The not-so new cazzy

A question about : The not-so new cazzy

Hi all

I'm finally de-lurking after 2 successive Christmasses of viewing your DFDs and trying to use them as a launch pad.

I'm not in debt persee (sp?)but I'm not going anywhere either!!! I'm a 25 year old single female, qualified and working supply teacher....but I still live at home with my parents and my sister. Whilst this is not uncommon these days, it's been somewhat unhealthy for quite some time as we are all grown adults!!!

Anyways after an up and down 2012 I have realised I have the vigour I now need to move forward and have the motivation to get out of here and find somewhere to live.

Most of my friends are either engaged, or live with someone etc, and whilst ism not boohooing that I am still single, part of my problem is that I still live at home, so this diary is really a place where I can update on my bid to raise the money I need to get a deposit together for a mortgage....I'm on an 18 month plan to raise the money, but I am also doing all I can to raise funds, such as comping and taking on part-time extra work. I am also aiming to spend less next year, as said engagements is my best friend and we will be going out less which should save me about 40 pounds a month, I also have been putting 30 a week into an ISA for a few weeks, reduced my insurance, and work is a 4 mile daily round trip which has significantly reduced petrol costs! I get paid weekly, so my aim is to put any weekly excess into a savings account and forget about it to save extra money that way, so that I don't spend it. I should also save the best part of a 600 pound spend from this year as a lot of that went on funding being a gamesmaker at the Olympic Stadium, and I have already bought my 2013 summer holiday, ashes tickets for the 5 day test at Old Trafford!

I am also going to pluck up the courage to join the challenges on here to help, so any recommendations would be muchly appreciated! MSEers seem like a wonderful bunch, and I am looking forward to 2013 already.

I know it's not a debt free diary as such, but more of a motivational one, to rid myself of inner debt...

cazzyd

Best answers:

• The other thing I forgot to add when I originally posted was my main debt free wish of wanting to to lose a few pounds, I started with good intentions in 2012 and lost almost a stone at one point, but with my duties as a chief bridesmaid coming up, I need to lose a bit more....not so much debt free but weight free.
  With regard to not-so new, I wanted to add that after discussion with my sister in Xmas day, I'd mentioned that in previous years the focus had been on wanting to change in the new year, become someone I'm not whereas only the variables in my life need to change and not me personally and so not-so new......
  Confused, lol.....
• I had one last big spend yesterday as part of my treat to myself for all the hard work I did during the summer at the Olympics, so I bought myself a brand new double divan bed from dreams with storage for 149 with free delivery, I just have to find a duvet, but my auntie gave me 20 quid for Christmas, so may find a no frills duvet at dunelm or somewhere like that, did some research with dad yesterday 13.5 tog is 17.99 and mum said that her and dad would treat me to a new set, so I'll save there!
  Just started clearing my bedroom in anticipation of delivery which is next Saturday, so hopefully I'll find things to either list online or give to music magpie.
  My phone contract is also up for renewal in January I currently pay 25 a month which I think is reasonable for a smartphone, so am hoping to get around the same or slightly cheaper, and then I will sell the handset, it's a bb so hopefully will get a reasonable amount, and the money I get will go towards my "forget it" money.
  I am also going to set myself some other challenges based on motivations I get from threads on here over the coming days my first being save 50.00 in 50ps. Made a good start found one on my bedside cabinet when tidying my room before
  .50/50.00-50p challenge
• Hey Cazzy, it sounds like we've got some similar frustrations and goals. Good luck in your saving *subscribes*
• Going to carry on with tidying my room today just waiting for dad to wake up from his night shift! Hoping today is NSD as I am not aiming to go anywhere. Parents are going shopping which is usually an excuse for me to give them my card and get a bottle of wine or something, but not going to do that now, as I don't have a lot of money anyway, working on supply, I haven't got any money for 2 weeks!
  If I finish my room, I'll do some listing and maybe sort out my various boxes of work stuff, wash my puppets and set myself up for planning!! (And I told myself I wasn't going to do any planning until 2nd Jan)
• Still ploughing my way through my room, but taking a break and watching the Olympic reviews since I missed a lot of it, despite being there! Found another 50p so now have a pound in my pot, which is a tin...it's a makeshift one until I find a money box. Mum said I had panda one somewhere, but can't find it.
  Today isn't going to be an NSD either, mum phoned from Asda to say that they were selling a 26 pound duvet for half price, so I'm going to get that with aunties Christmas money.
  Back to tidying, going to put I player on the ipad and watch that way...Cheerio
• No more spends after that, so a good day, I have 7 pounds left of aunties money, parents mentioned pillows being on sale so may buy those! Not listed anything yet but will do tomorrow, got bored as I had nothing to do, so found old knitting I'd left from 6 years ago, and carried on doing that, it will save me the money I needed to buy a scarf!
  Tomorrow should be an NSD I'll save the money I would have spent on the bottle of red wine I needed to make New Year's Day lunch! My cousin gave parents a bottle for Christmas, so mum said I could use that
  Last 12 months have been pretty c**p personally and it all started on NYD
  2012 which I pretty much ruined, so I'm making NYD dinner for everyone, which is lamb, I saw come dine with me on Xmas day, and goldie did this lamb, which looked pretty stunning! A year and a half ago, I did a come dine with me with some friends, and won, so hopefully this won't be too disastrous! Also don't need to buy any plonk on top, as me and the sister did a wine tasting a while back and got some nice bottles of red, which will go with dinner!
• Hi Cazzyd,
  Well done on your thread, we're similar ages and I'm saving up to move out too so I feel your pain!! Good work so far and good luck for New Years Dinner
• Thanks lea, the lamb is marinating as we speak....
  Yesterday was not an NSD, i bought some razors and orange juice, but small spends so nothing too big! I also did them with cash that was in my purse rather than whacking on my card which is one of my biggest problems!
• Happy new year!!! The lamb dinner went well, everything was perfect! Decks are also down and blew the cobwebs away with a nice walk with my sister!
  NSD so far, looking forward to relaxing this evening, going to do a bit of comping and some surveys.
  I hope 2013 is wonderful for all x
• Right going to spend an hour comping before lunch, I am then going to walk to local supermarket and get leeks for a soup! I am then going to get carrots, snacking on carrots helps me, and today is my first AF day until at least the end of January! I am also going to weight watchers tomorrow, but the money for that already comes out of my account! So money will be saved by not drinking! As I have already said, excess monies will come out of my account at the end of every week, when I get paid, that way I won't spend it, or be tempted! I'm going to arrange for the money to go into an account my sister will open for me, so that I won't be tempted to do sneaky online transfers I sometimes do with my ISA!!! That way hopefully I will save quickly for a mortgage!
• Not an NSD for me, bought leeks for a soup which was delicious! I also bought croutons and balsamic dressing which inspired me to make a salad for lunch! Bought some carrots and yummy dips to go with them and a litre and half bottle of water to celebrate my first AF day! It came to a grand total of 5.45 but had to get 10 cash back as I owed mum 7 for some pillows she got for me on NYE. Just made tea for later and going swimming afterwards
  Hope everyone is well?
• Feeling a bit down today that feeling of wanting to cry with no real reason but knowing that you need to in order to feel better! It's resulted in me consequently walking round in a bit of a daze, not good when your teaching three different things to three sets of kids! I don't know whether to put it down to second day back blues, or not! That's coupled with not earning any money for 2 weeks (supply teacher) and not as yet having comping success/or windfalls (not that one should expect them but :'( ) I've done an extra shift at the place I used to work when I was a student, and I've taken on four more, with a view that any extra (weekend) dates that become available, I will gladly do some pretty easy work for extra money. I'm very worried about running myself into the ground through, I did five years solid work with ver little break (about a weeks working holiday and a 2 week sightseeing tour of the states) and subsequently had an out of character breakdown this time last year, still continuing to work, as I failed to see anything was wrong.
  Anyway hope you are all well cazzyd xx
• Hope things are picking up for you - the first week back is always a nightmare!
  Hopefully the extra shifts are a temporary measure. Are you looking for a permanent teaching post at all?
• Hi it's been a while. Well I am still on supply, but still at current school with my own class in September until at least Christmas, hopefully beyond, so there is four months at least of guaranteed money (touch wood.) I went to my colleagues wedding last night and it was beautiful, I only spent 8 pounds plus petrol costs too because I was driving! 3.25 for a pint of diet coke was bordering on steep though, but the hotel is right near the airport!!! So I put it down to that!
  Saving is going well, I've upped to 50 pounds a week, and the other week I put away 200 pounds in excess money so I had about 850 pounds which I'd scraped away in about three months! On Thursday mum and dad pulled me and gave me 600 pounds in inheritance money from my grandad so I'm putting 500 into my isa and spending the rest (feel slightly guilty but I'm banking on spending the majority towards a deposit for a mortgage)
  I'm working during the summer, working on a kids group, I've had a few days off to attend a sporting event I'd already paid for. And I'm still at my extra part time job working a minimum of four hours a week plus any covers that come my way, I've offered a friend of mine to cover his shifts when he needs it which is usually often.
  This weekend is an eBay free listings weekend and I have a lot of junk that I need to get rid of, some of it will fetch beans, but it's beans that I will put away! I also have two old handsets that I will get around to recycle for cash that will also be put away!
  Hope everyone else is doing well, and enjoying the summer, I am I've just been upset this weekend by my friend, but it will sort itself out
• Ah, forgot all about this!
  Sooo life is very different for me now, I am in a permanent job now, which has steady earnings. That started in September, and as I have had birthdays and christmas, and a couple of expensive weekends away I have spent a fair amount.
  However as of 15th Jan (the next time I get paid) I am on the frugal fun bus, as I am starting to save for a house. (the 18 month goal from a couple of years ago, is now turning into a 2 year one, but acheivable, as I have someone to save with now!)
  So I am doing all I can to earn extra monies, comping, swagging, gift hulk and also a pay rise. I save 50 pounds a week (this time last year I had a tidy sum, but then my car died and I had to buy a new (used) one. So I know I can do that again, I already have 500 pounds saved, and any left over money on the 14th of every month will go in the savings, I am determined to do this!
  Any help, advice or words of encouragment would help me greatly, as I am at the beginning of a very scary journey, and although I am determined, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel just yet. People keep saying it's amazing how much you can save if you put your mind to it....can I??
  I am also thinking about recycling old DVD's and CD's, but is it worth it??
  Happy new Year everyone, happy 2015
• That's a great idea on the shorter term goals stereochild. My short term goals are to put excess money the day before payday straight into my account. As I don't have any birthdays until april, excess spending should be next to nothing, MOT/Tax not due for another 6 months. I have a hen do in March, but travel and accomodation are paid for and bride to be won't want an expensive messy do! So I'm hoping my plans to spend little come to the fray! I'm determined not to put pressure on myself, and to think positively. Plus I have two weddings, one is said hen do and other is a family wedding which is one we have to travel to and stay two nights for. I am going to start saving 10 pounds a week for both, and that way when the big days come, I'm not shelling out money, I already do a similar thing for family occasions, birthdays and mother/fathers day x
• It's always best to budget for a future even! If you book travel and accommodation way ahead of time you can often save a packet. But it also means paying now, which is okay if you have the funds.
  My family have already been warned that I am saving so don't expect to much and I am having to miss some special occasion's for the time being. It is hard but it means I will get to my goals faster.