Proper Skint!!!

bathgatebuyer

That's the spirit! Anything is possible.

Jvic28

I'm sure you'll do fine in the new year. You've got loads of surplus to start throwing at your debts so just start keeping a check on your cpending to make sure it doesn't get frittered away.

Lensman_2

It will be against the advice of most here because it is not the most efficient method financially.

But I do knock off complete debts whenever I can. Metropolitan have c*cked up my DD for the last 2 months. This left me with £800 extra so I paid:
Council Tax (the wole lot - they were demanding payment in full anyway)
Vodafone enough to end my contract (3 months x £20, plus some arrears). (I have a work mobile that I can use for emergencies).
The last (overdue) payment on a loan.

So I have £284 more a month to pay the big ones with and it reduces the weight on my shoulders a bit.

The psychological effect is there and a it's great boost to morale.

spartan59

I am exactly the same. I prefere to save up and pay it all in one lump but I surpose that is sort of snowballing really.

I like to get rid of direct debits completly so my account has less going out rather than just paying a small amount extra each month or week.

Hopefully now my eyes are wide open to my surrplus cash that we waste each month ( thanks to the good people on here) we should be able to make good progress in the new year!!

spartan59

Good news!!!

Well sort of. Wife has just checked her bank balance and she is in credit by £650 ( before mortgage payment on 29th!!) So one less debt I worry about.

also our £4000 Natwest loan is now at £3700!!

We have also agreed that after christmas we are going to set a goal of paying off all our debts less our 3 loans as soon as possible in 2009. Then save up to clear the Small Natwest loan. So hopefully by the time the new baby arrives we should only ave 2 loans left totalling about £26000 ish.

£11000 in six months!

spartan59

Another no spend day today!! Only because the wife lost her purse!! Spent 3 hours trying to find it! But probably the best money saving advice ever, just lose you wallet / purse!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We gave the house a good tidy then wrapped the christmas presents.

Still haven't spent anything since the £15 on petrol!!!

spartan59

Although it is very boring and slow trying to save money it does have many advantages.

The main one being you tend to spend time sorting out other areas of your life such as decluttering and tidying the house.

Making sure your bank direct debts are correct and needed.

Spending more time with the kids.

Improving your health due to walking to save petrol money!!!!

Plus you tend to focus more on your money and tend not to get ripped off by hidden clauses or charges anymore!!! plus supermarkets evil tactics to get you to spend more!! We are wise to you all

Lensman_2

spartan59 wrote: »

Although it is very boring and slow trying to save money it does have many advantages.

The main one being you tend to spend time sorting out other areas of your life such as decluttering and tidying the house.

Making sure your bank direct debts are correct and needed.

Spending more time with the kids.

Improving your health due to walking to save petrol money!!!!

Plus you tend to focus more on your money and tend not to get ripped off by hidden clauses or charges anymore!!! plus supermarkets evil tactics to get you to spend more!! We are wise to you all

I don't know about you, but since my light bulb moment my eyes have opened to the amount of pressure we are all under to accept credit. TV ads (especially on the cheaper channels), relentless mail through the letterbox. Banks offering huge overdrafts at the click of an internet button. If I heard it right on the news, even the Daily Mirror is urging us to max out on spending for Christmas...

(It's actually indecent IMO. Also, the financial system should take more responsibility for this pressure and make writing debt off for those in trouble easier.)

Anyway - rant over.

It's nice to see you making some good, solid progress. Well done :T:T:T

Jim

P,S. I refuse to reduce my light bulb moment to an acronym. It was much too important for that.

spartan59

Another no spend day today!!

And more house decluttering!! Nothing to sell though all just rubbish that we should of got rid off when we moved.

webitha

spartan, i never said that you were out of order, i was just being nosy, nd was very surprised that noone else picked up on it,
keep gpoing and you will get there