Only Dull Girls Write Diaries...Myth Broken!

savingholmes

well done on the payments and hope npower play ball!

Rainy_2

Ooh just found out that it is free listings today on Ebay which is the kick up the bum I have needed to get back into the swing of things! I'm aiming for 10 items on there by the end of the day. A relatively low target but I am working late tonight so just trying to be realistic!

Heading for NSD 9 today which I'm pleased about, I've been really making an effort to get organised and get my lunches prepared for each day.

OH is working all weekend (in the temp job which has stretched and stretched out with no end in sight so far. Even though he absolutley despises it so I have to give him credit for sticking with it) SO I get the house to myself - which I love - and I can get stuck in with the house and garden, and hopefully get some Ebaying done in the process. Why I always think I can only get on with stuff when OH isn't there I'm not sure! Insert Ms Shruggy Shoulders. Maybe because he always gets in the way :rotfl:

Rainy_2

Phew, I came back to work for a rest on Monday! I absolutely soared through the house and garden over the weekend - I'm still aching now! But it is coming together slooowly!

Luckily did all of the gardening stuff on the Saturday as Sunday morning brought with it 5 inches of snow! The front now looks respectable and inviting now you can actually see the house instead of overgrown shrubs and all of the dead flower baskets have life in them again. The past 2 years Xmas trees :eek: are gone from the back garden, as is all of the junk that had accumulated and pots and baskets no longer have brown and shrivelled things crawling out of them!

With the intention of buying a few plants, my trip to the shops on Saturday resulted in a roll-end of carpet for the second bedroom (£26 bargain :T) so Sunday I laid my first ever carpet! A lot of sorting and de-cluttering ensued but I got it all done in a day and the difference is incredible. I keep poking my head round the door to admire this lovely *new* room! The cat has also adopted it as ‘his’ room now, probably a good thing as was told by the vet on Monday that he has 'feline stress' Insert Ms Shruggy Shoulders!

Still nothing from Barclaycard regarding my monthly attempts of payment, they are top of my lost for F&F Settlement letters! If they ever accept any of my money that is :rotfl:

savingholmes

sounds like you got a lot done!

new carpet sounds positive - DD and I replaced the hanging basket and planted some pansies last week. She also planted some in another pot. I still have a few left so really should get her (age 6) to plant those too! Cheers the place up a bit!

Rainy_2

I’ve also had a play with the spangley new mortgage calculator on here :j :money: :j

Not sure whether it has inspired me or depressed me! If I poured as much towards paying off the mortgage as I am trying to clear my debts, I could be mortgage free in 3 and a half years! Saving me almost £7000 and shaving 12 and a half years off my mortgage term :eek:

I am only on a base rate mortgage at the moment and ironically now I have negotiated interest free terms with all my creditors (except Barclaycard, my mortgage is now again my biggest interest borrowing!

savingholmes

you will get there one day!

Rainy_2

Flowers and plants always cheer me up

Got home to an interesting letter from Wescot - who I have the largest debt with of £10,250. they say that:

"their client is prepared to assist me in clearing this debt by offering me the opportunity to make a reduced settlement on the outstanding balance on very favourable terms."

Hmm.This has thrown a bit of a curve ball into the mix as I wasn't planning to negotiate a settlement with them just yet as although it is the largest amount, it is interest free and have been relatively decent to work with. But feel like I should bite their hand off at the same time!

I'm going to go in with a very low offer (20%) and see what happens. I have a feeling they will laugh it off but it is a starting point, I can go up to 30% max with what i have in the Debt Pot and a little help from my mum. but if that is still a no then they will have to put up with my monthly payments for some time to come!

Rainy_2

Well the Wescot Full and Final Settlement letter has gone! It had to go Special Delivery as they have used the cheeky tactic of stating that their offer will run out 10 days from the date of the letter - which was a Friday losing me the weekend! Plus I didn't receive it until yesterday so wouldn't surprise if they didn't post it until Monday!

I have made sure that I have put in all of my terms of a settlement - i.e. that neither they nor a third party can chase the remainder of the debt and that my credit file is to show the debt as 'satisfied in full'. Also that I will only pay a settlement with written confirmation of the agreement too. It is such a low offer that I really doubt that they will accept it but I'm am pleased with the fact that they are willing to look at a settlement as an option.

Erm...it would mean that I could colour in 40 squares and shave off a huge 195 squares. Not that I've looked into that or anything

savingholmes

It sounds a great deal if you can get it Rainy - best of luck with that one! I completely get the square counting thing - I would have to too!

Rainy_2

I’m pleased that I made my target of 12 NSD’s in Feb, despite it being a shorter month! So I’ve upped the ante to 15 this month to curb my already minimal unnecessary spending. I’m aiming to wean myself of my weekly treat of a magazine and get stuck into the piles of unread books I have instead. Then I can sell them on! :T

I’m hoping to hear back from Wescot by the end of this week (maybe a tad optimistic!) as then I can budget accordingly depending on their answer (a letter full of “ha ha ha ha ha’s” for such a low offer or hopefully an offer from their side where I can negotiate a meet in the middle.) If I can get them to accept an offer then I can redistribute the monthly payment allocated to them amongst my other creditors and re-do my snowball. :cool:

OH is working again this coming weekend so I can plough on with home improvements! The plans so far involve:
1) Paint the spare bedroom (I already have some paint left over from the living room :money:)
2) Paint the woodwork in the spare bedroom and the doors on the landing (I will need to buy some gloss for the job :eek:)
3) New curtains for the spare bedroom (My wonderful mother has found some perfect ones for me for £4 :money:)
4) Paint the white bits of the kitchen – i.e the ceiling and a couple of the walls, the rest have colour/wallpaper on. (I have some kitchen/bathroom paint kindly donated by my mum! :money:)
5) Put pictures up on the stairs – I have a collection of car boot finds which are begging for a nice new home

Plenty to keep me busy! Plus getting stuck into Ebay, which I promise myself I am going to do every day but never quite achieve :mad: