Debt Free 2007.....

[charliecat]

Following on from this thread there are a fair few mumsnetter trying to get out of and stay out of debt....chatting about it and moaning about skint
We are a friendly bunch please come in

A round up of a lot of the tips/links so far:

• Decent food budgetting/planning - Email Flamesparrow at gmail dot com for a copy of Capp?s spreadsheet! (Didn?t want to tell everyone to CAT you Capp unless you wanted them to )
• uswitch
• s/o for savings AND a s/o for treats
• Work out the birthdays that will be coming across the year and make sure I put aside enough each month to cover the hell months.

BUDGET
Work out a spreadsheet for your monthly/weekly spending. Spend a couple of months tracking every penny you spend ? you will be able to see where your money trickles away to!!!

SHOPPING
*Shop online if you make a comprehensive list (it will cost more if you miss lots off)
*Menu plan ? easier to make a stickable to shopping list

• Use Quidco to get money back on shopping
• If you can be trusted to pay it all off before the end of the month, do your shopping on a Tesco credit card to get the points to use elsewhere
• Eat before you shop
• Buy extras like milk and bread at the corner shop ? what slight extra you pay for the milk, you save on not seeing tempting offers!! (4 pts of milk is actually CHEAPER at my corner shop than Tesco Express)
• Sign up for anything that will send you free vouchers
• Pay at the self service machines in Tesco as they accept all vouchers regardless of purchases
• Avoid gift/cleaning aisle in shops ? you buy things you don?t need FOOD ? Menu plan! It can be a 2 or 3 week mix n match type thing, but have some plan to help you shop ? Work out which foods can be economised on, and which are just not worth it ? value mushrooms are just an odd shape, value mince is more fatty, but if you strain it it is fine, but frozen mince tastes like disintergrated cardboard ? Cook bulk meals and freeze ? 2 packs of mince can often make 3 meals, where as 1 pack makes 1 n a bit ? Bulk meals out with lots of veg ? again, a Bolognese sauce goes a lot further if its filled with peppers, grated carrots etc ? Take drinks out with you so you are not forced to buy ? Get Fruit and Veg at markets (have discovered that DH works next to the people who supply the organic veg box people ? we are now getting organic veg for less than basic tesco veg prices

GIFTS
? Keep a list of birthdays with you so you can buy presents as you spot bargains
? Save for Christmas NOW ? Use a club or a separate savings account with a standing order - don?t wait and see what you can afford at the end of the month ? you won?t be able to

GENERAL
? Save up spare £1 coins and coppers etc ? You can get it changed at most Sainsbury?s in a machine ? it does take some of your money in a charge, but I never get it changed if I have to take it to a bank, so it makes more sense.
? Claim back you bank charges if you have them
? Cut up credit cards ? If it is not a matter of starvation or eviction, it is NOT an emergency
ITS NOT A BARGAIN IF YOU DIDN?T NEED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Well i am as i overspent double. 40 instead of 20 and i only needed a few things. So i didn't get james morrison tickets.

cc - The thing I have stuck to the most since joining this thread, is the £1 and £2 saving. I bought a tin though so I don't know how many I have. I will open it in the summer holidays and spend it on days out, as we won't be going away during the 6 weeks break.

It is staring to get heavy

I spent £90 in Tescos last night
I haven't done a proper shop for 3 weeks and our freezer is almost empty. I have bought ingrediants to stock it back up again so not too bad.

I am making and freezing meals for dp to take to work and microwave, so he is spending less at work every day. He even takes a flask of hot water to make tea if he remembers to bring the flask home.

We were 85 quid in the black before pay day! That was so good. Plus getting shut of the OD will save another 25 per month in charges.

I feel things are improving

Also managed to stuff 190 away this month from my money. Savings standing over 300 atm

I'm chuffed with that, I really really am.

Where are you sticking the savings grouchy?
Make sure its earning good interest

5% gross and instant access.

hmmn, do I need to switch?

Instant access is good. 5% is not too bad, I will look at MSE, see if theres anything better.
Ive just opened an 8% with lloydtsb, but youve got to put in £25 a month. Im going to put the rent money in it, pay the rent with a 0% credit card and earn interest on the rent money till the Credit Card needs paid.
Effort required tho lol

quick read here

ah thanks...had a look at that for ds's cash yesterday. I;m interested in the Abbey's super isa and guaranteed bond for that. (and it was you that sent me that too) LTSB sounds good as I'm already a customer there.

will have a look, thanks

lloyds ending today..........!!!!!!!!!!
Or else it will be 1 year at 8% not 2.

awwwh bottom!

Mind you Alvin says it's always best to reconsider after 12 months

spent £60 in Tesco today - how?!?! didn't even buy main meals!

then had to go and buy some stuff in town.. don't even know how much I spent

I used to get a buzz from spending money and I think my mind set is changing as I'm seem to get a buzz from not spending at the moment.. unfortunately today I think I mght end up overdrawn again. angry @ myself.

We'll see, I really should know how much is going out between now and then

I've decided that I am going to start charging dp for his lunches I make him though. Told him today I'll make him lunches everyday next week for a tenner

i spend double than i wanted to yesturday, its annoying isn't it? Is there anyway you cut back next week?? Don't beat yourself up over it.

will cut back, just frustrating - was so close to not been overdrawn and the more I think about it the more I think I probably will be now. Will list more stuff on eBay.

Do you have it on paper what goes in and out of the bank MOH?

Cash is too easy to spend.

I got into a good habit of stashing the savings as soon as the cash comes in. Like you never had it. Then what is left is the money you have left to play with. It does make you more careful with what you spend cos you don't feel you have that much to go at.

I adore the Jewish lady who gave me that tip. I don't know her, never have and probably never will. She phoned through to the helpline I was working on at my 1st job.Sshe had a profound affect on me and my attitude to savings and spending. Believe me, it has saved our bacon so many times and I thank her deeply for it.

nope keep trying but failing miserably

I'm the opposite grouchy, I put everything on my debit card, I think that's half my problem.

On the upside, used only half a tank of petrol again this week - think I've got that cracked now

With debit and cc cards you spend too much cause you don't actually see the money going do you, it's on a piece of paper so unless your really vidulent with money like our cc then it's hard i found anyways. m oney is money once it's gone it's gone.

As soon as the wages touch the bank I transfer all my payments out, then check to see if any money needs left in the bank that week for direct debits.
I then take 60 out the cashpoint, thats for the weekly savings jars, car tax, phone etc, then the rest gos to the Tescos credit card which is where the spending for food and petrol etc gos.
Then when the phone bill/car tax comes in/along I pay it with the cc and put the money from the jar in the bank and transfer it that day..gathering clubcard points on as many bills as possible.

Mascara...she said it doesn't matter how little you save, so long as it's something per pay packet. She advised me to take five pounds and start from there

I sold another book on Amazon today (total £25) and have made £450 on ebay and have listed some books on here so am making extra money but have nearly ran out of things to sell!

Looked at my pay slip today I have earnt £2K less this tax year than last , so will prob be owed some TC money (whther it comes or not though )

Hello, new on this thread (but have been lurking for a while).

Sorry if this has come up before but, Tesco shoppers, do you have a Clubcard Plus account? We got one before Christmas when we realised how much were struggling... You transfer x amount onto it every month from your current account, use it to pay for your shopping and petrol, and you get double points every time you use it.

Legoland here we come...

really?? never heard of that before?? that sounds good.

Heard of it on MSE, I use my tescos CC, 5 point for every £4 spent in Tesco and so any for other spends not tesco. Not as good as double but hey ho!