Another Debt Free Diary :)

ElizabethJH

Hi! Thanks for the messages

It was a really good night - loads of people turned up and I stuck to my £5 budget (£5 bottle of wine bargain!)

Feeling a lot let nervous today.. think it was the worry of work as yesterday was so hectic and didn't think I'd be all organised for finishing today..(I've got a week and a half off) I've blitzed a lot of old stuff this morning though so feeling a lot more with it and ready for time off to enjoy myself!! Checked my online banking and I just have 1 more Pay Day Cheque to come out of £50 and that will be them all gone!! Will have about £270 left in my bank account but out of this I need to pay £170 worth of bills, pay for France spending money and petrol and I haven't paid by MBMA card yet (except for PAD's) I'm still waiting for a letter from them confirming my minimum payment.. but will phone them on Saturday if I haven't received by then so I can get it sorted!!

Bonus money though.. I'm working this Saturday Night and I've got £65ish coming from Quidco, plus £5 from lightspeed.. I guess I'm back in the position of spend no money and fingers crossed I get more shifts at the bar!!

That'll get me about even to make sure I don't go into my reserve again this month.... just need to find every extra penny I can now!!

Feel better now I'm in a position to have it all down in writing!!

Have a great Christmas though people... and big thanks for all the support

ElizabethJH

Just quickly writing to say Happy Christmas to everyone! Wanted to do some individual ones but I just don't have the time!! Off to have a bath and then onto my parents!!

Dropped the birthday wine and card I had brought for my Grandma on the way home what a waste of a £5!

Oh well will sort something... speak soon Liz xxxx

ElizabethJH

Hey!

It's been a while but I'm happy to say I'm still working away to be Debt Free!! Spent a week in France over New Year.. Got by on £100 spending money including a trip to Bruges and alcohol for the whole trip! Have also stocked up with 7 bottles of red, 4 bottles of white, 2 bottles rose, 5 litres of red for making mulled wine, and a massive chunk of brie out of that spending money!! Think that is an achievement!! Just checked my balance and I'm right on the limit as expected..! But £70 coming in from money I overpaid for trip to France and that should cover DD's for this week!! Then I need to start making money to cover the rest of my outgoings!! Going to be close this month! Council have taken over £100 by DD which I wasn't expecting.. think they haven't taken into account the £134 I paid last month!! Need to also pay £50 min payment to my Abbey Card by 15th Jan!

Going to be a tough month but I can do it!! Will have a proper check in with what everyone has managed over Christmas and New Year later... hope you all had a fab time!! xx

ElizabethJH

Ok so I've updated my signature, I've put the £450 worth of pay day loan that came out this month in my Xmas 2009 target, plus £50 to Abbey and £5 DD to Vanquis.. I've finally had my updated balance from Abbey - I'm within limit I think it was at about £1650 but I'll update my snowball and everything tmw night (Tonight I'm treating my OH to a nice meal in with the new dinner set he brought me for Xmas, I have no food in the house so will have to do some buying today as well - set myself a £5 limit for bread, milk etc and food for tonight!)

looktothefuture

Welcome back, you've been missed! So glad to hear your trip to France was sucessful when it came to staying within budget.

Tough month or not, you're doing it! Keep going!

Take care!

Lemon_Tree

welcome back, and well done for paying off your last payday loan. i know what you mean about it being tight this month, i always hate Jan it seems so long.
guess we're all facing the challenge this year has to throw at us head on, and it won't beat us!

natsplatnat

Hi Elizabeth!! Welcome back!!

So that is your last pay-day loan gone!! Well done you! :beer:

Another milestone to cross off your list! Whats your next target (apart from just getting through January)? It's this time of year that I do think I am a little luckier than most as weekly pay really comes into its own. I don't have long or short months, so January is not really any worse than any other month (not that anyone of them are particularly great!)

Well this was just a quick drop by (I should be daily clicking!).... I will catch up with you again later!

Nats x

ElizabethJH

I wish Martin would stop sending this brilliant offers around in his email... I just almost booked a £19 hotel was a click away from booking before thinking... why am I booking this??

I'm just so tempted by a bargain!!

Have been catching up on everyone's diaries - am in tonight so will check in with the regulars later on!! Am also redoing my snowball.. it won't be much different from last time as I didn't count the Pay Day Loans, but it's 2009 and I now I've paid off all arrears I can look at it properly

ElizabethJH

Well I've got a bit of time tonight so thought I'd put some of my thoughts for the New Year down!!

First of all debt left...

Abbey - £1687.18
HOF - £165.41 (I haven't spent this is just the actual figure which I was totally unaware of before @29.3% APR)
Vanquis - £60.09
Barclaycard - £1515.76

Total £3428.44

Which is the amount I want to pay off by May time

Also £1500 O/D + Mom and Dad - £874

Total = £5802.44

Ok so hasn't gone down loads.. but it's gone in the right direction And I've paid £600 in payday loans, £334 Council Tax Arrears all since my LBM. That sounds more like it :beer: I think that's a great acheivement for me and I'm really happy :T :j :T :j

I just can't wait until January Pay Day when I can really attack that CC amount - I think I've motivated myself to attempt to make some more money again

I'm not going to be as hard on myself as I have been though, I'm not going to paying for any holidays these coming months so I'm allowing myself £20 a month to spend on clothes/shoes/etc. So this month I brought a new dress, a necklace and earrings, new underwear, new shoes and new bed sheets all for £21.50..(God bless Primark!) Really made me happy!! I'm going to be careful with my food shopping as always and am still going to attempt to make everything go as far as is possible.. I have ordered 2 birthday presents this month with my Qype won Amazon voucher have £20 from paypal and another £50 coming from Quido.

I am not allowing myself any holidays until June

I've decided that my and the OH will take in turns to organise nights when we see each other.. normally I just end up cooking and we watch one of my lovefilm dvds.. but now he's going to have to take a turn at entertaining me :rotfl:

I finally am properly in control of my debts.. I'm in a position to set up DD's with them all to make sure none get missed.. I'm claiming back charges... this is going to be a good year :beer:

looktothefuture

ElizabethJH wrote: »

I finally am properly in control of my debts.. I'm in a position to set up DD's with them all to make sure none get missed.. I'm claiming back charges... this is going to be a good year :beer:

Doesn't it feel awesome??

This is going to be an outstanding year! :j