Constantly checking balance??

[angela18]

Is anybody the same..

I feel I'm constantly checking bank balance online. I ask hubby exactly how much he spent and if he's used anymore?? Petrified in case I haven't got enough to live on..

Sometimes feel like i'm becoming obssessed or going insane!![:I]

Does it relax or get any easier as you go on.. I'm 4 payments in.

Or is being this careful a good thing?

[Kazzy E]

Hi Ang, I check my balance morning and evening to check whether transactions have gone through. Its good to keep an eye on things, and as we all now have accounts with no overdraft facility, the last thing we want is bank charges because we've inadvertantly gone overdrawn. Its not an obsession, I think its sensible. The only things that go through my account are our wages, utilities and insurances so I know exactly what should come out each month. The rest is done through cash transactions, but I always make sure I get a receipt so that I can prove my expenditure. Kazzy x

[angela18]

thanks kazzy.. all our shopping is on our easycash card.. so its all listed on there where money was spent.. Asda, vets etc.. very rarely use cash.. we have a visa electron for shopping etc.. which I don't think lets you over spend.. we use Smile for bills and petrol (asda doesn't accept easycash card at pumps and its all automated) etc.. and anything left in it goes for contingency etc at end of the month. which isn't alot [:I]

[Kazzy E]

Hi Ang, when we changed our account, we were only issued with a Solo card, and I am not at all confident with it as I am not 100% sure where it is accepted. When you pay on your electron, does it still take two or three days to show on your account or does it show immediately? Kazzy x

[angela18]

it takes a coupe of days.. but when i check balance it says balance without purchases but when I go into the account it shows amount available which is minus the figure..

say if I spent £20 in Asda Balance may show £100 but available to spend £80

[Kazzy E]

Oh right, yes thats how my old debit card used to work. Its funny, I've gone back to how I used to control my money 20 years ago. Sandwich bags with a note of each expenditure in each bag, one for you and one for you........ Its amazing, I was never in debt then and it worked. It was only when I started using cards that the trouble started for me

[angela18]

I only use the card as I never have any money in my purse.. I find if I have cash it spends alot faster.. giving out a couple of pound here and there.. I had £20 in my purse at beginning of week.. £5 left.. after giving daughter £10 on monday for dinners.. wheres the rest gone?? haven't a clue

[Kazzy E]

Lol [:D] I know what you mean, thats why I write everything down otherwise I wouldn't know either.

Gotta go to work, so hope you have a good day (not spending money)[;)] Spk later Kazzy x

[angela18]

you too.. i start 7.50 leaving soon.. x

[senraboj]

Hi guys
I'm in process of starting an iva, have just spoken to payplan yesterday, but think i will also speak to melanie. We spoke to CAB and they advised that we opened a new bank account immediately, which we did, so although we do not have an overdraft, we have debit cards. I'm worried that we will not have enough to live on, and then the consequences that follow. We have been living beyond our means for ages and its going to be so hard to make lifestyle changes!

Senraboj

[angela18]

it is hard adapting and sometimes quite disheartening.. but I just think this is all the money we get and its all we should have had in the first place.. I think we had no right to live the way we did as it wasn't ours to spend!! suffering consequences now.. we are managing at the moment and hope we carry on managing! Its a massive learning curve.. but hopefully I will succeed and pay back as much as I possibly can[:)]

[senraboj]

Thx Ang,
you're so right that it wasn't our money to spend, but I suppose I naiively thought we would be able to pay it back! I'm dreading having such a tight budget, we have 4 kids and birthdays & xmas are scaring me silly now. How does anyone manage<

x

[Lisa2009]

You will manage as long as your monthly contributions are affordable and you dont accept anything on a knee jerk reaction.
Christmas is hard but manageable. If you save here and there on shopping and contingencies, it leaves a bit more money available to save.

From my own experience, kids adapt and they will learn the value of money along side you and probably wont expect as much (ours didnt)
Remember they wont go without because friends and family will buy for them too. They just have to learn that they can only have what you can afford.
I'm sure they will be fine with that.

[Shining]

I use my Solo card all the time as I don't like to have cash, only one place online I haven't been able to use it so far so it's a pretty good card. With Natwest it shows as POS (point of sale) with amount online straightaway. Always check mine at least twice a day now.

[Lisa2009]

Hubbys IVA was completed in December and i still check both our accounts twice a day.
I think its like OCD now, i just cant stop.