Struggling to stay on the financial straight and narrow

louby40 · 14 July 2017 at 6:35AM

Hi, just been reading your diary and thought I would say hello!

You sound like a really upbeat person - a bit like me! :rotfl:

I find it's the little things that add to my spending. £6 in the supermarket, £5 donation to something at work. £10 cash that once you break into the note, vanishes.

I always take food into work, I work in a little village school with no shops or anything close by. So no chance to buy anything. That's a big saving.

I think once you're aware of your need to cut back it's at the forefront of your mind!

trixiepix · 14 July 2017 at 11:14PM

Thank you Louby for taking a detour and wandering through ☺

I would say I'm a half full kinda girl & always try to see the positive in a situation & look for the solutions to any problems, unfortunately this hasn't seemed to extend itself to either dieting or managing money!! These are most definitely the things I need to work on!! lol!!

In so many aspects of life I'm a real control freak and yet with managing money I've been shockingly bad at justifying my bad spending habits but at the moment all is good.

So, NSD today - Woo Hoo!!
Ebay has sent another £20 my way from sales tonight, which I'm so happy about & more listed this evening in a bid to generate a few more pounds!!

It's Friday which is the day for the next weeks allowance, so once I've sorted food shopping & petrol I hope to spend as little as is possible to keep on that straight road.

Home made 'takeaway' this evening which cost a fiver for all four of us, would have been at least £20 if we'd bought take out - feel quite impressed with myself!!

I need to keep focused over the weekend as this tends to be a tricky time usually, I need to look for a cheap pot of paint tomorrow for a bit of decorating of the downstairs loo, tiny space so won't take much, it's needed doing for a spell and already have everything else I need, I reckon on a bit of decorating will keep me out of the shops over the weekend, productive and low cost in comparison!!

Have a great Saturday ☺

louby40 · 15 July 2017 at 7:32AM

Enjoy the painting! And well done on the homemade 'takeaway!

:T

trixiepix · 15 July 2017 at 10:15PM

So, I've been hunched over the laptop for a few hours, so going to have to make it brief this eve as my back in a tad achey breaky!!

Ebay sales sent another £10 my way today and hopefully more pounds to follow, well they do say money attracts money, hopefully that'll be the case!! ☺

Cooked another new recipe this eve, pork kofta style kebaby things, went down well with everyone & again kept me out of the takeaway.
£20 taken out this morning for my 'weekly allowance' - hopefully it'll remain in tact for most of the week!!
Petrol tomorrow will be £30 for the week and I must stick to food shopping budget rigidly.

Didn't feel great today so didn't manage to get the paint but tomorrows another day!!

xxx

trixiepix · 18 July 2017 at 1:54PM

Have been home sooooo late the last couple of days so haven't had chance to check in but all's good.

So with the help of another couple of Ebay sales I find myself £68 overdrawn into next weeks through the week allowance (down from £188), so to make ends meet I'll need to try to 'earn' the £68 from sales as I'm very mindful the schools break for summer on Friday and I want the books to balance!! -

Eek always an expensive time are the school hols!!

So tonight I'm making pizza (no takeaway again - woo hoo) and aim to get a few more things listed on Ebay - would love to hit my £68 or near as damn it target by Friday but as always some things you list and least expect to sell are winners & what you think will sell quickly ends up hanging around - I suppose it's true what they say about one mans trash is another mans treasure!!

So there are a few things I need to buy over the forthcoming months, not expensive bits but I'm mindful I need to break this 'all or nothing' mind set, so will buy one thing a week or month depending on cost.

So on the list so far....

Sandwich toaster (helpful for school holiday lunches as a twist on regular sandwiches and I do appreciate I can toast under the grill but I like the idea of shell shape sandwiches, lol!!)

Tea towels, some of mine are now past their best.

Single bed valance sheet for DD2, since changing to a divan bed she decided she'd just like the bed base showing but I'm not so keen so new one on the list.

None of which will be bought until after payday at the end of the month, although the sandwich toaster is definitely calling my name ☺........

trixiepix · 19 July 2017 at 8:55PM

Well the best laid plans and all that!!

Ebay sales have slowed & I've a refund to process due to someone having realised they thought they were bidding on something different to what they did, just going to have to suck it up as paypal will issue a refund whatever so I need to keep my 100% feedback status so now an extra few pounds down - also succumbed to take away this evening, so another £20 racked up into the red, so now looking at going into next week's through the week allowance already £100 down, which is not where I wanted to be - well only one person to blame here!!

Two days left until next weeks allowance and have a few pounds left which will see me through.

Only take away spends today, must do better!!

trixiepix · 8 September 2017 at 9:38AM

So yet again took my eye off the ball and have spent stupid amounts on stupid stuff, I truly don't think I can do this.

So since last checking in (July) I have convinced myself it's fine to spend, spend, spend - the overwhelming gut wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach has returned and I can't see how I am ever going to live within my means and save for the things I truly need.

what is it about my brain that gets a kick out of spending and not saving?? how can I change a habit literally of a lifetime?? - I truly do despair I can ever tame the need - why do I convince myself it's ok? - I must add the majority of my spending is for other people, the kids mainly - maybe it's because my family lived hand to mouth when I was growing up and I hate the thought of the same for my family but then I could provide so much more if I didn't spend - What can I do?? - catalogue now up to over £500 as had to buy all school stuff from there as had no money.

Tea&Kittens · 8 September 2017 at 10:00AM

Hi Trixie
I read your last paragraph about changing a habit of a lifetime. It really strikes a chord with me too. It's amazing how we can convince ourselves that things will be OK. It took me a while to come around to even acknowledge that here was a problem I needed to sort!
Wishing you all the best in your efforts!

trixiepix · 8 September 2017 at 10:24AM

Tea & Kittens (loving the name ☺),
Thank you for your reply, it's truly good to know I'm not rumbling on into the ether & there are folks looking in xxx
When I'm of rational (non spending) mind & wonder how I managed to convince myself 'it'll be fine, go on' - I do definitely get a 'buzz' from spending & it makes no difference what it is, it can be house stuff, cleaning products, stuff for the kids but at those times everything is a 'must have' and I just can't wait, I get swept up in the moment.

I definitely have an 'all or nothing' personality type & I'm guessing that doesn't help with a spending compulsion - I'm so organised in all aspects of my life but when it comes to dieting and spending I'm all over the place - really, really fed up with the cycle of both

It's time to adjust the mind set and look for a long term solution!

Trixie xxx

trixiepix · 11 September 2017 at 1:54PM

So there's been much pondering over the last few days.....

I'm thinking with an 'all or nothing' mind set, which for my sins I most definitely have going on, I need to start small rather than set unrealistic, unattainable targets.

I've just to check my bank balance (scary next job to do!!) but I know I'm going to be over what I should have spent but need to deal with it by tweaking the rest of the month - unfortunately I've got to find £220 by the 30th to pay for something I've ordered but can split it between this and next paydays but had originally hoped to have it all by the end of this month, i need to be honest with myself and realistically i know i wouldn't have saved it.

So, starting small........

I get paid well for my job but there's no margin for adding anything else in there as already work full time, no overtime available and salary review not due until next year.

I sell on Ebay, odd bits and bobs that are no longer used or have been outgrown and over the years it has mounted up to over £12,000 (in 12 years I must add!!) but of late things don't seem to be selling as well & i need to sort remaining items for sale that are in the attic.

My goal will be to sell enough to total £10 a week after fees have been deducted so have to TRY to find the time - where there's a will there's a way!!
Along with continued menu planning (which i started around 3 weeks ago) that will be enough to keep me occupied for a few days!!

Struggling to stay on the financial straight and narrow

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free