Only Dull Girls Write Diaries...Myth Broken!

Rainy_2

My diary keeping has been very slack of late

But you will be pleased to hear that it is a "no news is good news" scenario really!

Completely up to date with my hiiiyyaa!! letters (they are not up to date with their responses of course :rotfl:)

I'm £41 under my Christmas budget with all pressies bought and wrapped :T but I haven't really made much of a dint in my Ebay targets but I have started Bingo Britain and have won £5 so far :j

Plus, a major achievement on my part, I have actually managed to relax a little bit! After all the trials and tribulations of running my own business for nearly 3 years, then all the closure hassle and then of course all of the nasty debts and all that's come with it, I have made myself make time for myself! I still have guilt pangs about it but I've made it as a Christmas pressie to myself!

I have no idea what on earth I thought about/worried about before I had debts. If I'm going to draw a silver lining from all of this it's that I've learnt not to sweat the small stuff ever again!!

Rainy_2

I've just been having a little look over everything since I started this diary back in July, tis that time of year!

When I started, my debt was £99,871 and through negotiating, snowballing, making what payments I can and a couple of great F&F Settlements I'm now down to...

£63,372 :T

£36,499 off in 6 months! It is still a mammoth amount of debt but I'm going to try and celebrate as it is certainly a much better place than I thought I would be back in July! And all down to the wonderful people and sound advice found on MSE site and in particular my fellow DFW's :A :beer:

I really hope that I can get the ball rolling for some more F&F's in 2010 and hopefully restore some order into my life! It's been several years since that's happened so it might be a long shot :rotfl:

savingholmes

Hi Rainy glad you are being kind to yourself. Debts coming down by about a third is always positive too! that is all rather amazing isn't it....

Rainy_2

It really is amazing, especially seeing it as 'a third' I hadn't pictured it like that before :j

I have the Xmas grub shop to get done but I can't make it until Xmas Eve morning :eek: so I am praying that they will have everything I need! I was going to do the full on turkey and trimmings experience but have now completely changed my mind!

A big reason being the cost, but also there is only going to be 3 of us and even a small turkey will provide more leftovers than we can handle (I have it in my head that it was a full turkey or nothing so haven't considered the turkey crown option, strange the ideas you get stuck in your head!) Plus my mum is off on a 2 week carribean cruise on boxing day (alright for some! :rolleyes:) and has stated that she won't want a heavy dinner as she will be too excited! A distinct role reversal has suddenly happened between mother and daughter!

So salmon has been agreed all round. Much less washing up afterwards too :T

I'm toying with some goals for 2010 to keep me focused. I really want to make realistic ones but in my impatience to get rid of my debt, my irrational side keeps making ridiculous suggestions. Will try again when that side of me is alseep

hypno06

My irrational side always wins when it comes to debtbusting targets.......:o

savingholmes

Hi Rainy how about writing it like this:

Level 1 - Low challenge target:

Level 2 - Significant challenge target (still achieveable but only with sacrifice):

Leve 3 - Aspirational target (only achieveable with silly F&F offers and sacrifice):

See whether you hit Level 1, 2 or 3!

keza

wow rainy congrats on the debt clearing! thats a massive amount in 6 months! keep at it and u will be debt free in no time ! congrats! xxx

Rainy_2

:hello::hello::hello::hello:

A very belated Happy New Year to everyone!

It's been so long, I've got some catching up to do! Bloomin' laptop had a virus on it and could not do a thing so I've been cut off from my online world for a couple of weeks! All sorted now but ther'es nothing left on the laptop, no files, pics or anything :eek: Luckily all the important things are on my USB stick so no major losses - phew!

Just a few bog-standard red letters to report from over the festive period. Another from the Blair, Oliver and Scott collection this time for Sainsbury's CC and again demanding full payment and ignoring the current monthly payment agreement I have with Sainsburys. They are beginning to be a pain in the bum! (So I will try my best to be a bigger one back )

Recently had a few missed calls on my landline (missed due to being at work) from a strange number so I googled it - turns out to be a company called NGS Corporate Ltd, who surprise surprise deal with debt collections. I'm slightly worried as all my known debts are now either in a payment agreement, or I am corresponding with the relevant party. I've no dealings with this NGS whatsoever. I'm worried that it might be a debt that I've somehow missed :eek: I hope that they give up with the phone calls and write so I can try and piece together who it is they are chasing debt for! Preferably before they turn up at the house! :mad:

I like the 1, 2, 3 step goals savingholmes and have them up with my coloured squares! :T

Rainy_2

So drum roll please...Rainy's Goals!

Long-term goals:

1. My low challenge target is to stick with my Snowball, which has now gone from 9 years to 6 thanks to the stopping of interest from the majority of creditors :T This does still include a whopping amount per month which needs to be thrown at it but I have managed it so far so that stays as a short-term 2010 goal!

2. My middle challenge target is get a small number of creditors to agree to F&F's to the combined value of £10,800 (another short-term 2010 goal!) This would then take my DFD to May 2013 - just 3 years and 5 months!

3. My silly crazy target is to get the majority to settle with F&F's to the total of £26,730 (around 60% of the total debt) and be debt free by Xmas 2011! A lot riding on external factors as well as sacrifice on my part to raise the money but it's good to have a dream! :rotfl:

So with the long-term goals in place, this has produced necessary short-term 2010 goals:

1. In order to keep the Snowball rolling, I need £900 per month to throw at it. Staying at the level I'm living now, I need to make an additional £200 per month to top up the pot (the £10 a day thread will no doubt keep me on my toes!)

2. Re-evaluate living costs to rely less on having to make 'extra money' each month!

3. The Debt Pot Goal for 2010 is £10,800 to enable me to achieve my middle challenge!

I've not totted it up but that's quite a lot of coloured squares! :rotfl:

savingholmes

Really well done Rainy - I like the sound of those goals and you sound really positive and upbeat about it - you can beat this. It sucks that you bought into a business just as the business world caved in but at least you still seem positive so well done you!