What are you doing to get debt free .... join in!

i thought i would start a thread to encourage everyone to share their heartache and stubornness at paying off their debts.


so in a way its a bit like the individual debt diarys but one topic for everyone to add a post to that we can update once a month or weekly or daily basis!

NO NEGATIVES please! only post to say what great stuff you've done like a car boot sale - or sold children on ebay (not endorsing this lol).

An overall POSITIVE topic that can boost people's emotional state when their debt is overwhelming them! I know that this whole forum is for this but one thread will be great to browse!


I WILL START!

in june i cancelled my online DVD service AND i sold my car and payed off nearly £5K off of my debts! it was very upsetting to do but it needed to be done and looking at my signature figure and how that has shrunk im very impressed!

this month i am doing 20Hrs of overtime which should be another £200 extra!

im also gonna ring sky and cancel!
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#113 12K in 2020 Challenge #113 £17,103/£12,000 £15000
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Comments

  • K9cuddles
    K9cuddles Posts: 2,202 Forumite
    I HAVE to do a min 20 hours overtime to double my debt repayments, just I've been really good the last few months doing 75, 57 and 65!!! I've done 22 already THIS month! :D
    Official DFW Nerd Club - Member no. 092

    ::£2 - CSC - Terramundi is filling up!! :: Joined 3/3/06 :: 5/2/07 - 835kg + £280 Banked!!::
    ::5p,10p & 20p - Savings Tin :: Founded 9/4/06 :: 23/3/07 - 3.2kg ::

    Lost to date - 9kg (22/8/06) Next weigh in 2007!!
  • Hello,

    Some of things I have done in the past six months:-

    *Cancelled my direct debit to NSPCC - it was only £2 a month but I decided that I could give more when I was debt free

    *Changed my credit card to Barclaycard's 0% deal til February 2007

    *Changed my bank account to Smile in case of bank charges backlash (gutted I didn't get free wine they are offering now OR do it through quidco - what was I thinking?)

    *Saved up £2 coins and 20ps and spent them on housey things - like gardening implements etc - as there is no money for any of this in my monthly budget

    *Sold about £600+ worth of stuff on eBay and a couple of books on Amazon - this has tailed off recently as have not much else left to sell

    *Had a stall at a craft fair with my glass painting/wedding favours business (disaster, but at least I tried!)

    *Set up a wedding favour mini business on eBay - on hold at the moment until my full time job commitments calm down a bit

    *Applied for 3 jobs paying more salary - waiting to hear on one at the moment and would be a £6k payrise at least!

    *got £884.62 back in bank charges (including court fee and interest). Well chuffed with this one!

    *Two car boot sales - both times a disaster - I'm not being negative, just honest! Only made about £20 from each after costs

    *Taken a second job at a weekend in a local tearoom at a garden centre - only lasted a day and a half as I couldn't cope with working 7 days a week with a demanding full time job

    *Advertised and done lots of babysitting locally - probably about £200 - £250 over the past few months - very sporadic though

    *and...I'm in Take a Break magazine this week boasting about my car boot sale find - netting me £50!

    I'm sure I've done other stuff - I just can't remember it all right now.

    I have more plans for money making in the future - including getting to grips with quidco, ipoints etc and trying to sell a bit more on Amazon as well as sending off more stuff to magazines, maybe trying to write some articles for weekly magazines and re-setting up my wedding favour business on eBay.

    Can't wait to hear from everyone else!

    scottishspendaholic x
    MBNA = £4,000 / Next = £925 (approx. tbc on 19/8)
    Tesco = £2,910.11 / Smile overdraft = £500
    Bank of Scotland = £2,782.83
  • newleaf
    newleaf Posts: 3,132
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker PPI Party Pooper
    Forumite
    Confessed all to OH.

    Changed mobile phone to PAYG (Tesco - cheap!)

    Initiated switch from Npower to Powergen for gas & electricity via uswitch.

    BT'd MBNA debt (15.9% APR) and Egg loan (6.7% APR) for 0% til Sept 2007 CC.

    Realised there is money to be made by not paying off big chunks, but saving the money in account to gain interest and paying card off in full the month before 0% period ends.

    SHREDDED the Pin no for my new card without memorising it!

    Set up DD for CC payments to avoid the potential expense, pain & misery caused by missed payments (not that I ever have missed one, but there's always a first).

    Started taking packed lunch to work every day.

    Stopped looking in shops at stuff I can't afford.

    Stopped ordering stuff I can't afford online or from QVC.

    Sold stuff on ebay - £160 raised.

    Swapped weekly 'big' shop from Tesco to Morrisons, and 'top up' shop from Morrisons to Lidl, imposing a strict budget.

    Taken full advantage of all free samples, BOGOFs and coupons. (I now have no pride whatsoever!).

    Bought MSE Martin's book (2nd hand), read it, and lent it to a debt laden friend.

    Began trawling MSE Old Style board for useful household tips, streamlined shopping list for cleaning items to include only Stardrops, microfibre cloths and 3 powder laundry mix ingredients.

    Halved the amount of laundry detergent I use.

    Stopped using fabric softener apart from a tiny bit in a bowl to hand rinse items vulnerable to static cling (underslips etc).

    Stopped using tumble dryer and purchased clothes maiden for bad weather laundry days.

    Started buying only 'own brand' or 'Value/ budget' version items where possible.

    Started posting on here every day without fail, enjoying support and supporting others.

    Cancelled subscription to Gardening magazine (never had time to read it).

    Started £2 coin collection. (£10 so far!)

    Think this is all for now, but it has made a huge difference to my situation and I h paid off almost £1k in the first month. I won't be able to manage that much every month, but it has given me a hell of a start and I feel in control for the first time in my adult life!
    Official DFW Nerd No 096 - Proud to have dealt with my debt!
  • newleaf
    newleaf Posts: 3,132
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker PPI Party Pooper
    Forumite
    Perhaps it could be made a 'sticky'?
    Official DFW Nerd No 096 - Proud to have dealt with my debt!
  • jessicamb
    jessicamb Posts: 10,446
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Great thread.

    I have done the following since I joined MSE back in February:

    Switched home phone to Post Office for £50 cash back (this is approx 4 months free home phone)
    Cancelled a book subscription
    Sold books on Amazon & Ebay
    Switched to Stardrops and Microfibre Cloths
    Joined Pigsback and got my second Boots voucher today. Saving for Xmas/treats
    Sign up for as many freebies as possible, makes my day when I get something for nothing
    Spend all my time on MSE, particularly weekend parties thus being unable to spend any money.
    Check t'internet banking everyday - so I know exactly what I've got going in/out.
    Decided to put a career development plan in place to get some more money asap
    Spent the bare minimum this month - but still feel as though this is extravagent compared to Emmzis benefits challenge which I'm just too scared to join in.


    As a result I shall hopefully be back on track next month in terms of liquidity (OD and CC sorted) and can then move on to the loan and start saving for a new bathroom.

    Thanks to all MSE's for help and advice.
    The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese :cool:
  • HomeJames_3
    HomeJames_3 Posts: 159 Forumite
    Hi everyone
    Since joining the site Ive
    Got 1/2 price sky for 3 months
    Joined the grocery challange and hopefully cut our shopping by £200 pm
    Cancelled our DVD subscription saving £13.49 per mth
    changed the cat and dog food saving £6.11 per month
    changed bank account saving £6 per month service charge
    had a boot sale making £220
    cancelled gym membership saving £34.95 per month
    changed dog insurance saving £6.00 per month
    shopped at tesco online with e-voucher saving £10.00 on bill
    started saving £2 coins £18.00 to date
    contacted MBNA and got 0% for 9 months then 7.9 for LOB and BT other cards (14.9) to them
    Saved £10 per month on DD to BT
    Started doing washing during the night on cheap rate
    started a shopping diary

    We feel really proud of what weve achieved so far and weve only being doing this for 2 weeks!!! We couldnt have done this without the help from all you great guys at MSE
    Oh I forgot to mention Ive done 26 hrs overtime so far this month and its only the 4th of July!!
    Official DFW nerd 206 Proud to be dealing with my debt
    £2 savers club joined 25/6/06 £54:dance: (0ver £1200 banked)
    LB moment June 06 Debt payed off so far £36000 DFD March 2010:eek:
    Reclaimed fees
    MBNA £302 RBOS £49.58 Mint £25.95
    PPI: A&L £2074 Freemans £770 MBNA £944:j
  • kuohu
    kuohu Posts: 913
    First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Oooo, good idea for a thread! Handy to remind ourselves of all the things that we should be doing.

    - Applied for 0% HSBC credit card and moved Amex balance over onto that. Steadily clearing it down. (Yes I know that's wasted interest in a way, but seeing the balance going down every month works for me).

    - Started logging all my spending on Microsoft Money. Update and/or view every day. Budget targets set for each month.

    - Switched broadband provider from £25 a month to £15 (Eclipse 8mb uncapped).

    - Cleared costly overdraft at bank. Was really only laziness that was keeping me in the red every month. A bit of budgeting and it was gone.

    - Cancelled premium charge on the current account (Natwest Advantage, £10 a month at the time. Even more now I think).

    - Check online banking every day.

    - Use Tesco Clubcard all the time.

    - Live on either fresh fruit/veg or Tesco Value products.

    - Got an Egg Money card for the 1% cashback. (Pay off in full every month, I don't carry any negative balance costing interest). Use for all fuel and food shopping. (Which is all my shopping I guess :) )

    - This last few weeks, made decision to ditch old car that was not going to get through MOT (without a few hundred being spent on it) and buy a new used car which is diesel. Fair enough this was an outlay but it wasn't money down the drain on the old knackered car and it should save over £50 a month in fuel costs.

    - Tarted a couple of DVD club schemes.

    - Read MSE every day! :j

    Nick
    DFW Nerd 035
  • Boomdocker
    Boomdocker Posts: 1,201
    Photogenic First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    What a simple but powerful thread.

    I have:
    Joined MSE :p
    List odds and end ends on Ebay
    List a few itme son Amazon
    Used to use Greenmetropolis but I recently stopped that and transferred it to Amazon
    Bank my change jar regularly
    Done two booties
    Set up a stand alone saving account for the funds from above so I do not touch them
    Swithched my extortionate mobile to PAYG, £10 lasts me 2 months. Was paying £20 a month
    Started to cook some meals from scratch, not all but some it helps and its healthy
    Started taking lunch and cereal to work
    Shop with a list at Asda and use coupons to save where I can
    Joined the £2 savings club and save my loyalty points to help with Chrimbo (see siggy)
    Realised my cats won't die if they eat a 90p 800g box of shops own biccies as opposed to Iams
    Opened a savings account to 'pay myself' for a rainy day/emergency fund
    Cleared my 2 catalogue debts

    Do you know what, I hadn't realised I did so much until I wrote it down. I am actually quite chuffed with myself. :j
    Boots Card - £17.53, Nectar Points - £15.06 - *Saving for Chrimbo*
    2015 Savings Fund - £2575.00
  • Broken_hearted
    Broken_hearted Posts: 9,553 Forumite
    Realised I won't curl up and die if I don't have a holiday
    Cut up credit cards
    Prioritised debts and paying them off
    Use coupons money off/extra points codes
    Joined pigsback
    Claimed back bank charges
    Cut back how much coke I drink
    Check bank statements very carefully
    Dusted off my savings account book and started saving for the things I need.
    Barclaycard 3800

    Nothing to do but hibernate till spring






  • Toto
    Toto Posts: 6,680
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    I guess my big one was deciding to sell the house to pay off debt and to get out of a crippling IO mortgage. This will obviously make me debt free in one hit. But, on top of that to make sure we live as cheaply as possible, allowing me to save money monthly I have

    Quidco-ed as much as possible (I have £300 due from them)

    ebayed loads of stuff and made another £300.

    I have reduced our weekly shop to £50 per week for 2 adults, 1 teenager and 2 kids.

    I have so far managed to redecorate my entire downstairs with tins of paint I had in the shed (spent, £15 on decorating supplies)

    I have changed utility suppliers and insurance (through quidco) saving around £20 per month.

    Most importantly I now see things in shops as next years junk, which will end up either in the bin or on ebay for a fraction of its cost. That stops me from wanting to spend anything.
    :A
    :A
    "Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid" - Albert Einstein
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