live off my salary, not overdraft

At the same time as taking out a loan to pay off my credit cards, I took out enough to cover the overdraft as well. So for the past month or more I haven’t gone into it although I am running a tight line. I have recently started a new job that earns me more which certainly helps. I still need to cancel the overdraft though, I think I’ll reduce it to £100 for emergencies but stay out of it. I can afford to now and with my experiences, I’d be stupid to just go into it for the sake.

I got paid today! :D

The reason why this is post-worthy is because this is the first month since July that I haven’t gone into my overdraft! :D

I know I got £461 of unexpected money, but I still had £464.57 in my account when I got paid. I would have successfully got myself out of my overdraft even without the money! I’m SO fucking happy it’s amazing! I knew I’d do it this month.

What makes it even more weird is that it’s the first pay after Christmas and that’s when most people are at the worst part of their overdrafts. :D

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I’m happy!

and I still have the amount of money I normally have at the beginning of the month when I’ve paid my overdraft.

Unless something completely unexpected and ridiculously expensive happens I should be out of my overdraft in less than a week! :D

After having overdrafts on all three of our accounts, we have managed to be comfortable in our join account having been nearly £200 into the overdraft before christmas, and also we have got Emma’s from over £100 into the overdraft to back into the black. Mine is £500 into the overdraft, right at the limit. Don’t think I’ll be out of this for a long time to come but as long as we keep the other two out of there overdrafts for now, we’ll be happy. Got other stuff to pay off that is more important at the minute. The interest isn’t much on mine, barey noticeable. I have even cancelled two direct debits this month, small ones but nevertheless, its a saving.

I got a cheque from the government for £411 which I only just got round to opening. I wish I’d opened it sooner now. o_O

That should pretty much keep me out of my overdraft this month, meaning I’ll beat my challenge a month early! :D

Again, this one kinda merges in with the get out of debt one but can be classed as an individual target for me as well to help me to get out of debt.

For the past 3 or 4 years I have had a £500 overdraft which I am only ever out of when I have been paid. I’m not stupid with my money (any more – I can’t afford to be) its just with my own house and car etc as soon as I’ve been paid and all bills have been paid, there’s nothing but dust left in my account!

Over these past couple of years I have found myself even going over this amount and receiving heavy charges which never helps the budget so I am being even more careful now so not to receive any more. I eventually want to get rid of this account and have all our bills and wages coming from our joint account but it will be hard to dispense of a £500 overdraft as every month I have nothing to keep back.

Again I shall have to review our finances and see where we could be saving money etc and try to achieve this target as soon as possible.

Surprisingly, going away on holiday may well have solved this one for me. I saved a lot of money before I went, which kept me at the same point in my overdraft. I got paid again while I was away, but that was 2 weeks ago. I pretty much only spent the money I saved while I was away, so now I have the normal amount above my overdraft to last for 2 weeks, rather than the usual month.

There’s light at the end of the tunnel ;)

I waste so much money every month on stupid overdraft charges and late fees. I know that I make enough money to cover my expenses if I just learned to be more responsible with my money. It is so frustrating. I am so frustrating.

I managed to save another £100 this month, and now I have something to be saving for too. I’m going on holiday over Christmas/New Year. It’s going to end up costing quite a bit of money, but I’m not too worried.

This month would definitely have seen me out of my overdraft, but then I bought coach and plane tickets. I might still make it anyway, but a lot of bills arrived this month too. I know I can make it without too much trouble once the whole Christmas/New Year wallet-waster is over.

I bought a PSP the other week. So that was a good portion of my wages gone in less than 5 minutes. It has helped me to stay in the house for the remainder of the month though.

This afternoon my wireless NIC decided to break meaning I had to go and buy a new one (heaven forbid I should use a wire). While I was in Expensive Computer Parts Shop (PC World) I saw a 7-port USB hub that I could use to save me unplugging things sometimes. So naturally I bought it. That doubled the amount I spent in the shop :\

I still have money left over, but again, I still have 2 bills to come out shortly before I get paid again that’ll take me just over into my overdraft. I have managed to save another £100 this month though, so that’s good. I can take going £100 into my overdraft if it’s £100 that I’m actually saving somewhere for something in the future.