In other news...

I'm still single and haven't been on a date in months (to be fair I get some interest, just from no-one I like), I'm still living in the same town, still in the same job and stressed and tired, still working a second job on top, and still getting nowhere with job applications to replace my main job! Obviously I'm still broke too... or I wouldn't still be blogging!

Still, I should count my blessings - I have good friends, reasonable relationships with my family, I own my own property (even if I don't live there and rent somewhere else), I have a career, and I like the majority of my career job even though I don't think I'm paid enough and it saps vast quantities of my time and energy.

I feel comfortable, but in a comfortable rut nonetheless.  I am not discontent with my life, but neither am I contented.  I long for more.  Never before have I had so much difficulty trying to change my life though!  I've seen 4 more jobs I want to apply for so am going to try and crack on with that this week... am hoping as they are a little lower level than ones I've been getting turned down for I might have a tiny sliver of a chance... fingers crossed!

Always Debt Girl

I've been off from blogging for a while, and now coming back, I wish I had better news. However, Debt Girl is as Debt Girl does - I'm still in debt and will be well into the new year, failing to smash any of my debt free targets.

The £450 odd of splurging I mentioned at the beginning of August has now by mid October extended to approx £1,500!!! This has gone predominantly on food I think - food shopping, lunches (Subway etc.), dinners out etc. If you knew me you'd know I'm not a fatty (UK size 8) but I do like nice food. I splurged another £60 this week on gifts for a friend and her newborn baby... but hey, c'mon, it's not every day one of your closest friends becomes a mummy!

I have now taken definitive action and moved that £1,500 to a 0% card (26 months, oooh!) and put myself back on a strict budget.  This afternoon I will be making butternut squash soup which should last me say, 3 days of dinners, which is a start.

I am lucky enough to be getting a bonus this month (makes up marginally for 5 years of no pay rise), so am using this to finish off my old debts (x2 credit cards), leaving me only the £1,500 to pay off.  Or so it might appear...

Unfortunately I own a property I don't live in (due to the relocating and the recession I became an 'accidental landlord'), and my tenant of 4 years recently gave me notice she was moving out.  I had some savings to cover the mortgage for a couple of months, but then the boiler broke, and I only had 1 month's mortgage payment remaining.  I put the property on the market but have had no takers, so have finally bitten the bullet and put it out to a letting agent (I really had wanted to cut loose from being a landlord and be off the housing ladder for a bit).  They have just found me a tenant who is *fingers crossed* moving in in just over a week from now, in theory meaning her first rental payment will cover my November mortgage payment, the first one I have no money for.  Sounds great yeah? Well it would, only most of her first rental payment will be taken away by the set up fees to the letting agent, so I still have to borrow money to cover the mortgage.

Cue getting yet ANOTHER credit card!  This time, one for money transfers.  My mortgage company won't allow me a payment holiday or to pay on credit, so I need actual cash.  I did my research and found a credit card through Virgin Money that gives me balance and/or money transfers with interest at 0% for a whopping 26 months!  Obviously there's the usual transfer fees though.  I've transfered £1,200 to cover x2 month's of mortgage payments and utilities bills between tenancies and any other associated costs.  Hopefully I won't need it all and can pay half of it back pronto.

However, this does mean my overall debt is back up to approx. £2,800 for now :(

I'm off work next week so better get eBaying!

Falling at the last hurdle

Ok, so technically I should have become debt free this month... but what with the splurging at Easter and the car repairs and the upfront payment for gap insurance for my new car, and reducing my monthly debt payments to start paying finance for my new car etc. etc. it's all gone a bit skew-whiff.

So the end date got moved to about December time.  But now it's starting to creep into the new year...

Figures are as such:

£1724.31 left in older debt
£500 loan owed to parents that is currently on hold (they offered to wipe this but I just couldn't accept)
£445 racked up RECENTLY... BAD BAD DEBT GIRL

By January next year all I'll have left to pay is £20 odd quid of older debt remaining plus £500 to the folks (plus this new debt).

For some reason my brain has gone:

"screw being poor all the time, I want to have fun and not have to worry about money all the time"

and decided to chuck a load of stuff on a credit card.  I think it's because my hours (and everyone else's) at job 2 have been cut and I just can't afford to live now unless I have quite a miserable existence and I just seem to not be able to hack that when I'm so close to being debt free.

I seem to have been hovering around the £2-3k left mark for sometime now... just as I pay it down, something seems to happen for it to go back up again.  I do hope I won't remain in £2-3 grand debt for evermore.

This month is a tricky one as I'm off work quite a bit and therefore want to go out more and see friends which equals paying for drinks and dinners etc.

I think I will just ride out this month not being terribly well behaved... "dinner on the credit card? Don't mind if I do!" and then reign myself back in when I'm properly back at work in September and won't have time to go splurging money or having fun. 

Somewhere along the line I need to start saving for Christmas, now that just doesn't bear thinking about!

Oh and yes, I'm still applying for jobs, and still getting nowhere.  Competition for jobs in my sector is incredibly fierce as most of us got made redundant under government cuts... perhaps I should just count myself lucky I have a job.

Jumping through hoops, AKA sodding job applications!

So, I was meant to be doing a job application tonight.  However, once I looked at all the documents my motivation completely waned... obviously there's the usual background info, application info, job description and person specification, but this job also has a SIX PAGE matrix thing of attributes, definitions, core behaviours, managerial behaviours and negative behaviours that I am somehow meant to cross reference across to the job I'm applying for.

I'm sure it's meant to be helpful as it gives pointers in terms of what they want me to say I can do, such as "looks at how things can be done rather than why they can't" and "demonstrates consistency between words and actions", however these attributes and principles are general rather than relating specifically to this role, and if I have to write a supporting statement that includes both me evidencing with examples what I do now and how it relates to the job description and how my skills apply to the person specification, AND hit all these other bits and bobs, I'll be submitting a dissertation.

There's 10 'People Principles', 12 'Attributes' and intricate detail on how to display each one, a job description including 'Generic Responsibilites' and 'Specialist Responsibilities' and a person specification which tells me in precise detail how they will test each thing - application form, interview, presentation etc.

Maybe I should just apply in the hope that they've successfully scared everyone else off?  I do understand it (thank the lord for some innate intelligence) but it's a lot to look at and I'm now wishing I hadn't left my application to the last minute...

ARGH!

Crazy crazy times

So in the month since my last post, I've bought a new car (not just new to me, completely NEW *gasp*), had a ceiling replaced in my flat, fallen more behind with my work for job 1 as my workload just DOESN'T STOP, failed at a couple more job applications, inadvertently led on a nice sweet guy, partially reconciled with my ex best friend, and spent more money than I actually have...

So I guess you could say I've been pretty busy.  On leave for 2 weeks in 6 weeks' time... just hanging on in there until then.

New car felt a bit of an indulgence but I:

a) had yet more problems with my car, which in total would have meant spending £800 on my car in the last couple of months, and my car was only worth about £1200-£1500 so it seemed a waste and I was worried it was 'the beginning of the end' i.e. there would just be problem after problem with it from now on

b) looked into getting a used car but the ones I could afford the finance for were as old as the car I was replacing so I thought there was still no guarantee it'd be better than keeping my current car.  Also a year's warranty would only apply to the garage where I'd bought it which is no use if I end up moving to another part of the country for a new job.

c) discovered PCP (personal contract plan) where I don't have to pay for the whole car, instead pay for about half of it over 3 years and then get another new shiny car

d) will have 3 years warranty (and no tax on this particular car) meaning I can take it to any relevant dealership anywhere in the country

e) need to drive all over the county where I live for work 1 and so need something reliable and with good fuel consumption

f) figured I work hard in a professional job and should have something to show for it and look to the world like I've 'grown up'

Ok so that last reason is stupid, but there you go.  Lots of people have congratulated me though on finally having a 'good' car!  It was embarrassing previously having a car that didn't have remote central locking, or even central locking at all!

In terms of the finances, I have rejiggled my outgoings so that I'm still paying out the same amount each month, and am no poorer.  This is going to slow my 'getting out of debt' plan though, but oh well. 

That said I will still be poorer because of my hours cut at job 2.  Bit stressed about it to be fair, had 3 birthday presents to buy this month and ran out of foundation, mascara and eyeliner = SKINT.  But my hours have only just been cut, so I'm skint before my money even goes down, which is not a good sign!

Decided I need to cut back.  I've been spending a lot on food of late.  Googled 'cheap healthy food' and found this:

http://agirlcalledjack.com/

Ok, so her blog is a little political, but her cheap recipes look good.  She's a single mum who fell on hard times and had to feed herself and her child with only £10 a week (she's got a journalism job now).  The ideas on her blog show just how resourceful she is.  She's currently writing a cookbook which I'll be buying!  I love the fact that to save money she does things like make risotto with ordinary rice!  Got to be worth a try...

Anyway, I must get on with yet another job application tonight, so that's the end of my update.  Hopefully I'll manage to post again sooner than I did this time!

All gone a bit belly up

Well I haven't posted for sometime, as I've not really been behaving myself on the financial front, and was feeling a bit sheepish!

Partly well, my fault, and partly through no fault of my own I've spent a lot of money recently.

That card I mentioned I had splurged on in my last post?  Well it got up to just over £900!  I did transfer it to a 0% card though, so have until February to pay it off.  Not quite the point though.

Then I was thinking that was all taken care of and I could have a fresh start back on the financial bandwagon, but no, my car decided to break down.  Cue a nightmare day trying to get it fixed/recovered (as was miles from home) etc etc. but eventually I managed to get a local garage on the case and they recovered me and lent me a courtesy car.  However, despite getting a 'mates rate' labour charge the work still totted up to almost £360.  Unhappy Debt Girl.

Later that day I was relaxing in the evening, trying to forget the £360 I'd just spent on the credit card I had just balance transfered from, and then I got a text from my tenant (yes, I don't live in my property, but rent it out, and rent somewhere else myself, weird I know).  There is a pipe leaking through the ceiling that she had just discovered and it needs fixing pronto.  She had a builder she knows come to look at it and he's giving me a quote for the work tomorrow *deep breath*.  This isn't quite as dire as the car as I have about £900 saved in a specific account for flat repairs.  However, I was saving that for the inevitable day that the boiler dies (apparently the new housebuilders put in cheap tat).

Add to all of this that my boss at job numero 2 told me yesterday that our store hours are going to be cut, and I, along with everyone else, will have to take a cut in contracted hours.  That means my contract of 8 hours a week is going to go down to 6 hours.  This wouldn't have been so bad in the good old days when we had less staff and I frequently got 14-18 hours whilst on an 8 hour contract.  However, we had to take on someone from another store in January which swallowed up all our spare hours, meaning I've been nearly bang on 8 hours every week already :(  If no-one leaves (many of us are job hunting and have been for some time) my weekly budget will be even smaller than £30... I think Project Ebay will need to resume!

Starting to wonder if I need to find myself a THIRD job???  Sad thing is I already don't have much of a life, and don't want it to be any more limited timewise than it already is!  I have so much admin to do in my own time from job 1, which I need time to do.  Given that job 1 pays me £25k I need to keep in my boss's good books!

In regards to the car costs, I whacked them on a 19.9% credit card, but have already submitted a balance transfer (been approved, just waiting for the money to move) to credit card 1 at 0% until February.  With the splurge-fest of £900 and the car repairs, this card that was due to be paid off in June, is now back up again :(

I felt rather sick the other day when I worked out that if I hadn't have had a couple of small splurges in the last couple of years plus this year's smallish January splurge, and the recent £900 large splurge, I'd be out of debt already, GULP.  Still, the road to debtfreeness is never easy and I guess I should still feel proud of how far I've come.  New projections are to be debt free by early November... still not bad given that I originally owed £19.5k.

I've been a very bad girl...

And before your mind descends into smutville, let's be clear I'm talking about money, just money!

So everything was on track to pay off my debts by August, yes?

And then the following things happened:

• Lost my phone (again), and due to a higher excess this time it wasn't worth claiming so I spent £80 on a basic smartphone to get me by (I'm due an upgrade in a few months).
• My car needed work - that was about £100
• I neeeded new shoes for an interview and got a bit carried away whilst shopping (before I knew it I'd bought sleepwear, undies etc.)
• I visited my godmother a couple of hundred miles away, and had to pay for travel costs and then a bit of shopping (bought a lovely Cath Kidston handbag - that I do not regret as my current casual handbag is falling apart)
• I went to a christening and had to buy a card and present
• I've been on holiday from work, cue a night out and a couple of lunches/dinners out

The worst of it is, I put every single one of these transactions on a credit card!  This was an empty credit card with my bank I wasn't using since I had paid it off with a balance transfer.

I used a credit card as I've been incredibly low on hours in my 2nd job and therefore very skint indeed - last paycheck only £65 when I normally get £120-150.

However, now I have an almost £500 balance on this credit card from this month!  I'm starting to see perhaps how I managed to get into thousands of pounds of debt over the years...

I can't see it getting any better just yet either - this month I still have a wedding to go to and a gift to buy, I may potentially have another interview to get myself to, and in May I have a couple of birthdays to buy for and a car service!

And if I manage to break my current interview unlucky streak, I might actually get a new job where I'm trying to move to.  This would be great but would also be costly as I will need to get a deposit and first month's rent together, pay to transport my stuff or do several trips costing rather a lot in petrol...etc. etc.

For now I'm just going to focus on getting out of my original debt, and worry about this new figure later!

Cool, moi?

So apparently according to The Times today, I live in one of the top 30 coolest places to live in Britain. 

Perhaps I shouldn't be in such a hurry to leave?!

Well where I live definitely has its charms, and I will always love it, but sometimes you just need to strike out and flee the nest.  I did that for 9 years, and then I came back.  Returning was great to start with but now 5 years on with my life not having really progressed in that time I feel I'm stuck in a rut.  A rut where I know everyone and can't even pop to the supermarket without at least bumping into several familiar faces.  It was nice at first, but now I crave some anonymity, some new experiences and the chance to meet people I don't already know or whom I don't already share a bundle of acquaintances with.  It's time to liven things up a bit with a big change of scene.

Of course I will always come back and visit, because lots of my friends are here and my brother and his family, and I will miss the place itself.  And who knows, if I meet a nice man and settle down, I might even drag him back here!

First finished job application for my new city of preference submitted on Monday morning, fingers crossed I get an interview at least...  If not, at least I have a lot of stuff I can copy and paste and tweak for the next application, rather than having to write everything from scratch.

Flakiness is not an attractive quality

So my date flaked out on me.  Not really a surprise but what is with these guys?!

It was the fourth attempt at a date... now I know you're all wondering why I gave it so many tries... and well, 1 & 2 were first time around - after failed date attempt 2 I told him I was deleting his number for messing me around.  I then deleted his number.  He then got back in contact a few months later under the guise of 'I found this number in my phone and don't know who it is'... and then we were getting on well over text so I sort of forgave him flake outs 1 & 2. 

So this time around he flakes out at 3 (though it feels like 1 as we've started again) - he doesn't text for a couple of days before we're meant to go out, and not on the day itself either.  After 1 & 2 I don't even bother to contact him to ask if we're still on, as I'll only embarrass myself.  Attempt at date 3 doesn't happen.  Later he gives some flaky excuse (we hadn't pinned down a time so he didn't realise it was meant to be definite - but I thought we were going to flesh out the details on the day or day before).  Then he starts sounding keen again a few days later and says he really wants to meet - I ask him if he's sure, given past attempts, and he gives some vague reasons as to why they didn't happen.  Given that he sounds keen and wants to book a date, time and venue even well in advance this time, I decide I'll give him one more chance (attempt 4).

All fine and in the two weeks between us booking the date and going on the date we're all texty texty.  He even texts a few days before to say how much he is looking forward to meeting me (he's off the internet).  Then a couple of days before we're due to meet up he goes a bit quiet.  I text him the day before and reference it in a text about something else and he doesn't reply.  We get to the day of the date (this Sunday) and he still hasn't texted.  We get to 11am (date is due to happen at 1pm and the table is booked).  I text him to check we're still on - no reply.  We get to 11.30am and I'm getting rather annoyed so I send him a rather pissy text (bearing in mind he KEEPS messing me around, it's about time I give him a piece of my mind) and say that given his track record if I don't hear back from him confirming we're still on to meet in the next half hour I'm going to call and cancel the restaurant as I don't want to mess them around and feel I should give them at least a little bit of notice.

No response.  I leave it a bit longer and then at about 12.15pm I ring and cancel the restaurant.  I don't text this guy again about it, just assume he's not coming.  More time passes.  I see later on that day that he has indeed seen my messages (we were texting via What's App and you can see when the person was last using the app) and send him a message saying that I don't know what his issue is, but that I'm deleting his number and don't want to hear from him again.  More silence.

Now I know my texts to him may sound a little schizo, but I'm normally very chilled with guys.  However, I feel there comes a point where they have to know they've pissed you off.  I wanted to say that he's rude and inconsiderate and that if that's the way he acts he'll never get a girlfriend.  But I didn't want to overdo it and look too bothered.  And besides, I'm annoyed at myself for being the muppet who gave some loser 4 chances!!!

At least for none of these failed dates did I actually go to the venue and sit there and wait and get visibly stood up.  At least trying to get confirmation before going avoids that...

To be honest right now I can't be bothered with dating anymore.  If this is the way men think it's ok to behave (and it's not just him of late), why should I bother?

I'm still trying to move to my new city of choice (sent off a job application this morning, fingers crossed) so maybe I'll leave the dating until I've moved and settled into my new life.

Anyway, one thing is clear, I need to stop trying to go on dates with losers!

Skint much?!

So here's the figures:

£0.41 left in my main bank account
£1.27 left in my secondary bank account (that my second job pay goes into)
£0.66 left in my wallet in cash

A grand total of £2.34 left until Friday!  Only Sunday today, eeeek!

I have some bits of money in savings, but really need to keep hold of them for more costly things coming up.

Think I'll have to allow myself at least a tenner from savings though to cover lunches this week... I'm rubbish at buying in supplies and getting up early enough to turn them into lunches to take with me.

I get paid from job 2 on Friday but am slightly panicked as I had to give up a shift last week to concentrate on work for job 1, and am going to only be paid a teeny bit, less than what I normally allow myself for my weekly budget!  Fun and games...

I have a date tomorrow but he's promised to pay (he owes me, having flaked out on me already twice), so hopefully that's not going to cost me anything... fingers crossed it might even be fun!

Epic fail

Ok, so my stay up all night tactic didn't even remotely work.  Instead I took myself off to bed for a nap to rest my computer glazed eyes, and then kept waking up every 10 minutes until dawn panicking that I really should get up and do more, but was too tired to.  Then spent the following day absolutely shattered.

Note to self - just catch up on work at the weekends, at a normal hour.

Back to financial things - I've spent both this week's and next week's budget already, not helped by going out for dinner last night... oooops

Will have to use little tidbits of money I've saved this month to tide me over, only problem is that I was planning to hang on to those for my car tax disc that's due in April.

Also found out my company is no longer going to pay for my professional membership, so need to find £85 to renew this in April to keep me in the game professionally... not quite sure where I'm going to get the funds from for that...

There's an easy and a hard way...

... and I've chosen the hard way.

I'm lagging behind on admin for my main job and seem to have built up some sort of resistant frame of mind, where although I know I need to do it, I just don't want to and can't be bothered.

Last weekend I just sat in front of my computer and couldn't bring myself to do anything, even though I knew it was important and would make me feel better in the long run.

I think it might be because I'm dissatified with my job and am looking to move away and start something new.

However, that's the worst time to take my eye off the ball, as I need a good reference!

Tried to work from home today as I had an unexpected admin day due to snow cancelling my normal work.  However, I still haven't got everything done I wanted to.

I've decided to play hardball with myself... I am not going to sleep tonight until it is ALL done (well the particularly pressing stuff).  I don't have another night this week where I'm free to work on it, so it has to be tonight.

Yes, tomorrow I'll be tired.  I have to be up earlier than usual, and I have to drive on snow (unless it all miraculously disappears overnight).  This sounds like a very bad plan but forcing myself is the only way I'll get it all done.  I have Red Bull in the fridge, I'll be ok.  My work is also less complicated than usual tomorrow so I can sort of cruise through, I hope!

I'll still have work left to do and hanging over me, but it'll be the less arduous tasks.

Better get going then...

A little bit of what you fancy...

Errrr, clearly, does not do you good!  That old age saying is clearly wrong, either that or my measurement of a 'bit' is rather larger than they intended...

I've been splurging rather a lot of money on food of late, and it's starting to show!  Spending lots of money seems to have equalled lots of unhealthy food, and that combined with not going to the gym of late as I've had so much work on, is starting to take its effect on my waistline :(

Let's put this in perspective just a little - I'm not a big girl, I'm actually very petite, so when I talk about a few extra pounds I still look normal to most people, but am just not so happy in myself.  Especially as today after work I tried on some clothes (and had had a big lunch so there was a food baby to contend with as well), and everything in my normal size was a big squeeze!

So what I'm getting at is that I think a food budget does actually help the waistline - when I'm careful with money regarding food I tend to plan ahead more rather than just buy on a whim, and that tends to lead to healthier, better planned out meals.

Talking of healthier, I've decided I must start getting 8 hours sleep, at least sometimes (I'm a diehard night owl).  So off to bed I toddle.  Night.

P.S. And must get my backside down the gym!

This isn't going to happen, but he thinks it is

For my friend Rem:

Still, if it doesn't work out on the man front, is this such a bad alternative?! Ha

Work work work

Oh Dolly P, I wish I could work 9 - 5, that would be a way to make a living.

However, the 'fun' never stops.  I'm trying to enjoy a nice lie in today but it's ruined by the horrible feeling that I'm running out of time to do admin for job 1.  I've got to go to job 2 tonight and then job 1 resumes tomorrow and I have so much to do before then!

I think once I'm out of debt I'm not only giving up job 2 but looking for a replacement career for job 1, as I'm sick of always having work hanging over me to do in my own time.  This week, for example, I am going to have to work all the evening hours possible that I'm not doing job 2 in order to be prepped and ready for things happening in job 1.

Every weekend I am torn between doing work, selling stuff on eBay to make money, tidying my abode (as I'm not naturally tidy enough to do it as I go along), and actually having a weekend and having some fun, or some chill out time.

I wonder if other people have these constant things nagging away at them... must work, must tidy, must sell some clutter?

I'm a natural born procrastinator, and having too much to do makes me want to do, well, nothing.

Kitty free to a good home...

My kitty had to go to the vet's today for her yearly vaccinations.  Whilst there I also paid for them to administer a 3 month worming treatment, and bought 3 months' worth of flea treatments... all that plus VAT equalled nearly £70, boo :(

I wonder how much I spend on being a cat owner sometimes... I must spend about £5 a week on food, my pet insurance is about £13 a month, and then there's the yearly jabs. 

Still, I think it's worth it for the company; when you live alone it's nice to have someone to greet you when you get home!

Here she is looking rather freaked out that she's in her basket about to see the vet:

New debt snowball - hoorah!

If you'd like to have a look at this it's under my debt overview tab (see above).

Nice short snowball left now :)

I'm paying off £523.12 a month, a random amount, granted, but that's because the loan I've just paid off had payments of £151.12 per month, and now I've paid that off I'm paying that extra £151.12 per month towards my other debts.

The debt snowball doesn't include my £100 overdraft, because it's indefinitely at 0% APR and with no usage fees so I'm not too bothered about it, and I'm not making any regular payments to it, so am not sure how it would fit into a snowball.

I blame the cat

74p cash left, and the new weekly cash budget starts tomorrow.

Sounds impressive to have money left over yes?  However, I spent £12.89 with a card on food (£3.70) and cat food (£7.19) and cleansing wipes (£2.00) earlier so not so much.  And did I really need doughnuts?!  Haha 

Getting back on track with this weekly budget malarky is proving harder than I thought.

Partly because when I'm in a store and see something I need (like cat food), I think to myself 'why not buy it now rather than have to do a separate trip tomorrow when my budget starts again?'  I only went in for an avocado for part of my lunch, but once there my eyes wandered...

Man 1 got in contact by the way - I asked him about Tuesday and he said he was wiped from work and didn't think it was definite anyway as we hadn't arranged the details (just which night we were meeting up). Hmmmm...

Man 2 texted me at 8pm last night saying he was just leaving the gym.  I told him we should do something another night (way too late to come back to me and expect me to go out suddenly - I hadn't gotten ready as didn't know if we were going out or not).

Still convinced they're all a bit rubbish.  Ah well.

Why oh why...

...are single men down my way so goddamn flakey??

So date with man 1 was meant to happen last night.  It didn't.  He didn't contact me at all yesterday to finalise arrangements.  I didn't contact him either.  Resounding silence since.

Why didn't I contact him you may well ask...  Well, I've done that before when men have been vague about finalising arrangements to go out and it only gives them all the power (which is a bit crap), and I genuinely think if they want to see you they will get their arses in gear.  Also, it can come across as needy, pushy etc. if I keep trying to set up arrangments when they they've gone quiet on me.

Date with man 2 is meant to be happening tonight.  I hadn't heard anything from him since Sunday.  Also, he was the one who wanted to go out, but wanted me to decide what we did, where we go etc.  I agreed I would think on it and let him know.  So man 2 I did text today, to find out if we're still on for tonight and to discuss plans.  So I text him to ask if he still wants to do something.  He replies at 5.30pm asking me if I've decided what we're going to do.  I text back a suggestion (a couple of drinks somewhere), cue silence for another hour.  Eventually I get a text back apologising that he's been at the gym...  So it's now 7.22pm and I've asked him if he still wants to do something tonight or if another night would be better, and silence again.

WTF?!  What is with these people?

Oh, and I was meant to have a date on Valentine's, with a guy who had already flaked out on me twice before... I thought I'd give him one last chance, but got silence from him in the 3 days running up to Valentine's, despite me sending him a couple of messages (one a response to his previous text, and a separate one wishing him Happy Birthday as it was his birthday a couple of days before we were due to go out).  So, with his track record I didn't bother to ask him on Valentine's if we were still doing something, and he never contacted me, and we've not been in contact since.

I. Just. Don't. Get. It.

I try to be proactive in trying to get dates arranged and it seems to put men off and the dates don't happen.  I sit back and wait for them to sort it and the dates don't happen.  These are men who asked me out, not the other way around!  There seems to be no way to win, other than to give up on all these losers!  However, it's not until this point that I can establish their loser-ness.

Fun and games. 

There is one silver lining though.  No money spent!  I've £4.20 left until Friday :)

Grrrr dating is expensive!

So I've just counted my remaining cash until Friday - £5.70.  But I'm meant to be on a date tonight and another tomorrow, yikes!

Clearly I'm going to have to dip into some other funds to tide me over.  Dating is never cheap is it?!  I know it might be different in some other countries where the guy is meant to pay, but in England and modern times that's just not how we roll.  Besides, who wants to feel indebted to their date and obliged to then kiss them, see them again etc?  Going halves keeps it much more simple.

Still, I wish it was cheaper.  I'm thinking if I only have one alcoholic drink I could get away with £20 in total for both dates, fingers crossed!  Otherwise, how is the skint singleton ever to meet someone?

Not really sure why I'm going really as they are both several years younger than me and unlikely to become long term, but I still think as a single girl it's good to go out and meet people.  Also, as people say, you have to give people a chance, and age is well, (to coin a cliché) just a number, I suppose.

Back on the wagon?

Just noticed I haven't posted at all in 2013 yet - bad Debt Girl!

Well, work 1 is keeping me extremely busy (aka taking over my life), so everything else seems to be taking a bit of a backseat at the moment :(

Anyway, some updates since my last post:

• Had a fantastic Christmas and New Year, despite being ill I still managed to go out and have a lot of fun socialising - though spent rather a lot on nights out, oooops
• Only New Year's resolution was to have more fun this year, although obviously this is still limited by my lack of cash...
• My job 2 is now officially 'at risk' (as you may remember I mentioned in an earlier post could happen) and my hours have been cut due to absorbing staff from other stores, so my pay has taken quite a beating :(
• Had a birthday last week and am now 31... the less said about that the better
• Back on internet dating - serious lack of hotties though.  Been asked out a few times in 'reality' over the last few weeks but not by anyone I'm interested in - same old story. 
• Considering a move to one of England's finest cities over the next few months - got to find a job first obviously, but feel I need some excitement in my life caused by a big change, and have friends and sort of honorary family living in the city I'm considering.

Think that's you pretty much caught up.  Apart from my BIG news:

A close family member decided to give me £3k for my birthday!  They know I am battling with getting my debt down and said they are really proud of me for getting so far (from £19.5k to around £6k) and wanted to give me a helping hand.  The note that came with it was so sweet, I burst into tears!  Still stunned at such a generous present...  Tried to turn it down as too much, but they wouldn't let me.

Used the money to pay off the remainder of my loan, and half my main credit card, which is fantastic news.

However, over January/February I had already managed to add to my debt by £285 and gone into using my £100 overdraft again (it is interest free though).  So technically I've managed to rack up almost another £400, eeek!  I think this is because although I carefully budgeted for Christmas, I used up all my savings going out over the holidays, which didn't leave me much to live off come January, hence the dipping into credit... ~slaps wrist~

I have recently transfered the £285 to a 0% card so shouldn't have to pay any interest on it at least.

Well now with the cash injection from my birthday making debt-free-ness much nearer and given my second job are cutting my hours, I've decided it's time to get back on the wagon by getting back on with my £30 a week budget.  I've not kept to it for several months now, which was just about ok when I had more money coming in, but now my hours have been cut I need to tighten my spending up again.  Also, now the debt free date is nearer I feel I have a little more motivation to keep on track.

I should be debt free around August now, if all goes according to plan.  Which of course, it may not, as life doesn't always go according to plan now does it?!

Right, now to update my figures below (woo) and to change my age in the about me section (boo)...