the last 6 years - my tale

helen9tony

Dear Martin,

From a fan.

I got into taking advantage of banks, mainly credit card providers,back in the days when Barclays gave you £250 (yes £250) for applying for a credit card. I did this 3 or 4 times. Abbey "gave me" about the same as well.

0% BTs were (and still are if you are savvy and follow M's advice) a gift, and have bought me lots of free money inc ISA interest. Another £700 is due next month with Standard Life Bank,whose ISA rates for flexible mortgagees are tremendous.

Originally I started with one card at a time, but thought, what the hell and went for multiple applications, usually successfully.

MBNA was my favourite, such huge limits, 2 cards at a time and even a third one for Mrs Spurs. Plus NO transfer fees (until recently) AND straight into your bank account.... then straight into an ISA or savings account. What wallies.

Getting your partner to apply for cards as well, if they are working is tres helpful, obviously!!

I follow all Martin's super stoozing rules (perhaps before you wrote them Martin?): my list is up to about 80, 0% or low interest BTs in the last 6 years.I've rarely cocked up and usually blag my way out of tight corners.

For example currently I have nearly a year's worth of £8.5K's credit with A&L and Barclay's Additions (current) Accounts: but I shall pay them off and close these accounts soon, because I love my dear old Flex Account and will never leave Nationwide !!

Barclays will even give me back about £150 worth of my monthly fees after a year. I expect I'll put it into ICICI High Save.

I recently went to Oz en famille: Barclays free world - wide family insurance cover was great !! (+ of course we used Nationwide debit and credit cards throughout our stay).

I've also got free Green Flag for a year. And oh yes an £11K BT with an A&L CC (MBNA, again!). Opening both these current accounts took a lot of effort (eg. going into Barclays to see someone was essential), but it has been worth it.

Be honest and consistent in all the applications you make.

Also,you can think you are better off than you are by doing all this stuff in my experience. This is a serious cautionary word.

I had no mortgage a couple of years ago but our attic extension (which will eventually "pay for itself") and going to Oz means we are back in debt. However as long as you are both working, some extravagances are a risk worth taking in my view.

Going back in time again, the most I have borrowed from Credit Cards simultaneously is well over 60K;my biggest surplus (when the mortgage was paid) was £30 K which I put (not very lucratively) into Premium bonds for 3 months only.

Conservatively I think I've made over 12K over the last 6 years.

Getting knocked off my bike but recording (in a diary and photoing my injuries) the aftermath proved another source of dosh (£1000, after the solicitor took her fees) a few years ago. I can't recommend this though - the accident I mean !!

I do admittedly spend a lot of time on all this. Egg CC (anniversary 5 months 0% BTs);Barclays Additions, Post Office CC; Clydesdale CC and others are all currently lending me a great deal of money, which keeps my flexible mortgage interest payments down by 50%.

In conclusion, I'm sure I've probably made more than £12K wheeling and dealing, but it's getting a bit late now, my brain is goin'.

However no tale of the last 6 years would be complete without me telling you about the other £4K I've won betting in the last 2/3 years.

I have finally given this betting lark up because it is too stressful and I'm grateful the right half of me has overcome the wrong half.

My best wins were in the 5th test in Oz (versus England 3 years ago (£1K)) and £1K at the last Election on good old New Labour. I've done some daft bets (but still won paltry sums for huge outlays) without coming too unstuck.

My most disappointing moment was losing £600 when that Aussie b*****d kicked over at the end of normal time in the Rugby World Cup Final. I couldn't savour our win in extra time... and oh what a great day for the bookies over those of us who bet on the score at 80 minutes. Painful.

Want a tip ? Follow Gretna (Scottish League 2);and East Stirling (Div 3) are crap. Best very long term tip (altho' the price is very short) is England to qualify for Footie Euro 2008 Finals.

Anyway I'm going to bed now.If anyone wants to compare notes with this honest diatribe I promise a full reply

ye olde Spurs fan

nmiah786

helen9tony wrote:

Dear Martin,

From a fan.

I got into taking advantage of banks, mainly credit card providers,back in the days when Barclays gave you £250 (yes £250) for applying for a credit card. I did this 3 or 4 times. Abbey "gave me" about the same as well.

0% BTs were (and still are if you are savvy and follow M's advice) a gift, and have bought me lots of free money inc ISA interest. Another £700 is due next month with Standard Life Bank,whose ISA rates for flexible mortgagees are tremendous.

Originally I started with one card at a time, but thought, what the hell and went for multiple applications, usually successfully.

MBNA was my favourite, such huge limits, 2 cards at a time and even a third one for Mrs Spurs. Plus NO transfer fees (until recently) AND straight into your bank account.... then straight into an ISA or savings account. What wallies.

Getting your partner to apply for cards as well, if they are working is tres helpful, obviously!!

I follow all Martin's super stoozing rules (perhaps before you wrote them Martin?): my list is up to about 80, 0% or low interest BTs in the last 6 years.I've rarely cocked up and usually blag my way out of tight corners.

For example currently I have nearly a year's worth of £8.5K's credit with A&L and Barclay's Additions (current) Accounts: but I shall pay them off and close these accounts soon, because I love my dear old Flex Account and will never leave Nationwide !!

Barclays will even give me back about £150 worth of my monthly fees after a year. I expect I'll put it into ICICI High Save.

I recently went to Oz en famille: Barclays free world - wide family insurance cover was great !! (+ of course we used Nationwide debit and credit cards throughout our stay).

I've also got free Green Flag for a year. And oh yes an £11K BT with an A&L CC (MBNA, again!). Opening both these current accounts took a lot of effort (eg. going into Barclays to see someone was essential), but it has been worth it.

Be honest and consistent in all the applications you make.

Also,you can think you are better off than you are by doing all this stuff in my experience. This is a serious cautionary word.

I had no mortgage a couple of years ago but our attic extension (which will eventually "pay for itself") and going to Oz means we are back in debt. However as long as you are both working, some extravagances are a risk worth taking in my view.

Going back in time again, the most I have borrowed from Credit Cards simultaneously is well over 60K;my biggest surplus (when the mortgage was paid) was £30 K which I put (not very lucratively) into Premium bonds for 3 months only.

Conservatively I think I've made over 12K over the last 6 years.

Getting knocked off my bike but recording (in a diary and photoing my injuries) the aftermath proved another source of dosh (£1000, after the solicitor took her fees) a few years ago. I can't recommend this though - the accident I mean !!

I do admittedly spend a lot of time on all this. Egg CC (anniversary 5 months 0% BTs);Barclays Additions, Post Office CC; Clydesdale CC and others are all currently lending me a great deal of money, which keeps my flexible mortgage interest payments down by 50%.

In conclusion, I'm sure I've probably made more than £12K wheeling and dealing, but it's getting a bit late now, my brain is goin'.

However no tale of the last 6 years would be complete without me telling you about the other £4K I've won betting in the last 2/3 years.

I have finally given this betting lark up because it is too stressful and I'm grateful the right half of me has overcome the wrong half.

My best wins were in the 5th test in Oz (versus England 3 years ago (£1K)) and £1K at the last Election on good old New Labour. I've done some daft bets (but still won paltry sums for huge outlays) without coming too unstuck.

My most disappointing moment was losing £600 when that Aussie b*****d kicked over at the end of normal time in the Rugby World Cup Final. I couldn't savour our win in extra time... and oh what a great day for the bookies over those of us who bet on the score at 80 minutes. Painful.

Want a tip ? Follow Gretna (Scottish League 2);and East Stirling (Div 3) are crap. Best very long term tip (altho' the price is very short) is England to qualify for Footie Euro 2008 Finals.

Anyway I'm going to bed now.If anyone wants to compare notes with this honest diatribe I promise a full reply

ye olde Spurs fan

WOW.....well done but whats the point you were trying to make to all of us! I'm sorry if I missed it!

Do you have any practical advise for us!!

PokerPortal

helen9tony wrote:

Dear Martin,

From a fan.

Also,you can think you are better off than you are by doing all this stuff in my experience. This is a serious cautionary word.

...snip...

I have finally given this betting lark up because it is too stressful and I'm grateful the right half of me has overcome the wrong half.

You started off really positive, but towards the end this changed a bit. Are we missing something? Did something happen? (good post though!)