Has anybody got a brick wall I can bang my head against?!?

Stinkybell

So the past couple of years I've really been fighting the good fight, and the end of the tunnel is not that far away. All I have left is just over £2000 from my student overdraft, now sitting on a 0% credit card and merrily being chipped away at.

As soon as I am debt free I want to get a morgage, so have been spending on another credit card and paying it off in full every month to improve my rating. I overspent whilst on holiday at the start of August (mainly due to having to pay £150 for an x-ray and other medical costs in America, am waiting for insurance to pay out) but would have easily been able to pay it off the following month if it wasn't for my b:mad: car (which I need for work)

Put it in for it's MOT and service 3 weeks ago. Had saved £200 to cover it, knowing I needed a couple of tyres. Unfortunately it also needed various other bits doing, grand total £620. Was muchos annoyed, as would take me a couple of months to clear it, but after a couple of hours of grumbling and playing with Excel, I pretty much got over it.

Cut to this week, just 2 weeks after it had been serviced, and the exhaust goes. Wasn't too bothered, as I'd only had it replaced 2 years ago so was still in guarentee. Took it back to the garage and was horrified when they showed me that my entire exhaust hadn't been replaced before, and that the lamda sensor and catalytic converter needed doing. Another £350.

I totally feel that I've taken 3 steps back, after having done so well for so long. It's going to take me about 4 months just to clear all of this, time and money that should have been going into clearing my older debts. I can't even BT any of this new stuff as it's already on a Barclaycard, and I really don't want another new Credit Card

Any advice on how I can stay positive, and get through this??

bunny999

Could you do without the car? Post your SOA to see if if we can make suggestions.
Well done so far.

Stinkybell

bunny999 wrote: »

Could you do without the car?

Absolutely not - I need it for work. I broke my arm earlier this year and had to get public transport to work.... had to leave home an hour earlier, got home an hour later, never got a seat on any journey in 3 months (despite having a cast/sling), and the travelcard cost over double what my petrol does. Never, ever again!

Stinkybell

bunny999 wrote: »

Post your SOA to see if if we can make suggestions.

I've already pretty much cut everything from my budget that can go. Only luxuries are gym @ £55 per month which is a) mega cheep - usual price is £80 and b) needed - I do actually go a couple of times a week as I got engaged in the Summer and need to start on the road to looking fabulous (wedding not for a couple of years thank goodness!)

I do spend £50-£100 a month on going out, but I really make it count, and a lot of the time I have to go to events that are expensive, but I can't get out of (eg I'm going for afternoon tea in a couple of weeks for £40 a head:eek:. Can't not go as it's a baby shower where I was her maid of honour and had already said yes to the date.... her snooty sister booked it and paid all the deposits before telling us how much it would be!)

Shoe_Gal

Well done on getting so far :A

No advice - but if this had happened before your LBM it have been even worse

Stinkybell

Shoe_Gal wrote: »

No advice - but if this had happened before your LBM it have been even worse

Good point! Although if this had been just before my LBM I'd have been crawling straight to the bank of Mum&Dad - the chances of having over £1000 available to spend would be non-existant!:rotfl:

Deep_In_Debt

Stinkybell wrote: »

I've already pretty much cut everything from my budget that can go. Only luxuries are gym @ £55 per month which is a) mega cheep - usual price is £80 and b) needed - I do actually go a couple of times a week as I got engaged in the Summer and need to start on the road to looking fabulous (wedding not for a couple of years thank goodness!)

I do spend £50-£100 a month on going out, but I really make it count, and a lot of the time I have to go to events that are expensive, but I can't get out of (eg I'm going for afternoon tea in a couple of weeks for £40 a head:eek:. Can't not go as it's a baby shower where I was her maid of honour and had already said yes to the date.... her snooty sister booked it and paid all the deposits before telling us how much it would be!)

I'm not really up on this sort of thing as I'm not a member of a gym but £55 for a gym sounds a lot. A couple of my mates are members of gyms and they pay £29 and £35pm and that includes a personal instructor for one of them. I appreciate you may be tied into a contract, but would it be worth shopping around?

Stinkybell

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

I'm not really up on this sort of thing as I'm not a member of a gym but £55 for a gym sounds a lot. A couple of my mates are members of gyms and they pay £29 and £35pm and that includes a personal instructor for one of them. I appreciate you may be tied into a contract, but would it be worth shopping around?

I live in West London, so everything around here is always going to be expensive ... one of my colleagues pays £90 a month, and his gym doesn't even have a pool like mine does!

Deep_In_Debt

Myself and mates are based in Surrey/Sussex which is equally as expensive.