Ok, so my petrol made it to pay day. I have two pay days... one on the 25th of every month from my main job, enough only to cover all my bills, debt payments and a tank of petrol. And another, every fortnight on a Friday from my second job. This I use to live off. I work a minimum of 8 hours a week giving me after tax, £37.50ish a week for food, going out, clothes, cat food, shampoo etc. Not much! Anything I earn over 8 hours a week, (for example I worked 21.5 hours last week), I put aside as a buffer.
This buffer gets used for anything from shoes for work, presents for friends and family, to food if necessary. The intention is that whenever I've built up a big enough buffer, say over £100, I use some of it to pay down my debt. However, I'm finding it increasingly hard to stick to my £37.50 weekly budget. Life, and trying to have a little fun just gets in the way. Needing a new tyre, or running out of eyeliner, or using the last of my toothpaste... I often don't have room in the budget for these and it all comes out of the buffer.
Lately, I've been trying to have a little more fun, as being in debt is far from fun, and I'm finding the buffer almost back to zero every month. This week for example is so far a bad one... I got paid from my second job on Friday; already I've treated myself to reflexology (£15) as it was on offer and I'm a stressed bunny at the moment. I've also bought some make up as I was running out, and we all know how excessively expensive make up is. I also spent around a tenner on a nice dinner for me and the boy. Oh and 'treated myself' to a Subway lunch on payday itself, because it was payday. So pretty much £37.50+ blown right there.
I should make a budget and stick to it. Somehow I prefer to think in my head, 'ooooh just been paid £75' (for the fortnight) and spend the vast majority of it having fun the first week, then live in poverty for the second week. Would it be better to limit myself strictly to the weekly budget? Or would I just be miserable the whole two weeks instead of just one?
About Me
- The Debt Girl
- I'm single, broke, and in my early 30s... but thankfully decided a while ago to sort my life out once and for all; in particular to sort out my finances, and to move forward into a debt free life. I'm hoping writing a blog will help spur me on through my social life cutbacks, my successful and not-so-successful attempts at dating, my new addiction to the Sainsbury's Basics range, and the general insanity caused by the stress of money troubles.
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