My debt free diary...determined to do it for my girls!!

RAS

Given how close that car is ti wrecking your budget (also the source of the HP payments?), I suggest that you go over to the insurance board here and ask for some help.

poorandindenial

helnag wrote: »

No...it's just an astra!! I'm feeling really silly but it really was one of the cheapest, honest.

Don't feel silly hun, chalk it up as a lesson learned and just work out what you want to do next with it.

I used to spend £3-400 a month on clothes, make-up and shoes and £150 on lunches and breakfasts at work - that is pretty silly too!

I have chalked up quite a lot of my old lifestyle as 'lessons for the future':o

I did also want to say that at first when you add it all together in one limp it feels crazy how you could have made the mistakes, but if you thinkg about it they didn't come in one hit and you have never looked at them together before. Don't expect to get it right first time now, just remember that every quid saved is another quid towards your debts and soon you will get better and better at this money saving malarky.

And don't regret the holiday, it is booked now and you should enjoy it, you have hard work ahead of you (this debt busting thing isn't always easy) so you will be well in need of the time to relax, check out this and othe rboards to make the actual time you are on holiday MSE too and you will have a lovely time and not undo the good work I know that you are going to do.

helnag

Ahhh, thanks for being so supportive. thanks to all of you.

RAS

Regarding the holiday...

menu plan like mad for it - knowing you are only going to have simple cooking facilities.

Think about taking a small barbie if they are allowed (or do they have a site one?) Even an old shelf rack and a couple of bricks will work. Most kids seem to get wildly excited by barbie food.

Go over to the vouchers and freebies section here and you may well get some reduced rate deals on places and food in the area. Read the boost your income thread as well.

Get the local tourist board to send you information now. Even better bone up on local free activities and facilities which only locals know using the council web-site.

If it is bucket and spade, get them before you go. Ditto rain cover and shoes/boots. Try https://www.freecycle.org.

Pack small amounts of things like washing up liquid and washing powder so you do not have to buy whole bottles are extortionate prices in the site shop.

Also pack stuff to do in wet weather like games, books and cards.

If you are going anywhere were you might take a walk, get local maps, guides and wild flower/bird guides from your home library before you go.

Then budget for one or two meals out at lunch-time (even if it is two shared portions of fish and chips on the beach)
and one event/activity each that you would like to do, which everyone agrees to participate in with good humour. If everyone gets to do something they think is fab on one day, they will remember the holiday with joy.

alunharford

One adult in the house (rented at 412 - band A?) and paying 92 council tax? I'm guessing that's the full rate.

You can probably claim a 25% discount on your council tax unless there are two adults in the house. I believe you can also backdate the claim and get back 25% of all the council tax you have paid since 1993 (for any periods of time you were the only adult in the property)

If you're not already claiming the discount, speak to the council.

Hopefully, that should get you some money to pay back some of that 62% APR loan - ouch!

Forris

Just another quick thought about your holiday. Do you have Tesco Clubcard vouchers? Instead of spending these instore, convert them to Clubcard Deals (worth 4x as much) that you can spend on attractions where you are going on holiday.

Well done on getting stuck into your debt. Someone more knowledgable than me will be able to advise you better, but can you not seperate the need to stay with EDF from the debt that you owe them. Is it legal for them to tie you in like that? If they can do that then it may be worth working out the value of paying this debt off first so that you could switch, save money, and get cashback.

Silaqui

Hiya!
Yep get switching - even mobile chargers make a difference, did you know that apparently (I looked this up to amaze my kids at school lol) the UK wastes around £600thousand a year by leaving mobile phone chargers plugged into the mains :eek:

As far as I know you can just order a meter to be fitted, my colleague at work has just done it as they live in a huge house but it's just the two of them and they are paying 750 a year in rates. They are having it fitted for free as well, thats severn trent water imagine others are similar. They must want people to have meters or they wouldn't be insisting on them in all the new builds

Dont forget with sky they can offer you deals every 6 months or so so keep ringing back and asking them!

Ah you have a high maintenence style - mine is Cheryl Cole-esque so hardly ever needs more than the odd trim - was gonna go for a bobbed style earlier this year but the maintenence costs put me off!

Best of luck with it all
xx

helnag

Hi,

Well I went shopping yesterday armed with a list of meals and what I needed to buy,

I came in...67pence under budget so well chuffed and that was including a bumper deal on nappies so got 2 weeks worth, they may not be pampers but they're actually good, no false economy there!! have spent today cooking Macaroni cheese, curry and lasagne cos I'm a nightmare for getting in and being lazy so now they're in the freezer to be taken out the night before. Used my slow cooker to make a beef stew and dumplings for dinner today which smells lovely and only cost me about £3.00 between the three of us and I'll have some leftover for lunch in the week!!

Thanks for all of your advice, especially on the holiday stuff, it's great to know we can have a good time without spending what we haven't got and I've already had a look at the local councils website and had a few ideas.

I've spent this afternoon, sorting through my youngests old clothes, no wonder I'm skint, she's got an amazing wardrobe!!! They both have, starting to see where my money's been going now. Anyway, I've been listing it all on auctions on E-bay and when it ends on Sun day next week I'll let you all know how it gets on.

Thanks again everyone, will keep you posted on my progress...To a debt free 2010!!

helnag

Meant to ask as well, with the water meter, is it both companies that do it?? Waste and fresh?

Want to ring and find out tomorrow but don't really know much about it so just wanna check if you can have it from both suppliers...how does it work??

Silaqui

Not sure to be honest, I only get one water bill from 1 company, and the meter was already fitted when I moved here. I'd try ringing one company and then ask them what the situation would be xx