A fresh start

Seaxwyn

Hello DFW friends :hello: Here is the long-promised new diary.

I’ve had a diary on MSE since January 2007: My old diary

In the first year, I worked hard, focussed obsessively, and reduced my debt by 13 grand. After that, my focus slipped, tax bills caught up with me, and my debt seesawed up and down, so 18 months on it’s barely 2k less than it was in January 08. The fact that it has reduced at all is due to loan repayments – the amount outstanding on credit cards is now some £3k more than when I started. It’s rather a depressing picture so I am starting a new diary with the intention that from this day forward, the debt total will go down every month and never up.

That will be a challenge this month and next. This month I have to pay £1300 tax, and next month we’re going on holiday. That in itself is not costing much – we’re staying with friends in Italy rent-free and my dear dad has paid for the flights – but it means I will have 2 weeks away from my high paying freelance work. Anyway, I’m not entertaining any defeatist talk so despite those two things, go down it will.

I'm not going to do a SOA as our income is so wildly variable. I have kept detailed accounts of all money in and out for the past 30 months so I know what we need each month and believe me, we are not money wasters.

For an explanation of our circumstances and the reasons why we got into debt in the first place, see the first few posts in my old diary. Nothing has changed really. Here, for the record, is the sum of my debts as they stood at 1 July 2009.

CCs £16,333.65 :mad: Loan 6.5% £16,665.20 :mad: OD 0% £2514.95 :mad: Total £34,813.80

Here's to the next however many months - the support and friendship of fellow DFWs has been fantastic so far and I hope I will not give you so much cause to tear your hair out from now on.

boredofbeingathome

Congrats on your new diary Seaxwyn. I am sure it will be as riveting a read as the last one and you will get there.

lucielle

Yay, shiny new diary. Onwards and downwards to the debt.
L

kissjenn

Hi Seaxwyn,

Welcome back. It's been very quiet without you. How is OH - is he back teaching again?

KJ

hypno06

The debt may not have gone down as much as you might like - but it HAS gone down. In years gone by, it may well have gone UP. So progress really has been made

Do you feel more in control of things now you have an element of "guaranteed" income from the employed work? And once you have paid the £1300 tax this month, is that your big bill cleared, or do you still have some to pay?

I'm really pleased that you have managed to sort out a holiday - and a lovely one at that :T I'm not jealous - noooo not in the slightest ok, i have always wanted to go to Italy but never done so and am sure you will have a fantastic time, with batteries recharged as you go too!

Onwards and upwards! We're getting there :T

taxi73

Happy new diary and I second Hypno above.

Seaxwyn

Thanks everyone.

Is OH teaching again? That's a big question. He has been booked for 2 days this week but has no contract for them, so he is bravely refusing to go until he has assurance he will be paid. The payment problems have escalated - in May he got nothing, in June he got paid for 13 of the 44 hours he was contracted for, never mind the 88 plus he actually worked. This is our biggest issue to crack - the college's hopeless disorganisation and my OH's pathological lack of assertiveness are a bad combination. But there isn't anything else out there for him so we have to sort this one. A big challenge for me is actually helping him rather than just blaming him.

Hypno, yes the regular pay is reassuring. The pay from the p/t job more than covers the sanding orders from one current account, so I can just forget about that for the moment. But it's also underlined how much more lucrative freelancing is - I get a lot more for the 2/day/week freelance contract than the 3/day/week employed one. I think the key thing is the working in an office rather than at home, rather than the employment status.

But apart from moneywise, the job feels like a holiday! It is located in a lovely part of London, really easy to eat my sandwiches overlooking the river, or wander round the alleys of Southwark or any number of interesting places. The work is interesting enough but not really challenging, and they are sending me to Chicago (I hope). I have sounded out the potential for staying on after the post-holder comes back from maternity leave and I think it may be possible as so far they seem pleased with me - I must not do anything to change that!

And the holiday - yes I can't wait! We will be staying with friends in a derelict property they are doing up on a mountain by the Italian Riviera. Should be lovely for beaches, walks, picturesque villages and of course delicious ice creams. We were going to drive but my dad has given me money to cover Easyjet flights, which I am deeply grateful for.

taxi73

The holiday sounds wonderful...really idyllic .
Chiucago would be nice as well..you are lucky there..lol.

That college is so irresponsible...can't believe how they muck him about.

lucielle

I hope the holiday is brill. When do you go. I've always fancied Tuscany for some reason.
L

Seaxwyn

We go on 18 August for two weeks. I've been to Tuscany, it is lovely. The place we're going to is in Liguria, I will have to get a guidebook out of the library because I know next to nothing about it.

SarahNeedle1872

Hiya Seax, happy new diary! Dont usually post, but always follow!

Sx