Too scared to work out what I owe

dottyanne

moozie wrote:

dottyanne :grouphug:

It sounds like you are having a really hard time I don't know if you have posted your own thread but I strongly advise you too. There are many helpful peeps on here as you can see from the support I received and they are waiting to help you out. Please don't give up and don't panic. There is light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to look at the bigger picture sometimes.

Please keep posting and fighting :grouphug:

Hi moozie - just actually done a full SOA on my own thread - seems silly but i actually feel better just for writing it all down - any help or advice from anyone eould be very much appreciated....thanks for your kind words and thoughts - i hope i can help you too if you ever need me??? many thanks

moozie_2

Thanks dottyanne, you've made a great start. Just saw and replied to your thread. Hope you get lots of useful advice - actually I know you will. You're at the right place! :grouphug:

moozie_2

Hello :wave:

I thought I'd update my thread as it helps me to keep it all in one place and I find it helpful to come back and read it when I feel low (don't we all) on some days.

After feeling so low following the 'previous life encroaching on sparkling new life' incident, I almost reverted to my old ways briefly I am ashamed to say. I spent approx £30 in Boots without thinking. I got things I needed like lunch, face cream and Easter eggs which made me feel slightly better as it was not spent on things I wouldn't use but it was totally not budgeted for :sad:

Fortunately, the rest of the week was OK, it was just that one day that could have ruined it all for me. Still, having gone so close to the edge and returned, I think I am even more determined to become debt free now. I think I just want to be FREE full stop.

At the moment and until July, all my debts other than the two loans are on 0% - finally! I would not have thought that was possible or how to do it before MSE - thank you.

My CC 0% runs out in July and although originally I was confused about which 0% interest to pay off first, today it all became crystal clear! I got a promotional letter from First Direct (who I bank with) about their e-savings account with 5% AER. So I opened one and will be paying into it as much as I can every month, hoping it will be in the region of £250. I will then pay all of it, with any interest, in the CC.

Contacted one of the loan company's and they will accept overpayments and neither will penalise me for paying them off early. So now I am aiming to get rid of the other debts as quickly as possible and then overpay/save to pay off the loans early. I am VERY happy about that as it could bring my DFD so much closer.

Overall, all of the above have not led to a great reduction in the debt (yet!) but it makes me feel so much better and clearer about what I have to do to have my debts broken down to 'loans' and 'other'. Still sorting out spreadsheets and budgeting but hey, keeps me busy in the evenings and it's free :rotfl:

D&DD

Hey Moozie :wave:
Great to see you're getting yourself back on track hun..I think we all have 'blips' we wouldn't be human otherwise! I suppose its like an addiction and we're all going cold turkey :eek:
D'you know though I have NEVER used so much flamin' paper as I have since I discovered this site all I seem to do is budget sheets,spreadsheets,shopping lists too... :eek: Still I find it helps me keep it all under control.
OH has got used to having his own 'purse' even :rotfl: he gets his money in there at the start of the week and so far he's sticking to it..just! He actually even asked me if we could afford something this week too but I'm not counting my chickens just yet as he's started making noises about finishing the garden... :mad:

Ali-OK

Hi Moozie :wave:

You're doing brilliantly and I know what you mean about wanting to clear the debt and clear it NOW !!!

My £22K is in 3 chunks - £11k, £4,500K and £7K...feels like forever because there's no 'clear a small one' and hit the feel good factor. So I've broken it down into bitesize chunks - printed off the snowball calcs and overpay the first one, even by a few quid makes a difference. I've started to highlight a line a month, so it feels like I'm getting somewhere!

I've spreadsheets on my PC coming out of my ears and spend hours playing about with them, adding bits and pieces and getting excited about an outgoing I've chopped which will lessen the bills next month!

With the grocery challenge and mobile and sky cuts alone from this month, I've got an extra £50 to pay off a cc next week. I shall start the great 0% APR and BT hunt in a couple of months time...that'll keep me busy!

I'm spending all my spare time on here at the mo...I'm convinced there is loads more ways to save that I haven't even thought of!

Lewby

Hi Moozie, glad to hear you are back in the wagon! You have done so well to get everything on 0% - so at least it's not costing you more! I totally agree with DD&D about it being human nature to slip. I think we can be too strict with ourselves sometimes and I do remind myself that any improvement in my Spend Free Wannabee days is just that ... an improvement!!

I pour over my spread sheets almost every night .. almost wishing the debt to reduce in front of my eyes but it does keep me in control to be reminded of the task ahead. DD&D - My OH has started to be trained as well! He has stopped saying 'I want' and has got used to having his own 'mini-budget'. He went out for a drink the other night and came back with more money than he went out with ... don't know how it happened and too afraid to ask!! (Think he bought a round for someone else and kept the change ... nothing more sinister!)

BACKFRMTHEEDGE

ah the spread sheet - my spread sheet is three on May 1st . I record everything I spend and it's become better and better with time at telling me exactly where I go wrong (or right) so keep up the good work. You never know one day we might all be RICH! :money:

Lucifer

Gosh Moozie, we both first posted, at the same time ish and yet you have come so much further than I have!!

It is true that I have definitely cut back on spending and have to stuck to budget pretty much. I have had a couple of blips tho and in total have prob spent £500 not budgeted for which may now put me back a month (mostly things I agreed to do b4 my lightbulb moment). I now hope to spend very little until aug (my youngest starts school sept, uniform etc).

I wish you the best of luck. You have been an inspiration to an awful lot of people. Keep up the good work!!

moozie_2

Thanks everyone

It really helps to type the way things are going, it keeps me sane if nothing else!

Had a really good weekend with friends and family and only spent £10 apart from my prescription. I was very happy this morning when I realised I had afab weekend on a tenner - goes to show!

A few comments on your messages

D&DD wrote:

D'you know though I have NEVER used so much flamin' paper as I have since I discovered this site all I seem to do is budget sheets,spreadsheets,shopping lists too... :eek: Still I find it helps me keep it all under control.

Ali-OK wrote:

I've spreadsheets on my PC coming out of my ears and spend hours playing about with them, adding bits and pieces and getting excited about an outgoing I've chopped which will lessen the bills next month!

Hey D&DD and Ali-OK:wave:
You are so right about paper and spreadsheets! I have lists coming out of my ears too at the moment and I seem to go to bed thinking about budgeting and how to pay more money off then wake up with the same thoughts - and sometimes ideas

Lewby wrote:

My OH has started to be trained as well! He has stopped saying 'I want' and has got used to having his own 'mini-budget'. He went out for a drink the other night and came back with more money than he went out with ... don't know how it happened and too afraid to ask!!

Lewby this made me laugh so much! I think you should praise him on taking money saving a step further

Lucifer wrote:

Gosh Moozie, we both first posted, at the same time ish and yet you have come so much further than I have!!

It is true that I have definitely cut back on spending and have to stuck to budget pretty much. I have had a couple of blips tho and in total have prob spent £500 not budgeted for which may now put me back a month (mostly things I agreed to do b4 my lightbulb moment). I now hope to spend very little until aug (my youngest starts school sept, uniform etc).

I wish you the best of luck. You have been an inspiration to an awful lot of people. Keep up the good work!!

Thanks Lucifer I think we have both come a long way since we first posted. 5 weeks ago I wouldn't even blink about putting £500 on a credit on something I wanted/needed like a weekend away or stuff for home. We are both learning new ways and adjusting to the 'new' us

As everyone told me, the old life may encroach on the new on for a while longer than we want but at the end of the day, we have made the change in our minds and our purse will follow in line too!

Best of luck to you too and keep posting your progress, love to read how everyone is getting on!

Thanks everyone for helping me see sense and for keeping me motivated. You are absolutely right, we all have blips and thankfully, we also have MSE.com! :T

moozie_2

BACKFRMTHEEDGE wrote:

You never know one day we might all be RICH! :money:

AMEN! :rotfl: