Nat's Diary:One Down...FOUR To Go to DF Forever!!!

nellis10

Well I am feeling liberated today!

I've just cut up two credit cards that me and the hubby never ever used, but were always just sitting in the back of our wallets....it seems these days when you open a current account they automatically give you a credit card...inviting you to spend on it!!!

So, a spring clean of my wallet has ended with 2 unused credit cards been cut up and accounts closed!!

That leaves hubby and I with one credit card each...hubby pays his balance off in full every month so never incurs interest or charges, and my vrigin card is only being used to clear off my balance at 0% until May....hopefully now that I've got 2 cards of my credit report, I might get another 0% to help clear the balance when my current one expires in May (if I haven't cleared it by then!!)

Also, I have a load of papers, old statements, bills etc (none outstanding just never opened as I pay by DD!!) that I am going through today, and only keeping agreements, car documents, birth certificates etc....should be a right old pile for the fire/recycle bin!!!

I don't think there is anything I NEED to keep? Or am I being over simplistic?

From now on I am determined to pay for everything in cash (well not Actual cash but you know what i mean...NO MORE CREDIT!!!), therefore i will have no need of any extraneous gumph to be kept!!

Once I clear all outstanding debt....CC, car Loan and hubby's business loan, I will do a credit report (not that I will need credit) but just to ensure that there is nothing on there that is weird 9i ahve a horrible feeling there are a couple of credit cards that are lying on the report that have zero balance but I don't have the card nor do I know who they are with!!:o ) .....the only outstanding debt we will have then is our 2 mortgages....and that will be when I move over to MFW and start trying to pare those down too!!! :rotfl:

Anyway if anyone is reading this diary of mine...Hello and Good Morning!!

doodledo_2

Well done on cutting those cards up it's a brilliant feeling isn't it.

Don't forget to close the accounts with the card company as otherwise it will show as available credit on your credit file.

Olderbutnotwiser

Hi Nellis,

I'm reading- nosey baggage that I am:rolleyes:
Well done on your cathartic book keeping it must create good feng shui:T
Have a good week
xx

phillipsdj

Hi Nellis,

Congratulations on cutting up the cards, it feels like such an achievement doesn't it!

Keep up the good work, so that nosey lurkers like me can keep checking up on your getting on! :-)

nellis10

lol Thanks Guys!!!

CC were cut up as i was on the phone closing the accounts...jsut waiting for the "official" letter from them confirming this!

Phoned the Bank Account today....doing it daily until I get my online banking back (Abbey cocked up about 18months ago and closed my account for some reason...unbeknownst to them or me!! I got a little financial compensation back from them, but my Abbey Photocard was gone forever..had a lovely picture of DS on my Debit Card!!, and my internet banking was lost...and I STILL haven't got it back as it's so much hassle...anyway I digress!!:rolleyes: )..Anyway...

I've got £19 in the bank and a DD for £25 is coming out on the 29th! But I have £10 from Takeabreak Bingo to go in, £50 from Quidco scheduled to be paid this month and I will get paid at midnight on the 29th/30th Jan.

I also have £19 in my savings account but by the time that all goes across I will have been paid...so I will pop into the bank tomorrow when at work and deposit £10 into the account!

That leaves me with £35 cash for the rest of the week including any groceries that I need to buy...teabags and milk being top of the list at the moment! Will take soups in for lunch this week and leave my purse at home so no temptation!!!

So...the recap and summarise...lol...i have enough cash to do me the rest of the month and enough to balance my current account to ZERO for Jan Allowing my full budgeting repertoire to come into play for February...:j

Can't wait to start Feb completely fresh with no OVERDRAFT!!!!

(I have a temp O/D facility of £850 which is being reduced by £48/month until zero....Apparently I am no longer credit worthy enough to have a perm one of £500 which I had before my Christmas mess up of my account....stung for £350 in charges :eek: which was completely my own fault!!!:o )

BUT I hope to no longer need it!!!:T

doodledo_2

Wow well done on getting your account to balance for the month a brilliant achievement

laura2481

nellis10 wrote: »

lol Thanks Guys!!!

CC were cut up as i was on the phone closing the accounts...jsut waiting for the "official" letter from them confirming this!

:T

Hi! Sometimes the credit card companies don't send letters saying you've closed the account ( I guess that they can't be bothered to waste the postage now you don't owe them any money! :rolleyes: )

If they don't I would wait a month or so and then do a free trial with experian or equifax to check your credit report to make sure they have registered the account as settled. If you go through quidco or topcashback you can usually get about £7 cash back for the free trial, so actually make a profit. As long as you remember to cancel the free trial!! ( I was stupid once and didn't cancel it for 6 months. Duh!)

I have managed to get down to 2 cards, from 4 in the last year and I'm very pleased! Good luck getting rid of yours!

laura2481

nellis10 wrote: »

I don't think there is anything I NEED to keep? Or am I being over simplistic?

I would get a file/folder/box (whatever) and keep 6 months worth of paperwork..just in case. Especially anything like credit card statements, even if you do pay by DD. Y'never know when those fools are gonna make a b***s up and you'll need to prove you paid something...
('Those fools' being any bank/credit card company/ loan etc They're all quite capable of a c**k up I've found )

nellis10

Thanks Laura!

Yes I'm all in favour of charging banks for messups!!

my hubby does this with his business account...if the abnk makes a mistake he sends them a bill including time and telephone calls...wll they would do the same to us!!

nellis10

I will end January's Current Account.....£4.11 in the BLACK!!! Woohooo!!! :j :j :j

I'm now relishing the challenge for Feb!!! I do however have one small cloud...I have a feeling there will still be charges levied to my account from December's catastrophe...however I think they are all paid...anyway it will be £125 at the most and I should still be able to cover it, but it means not as much will be thrown at the debts.

But on a lighter note I got a pay rise in work...£1K and in this climate I am NOT complaining!!!! So the extra will help a little too!!

All in all I am looking forward to a loved up Feb!! :T