Little Charlies Fun and Games!

LittleCharlie

Hey, I've been posting a little for the past few weeks, but thought I'd formally intruduce myself in the hope of moving my plans on a little quicker!

My name is Charlie (although I'm female - I think Dad always secretly wanted a boy) and I'm 23, living and working in Essex at the moment. My story is complicated (aren't they all!).

At present, I'm in debt to the tune of just over £2000. This doesn't seem like much, but it's one of those nagging constant debts that I just haven't been able to shake for the last few years. Basically, I just haven't bothered and kept buying lots of nice things for myself.

I moved back in with my Mum two and a half years ago because the landlord where I was living put the rent up and I couldn't afford it on the job I had. So 250 miles back to home I went. I brought with me a new laptop and iPod purchase... which was the main source of my debt at the time, along with a small credit card.

This May, my partner has asked me to move in with him. This will be somewhat different to normal, since he is an Officer with HM Forces. I'll be looking to quit my job and take on a part time one when we move, fully knowing that I'll be unlikely to hold down a stable job for the next 18 years or so! With this in mind, I've gone down the route of starting my own photography business. I'm having limited sucess at the moment, but I put this mostly down to the fact that I work a full time job, and spend most weekends with my partner (125 miles away) so I don't get to put too much time into it at the moment. Of course, hopefully this will all change in May.

I'm also going to be starting a study at home photography degree in the next month or two, with the hope of having a BA Hons meaning that business' will take me more seriously as a photographer. One of the major tenders that I'm going for is the MoD. Basically the RAF turned down my application to be a photographer on medical grounds and over staffing, so I'm taking the back door route! I need to prove I can do the job both in qualifications and portfolio.

So where does all this leave me? Well, I want to clear my debt before I move in May. I also need to pay £4500 for a degree course (albeit in £530 installments roughly). I also need to support myself while doing said degree course and moving out, although this isn't so much of a problem because my better half is on rather good pay. I just don't like to be too dependant.

However, there is a twist.

My Grandmother passed away in September, and last month I discovered I have been left £15k. Of course, this is more than enough to pay of my debt and pay for the degree. But I would really like to keep this £15k to put down on a house deposit when the economy starts looking up. I don't want to just spend my inheritance on rubbish, I want to make it count. I also want the extra £650 or so a year it can bring me from intrest!

So the plan is, to pay off as much as the debt before the money comes (we're expecting it before Christmas) and then use the money to clear anything outstanding and pay for the first module of the degree. Then pay back all that money I've borrowed into the inheritance savings pot.

Ok, I've rambled a bit. But I'm doing the £10 a day challenge and the NSD. In fact, I'm only going to allow myself to spend, what I can make the month before in addition to my full time wages (just over 1k a month). I'm hoping to be clear and have earnt back the money for the first module by April, my birthday. Then I'm canceling the overdraft and the credit card!

I also need to declutter my room because the amount of rubbish that I've obtained over the last few years sure isn't moving with me in May!

(And just as an extra twist - we won't know where we're moving to until April! Or if we're even moving at all, because my lovely other half is presently concerned about his job, he has been suffering with Cancer since March, and has just been given the semi all clear. If anyone wants to know about testicular cancer, feel free to ask any questions.)

skint_chick

hi charlie and welcome to dfw - everyone's been really nice to me and i've only just joined. Glad to hear your OH has got the almost all clear and fingers crossed on that. I think your plan about trying to get as much paid of your debt as poss before your inheritance comes is a great idea. And I'm sure your grandmother would approve of you using the money for your degree to give yourself a career. If it was me I would do the same and then every month pay back the money in installments as if the inheritance was a bank - although a 0% friendly bank!! Good luck with everything - especially not knowing where you're moving and the decluttering! My OH finally brought all his stuff to my house after we married and he has at least 3 times the amount of stuff I do - so don't listen to ppl who say girls are the worst clutterers

LittleCharlie

skint_chick wrote: »

If it was me I would do the same and then every month pay back the money in installments as if the inheritance was a bank - although a 0% friendly bank!!

Good luck with everything - especially not knowing where you're moving and the decluttering! My OH finally brought all his stuff to my house after we married and he has at least 3 times the amount of stuff I do - so don't listen to ppl who say girls are the worst clutterers

That's the plan! My own personal bank, protected in case everything goes !!!! over tit... The only downside is that I now won't be able to sign onto the dole when I first move to get that extra £40 a week since I have savings, so we're thinking of temporarily dumping it into a savings account in OH's name. Cheeky, but not as bad as what some people do.

Fortunatly my OH has lived in barracks (posh ones though) for the last 18 months, so he's really not got many possessions. Except lots of books, a fish tank and a flippin' hamster called Princess. I am the queen of clutter on the other hand. I also tend to pick up hobbies that I buy all the stuff for then lose intrest when I can't do it...

Miss_Piggy_2

A hamster called Princess? Hmm...

Anyway...I think you sound very sensible and its good to hear you want to do something constructive with your inheritence.

However, I would still use part of that money to clear your debts. The interest you gain on the money being in a savings account will probably in no way match the interest you are being charged on your debt.

As Skint Chick suggest, why no "Pay" yourself back some each month? You will regain that £2000 in no time.

Good luck with everything

Miss P
xx

LittleCharlie

Miss_Piggy wrote: »

A hamster called Princess? Hmm...

As Skint Chick suggest, why no "Pay" yourself back some each month? You will regain that £2000 in no time.

I know. How can a man who is in the Armed Forces as a Police Officer have a hamster called Princess. I wanted to call the stupid thing Rambo, but he didn't like that.

I'm going to do that with the inheritance and then pay myself back, but I'm def going to stick around here while I do it. I give into temptation into easily. Think I'm going to go back to my Catholic schoolgirl days and keep reciting the mantra of "Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil...".

skint_chick

you should def auction off all you hobby stuff in time for xmas - there's bound to be ppl on ebay etc looking for cheap pressie suggestions - i'm trying to convince OH to sell his snowbard, boots and kit to ppl going skiing after xmas but he thinks he may need it! Even though he hasn't been near a mountain in 5yrs! And the snowboarding hols were the reason Capital One cancelled his card and defaulted him :mad: I've so much stuff to sort out and auction - have you got old cd's i sold some on music magpie. I got some good offers for best of compilations and even a cheesy dance cd from 1996 managed to rustle up 75p although OH wants to keep the celine dion and climie fisher!

hamsters are easy pets i have one and she is easy to take care of and very friendly -but the noise of her wheel at night can be a bit annoying if it doesn't get oiled regularly.

I was thinking about trying the live on £4000 for a year challenge because I want to be able to achieve financial freedom- as far as poss with a mortgage - and i thought it would be good to lose weight too

LittleCharlie

skint_chick wrote: »

you should def auction off all you hobby stuff in time for xmas

hamsters are easy pets i have one and she is easy to take care of and very friendly -but the noise of her wheel at night can be a bit annoying if it doesn't get oiled regularly.

Yes, I really must get on eBay tonight! Also have lots of Nans books so I'm going to try and make a quid for each one of those if I can! CD's I'm a bit precious about because one of my A Levels was in Music Tech, and I don't feel right copying them and then selling them! I still listen to most of my back catalogue on my iPod you see, I travel every other weekend or so to see the boyfriend or his parents in Mid Wales, so I need some tunes to drive to!

As for the Hamster, I know they're adorable and I've had them before, but you know, I was like, nine years old at the time. Not twenty five. As for friendly, the !!!!!! bites everyone except me. I'm the only one that can get it out ad have a cuddle, much to my disgust!

LittleCharlie

I feel like I've had a little milestone this morning. Got my wages into my account (monthly) and I've wiped out my little Natwest credit card. So all my debt now is in one place which is my overdraft. I'm going to cancel my natwest card at the end of the month. Not really sure how to cancel a card, I guess I just write them a letter?

To help clear my overdraft I've opened an Egg cashback Mastercard. Eventually I think I'll preload it with cash every month to stop myself spending loads, but for now I'm just making myself stick to a limit. Although I've pretty much already blown that this month on the first day, as I need to pay for MOT and road tax! Oh well! I'm still undecided to go for the full 12 months car tax or just the 6. Might go for just the 6 and try and keep on budget! My road tax is about £110 for the 6 months, so it's quite a large chunk of my £300 budget.

I know it's just a paper-shuffling method to clear one debt with another, but it sure makes me feel alot better looking at that little crossed out line.

Got this weekend to start prepping for starting my degree, going to eBay as much as I possibly can to clear a decent size workspace in my bedroom!

LittleCharlie

Just wanted to share, that late last night I got the courage to pay for the first module of my degree! Yay! So sometime this week a nice big parcel will arrive with all the materials for "The Art of Photography"!

:j :j :j :j :j