Newbie!

fa5tkas

Hi all,

After twiddling my thumbs for a few weeks i have decided to do something about my 'situation'

Right ill give you a brief background - i guess its a starting point.

Since i passed my driving test at the age of 17 i have swapped my cars on a yearly basis (all being on finance) and untill recently never thought twice about it! (im now 21)
In January me and my boyfriend moved in to a house together - renting - as we thought we should 'try it out' before committing to buy. Now after nearly 10 months of living together we really want to buy - as we would like to make a house our 'home' and make them changes to make it ours. BUT with everything the way it is we need at least a 10% deposti (probably more) to even get a mortgage!

I have never really saved any money as it has always gone on my cars (i am very 'into' my cars lol) and just recently we bought a sensible car with lower tax and insurance etc in an attempt to save some money. I had to sell my car - which i lost £4500 on!!!

I am not left with a debt of £3000 which is on a credit card with 0% on untill December 2009. I am going to try my hardest to pay it off before then but i cant see the light at the end of the tunnel at the moment. If i am paying off that debt i am unable to save any money towards our deposit for our own 'home'

So i was browsing the internet and came accross this website and thought all you lovely people may be able to give me some ideas, tips and advice on how to get myself out of this debt and possibly some savings behind me. I think i need some inspiration and words of encouragment!

So Hi all

Kay x

madmich666

Hiya and welcome.

The first thing i would suggest is posting your SOA (statement of affairs) with your incoming wages and outgoings etc. I'm sorry Im not sure where it is on this site but hopefully someone will be along soon that can point you in the right direction.

dancingfairy

Hi and welcome. How about doing a spending diary and keeping track of everything you spend. That will really let you know where your areas of weakness are and where you can potentially cut back eg clothes/car bits/coke/bottled water/choc/crisps/magazines/dvd's/coffees/lunch at work/pint/cigarettes etc. Then you can decide whether you want to keep buying all these bits and bobs or whether you would prefer to put it towards the new house.
Would definitely do an SOA though - I tihnk there is one at Makesenseofcards.com or try the help for newbies thread. It's amazing how you can find savings.
Best of Luck
df

Jesthar

Statement of Affairs calculator is here:

http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

If youse use the 'MSE' button in the 'Format results for discussion board' bit near the bottom, you'll be able to cut and paste straight in to a post here.

~Jes

fa5tkas

thank you both for the welcome. I think i will do a spending diary - i guess its amazing how much you spend on little things when you add them up right?

I cant really do a SOA because my debt is my debt and not my partners. He earns £5k more than me a year (soon to be 10k more in 6 months) and has NO debt what-so-ever! He is really good to me and helps me out a lot - treats me to things. So what it would come out with at the end would include his income which i dont have (unfortunatly lol)

Silverbird

Hello and welcome!

You can still do an SOA, but just include your own, personal details.

I would suggest signing up with survey sites, if you haven't already, to get money and/or vouchers for completing surveys (Valued Opinions, Ciao, Global TestMarket etc). Could you do some mystery shops too? Retail Eyes, Grassroots, GAPBuster and GFK are ones worth looking into.

Are you able to get a second job or work an evening or two a week. Any extra you earn can go straight off that 3K debt.

I know it's horrible if you want to buy now, but it's best to clear your debt first.

Hubby and I have put our family-making plans on hold until we are debt-free. As frustrating as that is, it's the way it has to be for the best. Once we're debt-free we can start saving like mad things.

I hope some of this helps and good luck with everything.

fa5tkas

I work a 9-5 job in the week, but i take a lot of work home with me for the overtime! I fit it in when i can but i am so busy - having a house and a boyfriend to look after is so time consuming - i had never realised!

If i concentrate on my work then the house is a mess and if i concentrate on the house then i dont do my over time. I cant win! So the second job is a no no, there is not enough hours in my day at the moment

i signed up for survey sights a while ago - but never heard anything back - how much do people on average get from these sights?

Ahha- mystery shops - i keep seeing this phrase everywhere - what exactly is this? what does it involve?

Im willing to give anything a shot really as to be debt free anytime soon would be such a relief!

Thank you everyone for all your help.

Moozer

Just a quick question - and please don't think I am being rude, I'm really not - if you are both working full time why is it just you who needs to look after the house? Can't you split the household stuff?

fa5tkas

perhaps its the way i have been bought up - who knows- and i dont want to start a debate but i feel like i should do all the house hold things as i am the woman and he is the bigger earner!

I know that is very sexist in this day and age but its how my mum and dad did it and how their parents did it. He doesnt 'expect' me to do it but i feel its my 'job'.

besides - he cant cook - or use the washing machine. no matter how many times i show him!! He helps occasionly with the cleaning but i feel like i have to re-do everything he has done anyway! his clean is not my clean!!!

CLAPTON

if women look after the house and their man in that sexist way then the man is the main provider and should help you out financially.... In any event you doing all the work is stopping you become debt free.

Silverbird

I work 9 to 5 Monday to Friday and have just last week started a second job to work weekends.

You do what you feel you have to do.

Yes, the house is a mess, but I feel it's something we're just going to have to live with for the time being. I shall tackle a small area each evening of the week, but for the most part it's going to be a messy house and I can live with that if it means I'm making more money to pay off my debts so I can start my life sooner.