Its only one card...how hard can it be?

scubaangel

Well so far my 'to pay off card' account is gaining numbers at a pleasing rate, albeit that once I've sorted out this months taxable amount for the ms'ing it'll drop (far too much for my liking, had a fair few shops which worked out more 'profitable' on paper than I thought they would). And paid a couple of cheques in to the bank yesterday which when they clear will come straight off the card balance, so should be reducing it by about £40, although I need to fill the car up again (I cannot believe how much I've driven in the last couple of weeks!).

edinburgher

Would it make you any less scared to use the ISA to pay of the debts if you did it in small steps? For example, withdraw £60 a month to pay down the debt?

That way your ISA would remain healthier for longer, the debt would go down and you'd be able to pay the money back into the ISA (as you've already paid in £1000 you will be able to add another £2000+ this year if you had the cash to do so)?

I know that mathematically it's not the most efficient way to pay off the debt, but this 'baby steps' approach allows you to use the savings to your best advantage while getting over your fear of eating into your safety cushion.

Just a thought.

scubaangel

That is pretty much what I expect I'll end up doing, although some inconsiderate **** has knocked a big chip in to the passenger side of my car (which matches nicely with the two scratches were it has been keyed twice already) so spent the last two of my days off getting quotes for it to be fixed, thanks to it being a new car and metallic paint I'm not looking forward to comparing them - have two quotes tucked in to my handbag already but darent look at them, got the local mobile chip fixer uper bloke coming to have a look while I'm at work tomorrow he was cheapest at fixing my previous cars more serious paint holes.

In other news got an MS payment this morning which meant I could pay £20 straight off the card as that was the minimum spend and was spent on the card, once I've sorted the rest of this months paperwork I look forward to paying a decent chunk off it.

Although my travel down to London for the weekend may just reduce it slightly as from a nice quiet weekend with my boy I'm now meeting a group of mates as one is taking part in the Anthony Gormley 4th Plinth project (1500 -1600 Friday July 31st) in aid of a not for profit organisation which I'm fairly well involved with and there are a few quiet drinks planned......but I can spend the rest of the weekend recovering with himself, apart from the one MS I booked myself for the Saturday (theres every chance we'd end up going shopping anyway and I'm sticking to that excuse!).

ETA I also just realised its payday between now and next friday...I find it hard to believe at this point in the month I still have this much money in my bank account! Prehaps London wont be quite so bad after all.

scubaangel

Well took a deep breath this morning and transferred £100 to the card, unfortunately having had to go and buy a dress for a garden party the weekend I was in London means that it actually only clears an extra £60 of the balance.

Brings the overall balance to £747.42 and 18 months to pay it off, well its going in the right direction at least.

Fire_Fox

Why are you still spending on the card?? Surely this is sabotaging yourself and surely you didn't need to spend £60 on a dress, you wanted to - you could have worn something you already own or you could have bought something in a second hand dress shop.

edinburgher

I have to agree with Fire Fox. It seems a little paradoxical that you'd be concerned enough about the card to set up one a motivational diary DFW style, but that you're still using it for casual purposes.

scubaangel

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Why are you still spending on the card?? Surely this is sabotaging yourself and surely you didn't need to spend £60 on a dress, you wanted to - you could have worn something you already own or you could have bought something in a second hand dress shop.

Unfortunately I needed a dress suitable for a Military party, and was given only 24 hours warning :mad: which given I had to be at work when I was told and due to be on a train the next morning to head south for the previously planned lazy weekend I only had 2 hours shopping time after work to go out and find something suitable - most second hand shops arent open after 5pm and I finish work at 8pm most days.

I dont own or wear dresses generally and none of my female relatives are around the same age/size as me so I couldnt borrow one and when I went to pay for the dress (£40 not £60 not that it makes it any better) I was £5 short on my bank balance to pay it on my debit card (I did try but it rejected and even if it hadnt the bank charge for going out of my agreed od limit would have been worse).

Said dress is now on ebay and as it was bought in the sale - and was able to get mil discount too - should (fingers crossed) make back near enough what I spent on it, needless to say as soon as it has sold that money will go straight on the card.

If the boy does this to me again rest assured he and his collegues will just have to deal with me rocking up in either my own combats or my typical dressing style of jeans and a t-shirt, although I'm hoping the ear bashing he got will teach him I need at least 3 weeks warning to find a decent bargain outfit.

LeeSouthEast

Use the ISA to clear the debt. Your credit card then becomes the safety net.

Simples

scubaangel

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Use the ISA to clear the debt. Your credit card then becomes the safety net.

Simples

Once the chip and scratches are gone from my car passenger side the remainder will be used - quotes from £600 to £750 for that little lot :eek: exteremly pee'd off as the police wouldnt even give me a reference no after I phoned them to report the keying...apparently it could have been accidental damage, done to a car parked next to a wall outside my work place where there was no reason to walk down that side of the car due to it being in the corner of the carpark and a dead end in front. So I can't even go through my insurance with the far more reasonable excess of £300 and no loss of no claims for vandalism. :mad:

I now cycle to work as often as I can.

edinburgher

Said dress is now on ebay and as it was bought in the sale - and was able to get mil discount too - should (fingers crossed) make back near enough what I spent on it, needless to say as soon as it has sold that money will go straight on the card.

See, if you'd told us that we wouldn't be hassling you so much