Dreaming of a Better Life

DreamerHelen

Hi Everyone, I did a DFW Diary last Year but kinda gave it all up when a relationship went badly wrong this Year and I got my heart broken in a major and serious way

Anyway, I’ve been very up and down with my Debts over the past 6 months – Paying some months, not paying in others. And this has to stop RIGHT NOW!!!! I’ve contacted all of my Debtors and arranged to pay on the same day each month so that I know exactly what is coming out and when it is coming out.

I’m now in a place where I’m not struggling too much to pay off my Debts and I’m hoping to start either making extra Payments or to actually pay off some of the lower ones!!

I started properly paying them off in 2008 and, as I said, been very up and down over the past 6 months or so, but the following shows what I owed in 2008 and what I currently owe:

NHS Student Grants Unit – Owed £80.08 in 2008 – NOW PAID OFF
DLC (Capital One Card – Owed £171.19 in 2008 – NOW PAID OFF
C.A.R.S. (LA Fitness) – Owed £195 in 2008 – NOW PAID OFF
First Credit (Barclaycard) – Owed £691.89 in 2008 – Now £396.89
Smith Lawson (Student Loans) – Owed £2543.86 in 2008 – Now £1935.02
Lewis Group (HSBC CC) – Owed £2696.70 in 2008 – Now £2495.00
Capquest (Natwest) – Owed £5387.09 in 2008 – Now £5077.09
NCO (HSBC Bank Acct) – Owed £6135.81 in 2008 – Now £5960.81
Moorcroft – Owed £7035.93 in 2008 – Now £6606.60
BC+Co (Co-Op Bank) – Owed £8276.87 in 2008 – Now £7971.87

So, that means that in the last 12 months I have paid off £2770.34 off my total figure (because all of the Interest is Frozen on ALL of them!!!!) – Wow, looking at it like that is incredible, I can’t believe I’ve managed to pay all of that off!! :T

I’m very lucky in the fact that I work from home so there is no Travelling to and from work and my Earning Potential is completely limitless – I can earn as much or as little as I choose to earn (which is why I’m not going to post an SOA as my earnings fluctuate wildly and I don't want to confuse myself and you guys!!).

So, I need some Goals for the rest of the Year, these are:

1) To Pay off my lowest two Debts – Which are First Credit and Smith Lawson
2) To stop using Cabs
3) To lose some Weight – This is seriously needed as it is now affecting my health
4) To reduce smoking
5) To build up some Savings

So, I think that’s some fairly healthy and achievable Goals :j

Thank you everyone for reading this fairly mammoth Post…I think I’m going to need all the Support I can get…particularly when I’m tired and I’m up all night working and all I want to do is give up and go to bed!!

Batfink

Good Luck. Sounds like you've got it all planned out. Keep us updated

x

Tixy

Hi Helen

Sorry to hear about your heart, I hope its on its way to healing now.

Thats a great amount you have paid off, especially as you have been having a bad time emotionally, I'd be impressed just not to get into more debt when life gets turned upside down never mind continuing to reduce it - so well done you.:T

Great that your earnings are limitless, if you're focused to reach your goal and pay off your debts that will focus you to earn the extra money you need to do it.

Your action plan sounds good too, not sure how you are planning on tackling #3 but we have a thread going at the moment where we are supporting each other and declaring out weekly losses (although not our original weights;)), some are doing Slimming World, others Weight Watchers and some are just cutting down generally. Anyway if you think it might help newcomers are welcome, there's only a few of us at the moment. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1811571

Good luck with your journey

GeorgeUK

Although you don't want to post up a SOA, i would advise looking at your utility bills and insurances t osee if you are getting the best deal on them. Have a look at uswitch and moneysupermarket.

Good luck with this and well done.

poorpeople

God, I think ur amazing what with all that horrible debt and you sound really positive, what is it you do from home? Tellme please, I could do with some cash to pay off my horrible debts.....I have only paid part of my mortgage for the last 2-3 years and seriously need to think about NOT going on a LITTLE holiday next year and get the debts down and to try to pay my mortgage once again, can I have some of your enthusiasm?

poorpeople

Its very hard not to hve a little hol at least once a year when you have kids I dont know how I will cope next year, Im not looking forward to it.

So_Sad_Angel

Hi Helen

Wow how upbeat & positive you sound...well done. I wish you all the best luck Honey.

Sorry to hear about the heartbreak stuff...has happened to me too recently & is taking some getting over too.

Life goes on & you are doing so very very well.

Angiexx

gargrave50

Hey Helen,

You have done really well. How did you get interest frozen on all of your debts - are you self-admin DMP? You have a plan and you have come back. Well done

DreamerHelen

Wow, I go to sleep and come back to all these lovely replies!! :j

Thank you Batfink...Don't worry, I'll keep you all updated

Tixy...Thank you, I'm not entirely sure how I've kept going either when I've been in such a mess. And I'm planning on doing LighterLife, which I know is rather expensive but my health is in serious danger now (I'm about 12 stone overweight) and I need to do something about it quick. So I am starting that in September.

Hi GeorgeUK and thank you for your Suggestions - Most of my Bills are included in my Rent but I could have a look at my Electricity and see if I can save any on that - So thank you

Poorpeople - I work on a Chatline from home. Possibly not the most moral of professions but it seems to work for me since I'm very very open-minded and love talking about most things. Let me know if you want some more information (just PM me, as long as you're a woman cause it's difficult to do if you're a guy). And yes, I know it's difficult not to have a holiday, particularly if you have children - Hang on in there, you'll get through it!!

So Sad Angel - Awwww thanks Sweetie. I'm so sorry that you've had your heart broken as well It DOES take time...I'm not completely over it, particularly since my Ex insists on still messing with my head....but I'm getting there, you will too!!

Gargrave Sweetie, thank you so much for posting in my Thread I guess I was lucky because I had been with Kensington Finance for so long who were a crappy Debt Management Company that took almost half the total of what I was paying every month. But because I had been with them for so long they had arranged to get my Interest Frozen, so all I had to do when I dumped them was call my Creditors and arrange to pay a little more than I had been paying them through Kensington. Seems to have worked for me - Not sure everyone is that lucky. Although saying that, I paid the price by only paying £50 a month for years through Kensington so I had hardly made ANY dent in my Debt.

Thank you everyone - Today I'm going to start as I mean to go on with thoroughly cleaning my Flat and then writing down my Aims and "Things to do" on my Computer

Fire_Fox

Your goals of reduce smoking, lose some weight and stop using cabs all kind of fit together .... Do you have some comfortable trainers for walking in? Perhaps you could get a pedometer and start working up to your 10,000 steps a day then bring in a little power-walking? :j Also why do you say 'reduce' and not quit smoking?

DreamerHelen

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Your goals of reduce smoking, lose some weight and stop using cabs all kind of fit together .... Do you have some comfortable trainers for walking in? Perhaps you could get a pedometer and start working up to your 10,000 steps a day then bring in a little power-walking? :j Also why do you say 'reduce' and not quit smoking?

Hmmm the reason I haven't said "quit smoking" is because I'm currently on about 35 a day and I think to go on a Diet AND stop smoking would be absolute hell....so I think at first it would be good to start the diet and reduce smoking...with an aim to stop eventually.

I DO have some good trainers though Like today...it's a lovely day outside but not too hot, I have to go and visit my mother who lives about a mile and a half away - Normally I would catch a Cab which would cost about a fiver...but today I think I'll fire up my CD Player, put my Trainers on and walk it...should take about half an hour or so

I'm working all night tonight and hoping to have some good long-hold Callers as we get paid more for longer calls....and then I'm going to give the Flat a good old clean tomorrow morning - I mean a proper good going over spring clean (even under the bed :eek:).

Feeling really positive - Thank you everyone!! :beer: