Getting Head above water - long term plan

B

Bee

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Hi all,

Have had a bit of bad month with a load of unexpected bills coming in. Have decided instead of crying about the lack of money to sort things out for the long term.

I'm moving my credit card to one with a lower APR(Ice in fact).

I've changed my utility bills to be monthly to make it easier to manage my finances monthly as this is how I get paid. I've also decided to start bringing lunch into work and to start shopping as much as possible in Aldi and LIDL.

Problem with the latter is that I went into Aldi in Blanchardstown and it was so packed and messy that I had to leave as I felt claustrophic.

Anyway, I'm looking for any other advice anyone can give me, I can manage to sort something out in the short term and am due to get a lot of overtime the end of this month which will dig me out of the hole.However I really want to sort myself out a long term plan so any advice anyone can give me I'd really appreciate it.

Also, I'm looking for two old threads that used to be in Non Financial discussions (I think) but I can't find them - if anyone could provide me with the links that'd be great.

The threads I'm looking for are
-One on sandwich/packed lunch ideas
  1. -A discussion on AldI and Lidl and what was good to buy and not good to buy in each of them,
Thanks
 
You might find some generally useful budgeting/spending tips in this topic. At least reading it will keep you from spending money for a few hours! ;)
 
Hi Bee
Sorry to hear about your financial problems, but well done for being proactive. I can offer a few suggestions, ... Alvin Hall has a book called 'your money or your life' which I found to be excellent.

Shop around certainly, but don't buy more than you need. About once every few months I try to use up all the food in the store cupboards and freezer ... you would be amazed how much food is lying there unused. Can you cook? If you can steer away from processed food you will save yourself a lot of money.

Cut your esb bill by turning off lights, tv etc when not in use.

Cut your heating by closing your curtains before dark (glass gets too cold)... make sure you never leave your doors open, even if you are only popping out to the car/bin/washing line for a sec.

Stay out of the shops as much as possible. If you don't go in, they can't extract the money from you. And you won't know what you are missing!

Allow yourself a treat occasionally ... decide beforehand what your budget is.

Look on rollercoaster.ie - /discussion on money matters for living on less tips.

Good luck.
 
There's an Aldi in Finglas that I was in once or twice - fairly new and right beside LIDL. Both times I was in it tehre was hardly anybody there..... might cure your claustrophobia...........


MAC
 
What is your income versus expenditure like?
Are their any cash-eating habits that you could get rid of?
 
Hi all - thanks for the tips.

I'm not at the moment in huge difficulty -I just want to make sure that I never get into that situation.

Henny Penny - thanks for the closing the curtains before dark tip - I didn't know that one before.

Also - might try and 'shop around' for alternatives to my local Aldi/Lidl as per Dr. Moriarty.

And Guest - my income to expenditure ratio is good- I've got it worked out to very fine detail, I just want to make sure that if the unexpected crops up that I have the reserve to handle it and not have to use credit.

As for cash -eating habits I'm trying to get rid of a major one at the moment. Three days now on nicotine patches and counting!!!!!

Also got good news today, the charge that was tipping me over the edge was well above what it should have been and I've gotten it refunded with a nice apology so I'm fine again for this month. But I'm still going to look at that long term plan for myself.

Oh for the good old days when we were used to saving all the time and not using credit - to a certain extent that's my eventual aim - to get rid of the credit card except for booking tickets etc, and to always have the money in the current account to pay it off straight away.
Bee
 
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