The Golden Goose's Quest For The Golden Egg - AKA A Debt Free Life!

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

First and foremost, thank you for all the words of encouragement and advice. I've had a tough week or so and been struggling on a daily basis with the practicalities of two small goslings. Everything got a bit much and I couldn't see the wood for the trees. So thank you for pulling be back from a potential lemming moment.

So in my attempt to get myself all MSE again I logged on to Valued Opinions to complete some surveys, only to be told that the surveys are not supported by my device. Well tough. It's the only device I have. Hardly modern are they?

I've found a couple of items to sell, not entirely sure the best place to advertise.

We've been cooking from scratch a lot which is good for the mind body and soul. We seem to be getting more food as a result and what we do have goes further. I'm so over ready meals. Amazing what you can rustle up with frui, veg, herbs and spices. I might start baking again.

My diesel consumption has reduced. Not consumption in drinking it of course! But Ive been stringing errands together or seeing if I can do whatever it is another way eg online/phone or deciding if the errand is really essential.

Our K9 is due a check up and booster I think. So that will set us back a bit. Plus MrGG will have to be here as I don't fancy trying to manage an excitable dog ad two children in an enclosed area!

I am waiting for my CC to arrive so I can do the BT. Any day now.

I've also told my folks about how tough our money situation is. Not told them how bad but that we don't really have much to spare. My mum said she would give me £5k. I feel Uncomfortable about it. Need to think about it and it's not been mentioned since.

Happy Minday y'all!

Til the next installment.........

Happytogetdebtfree

Thats a very very very nice gesture from mum, what sort of difference would it make ? Ie when i pay my negative wealth down i make my money go further by not always looking for the highest intrest rate but whats the littlest i can pay to free up some monthly money, i paid 3 loans off early and saved over £500 from that £3k but say paying a £3k credit card would have saved me only £100. I know its all about paying off the highest intrest but its whats comfortable for you and what can free up more available funds, maybe post a negative wealth list and lets see what others think xx

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Merry Christmas (almost) to those celebrating and happy winter wonderland to those not.

Have been a bit busy since my last update. Mainly battling lack of sleep, goslings with rotten colds, trying to get ready for the festivities and the general day to day life of running a household.

The main news being that the £5k offered by Big Mama Goose has been scuppered by Big Bad Papa Gander. Oh well, I neve had it in the first place so am trying to not get too upset about it. It would have gone against my MBNA card and left me with about £1500 or so as a balance which would have been helpful.

M&S are massively cheesing me right off. I want to take advantage of their 0% offer but they can only do it if you have the CC that you want to TX in front of you, which is ok except one of my CC was taken over by Opus and I didn't get a card. So looks like I'm stuck with that, unless I can TX that one another way. I've rung them three times and each time I've been unable to complete the TX.

I've managed to pay for Christmas with a gift card I received so all good there. Some friends who we would normally buy for have suggested just buying for offspring. Naturally I bit their hands off. So much easier and cheaper to buy for children. There is a lot more choice out there.

Til the next installment........ Go easy in the sales. Me? I'm staying well clear.

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi goose, sorry about the money offer. I'm sure 2013 will be when we all make some good financial progress. Yay to paying for Xmas on a gift card :-) I am up so late because I have done the shop at asda it was ram packed xx

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Happy New Year Debt Busters!

Christmas was a very low key affair, which suited us just fine. New Year was very similar which also suited us just fine too. To be honest I'm glad to get the festivities behind us and back to normal.

MrGG is very cross about the withdrawal of £ offered recently. But as I said we never had it and yes it is wrong to offer and literally be on the phone transferring the money and then halt but that is their choice.

I need to write loads of thank you cards for the goslings gifts but the cost of postage is absolutely unreal!!

In the end I transferred as much of my Virgin balance to M&S and tomorrow I'm going to transfer my Opus balance to Halifax as they have sent me a 0% offer for 6mths and even when it reverts to the regular APR it will still be cheaper than Opus.

January is such a tough month. No money to do anything. You would think they would put decent stuff on the tv of an evening wouldn't you, but nooooooo.

Have been toying with the idea of running a business from home. One that I could do whilst the Goslings are tucked up in bed. However there are a couple of hurdles. The first being I'm not sure what kind of business I could do and secondly I'm far from creative. Hmmmmmm..... May ponder that some more.

My bed is calling so I shall bid you all a good night.

Apologies for the dullest update ever. Do I win an award?

Hope you have all had inexpensive festivities and spent less than you anticipated.

Til the next installment........

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi goose, nice to see you. I can see why oh feels abit peeved about the offer that was withdrawn it kind of builds hopes up doesnt it and then just when you think what it could do for you its taken before you have chance to sniff! We can only remain positive in this hurdle, i have had a few blue days to say the least crying about money but i couldnt tell you why, im very pleased with my progress but sometimes i just feel like im wishing time away for the dfd. Im at a point where we are trying to get pregnant and im fed up of feeling like finances should scupper my excitement afterall its my own silly fault for not been sensible. I have hit the mid life debt crisis where i have got less than half way to go but its just not soon enough... anyway enough of my moaning. Nice to see you. Heres to a better 2013 with some good number crunching for us both xx

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

Thanks Happy. It's hard at the best of times yet January seems to hit us harder. I know it's the same for everyone. We've all shed a few tears recently over the pennies and pounds. MrGG worked out how much we could save a month if we weren't paying back debt. The figure makes me sick to my stomach, particularly as its all our own doing. We have learnt a VERY expensive lesson and once I shall be teaching the goslings. I want them to have a healthy relationship with money. Happy - exciting times with getting pregnant. There are quite a few websites if you feel you need a bit of support and/or guidance. TTC can be draining both emotionally and physically. Don't under estimate how it can take over your every waking moment. Bit like debt busting. I don't mean to lecture!! Apologies if it comes over that way.

We are so broke at the moment it's untrue. The cat has come home with a burst abscess we think. We simply do not have the min £50 vet bill that we will incur by taking him to be seen.

MrGG and I have been bickering and its because we are both frustrated about the lack of available money. We are not talking about disposable either, actual money to survive such as putting fuel in the car, food shopping.

A girl I know told me about a local farm shop where you can buy a job lot of veg for a few quid. The local supermarkets are skinning us alive. I've meal planned this week and I still spent a small fortune and it didn't even include nappies or toiletries. When I get a moment I will whizz up there and check it out.

We've got a few items that we can sell so I've put them on Gumtree. Not sure if this is better than eBay or not?

Oooh ooh ooh so I moved my MBNA/Virgin balance, well most of it, to M&S. Well, you will never guess who called this evening? MBNA offering me 12mths at 0%! So they called at a bad time. Goslings bedtime. So when they call me back I shall put the Opus and Halifax onto MBNA and not take up the Halifax 0% for 6mths. This CC shuffle is exhausting. I am thankful to be offered the 0% for 12mths as it will save me a few quid. Particularly this month as the car tax is due.

Enough of my inane wittering. Happy, thank you for your support. Hello to any lurkers!

Lets make 2013 a bonza year.

Til the next installment.......

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi goose, i am exactly the same i try to remain upbeat about paying the negative wealth back but sometimes it just feels so tiring and the only reward i get is knowing il never ever ever get in this position again.
It is very exciting ttc, i am doing my temp charting and ive got some sticks, i have pcos so i wanted to get the ball rolling. Last month i was awful i hated the waiting and felt upset when it didnt happen, i know it doesnt happen straight away but i was hoping it did lol....At the moment im seeking solace in my husband and the internet i am going to try and enjoy the trying and not stress.

We have been very good with our meal planning and budgeting im really proud of us, I was pleased when i could close my virgin mbna you must have a reasonable credit rating to get 0% offers i gave up trying on them years ago our negative wealth to income is scary to some but to us its more than manageable 4 years on eh !

Ah poor kitty, is there anywhere you can skim the cat money from just for piece of mind? Money is a subject that both brings happiness and sleepless nights its both admirable and upsetting knowing the budget sheet down to the penny, i spend my life looking at spreadsheets. I have no problem with dmp or people who cant pay but this month ive been so upset and almost been angry at my moral fibre to pay back why does it sometimes always feel so hard !

I have just done some food shoping at a local discount store for nhs workers the savings are eyewatering i have got a lot of meat and ive done alot of meal planning to accomodate the freezer ful, I hate meal planning but it does work

I think gumtree is ok i have never used either but no people that have good luck!

I look forward to the next installment and if ive anything to report il be sure to let you know :rotfl:

The_Golden_Goose

The Latest Update

So the man from MBNA called. I've transferred my Opus and my Halifax balance to them. Thinking about it now I probably should have transferred back the amount I'd transferred to my M&S from MBNA. But my sleep deprived brain couldn't cope with figuring it all out. All I do know is that Halifax and Opus will be at nil point now and I plan to keep it that way. Go away you nasty unreasonable Apr's.

Today I have sorted out the toy box whilst one gosling hindered me and the other gurgled happily whilst chomping on a teething ring. How can we have so much plastic tat? We are slowly being overtaken buy it! It keeps the goslings happy and that is what matters. Not looking forward to possibly being held captive by the snow that is forecasted. I'm sure we will make the best of a cold situation. Apart form having the heating on all day. There is just no way I can not have it on when the goslings are here. Even with layers it's still cold. I don't want them getting poorly cos of it.

We've had an enquiry regarding an eB@y item so I hope that is promising. I'm also trying to think about what else we can sell.

Today I had a good day. Got out the house this morning with the goslings and the bigger G wore off some energy which always helps! Most activities for small kids involve committing to terms and each class can be something like £6 a pop. Doesn't sound a lot but if you go weekly plus fuel to get there it soon adds up. Wish we could do more stuff for them but we just do not have the disposable income. I know they don't know any different and they are just glad to be with us regardless of what we do to entertain them. I suppose it's normal to want to do the best for your children and its hard not to think that only money can provide the very best for them. Money can't buy love and it can't buy happiness. It can make the path to happiness a little easier, by that I mean, it removes stress such as wondering how bills will be paid, how you will pay for the weekly shop, contemplating whether you should accept the party invitation your gosling has received cos you don't think you will have the money to by the birthday kid a card and a gift.

On a brighter note, not long til payday now. Can't come soon enough.

I'm watching Trevor McDonald on Tv visiting Death Row. Now that's another world.

G'night y'all.

Til the next installment.............

Happytogetdebtfree

Hi goose, the snow is just starting here I love how it makes everything look so clean and tidy. Hopefully it doesn't keep you on lockdown.

I have been super organised and bought done Xmas presents in the sale haha I'm going to try and spread the cost monthly rather than feeling such a large amount go at Xmas. Good luck with the eBay sales.

The credit card savings sound great, I'm sure things will improve soon and the kids are at an age where they are more than happy to gurgle at mum and dad. Don't feel pressured or bad because building a financial stable future takes time and patience. We can never plan for all occasions although I have a spreadsheet up to the end of 2014 haha.

Keep positive we will eventually get there xx