I WILL get there!!

kirtsypoos · 24 July 2015 at 12:08PM

Hello,

I've been lurking on this site for almost 2 years now, admiring everyone elses stories but never quite getting the balls to sort myself out.

Well, that's all changed. I've been diagnosed with a severe reproductive disease and advised to have children in the next 2 years if I want them or it will no longer be an option...bit of a shock to the system and a jolt out of the credit card haze I've been living in, as I'm in no position to have a family with the amount of debt I have now.

I had a lot of time off sick whilst waiting for a diagnosis/having surgery and don't get paid sick pay so used an interest free money transfer to pay my rent for a few months last year and managed to keep up the rest of my minimum payments but this just added to the problems I already had. I've started a great drug regime and haven't had any time off since my last op so I'm aiming to keep that up and pay as much as I can off all my debts as quickly as possible.

So here's the list of debts that I've buried my head in the sand about for years!

£6732.27 MBNA (interest free until Jun 2016)
£2746.89 Barclaycard (Interest free until June 2018)
£560.00 Barclaycard
£2740.96 Vanquis (This is actually my parents debt albeit stupidly in my name as the were on an IVA, and they are making the repayments)
£1789.23 Very (half Interest Free Until November, the other half interest free until May 2016)
£10562.14 Natwest Loan (Cleared an amigo loan and some payday loans that I had stupidly got into - much lesser interest than the original debts)

Total £25131.49 (ouch!! Although better than the 29400.23 it was at this time last year...)

(with the MBNA and long barclaycard interest free I've managed to balance transfer 6(!) smaller credit cards which I was paying extortionate interest on, so that's a bonus at least)

I guess I'm just after a bit of support - I made a lot of stupid decisions when I was younger but never thought it would affect me having my dream of a family but when I sat down and added it all up I felt sick, and like it was a little insurmountable. I know I can do it - I can't think of a better reason than my (hopefully) future children

Thanks for reading

Kirsty

twiggy86 · 24 July 2015 at 12:37PM

Just wanted to say good luck!

Also, completely different circumstances but my friend was told a few years ago that she doesn't ovulate. She was recently incredibly ill and after much persuasion to do a test it turns out she's pregnant and suffering extreme morning sickness, despite her being convinced it couldn't possibly be that! So you never know, doctors don't always get it right!

kirtsypoos · 24 July 2015 at 4:23PM

Thanks Twiggy86, I'm concentrating on success stories at the moment to help me cope, but I'm hoping my debt free goal will help too!

Bobarella · 24 July 2015 at 8:21PM

Good luck Kirsty. It must have been quite a shock finding out about your fertility issues. But I have met so many women who were told it would never happen for and they mostly have 2 kids a piece. As Twiggy says it can happen when you least expect it. But in the meantime getting shot of the debt can't hurt either.
Good luck with everything.
Bob

kirtsypoos · 27 July 2015 at 2:25PM

Thanks Bobarella!

Well, my SO moved in with me over the weekend. Hopefully the reduced bills will allow me to pay off my debt a bit sooner.
I've made £30.30 selling a few bits and pieces on ebay which I'll be using to pay off the very account (it's the one that plays on my mind the most, which might seem silly but I'd rather get it paid before it's out of interest free and then focus on the MBNA card)
I'm at a bit of a loss with how else to earn money (I work long hours, and my SO was in a furnished apartment so we don't have any furniture to sell)

Thanks for reading again

twiggy86 · 27 July 2015 at 2:47PM

I don't have the capacity to earn extra money, however you'd be surprised what you can do when you set your mind to it! And the little bits really do add up - I transferred 67p to my CC the other day after claiming it from TopCashBack! You also really need to pay attention to where your money goes - I was a fan of diet coke and normally bought a bottle every day/every other day - £1.25 here, £1.25 there - which seems nothing really! That's about £10 a week! So that habit stopped and I may treat myself to 8 cans of own brand for £1.50!

And re Very - you need to do what suits you mentally as well as financially. It isn't always the biggest/highest interest which plays on our minds!

kirtsypoos · 27 July 2015 at 3:20PM

Thanks Twiggy, I'm really trying to look at what I spend on 'treats', but I've quit smoking and that was my only treat really!
I'm doing a 2 week meal plan tonight so I can try and eliminate the stopping off at the supermarket when I'm hungry and picking up bits I want rather than what I need - Any cheapish options which include meat would be appreciated (SO won't entertain the thought of a meal without meat!)
I think once very is out of the way I will feel much more at ease with what order to pay things off - I hate the fact that there's numerous different interest free end dates to remember!

HarrysMummy · 27 July 2015 at 4:53PM

Hi Kirsty

I agree with paying off whatever plays on your mind the most. This will keep ypu going, along withthe future (hopefully) children.
Meal planning has also really helped me and really cut down what I spend on food. Me and my OH (and toddler) were spending around £250 a month on food, which never got wasted I might add. But we now manage on around £130-150 a month so that was a big saving for us. We found a local butcher who does great deals and just order from him once every couple of weeks or a big order each month and freeze everything in portions. That way I don't over cook and then end up over eating, I also batch cook things like lasagne and chilli and freeze the extra portions for days when I can't really be bothered cooking. Hope some of that helps!

engineer_amy · 27 July 2015 at 5:00PM

kirtsypoos wrote: »

Any cheapish options which include meat would be appreciated (SO won't entertain the thought of a meal without meat!)

I read a post on someone elses thread about adding a few handfuls of red lentils to things like spaghetti Bolognese, chili, lasagne. You use the same amount of mince and veg, but it thickens the sauce and bulks it out a bit, giving you extra portions to freeze for another meal. Good source of protein, and apparently when combined with mince, you don't notice any difference in textures. im planning on trying it this week as I have lots of lentils in the cupboard.

There is a board called Old Style moneysaving, there are lots of threads on there offering recipes, cheaper alternatives and lots of things you may not have thought of!

Bobarella · 27 July 2015 at 7:15PM

kirtsypoos wrote: »

Thanks Bobarella!

Well, my SO moved in with me over the weekend. It was something we hadn't wanted to do until we were in a position to marry/buy a house but that isn't going to be anytime soon and hopefully the reduced bills will allow me to pay off my debt a bit sooner.
I've made £30.30 selling a few bits and pieces on ebay which I'll be using to pay off the very account (it's the one that plays on my mind the most, which might seem silly but I'd rather get it paid before it's out of interest free and then focus on the MBNA card)
I'm at a bit of a loss with how else to earn money (I work long hours, and my SO was in a furnished apartment so we don't have any furniture to sell)

Thanks for reading again

Im glad your SO has moved in. Hopefully you will enjoy lots of low cost evenings together now, & it doesnt mean you cant do the other things you dream of still, down track.

Earning extra money isnt easy, but it is possible. I keep a track in my Wombling score in my sig. This year I have made over £400 so far from doing the following:
- Picking up roadkill (money found in the street) have got lucky with a couple of £5ers, a £10er & several £1 coins, plus all the usual suspects, coppers etc.
- Actively seeking out reciepts for supermarkets with unclaimed points on them, then taking them to be added at the customer service desk.
- Actively seeking brand match, price promise and the like coupons which are just free money essentially. Also doing the same with any money off coupons, like £2.25 off a £15 shop.
- The tips I have made in my job, & by working at other jobs involving tips.
- Market research surveys that pay bigger, I joined a panel for my business energy supplier and have so far made £80 this year from doing 1 telephone interview & 1 online focus group.
- Using Checkoutsmart & Shoptize for all purchases that are valid. Have a look at both & sign up if you havent already. For example this weekend just gone they were giving away a free pint of milk, & free bread.
- Using cashback sites as standard. I just made £31.50 from my home insurance policy for the year, which I bought back in Jan, but its taken till now to go to payable. But its free money.

Think those are the main ones in my wombling heading. But loads of people on here do competitions, one lady on a regular thread I am part of has won TVs and all sorts already this year, then she sells it.

Good luck

Bob:T

kirtsypoos · 28 July 2015 at 12:42PM

Thank you all so much for the ideas, I'm pretty good at hunting out bargains usually (although I really have to work hard at remembering that it isn't a bargain if I wouldn't have bought it normally!) so I'm going to focus on food offers.
Not entirely going to plan at the moment though, my washer dryer blew up 2 weeks ago and I've just been told that it will cost £150 to repair and may not last even after the repair - I'm now torn about whether to scrap it and buy a new one so I have a warranty or get it repaired and keep fingers crossed it keeps working!!
Also going to be in need of a freezer which is just more money! It doesn't rain, it pours!

I WILL get there!!

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