My Debt-Free-Wannabe Diary

DontDoDebtKids

Hi all,

I've just upgraded my computer as my old one was on its last legs and managed to build myself a new computer (re-using as many old parts as possible) for £265.61 - not bad if I say so myself. I've now got the old parts to sell off on ebay, which won't make much but at least it will be something.

I still haven't decided on what to do about my mobile - I'm still inclined to go for the cashback contract, get a free mobile and a free contract for a year and get £30 cashback and £47+ for my old phone on ebay.

Lastly, I've done some sums and I should have £381.32 to pay off my credit cards this month, over my minimum monthly payments.

I'm spending on the Morgan Stanley card at the moment and transferring the money spent from my spending current account to my Amex card, so I'm in effect balance transferring at 0% from my Amex to my MS card. Brilliant or what?

DontDoDebtKids

Opened an ICICI HiSAVE account - sent my cheque off for £1 today - all seems very simple!

DontDoDebtKids

Direct Debit for M&S card for £166.39 went today, so debts are now:

Debt Totals:

£4,532.33 Amex
£5,380.11 M&S

Total: £9,912.44

Gosh, that seems much smaller already! :j

DontDoDebtKids

Manually made minimum payment of £18 on Morgan Stanley, as this is now part of my debt repayment list:

Debt Totals:

£4,123.37 Amex (4.9%)
£5,380.11 M&S (3.9%)
£390.96 Morgan Stanley (0.0%)

Total: £9,894.44

DontDoDebtKids

Right, I've just phoned up Lloyds TSB and closed my credit card. There was a £1.96 balance on the card (annoyingly) so I paid that off, so the balance is now zero and it is closed.

Another one bites the dust!

I only have £257.71 to go before I reach my half way point...

DontDoDebtKids

DontDoDebtKids wrote: »

Hi all,

I had thought "oh good, my 18 months is up so I'm out of contract on my phone - I'd better see what deals I can get" and rang T-mobile only to be told that I only had a 12 month deal - doh! My contract seems to have run out at the end of February!!!

Anyway, they said that I could upgrade my phone for £60 to a Blackberry Pearl or for £120 to a Blackberry 8800 and stay on the same contract (£17 a month for unlimited email but no text or call allowance) or keep my current Blackberry and only pay £12 a month. I said I'd think about it and did some research...

Another phone that had caught my eye, but that can't do email, is the Nokia 6300 which (through the price comparison site in Martin's article on mobiles) would be free for 12 months through a cashback deal on Flext35 plus I can get £30 cashback through Quidco and sell my current phone on ebay for anything from £65 to £120.

Or I could use my work mobile and only pay for the cost of personal calls (but I'd have to change my number).#

It's so complicated! I don't know what to do. Thinking cap on.

OK, so I wimped out of the cashback deals as apparently the terms and conditions are becoming harder and harder to comply with. Instead I ordered a new 8800 for £120 last week and later, in a moment of madness, changed my contract to a £37.50 a month one to get back my £120 (i.e. phone became free) and I got loads of texts/calls/data...

But you know, since this DFW lark, I don't appreciate these things as much any more. All I thought of when I looked at it was how expensive it was.

So I just phoned up to return it for a full refund and will revert back to my original contract with a £5 a month discount. That leaves me £6 worse off for paying the postage on the new handset but I only will pay £12 a month for my contract (for 12 months).

At least I got to play with a new one and dismiss it as a frivolity rather than not try one at all and lust....

betti911

You are making really great progress. Well done for reaching your half way point. I hope to be there later on this year. Keep on in there. Betti

DontDoDebtKids

Amex statement came through today:

Debt Totals:

£4,141.68 Amex (4.9%)
£5,380.11 M&S (3.9%)
£390.96 Morgan Stanley (0.0%)

Total: £9,912.75

DontDoDebtKids

Hi all,

An update on the flat sale - should complete on the 10th August (Friday week).

Yippee!

DontDoDebtKids

Right, I've tried to update the thread title but it hasn't seemed to work!

9 days to DFD...