Floozie does Frugal 2010

mooomin

Pssstttt.....

Where are you?

Intergalactic_Floozie

I haven't posted here in a while have I?

Totally lost track of money.

Natwest 0% period is up. I phoned Post Office Credit Card to ask if they had a 0% offer on (they didn't). DH's Bank of Scotland card was cancelled in October so no possibility of transferring there. MBNA wrote to us a month ago saying they were cancelling the account because we hadn't used it. Applied for a low interest rate card in my own name, which was actually MBNA, can't remember the exact rate but went though the application form and got accepted at 24.9% -cough splutter so needless to say I wont be taking up their kind offer.

To cut to the chase, I applied for the Halifax Clarity Card at 12.9% (no fees for balance transfers) but could only BT £3000, so DH also applied for one and got accepted, so we will transfer the Tesco CC and Natwest CC onto those. Minimum payment is 1% (EEEEKKKK) meaning interest will be more than the minimum payment, but if I can stick to £150 per month, I could have them paid off in 3 years (5 years at £1000). I will try and treat it as a loan and not spend on it....

Am working in the public sector so currently in fear of my job, along with the internal review of the department that is going ahead. It looks like we will be merged with another office so there's bound to be job cuts. Admin departments and secretaries have been told they are also merging and there will be 50% of jobcuts there. Very scary time. Still managed 15 hours overtime at time-and-half, and 6 at double last month though!

Have a lot of expenses to pay out of this wage via school uniforms. The actual uniforms are cheap enough, but its the coat, shoes and bag for the eldest lad that will probably see me shell out £100 on those three items alone.

So that is where I am at at the moment. Cards haven't arrived yet though.

maman

Good to see you back floozie.

Verbatim

What maman said. Fingers crossed about your job Floozie. When do you hear?

Intergalactic_Floozie

Verbatim wrote: »

What maman said. Fingers crossed about your job Floozie. When do you hear?

No idea. The review will finish in Mid-December (unless they need more time, which has happened once already, because it was due to finish early November). I don't think the employers will make anyone in our department redundant as part of the budget cuts, until the departmental review is complete, so I reckon I might be safe until March.....

Verbatim

With luck then you'll be safe beyond that. Time to knuckle down though? Just in case...

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 10 (jeez, that many?)

No idea how much money I have got left. No idea how much money I have added overall to my debt. I seem to have permanantly had my hand in my pocket for one thing or another, but also boredom spending just to get out of the house.

My Halifax Clarity Card arrived about two weeks ago. My Tesco CC should be completely paid off via balance transfer, and I think £180 of my Natwest Card will also be paid off.

DH's still hasn't come yet even though it was over a week ago since we sent the signed forms off. They did send us a PIN number for his card but card hasn't come yet. Hopefully it will be this week. Then the rest of the Natwest Card can get paid off.

I really want to try and get the credit cards paid off ASAP. I'd like to try and do it within a year if possible (don't laugh at me). I had a plan that I might transfer all money that is left after direct debits have been paid, rather than leaving it in the bank. (This will be in region of £900) and living off the credit card, in the hope that it might deter me from frittering it away, which is what happens if it's left in the bank. The card is 12.9% interest PA, and there is no charge for cash withdrawals or balance transfers (apart from the interest). Does this make sense or is it flawed?

If I am paying £900 a month, I will be automatically then putting money back on it again with groceries and petrol and because there's no 'savings account' any emergencies will have to go on it too?

Or should I just have a go at PADDING? Pay the minimum via direct debit and just try and make extra payments?

Now I have got the summer out of the way I am raring to go.

Also discovered that Natwest have a coin paying in machine, so I don't have to take it to the Coinstar in Morrisons and give up 8% of my hard earned spends.

mooomin

PAD it. I think you might lose track otherwise.

Intergalactic_Floozie

Yeah, I think I will have a go at Padding. I get overtime next month too

Days to payday: 8 (I think I must have had yesterday's date wrong in my head).

Spends today: 99p on a small loaf of bread (EEEK). £7.25 sent to school for dinner money (Cheque) Also need to go to Morrisons tonight, but I have a list.

Went snooping today (which I shouldn't have done, ignorance is bliss) and found something that struck fear into my heart. I do hope it wont happen but do need to start learning to live on fresh air, in case the worst happens around January. Bloody budget cuts and departmental re-organisation. I hate having to make decisions. Ultimately if I am offered redundancy and accept it immediately I think I could come away with enough money to pay off the credit cards......

DH's Halifax Credit Card came today so I will have to get him to ring and activate it, and do a balance transfer.

He did some more work for someone and got a £200 cheque so at least I shouldn't be overdrawn this month.

God, I can't wait til payday.....it can't come quickly enough

Intergalactic_Floozie

Days to payday: 8 (it is eight, must be getting really confused with the dates)

Plucked up the courage to look at the bank balances today. Providing all debit card transactions have come out of the Bills account and I don't take any more money out of there, I will end up being £89.76 in debit at the end of the month.

Spends account is actually £90.52 in credit (Dinner cheque still to debit, and still yet to pay in DH's £200 cheque, which I can't do until Thursday).

Spends today:
£2.00 -leaving collection
£24.82 - Groceries, last night.

Getting a bit concerned that I still haven't heard anything about the Mortgage cover I started the ball rolling on. I posted the application to the broker during the first week of the school holidays (23rd July) so I would have expected to have heard by now. I don't have his phone number either as my phone had to get wiped one day this week as it needed a software update so I lost all my contacts.