissShoes · 23 November 2014 at 5:07PM

Time for a shiny new diary thread. Have tried and failed to jumpstart my old diary thread, each time disappearing into the abyss and realising it's been weeks or months since posting. Plus, a lot of the detail is out of date and some circumstances have changed.

Some things haven't changed though...

1) still in debt
2) still not being as healthy as I should
3) still the queen of procrastination
4) still feel like I'm lurching from crisis to crisis and disaster to disaster
5) still have lots of big dreams and ideas

So....... what do I want to achieve from this thread? Hmmm, time for a cuppa and a ponder before laying out the objectives

beanielou · 24 November 2014 at 11:02PM

Happy shiny new diary

stiltoncheese · 25 November 2014 at 12:21PM

I started a new diary for similar reasons...felt my old diary was actually demotivating me so never wanted to post in it. Have my mojo and momentum back now I have a new one

Subscribed

MissShoes · 2 December 2014 at 9:20PM

Ok.....

Here we go....

Rolls up sleeves.....

So, a little update on the world of Shoes. Working 50+ hours a week, salary is increasing well and with some small tweaks and changes my finances could radically improve. Have a lovely BF who is very thoughtful and sweet. I have a lot less to worry about than others and perhaps knowing that really 'I'm ok' has contributed to complacency. Really, I could've been debt free many moons ago.

So why aren't I?

Well the answer is very simple. I'm always planning big adventures and projects and leaving myself pennies in order to have cake, eat it, order extra cake, then dream about more cake. These projects do make me happy (home improvements, travel, outings with family and friends etc) and I get a real kick out of organising them- but the reality is they stall my financial progress. I look around and I'm in a similar position than I was a year ago!

I also am very lucky with my second job- the income ebbs and flows but honestly it's dependent how much effort I put in. Only do a few hours a week- I'll be lucky to scrape £75 at the end of the month. Do an hour or 2 a day- it's closer to a grand. I am very good at finding excuses- I'm too tired, I'll do it after X Y Z, I need to just relax with a cuppa first etc so there needs to be a different mindset and discipline towards it. I know that this job is my way to have my cake and eat it too.

The bottom line at the moment is I'm feeling real apathy. Really itchy feet. It's difficult to really get to the bottom of what it is that's causing it (as it probably isn't helped by grey weather and everyone being tired and rundown) but I know that I'm yearning to escape the grind of city life and traffic and people and noise and litter and stress and hassle for something simpler. In order to do that (and let's face it, it may take years) I need to be completely unburdened by debt and supported by savings- this will allow me to make choices based on WHAT I WANT rather than HOW CAN I EARN THE BIGGEST SALARY.

So I need to focus on the small wins....what are the successes of the day, what makes me smile, what small steps towards financial freedom have I taken etc.

And gulp....I need to lay out the financials.

Come on Shoes, be brave.

MissShoes · 2 December 2014 at 9:37PM

Who do I owe.....What do I owe....When do I need to pay it.....

(in a future exciting instalment: Why do I owe? Ah the big question)

So. My debt consists of

1 catalogue 1316.14
4 credit cards 2750 in total
1 overdraft 2000 by the end of every month
1 debt to a friend- 750 (to be paid in December)
1 student loan- difficult to get an up to date balance but 3250ish
1 expensive loan (9 payments left- need to hammer this first as highest apr) 989.95
1 secured loan. need an up to date on this (20000 for home improvements)

I will do an SOA and get accurate figures. One decision I have made is the running order of debts:

1st- expensive loan (highest apr)
2nd- friend- this is for a trip and I have it all budgeted
3rd- catalogue- I don't need a catalogue
4th- cards in order of highest apr
5th- secured loan- I can hammer the overpayments
6th- student loan- this takes care of itself
7th- overdraft- maybe I need to do this as a monthly thing- just reduce it by £20 to start chipping? More thought needed.

The positive in all of this is my salary. Take home is currently £2780 give or take a few pennies. And I am due a small rise hopefully in the next month or 2.

SOA to follow. I'm not stalling honest. (pssst I'm totally stalling).

MissShoes · 2 December 2014 at 10:17PM

So whilst the plan, exact balances, totals and the SOA need posting and tweaking...I'll get started with a small daily post.

Wins
1) NSD
2) A friend bought me a scrummy sandwich for lunch
3) Laundry done and hung up
4) Christmas shopping is complete....let me just revel in that

Losses
1) Bedroom needs a quick tidy
2) Washing up mountain is reaching new heights. Will remedy this tomorrow.

Days til payday: 17
Money in bank: £133.06
Money in purse: £21.13

Incoming in next 17 days:
£48.00 refund

= £202.19

Outgoing in next 17 days:
£56.78 phone bill
£47.32 last month's b and c insurance plus charge
£23.32 b and c insurance
£48.92 c insurance
= £176.34

So £25.85 to live off. Which actually I could do.....BUT....

MOT due
1 gift of chocolates to buy
2 gifts of wine to buy
haircut and colour
2 xmas nights out with friends planned

So the likelihood is the card will take a hit. Too much month for my money. Twas ever thus.

stiltoncheese · 3 December 2014 at 10:06AM

As much as I love December for Christmas and all that goes with it, both December and January feel like very long months in terms of finances. Always glad to get to 1st Feb as that (for me anyway) always feels like the proper start to my year and a nice short month to boot.

Sounds like you've got a good plan to start clearing things down though MissShoes

MissShoes · 3 December 2014 at 9:52PM

Wins
1) NSD- nicely done!
2) having dinner cooked for me- always feels like a treat
3) slowly making progress with my ridiculous stockpile of toiletries- using up and not replacing!
4) nice glass of wine with BF
5) productive day in terms of chores

Losses
1) not enough fresh stuff eaten today- no fruit.
2) kitchen surfaces need a blitz, too much steam and frying
3) washing up mountain reduced but not conquered
4) no water drunk today, must try harder

Tomorrow has to be a productive day. Need to get my humble abode spick and span as I'm away for a few days and hate coming back to chaos and disarray. Plus I have a monster paperwork gremlin to defeat....and a load of admin and list of jobs to tackle. Will need a positive attitude and energy and perseverance- all in short supply at this time of year.

MissShoes · 3 December 2014 at 9:57PM

stiltoncheese wrote: »

As much as I love December for Christmas and all that goes with it, both December and January feel like very long months in terms of finances. Always glad to get to 1st Feb as that (for me anyway) always feels like the proper start to my year and a nice short month to boot.

Sounds like you've got a good plan to start clearing things down though MissShoes

I know what you mean- there's lots of great aspects to this time of year- but I have to make my wages last 6 extra days and cover the most expensive time of year. I keep triple checking figures but mostly I'm guessing as I have no idea what my December pay will be- so I'm working with the absolute minimum I might take home (which makes for very scary calculations!)

I like to have all the kit for hibernating in January to keep costs down- pyjamas, easy yummy freezer food and soups, slippers, films, bubble bath stuff, cocoa, wine etc. So at least staying in and saving money doesn't feel like imprisonment. I do need to set some financial targets too for 2015 so need to think of my big outgoings, my income and set something challenging but achievable. I'm thinking off the top of my head- no debt apart from secured loan by end of year? But maybe it needs to be more specific than that?

Something to think on...

MissShoes · 4 December 2014 at 8:46PM

Wins
1) all small bits of admin and odd jobs done at work
2) made a lovely cuppa by a mate
3) free dinner- picky bits with another mate

Losses
1) massive admin gremlin not yet defeated....it may be a long evening
2) spendy day- wines and chocolates for gifts and fuel
3) house not tidy- but admin gremlin must be defeated first- and I doubt I'll have energy for chores after it!

stiltoncheese · 4 December 2014 at 9:21PM

I love your idea of getting things in for a January hibernation. I might have to steal that one

Escaping the grind...in search of a life less ordinary

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