Marching On

roxiepie_2

you are of course right Bevan, its worth trying to go for it! I checked my car insurance and it doesnt run out until payday itself, meaning that I can use the money put aside for it on debt this month. Will simply make an allowance for it next month.

So that's £220 covered. In addition I've scrapped together another £30 from my account, giving a grand total of £250 paid to MBNA. That just leaves £150 left on it.

Have cashed in £100 of premium bonds, which should arrive in my account soon. So really I've only £50 to find from no where. As usual my big plan is to use eBay, but I am running out of things to sell! May have to cut back on my spending instead. Hmm.

Well done Bevan, that's the beauty of eBay, one man's trash... Hope your course is going as well

missymoo81

hi ya hun, just read your diary from start to finish, and I can't believe how well you are doing. Especially with meeting your challenges, don't get disheartened, everyone has bad days. Having a diary I've found is the most motivating thing in the world!!

I will keep reading with interest, keep smiling.

Missy x

roxiepie_2

thanks missy, and thanks for popping in. Will have to have a wee nose at your diary too!

You made me think, and I've just had a look back at my first post - I have shifted a lot of debt in just one month. Has lifted me somewhat!

I think that the thing that gets me a little down about this is I just feel my life is on hold until I get all this debt cleared. As if it can't fully start it yet. Feel bad even writing this as there are people in far worse positions than me!

Don't get me wrong, I am positve about it all 95% of the time, just after one too many nights in front of the TV it can begin to grate!

bevan840

roxiepie wrote: »

I think that the thing that gets me a little down about this is I just feel my life is on hold until I get all this debt cleared. As if it can't fully start it yet. Feel bad even writing this as there are people in far worse positions than me!QUOTE]

I completely understand where your coming from on this, you cant enjoy life as you used to as you know if you did the situation would either get worse or take longer. I used to love going to the cinema every couple of months to see a film, since Aug 2008 I've seen 2 films at the cinema!! And one was paid for by my Mum and Dad so that me and DH could do something for our anniversary The first was DH's way to cheer me up after going to a good friends funeral, Wall-e was perfect choice

You have come a long way in one month though Probably further than I have and I been fighting my way through for about 6 months now

Good luck xx

roxiepie_2

Bevan thats awful! Have you tried using Orange Wednesday, or going along to the cheaper showings? Good choice with Wall-e, it's one of my favourites. Eeeeeva!

As with everything in life, don't compare yourself to anyone else! We've all got different lifestyles and commitments. Must admit I do look at challenges such as 'First to £15k gets a paper hat' and I think how do people do that, it would take me years! Just keep moving forwards, thats all that counts

In other news, I logged onto my online bank account to find £328 in there when there should be little over £100! Not going to do anything crazy as it is most likely a glitch on their part, and will alter back by tomorrow. Would be lovely if it were mine though, will be logging on first thing on firday. Just in case!

Suffering from a little bout of complacency, so I am going to post a (rather dull) to-do list for the rest of the week:

• Stick to remaining £18.35 (until next wednesday :eek:)
• [STRIKE]Claim CD from Sony Reward Points[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]List lots of items on eBay [/STRIKE]7 on eBay and 6 books on Green Metro
• [STRIKE]Check to see if there is anything further that can be sent to Music Magpie[/STRIKE] Not really, down to stuff I actually like!
• [STRIKE]Activate new MBNA card (purely so I can...)[/STRIKE]
• [STRIKE]Pay OU installment by said card (followed oh so quickly by...)[/STRIKE] Can't pay using my type of card, so sending cheque instead
• [STRIKE]Cutting up of MBNA card[/STRIKE] Changed mind - going to give to brother who will only let me use it for emergencies
• [STRIKE]Send off form/cheque to set up 30 day notice savings account[/STRIKE]

There. No excuses now!

bevan840

Going out during the week isn't possible for me as I have a health condition and to stay at my full time job I need to rest after I finish work I have also started college last week which unfortunately is on Wed and Thurs, so would mean an Extra late night if I was to go, we're ok with it at the moment though, I have lovefilm so I get to see new films as soon as they come out (so long as I reserve them in time )

I pre ordered the DVD as soon as I was able to for Wall-e, my step sons love it too and suprisingly DH will sit and watch/laugh through it

Nice addition to the bank account, is there anything at all it might be? That could pay off MBNA I had something like that once, although not as much, a random £30 went into my joint account with DH, I left it in there as was unsure about it and thought it would disapear at some point. In the end I went in to my bank and they told me is was my cashback for doing my Contents Insurance through them :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: hehehehe Or maybe there is something that hasn't gone out yet?

Katy83

Hi Roxie,

Just been reading through your diary and thought I would say hello. Well done on the debt-busting so far, you've done really well!

I am in full agreement with your need to have a life at the same time as paying off your debts. For me my gym membership and riding lessons are things that I will not compromise on. Life has to have some sort of enjoyment, especially when the DFD seems so far away.

I know what you mean about staring at the signature and wishing it would get smaller quicker!

Good luck - I'm subscribing so I can follow your progress xx

roxiepie_2

Drat, the extra money's gone. Thought it was too good to be true!

Ah well, am still doing pretty well for the start of the month. Just need to get up some energy to whack a load of stuff on eBay. Will only make me pounds at a time, but it all helps.

Hi Katy, thanks for the kind words. You're right there has to still be something to live for other than the debt clearing itself! Mine is degree course and yoga at the minute. Well, that and going out now and again!

roxiepie_2

Bum. Think I may have got a little ahead of myself and thought that I had paid off more of my credit card that I actually have. I keep a record of every payment I make, but I must have gone wrong somewhere as there is £47 unaccounted for with my balance at £197 not £150.

This means I have more to find to clear the card this month :mad:

Oh well, I can still clear £100 from my premium bonds cash in. That leaves £97. I have another £35ish in my current account that doesn't fall under my weekly budget. So that leaves about £62 to magic up!

I've made a start this morning by signing up to, and listing 4 books on Green Metropolis. I wonder how long they will take to sell...

Going to get back on eBay tomorrow. Apart from that it will just be a case of cutting back on my weekly budgets. I've already over spent my special first week £100 allowance!

How does she do it, you may ask?! Thing is, I haven't even been particularly indulgent. I bought those hair straighteners I'd promised myself, but manged to get a cheaper alternative (£29) to the GHDs I would have normally gone for. Apart from that it's only been a bulk buy of work snacks (should keep me going for a few weeks), a new Max Factor foundation (found £5 cheaper than high street on eBay), 3 shampoos and 3 general skincare products (both 3 for 2 at Boots), oh and a takeaway last night

Upside is these items should keep me going for a while now (barr the takeaway!) And I'd like to state that the takeaway was a new job celebration for OH! Maybe if I cut down the budget for the next three weeks from £50 to £40. This would instantly create £30. Or if I drop them all to £30 p/w it would make up the ful £60! Will see how I get on next week. Is not the end of the world if I don't pay it all of, its just that I can now see the finish line tantalisingly close!

roxiepie_2

Been a little too indulgent this week (well, weekend mostly!). Despite staying in all weekend I managed to spend £30 on it. This means I've spent a grand total of £118.80 since payday, and next week's budget doesnt even start until Wednesday!

In an act to ease my guilt I paid another £100 of my credit card using the money I cashed infrom premium bonds. Little worried now as I have no safety net of money, and will have to stick to the £250/month budget I've set myself. On the upside I only have £50 left to clear on my account. And I'm really itching to do it!

Listed 6 books on Green Metro and 7 items on eBay yesterday, so hoping these should generate some extra cash. Have some more items I can add, but I'm getting down to lower value/heavier things which won't produce as much cash. Even considering cashing in my car tax money pot which currently holds £70. I know this might seem extreme but it would be so nice to finish this debt this month (including the interest), and I could easily replace the money next month.

Looking forward to my next bit of debt busting. I have £1500 interest-free (haven't charged me since my student days!) overdraft to pay off. My plan is to save the money in a savings account until it hits the £1500 mark and then transfer it into my account, not forgetting to request for the overdraft to be cancelled. With this in mind, I have applied for a 30 day notice savings account. I've opted for this as it is a long enough period to stop me drawing it all out on a whime, but short enough that I could get hold of it in an emergency (ie. car repairs needed). Next few months activities mean that I won't be able to put away vast amounts, but will be nice to get started on it. Plus, it will be nice to receive rather than pay out for interest each month!

The thing I really seem to be grappling with is not going out and blowing a load of money. I think because I've forbidden myself to do so, its all I want to do! Added to that is the sad fact that we do use material things to make us feel better. Even this weekend I bought a pizza, chocolates and a magazine all in an attempt to prop myself up. I'm sure that once I can fill what I percieve to be a void, my debt clearing will be much quicker. So this is my aim this week, not to pay off any money or spend less, but simply to find ways to make myself feel contented without spending. Any ideas!?

Thinking: long walk, finishing at least some of the books I have half read, learning a new recipe, planting some seeds (although what would grow now!), clearing EVERY room of junk and giving to charity/ebay, baking a cake, orgainising all ebay/GM items, cleaning shoes, studying course, teaching self the guitar...will see how many I can clock up in one week, and whether it affects my spending