I am happy to report sticking to my budget has been fairly straight forward so far (I am just the second day in) as the snow has arrived forcing life to grind to a welcome halt. My boyfriend is also away which means I have had every excuse to stay in.
Being in has given me to chance to check out the internet for stories of other people who have taken on a similar debt reducing challenge. Frugal in Cornwall has by far been the most inspiring. There lots of interesting stories out there though, which all made me feel alot more normal, there are a lot of people, it seems, that are ignorant about the debt they have.
I have spent most of today making giant daffodil pieces from wire and tissue paper as my class is having an easter bonnet competition, the wire I already had and the tissue paper was 63p for 3sheets. So less than a pound spent today.
Yesterday I baked my own bread...it was awful, I considered taking it into class a new frisbee but feared it would actually shatter a window, so instead I tried microwaving it and adding some cheese & olives. Still nearly broke my teeth on it but I was very full all evening. Today I have found a better recipe and method, bread appears to be all about the method. This one I shall try later, ready for tomorrow. Frugal Bread method I have all the ingredients in my cupboard so I am not taking this out of my budget just yet....hmmm maybe I should, not really getting the hang of this costing out meals thing yet.
My boyfriend is today away in Malaysia watching the Grand Prix, he is then off to Singapore and back here for Easter. He likes spending money and to be fair to him he has a lot of money to spend. We have only been together a few months and I am really not sure I can ever let on about this debt reduction. Perhaps I can tell him when I get out of it. For now, as far as he and my parents are concerned I am just trying really hard to save a deposit for a house...their is a hint of truth there..I HAVE to get rid of the debt so I can save for a house.
After reading the Frugal-in-Cornwall story I realised how many hours a week I could (if I got organised) spare to do some additional tutoring. I have signed up to a very well run tutor site, I have to give refs and have an identity check etc to tutor. Already I have set up appointments to meet three sets of parents for tutoring...that could mean an extra £60 a week in term time. Obviously you have to sort the tax but yikes that is a fair old amount for just three additional hours a week.
I did have a chuckle to myself yesterday though...really I should cry but what is the point..when the postman arrived with one letter from HSBC stating I have to pay my £1500 overdraft back by May 3rd, and another letter from Barclay card telling me my credit limit was to increase from £2480 to £4600 as of the end of the month. How the hell does that work? Thankfully I had already planned to pay off the HSBC first and for now the Barclay card can wait (note to self to cut up that card for fear of temptation) .
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