Luckycharm's debtfree and self-sufficiency journey

Luckycharm_2

This is how the situation looks:

Incoming- £1400 approx. (being self-employed, I can't always predict exactly how much I'll make every month)

Outgoing- £1340.56

This leaves £59.44 every month to put towards debt. Which is clearly nowhere near enough. I now have a plan though.

Matched betting- I finally mastered it, made around £100 then stopped doing it. Why?? I'll be doing this religiously as of tonight.

Mystery shopping- I LOVE these and will now make a real effort to get every one offered in this area.

Ebay- I have loads of stuff to sell and have never got round to it. My challenge is 5 items listed this weekend.

I have just had a brilliant idea for everyone's Christmas...me and OH are making a video. It's fun, it's free and my family will hopefully love it.

I'm also being paid a lot extra this month as work has been busy lately and hope to knock £500 off the debt by the end of this month (if I get paid on time).

I've been seriously lacking in motivation lately. I have bouts of making progress then somehow I lose it and end up back in at the start. I need to maintain the momentum somehow. I'm hoping this diary will help.

:jFeeling better already!!!!

Luckycharm_2

I am so determined my debt will not go over £10k. As of today, the figure goes DOWN.

I read a thread about paying £1 a day off your debt. I'm wondering if this would help me keep me on track? I think I'll give it a go.

Happy debt-busting, everyone!:D

lucielle

Have you signed up to do the free scratch cards?
L

Luckycharm_2

Still haven't got round to the scratchcards but it's now on my to do list for today. Thanks lucielle.

Luckycharm_2

I now have 3 matched bets on the go. The cash I made previously has increased my pot (I didn't withdraw it and spend it) so I can make the whole process go faster. Potential to make £70, or as close to it as I can manage, this week. I'm not very patient at finding good matches but the odds were ok tonight.

No mystery shops this week. Hope next week will be better.

Luckycharm_2

I've just set myself a challenge of paying off a credit card by the end of January. The balance is £1265.49 and it has an interest rate that could make your eyes water.

If Christmas comes in on budget, if the car's MOT is under £300 and if my tax calculations are correct then I should have £600 to pay towards this CC in January. The race is on to find the other £665.49 to clear it.

It's the target of my £1 a day payment so £50 will be gone be the end of Jan. I started scratch cards tonight and I need to keep at the matched betting.

I'm determined.

lucielle

Ebay, ebay, ebay. Try music magpie for getting rid of old CDs. Did I mention ebay? Remember your OH can have a scratch account.
L

lucielle

Just remebered if you are signed up for St MInver sites its double scratchcard day on a Sunday cashout is usually £10 but if you are doing Virgin you can cashout at £5.

Have you tried Bingo Britain? Check the rules haven't changed, but when I signed up you had to play £5 of your own money and then you get £5 (free) per day for the next 30 days. We both signed up for it and sadly our run has come to an end but we won over £300!
L

Luckycharm_2

Thanks lucielle. I'll definitely look into Bingo Britain and see what the rules are.

Don't think I have any cds left to sell. I had a clear out not long ago and I'm left with the ones I love to bits and anything new is downloaded. But I need to keep to my challenge of 5 items listed on ebay this weekend. I have a pair of shoes and a jumper in mind, both unworn.

Yesterday I found out that my credit card is being debited without my permission by an american company. Like a few other people on these boards, I sign up for free trials of things and during the summer that included some teeth- whitening toothpaste by a company called Dazzlewhite, £4 p&p paid by cc. 3 weeks later a payment for £49.99 appeared on my card. :eek: I phoned them up and they refunded it and I thought that was the end of it.

However, it seems they passed my details to a 'sister' company (according to the fraud helpline at Abbey) who have been taking small amounts of £5 and £4, plus charging for international use of my card, for a few months. It totals about £22.

I don't know what I'm more shocked by...that it happened at all or that it happened and I only noticed yesterday when them helping themselves put me over my limit and got me a £12 charge. I feel like a fool but I'm really annoyed at them too. But I'm on the case now and will get it refunded. I need to wait to hear from Abbey though which should be in 10 days.

Luckycharm_2

I paid my daily £1 yesterday and the payment went through 7 times! That's me sorted with it for the week then...lucky it wasn't for £100!