Keeping myself on track and focused....

Karen_30

Back again. More ideas to add for my own benefit - sorry anyone if I am boring you :rotfl:

Been thinking of ways to achieve savings etc and have come up with the following through looking at this site -

Overtime - do as much as possible and challenge myself to exceed hours worked month by month
Spending diary
Weekly budget (for general spends)
Daily scratch cards (thanks savingholmes :T )
No spend days - aim for as many as possible and log
£2 coin saving
Re-look at budget
Mobile phone - check if can change package deal
Food shops - plan better
Payment a day - need to look into this a bit more as can't pay directly off a debt but was thinking of using it as a way to add to savings accounts by paying minimum of £1 per day from weekly budget set and then if anything left could add this too, could be good way of making regular savings.

Have looked into daily clicks, surveys etc - might give it a go but problem is I work on computer for 8/9 hours a day for work - not sure I could sit on it for length of time in evenings but I guess even if do it now and again it'll all add up over time.

Any other ideas or suggestions would be gratefully received!

K x

savingholmes

HI karen - can you just set up an internet savings account - get paid to do it via a cashback site - usually can get about £20 and then put savings into it when you get them and save up until you can make some full and final settlement offers....? I would prioritise that above buying a house altho since I "own" my own home that is easy for me to say... however my house is worth £15K less than 2.5 years ago so perhaps not....

Anyway good plan re overtime and savings - secondly look at the rest of the make £10 a day challenge for other ideas of how to make money... You could join now or April 1st

Karen_30

Morning all,

Well after a long heart to heart with OH and a few tears of mine I now feel ready and know what I want in life.....now i'm going to get it

We have decided to def keep finances separate until such times as it warrents joining forces i.e marriage, kids etc. Main reason being my credit rating is poor, his is good and one of us needs a clear record given current climate and the fact that down the line he will be applying for mortgage etc. Also we are 3 and a bit years into the relationship, and although we plan to stay together, marriage, kids etc etc....I do like having my little bit of independance. We do however have an account where all bill money, living costs etc goes into and we do (now) have a joint savings account (these are all in one or others name not joint names as per above).

Today I have opened 3 online savings account along side my current account - one (at higher rate of interest if no withdrawls) will be for my savings towards full and final settlements or lump sum payment towards debts. The other two will be for christmas and birthdays and a misc pot for those unexpected things in life.

I feel much better for making some decisions about what I want to do, it's a healthy balance between the debts and planning for the future - something I have to do given my age...only wish i'd done it 5 years ago but then life wasn't the best for me back then.

Anyhow, onwards and upwards....new life starts here :j

K x

Karen_30

Oh and forgot to add....first new totals stand at.....

Pay off debt early fund.....£10.00
Christmas & Bday .....£5.00
Rainy day pot.....£5.00

Not a bad start :T

Karen_30

Signed up to daily scratch cards.....25p for one and 10p for other :T

Dad has also said I can set up one in his name/account - bless :A

Karen_30

:confused:This morning is becoming a sort my life out morning, loving it

Sorry if my ramblings are boring anyone who decides to take a peek but it helps me to get everything off my chest on to my diary and keeps me focused

I'm been thinking back and realise how lucky and fortunate I am. Yes, I may have a large amount of debt in excess of £50K :eek: However, I am taking steps to repay this and it's going down at approx £10K + per year and will be gone according to payplan in four and a bit years....not sure how they work that out but will leave them to it . I'm happy continuing as I am and focusing on the other things in life for now and my master plan

I have a lot to be thankful for, loving, caring OH who is fantastic, after long discussion last night realise the pressures he has from me being in debt and really how fantastic he has been since I decided on dmp. He has paid for numerous holidays, trips, meal, socialising, takes me shopping :A and often pays for the little things that we all forget about....he's an angel and a real love and I think I am the luckiest girl going! He said that he would prefer to pay for these such things than toward my debt as means we can still have a life of decent quality and he sees how much debt gets me down and loves to treat me and NOT my creditors ....he he

My family have been great and realise that I can't just do things financially anymore - been a long process but i've got there with them!

Fab friends that understand totally and never put pressure on me and those that didn't sadly are not about any more...funny how you find out who true friends are and also sad in a way.

Anyhow, enough waffling. I'm off to register for some daily click sites and surveys :j

Have a good day all,

K xx

Karen_30

Very positive day for me, so far I have set up online savings accounts, joined cashback sites, daily scratch cards, some survey sites.

Still to do, set up a pot (sealed) for £2 coin saving. We already have a loose change pot for me and OH so not going to change that.

Also want to look more at budget, cutbacks, mobile contract but have lots of work to do so will have to wait.

Off to hair dressers this afternoon, not so DFW but....I am getting it coloured back to as close as natural as possible so I no longer have the cost of colourings and will just need it cut next time....sort of DFW there :rotfl:

Can't wait to see what progress I make in coming weeks/months - very excited, am I sad

savingholmes

Hi Karen - MSE can be very addictive in a good way... Glad you are feeling positive and are making progress... we all have to start somewhere... I started last July at which time I owed more than twice what I owe now....!! You are making great strides - the first place to start is not adding to debt, the second is to pay off debt and the third is to save... You are doing some of all 3 which is good!

Karen_30

Thank you SH - i've definately got the first part done, by not adding to debt! Haven't had anything or added to credit for over 2 years now and obviously with dmp can't anymore. Second and most important is to save towards clearing debt...made a start, might not be much as yet but it's a start and then last to save which I will be doing alongside. Fingers crossed at the end of it i'll be settled in all areas

Although I can't actually pay any extra off the debts as such the savings account I have opened for final payments of debt is not going to be touched until such times as needed - therefore in my mind the balance of that account is actually how much extra debt I have cleared....does that make any sense?? It does in my mind, I think

I'm really enjoying reading other threads and diaries....giving me lots to think about!

K x

Karen_30

Where has the weekend gone !!

Had me a lovely weekend. We went to the Outdoor Show at Birmingham NEC yesterday....for some of you i'm sure it's boring but 'we' love it!! I have never got so excited about seeing so many tents (put up) outside :rotfl: Went with OH and his parents, long old day as quite a distance from us but worth it. OH also brought me new pair of walking trousers as a treat :T

So back to reality and the hard task of clearing this debt once and for all - it's going to take a while but each small step and every penny saved is a penny less debt and it all adds up in the end. I can't wait to have enough saved to make some settlement payments and then go back to normal and getting on and clearing the rest