My Debt-Free Plan...HOOS and the Case of the Incredible Exploding Oven!! :-o

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Thank you, that makes me feel so much better!!! Was kinda expecting it but it's never nice to be a reject!

They suggested the Aqua card...at nearly 40% interest!! I don't think I need to explain where they can shove that. That's 10% that my horrid Monument card!

I'm not going to apply for any others now - I need to cut my dependence on credit anyway. I don't even know what it feels like to have a positive balance in my bank - I was given my first overdraft at 18 and have lived in it since then. I know it's going to be an uphill struggle to get it all paid off, but for the first time I actually believe that I'm going to do it, and I'm really excited about the prospect of not owing anyone any money!!

Really REALLY looking forward to writing letters to Moneyshop, Monument, RBS and Natwest saying "I will no longer be requiring a credit facility from your good selves, kindly close my account, thank you!"

I'm going to hang on to my RBS visa just for holidays/big purchases (for the extra protection and to be paid off in full) and £200 overdraft facility as a buffer to avoid bank charges but I no longer intend to have debt as a way of life. I've found the information and advice on this site incredibly helpful and empowering.

Best of luck with your debtbusting, I will check to see how you're getting on, keep us updated! Here's to a debt-free future! :T

HonestBob_2

Good to see you're making progress. That loan is coming down nicely
I've taken a look at my finances but can't really get a clear picture intil pay day (the 15th). Had to have a plumber out today to a clanging pipe. It's been banging away like a monster on a trombone all over Christmas every time someone switched on a cold tap or flushed a toilet, and would you believe, it, plumber comes out and not a squeak from it :mad: . He fixed the leaking stopcock under the kitchen sink (£25) and no sooner had he been gone an hour and the pipes struck up their recitation again.

I'll have to have him out again next Monday (I don't work on Mondays). His missus is going to wonder what I'm after him for??!!

LydiaJ

Hi Head-Out-Of-Sand

I post on some other forums but generally only lurk on DFW. Still, I just have to say I really love your attitude! Keep thinking that way and nothing will stop you getting debt free.

Oh, and from the OP, don't worry about your posts being boring - they aren't.

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Bob...sometimes being responsible for the repairs is a right pain in the behind isn't it? If I didn't have lodgers I'm sure I'd have the house falling to bits, on the logic that "it's ok, I can cope without windows, a heater, a flushing toilet etc etc etc"...everything seems to break at once!!!

In december I had...random damp patch underneath ceiling (had to call roofer out but it turned out to be condensation rather than anything more sinister...luckily he's a good guy and didn't charge me for the callout, phew!), shower broke completely & needed replacing (1 month outside the warranty, grr!), boiler starting playing up, elecy keeps tripping (electrician coming out this week), front door needed replacing...that was one expensive month!!! My new door is great though and the house is so much warmer, so I think that one will definitely be worth it in the long run.

Hope you get your problem sorted out soon & it's not too much of a sting!

LydiaJ - thanks for your post, am doing my best to be positive, moping wont get the debts paid off! I think posting here keeps me motivated as well, as it keeps me focused and makes me want to have good news to post up!

mummum2

H-O-O-S,

I totally love your positive outlook. I'm sure continuing like this will have you in the clear debt wise in no time. Look forward to reading your progress. Good luck.

MM2

Head-Out-Of-Sand

GRRRRRRRR darned housemates out to ruin my thriftyness!!!

Milk wars rages on... I have switched to UHT (which I actually quite like...reminds me of my nan's house!) and buying it in bulk at the start of the month to prevent me needed to pop to the shops for milk and keeping me out of temptations way...

I bought what would be enough for me for one month (I have tea & coffee and the occassional bowl of cereal) and it has gone in just over a week!!! My housemate has cereal AT LEAST once a day, often twice, and has not bought milk since well before xmas!!

I know it's not a massive deal in the grand scheme of things, but I've had to start writing obscenities and threats on the inside of my butter lid as this was getting used up (and with crumbs left in...gaaah!) what is wrong with people?? If you did not buy it, you may not use it!!! It's so frustrating, I'm fed up of being the mean naggy one but seriously, we're all in our mid-twenties, how else do people expect me to react to what is essentially them stealing my stuff.

RIGHT how to make this into a positive...I will use this as motivation to get my debts paid off quicker so I can kick out the freeloading grocery stealing b*****ds out!!!

Rant over!!

On the plus side, today I have had a no spend day (through sheer bloody-mindedness...I have no milk in but I'm damned if I'm ruining an NSD for those naughty boys...I will have black coffee, dammit!) and have made a lovely broccoli soup and frozen two good portions, woohoo!

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Oh on the plus-side again...my boyf is lending me a lockable mini-fridge...the saving in milk will probably be cancelled out by the elecy, but my sanity will certainly be helped!!!

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Well, I'm two weeks in

Going well so far, checking in here as often as possible has definitely kept me motivated

I've kept within my budget and should actually manage to overpay the entire moneyshop loan off this month (well, by next monday, in fact) which is SUCH a relief...I had it in my head that I'd be paying that one off for months! So it's almost time for a little dance :j

I have had the odd bad thought about how I should have started doing this a year ago, but no point in looking backwards now.

I'm going to continue with my plan to overpay by 450 a month, in the order from the snowball calculator.

Thanks to everyone who's offered support & encouragement, it means a lot and has really helped to keep me positive!!

Head-Out-Of-Sand

Having a bad day today. Not debt-wise but health-wise & workwise

I've been off work for a few months with RSI (or WRULD, as I'm told they're now called :rolleyes:), I'm one of many with the same problem in our place due to work failing to take simple steps to resolve an obvious (and previously identified by them several years ago in their own H&S reports) and as a result I'm in pain pretty much all of the time and have trouble doing stuff such as drying my hair, opening packets, using a tin opener etc.

I used to do about 4-6 hours of martial arts training a week but my arm has been too painful to do this for months now. I've gained one and a half stone in the last six months as a result of this. I can use my laptop with my left hand, but even this I sometimes struggle with.

I ended up getting a muscle spasm in my neck/shoulder a couple of weeks ago due to referred tension from the problem in my arm which left me in absolute agony and going to A&E. I've been given some very strong prescription painkillers which I'm trying not to take unless absolutely necessary as they scare me (I wont even take paracetamol normally).

I've been having physiotherapy but the injury hasn't responded so far, I've been told it could be at least 9 months before it's back to normal. Work have still not organised an appointment with occupational health, which I was told was going to be done months ago. My doctor wont sign me back into work until I see OH and changes are made so that I can do my job pain-free.

I've been doing my best to stay really positive & not let it get me down, but I'm having a really bad day today, I just feel so frustrated and I've been very tearful this evening. My life is not how I want it to be - I'm used to being active and healthy and independent and right now I can't do hardly any exercise (even walking round the park makes my back hurt) and I can't open a tin of beans without help. I feel like I'm on the scrapheap careerwise, work don't seem bothered about getting me back in, because I can no longer perform the tasks that help them meet their targets. If I'm off much longer I'm going to end up going to half and then zero pay, which I simply cannot afford to do.

URGH sorry just needed to vent...I know things will get better but I just feel like THIS :wall: right now...I feel like work have damaged my health, then tossed me on the scrapheap because of it. Feeling more than a little let down.

Head-Out-Of-Sand

WELL I have shaken off the little rain cloud I was under the other day...I am lucky enough to still have 3 and a half months to get back to work until my pay goes down, so I mustnt get upset about it, I can't do any more than I am doing to get back and all I can do is keep contacting work to harrass them to sort my appointment out.

This month is still going to plan and I'm looking into ways to make some extra money so I can bring that DFD forward by 6 months, as I'm losing my rag with the lodgers! There's only so many times I can say "Seriously, I know I've asked 6 times already, but really, please stop leaving pools of water on my bathroom floor, as it will ruin the laminate" before I snap and beat someone to death with the loo roll holder. Not that I'm a violent person or anything..

Having an NSD today so getting back on track with that, and I'm going to try to shove some stuff on ebay before I head off to my Spanish class...if not I'll do it when I get in