Willsmum and the debt monster

InaPickle · 24 December 2009 at 11:23AM

willsmum wrote: »

Right, I am seriously considering medical help for this obsession with blasting my debts which I seem to have developed.

I have been working things out (again) and I think I am more excited about starting this challenge in January (apart from Xmas, of course!) :j

So, been number crunching again today and I am pleased to report that as long as I don't do anything stupid (like spend money). I will have about £800 to pay off my debts in January. Now to me that sounds like an enormous amount of money, but the sad fact of the matter is that really only puts a little dent into the whole amount. About 5% I think of the total debt, but it is 5% in the right direction so I am really pleased and think it will be a wonderful start and motivator for 2010. :j

Merry Christmas, Willsmum! :T And don't knock that 5%: that's a massive amount to pay off in one go and if you could do that amount every month your debts would come down massively!

Also, when you are asking the doctor for help, tell him you have a friend who has the same problem and ask him if he knows any support groups (online, for example) that I could join as well...;)

willsmum_2 · 26 December 2009 at 12:30PM

Just wanted to drop in and say "hi" to everyone.

Had a fab Christmas Day - hope you all did too! :beer:

I am now gearing myself up to start doing the food for the Kids' Boxing Day party which has sort of become a tradition from i don't know where. It just means that I spend most of the day cooking sausage rolls and cocktail sausages and making cheese and pineapple :rotfl:.

Still can't wait for January 1st to start my challenge - sad, I know.

Well, must go as the oven has come up to temp.

WM x x

willsmum_2 · 31 December 2009 at 1:15PM

One more sleep until the New Year and I can't wait :j!!

I have set up some pending payments for my debts for the next two weeks and am on target to put a good sized dent into my debt total in January

I have never felt more focused on something in all my life and I am already thinking of ways to up my income to see if I can achieve even more than I originally planned.

I am going to start turbo listing items for sale in February on Ebay once all of the Christmas madness has gone and am hoping to be able to get about £100 from this. Every little helps!

Need to start concentrating on my surveys again as haven't really done much with them for a while now, but they are a great way of earning a bit more money.

Had to take the little man for a hair cut this morning so that put paid to the NSD I was hoping for today. It was a necessary spend though as it was getting a bit too long and curly and the poor little dude was starting to look more like a girl than a boy :rotfl:!!

Good luck to everyone for their challenges in 2010 and I look forward to following you all on your journeys.

HAPPY NEW YEAR :beer:

WM x x

willsmum_2 · 3 January 2010 at 8:04AM

Good morning Everyone!!

Well, it's the 3rd January and I am able to say that I have managed to pay £557 off my debts so far this month :j!!

I had managed (somehow) to save £500 up and have paid it straight off my Virgin card

so should hopefully see a difference in the interest for next month - can't wait!!

I am looking forward to going back to work tomorrow and getting some 'normality' back to my routine. I seem to be spending a bit more than usual at the moment and I don't like it :mad:.

I am just hoping that the start I have been able to make in January will continue throughout the year and I really can get rid of this monster!!

WM x x

InaPickle · 3 January 2010 at 12:45PM

willsmum wrote: »

Good morning Everyone!!

Well, it's the 3rd January and I am able to say that I have managed to pay £557 off my debts so far this month :j!!

I had managed (somehow) to save £500 up and have paid it straight off my Virgin card so should hopefully see a difference in the interest for next month - can't wait!!

I am looking forward to going back to work tomorrow and getting some 'normality' back to my routine. I seem to be spending a bit more than usual at the moment and I don't like it :mad:.

I am just hoping that the start I have been able to make in January will continue throughout the year and I really can get rid of this monster!!

WM x x

Ooh, well done! :T That monster is scared now, and cowering under the bed!

Best of luck with the return to work. x

willsmum_2 · 5 January 2010 at 1:41PM

Thanks Pickle

I can't quite believe the snow today - this is the first day we have had any all over the Christmas period and it's utter chaos. I was sent home to work as it was like a blizzard!! It normally takes me 5 minutes to get to work and today it took me 35 to drive home - nightmare!!

Anyways, back to the *monster*

I managed to get slightly drunk on Sunday night

(it was a bottle of wine I had got for Christmas, so it didn't cost me anything!), and tell my husband about SOME of my debts. I told him about the Tesco card I have for £5900 and as suspected he wasn't very happy. However, he assures me he still loves me and he hasn't chucked me out so that is progress. I also mentioned that I was still paying for the patio doors we had fitted 3 years ago (another £1100) so in all he is now aware of £7000 which I have to admit has taken the pressure off me a bit (although it has made me even more determined to get rid of it ALL!)

Looking forward to Friday when I get paid so I can pay some more debts off - would really love to hit £1k this month, we'll just have to wait and see!

Enjoy building your snowmen!!!

WM x x

miemie · 5 January 2010 at 2:45PM

Hi willsmum, well done on telling your other half, snows a nightmare i live in Lancashire and its been like this for 2 weeks now, just want to get back to normal.

willsmum_2 · 7 January 2010 at 12:58PM

Hi Everyone

Sorry I haven't been on for a couple of days, but everything has gone ever so slightly bonkers this end.

Firstly, where I live it NEVER snows. I mean NEVER. I think I have probably only seen snow twice before in my life (I am 27) and the last couple of days has certainly made up for that. I am literally snowed in as I live on a hill which is now covered in ice and snow and I am unable to get the car off the drive :mad:.

Luckily I have a very understanding boss and I have been able to work from home the last couple of days (I am a temp so if I don't go in, I don't get paid!)

So, now I am not working and it is my non-working day, my Son has decided to come down with a sickness bug and so I am running around after him all day. No help from hubby as he is at work (walked in and apparently landed on his butt half way down the hill :rolleyes:)

Anyway, back to the money saving!

I have been able to pay off another £184.24 today off my debts which is fab, but I have also had my Virgin credit card statement today and I paid £88+ in interest last month :eek: which isn't the best motivator in the world, but at least I will be paying a lot less this month as I have already managed to knock £500 off and hopefully another £200 next week.

I know it is supposed to be a positive thing, but aiming for this 10 in 10 challenge has really shown me just how low my outgoings would actually be if I didn't have any debts. Seriously, I would be LOADED. I could easily afford a new car (cash, not credit) and I am sure we could squeeze a coupld of holidays abroad in a year too. Oh well, at least that is something to look forward to in a couple of years :rotfl:.

Am desperate to clear my Virgin card now ASAP. Only £2767 to go and then it will be gone forever. Virgin have told me that once my balance is less than 50% of my credit limit they will be re-instating my credit facilities. Not sure how I feel about that however, it would be nice to think I have access to credit. I no longer have a card for this account and if the nice (;)) people at Virgin send me another one then I will give it to my Mum to look after. Not sure if I trust myself with it yet!

I have started collecting £2 coins in a smartie tube (classy, I know!) and so far I have £6. Not mega money, but if I can fill a tube which I am guessing should be about £50 (it's one of the bigger ones) then I will also give this to my Mum and use it towards Christmas next year. Was really proud of myself last year for paying everything in cash and WILL do the same this year :A. Lets be fair, I have 12 months to plan!

By the way, I now only have one month's payment left and my mortgage arrears are cleared!! :j What a great start to 2010!!!

Well, must be off, little man has gone green again :eek:

Good luck everyone

WM x x