Trials and tribulations of a Debt Free Wannabee!

savingholmes

Thanks SC.... We've just been to pizza hut for their happy hour deal to celebrate! I am so excited - I thought the tax was going to be much worse so I got much more in my hand than I was expecting!!:j It's the best bonus I've ever had :beer:

I also got a £96 refund of interview expenses today :money: I asked for it in advance of going to an interview as it was a nearly 250 mile round trip! They agreed.... To give you an idea - no-one else has offered me interview expenses even tho they normally cost £10-£30 a time! I am getting much better at asking for things and being more assertive when it comes to money and things for me....;)

savingholmes

Actually thinking about it I am in danger of breaching the £6K savings rule (benefits) - so some of the money I stuck in savings earlier I think I will pay off a credit card instead....

So debts now
£16.8K-£1K = £15.8K

Savings
£3.7+£2K= £5.7K

Net debt approx £10.1K! woohoo! :j Just need a job now to keep it that way! :eek: Plus I have another £205 to come off that over the next few days which will take me down to £9.9K net debt LOL!!! :T It is getting better :beer:

clearmydebts

It certainly is SavingH,

You are making fantastic inroads into your debts. I feel like mine have come to a standstill. I need to get more focussed.

savingholmes

Sorry I am in the mood to warble on today.... I feel really hyper - part bonus - and part caffeine I think!:rotfl:

When I joined last July our overdraft was regularly £2K or worse :eek: - this month we got it down to -£200. :j Even after the impact of car insurance and holiday fund all due this month - I am hoping that we won't be in overdraft at all this month and that there could even be a positive balance on our no 2 account!

Basically we have 2 joint accounts

1 - I get my salary paid into - this covers DD and most CC payments (never overdrawn)
2 - OH gets salary paid into - this covers a handful of low cost payments and originally was our food and petrol type spending account.... (I now use a cashback CC for this and pay it from Acct 1!)

Once we are out of overdraft it should be much easier to
a) live within our means
b) see how things are doing...

Once this account is under control - we can potentially xfer money from June onwards to Acct 1 to pay bills with if I still don't have a job... Hope that makes sense and I haven't bored you to tears!!!

The_Golden_Goose

Things are looking up.

Congratulations.

I too long for the day that my debt balance is under £10k.

Couple of pals recently were talking about debt (they dont have CCs) and were talking about large CC debt and how they couldnt do it, cos it scared them. Well, me?, I kept my trap very well shut. Just couldnt bring myself to tell them I have said CC debt and all of my own doing.

I'd rather tell them I had some vile contagious STD than admit to the CC debt.

Such a stigma attached to debt or perhaps the stigma is in my bonce? Perhaps am too proud to say I can't control my spending? Who knows? But I know how it makes me feel! Like the bottom of a kitchen bin - pretty rubbish! Hence my new way of life and my new spendthrift ways!

(BTW - just to clarify I am perfectly healthy and do not have any vile diseases!!)

savingholmes

Completely blown my grocery budget this month - but interestingly this was my normal budget pre-xmas so perhaps on the whole I am still doing quite well. Had a coffee at a friend's tonight rather than the pub - and got another £5 from bingoport... helps fund little luxuries

GG there is loads of stigma attached to debt. I have been present at similar conversations and I usually keep my mouth shut or make a massive joke of it... there is no point beating yourself up about the past - you can however take steps to change your present and your future.

sistercas

savingholmes wrote: »

Actually thinking about it I am in danger of breaching the £6K savings rule (benefits) - so some of the money I stuck in savings earlier I think I will pay off a credit card instead....

So debts now
£16.8K-£1K = £15.8K

Savings
£3.7+£2K= £5.7K

Net debt approx £10.1K! woohoo! :j Just need a job now to keep it that way! :eek: Plus I have another £205 to come off that over the next few days which will take me down to £9.9K net debt LOL!!! :T It is getting better :beer:

wow that is fantastic well done :beer:

my debt is slowly reducing. I have 3 cc debts ( had 4 paid 1 off) and my current account is never overdrawn , but this is just me. OH has several cc and the joint account is into the overdraft by 3.5k :eek: . he still has his head buried in the sand. so I am sorting my debt out albeit slowly as I earn a third of what he does, and then I hope to concentrate on his debt.

GG I know what you mean, I keep quiet when my friends talk about debt and cc's they think its terrible to have debt like that, it makes me feel like a leper. my debt was accrued slowly, I am on a low wage and i ended up using cc to pay for car servicing , clothes for the kids , xmas presents and it soon adds up. this xmas however was the first time I havent used my cc :j
and I plan to not use them anymore.

Numpty_Monkey

Just wanted to wish you well for the job interviews
and thanks for the advice,

That is some work you've done on your debts:T

savingholmes

Thanks SC and Numpty for popping in!

Do you know I was thinking last night.... SC you will remember this from Ruby's diary.... as a result of joining MSE :money: I asked for a payrise back in around October - (which I got) and at the same time my bonus potential went up dramatically! Which is the benefit I am now reaping... I got £3.5K gross more than I would have done if I hadn't asked for a payrise!!!!

I know it is hard to ask for a pay increase etc but - I got about £200 more take home pay per month and now this additional bonus. If you are someone who gets results at work and you know you are paid less than some of your colleagues - give it a go - you may get a positive result!:D

So I really am reaping now some of the groundwork I laid 6 months ago.... I am also able to go to my next employer when I apply for jobs saying I expect at least this salary level..... So hopefully I have set a positive stage for future earnings too!:cool:

Hollyberry

SH - wow, you have done loads since I last dropped in! Yay you, on the interviews:T getting the agencies onside:T the bonus:T the debts. :T Phew! No wonder you'd like some time off...

Also :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: at The Golden Goose putting "heart, soul and kidneys" into it; that sounds like a truly moneysaving concoction. All the better served up in a fine new interview suit.