D2BDF's Aim to be debt free in 2011 (hopefully!)

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Hey Adam! Thanks for popping in! I will make sure I do the same to yours particularly because of our similar situation - it will help boost me I'm sure and if it boosts your motivation too then all the better!

Good luck with it :beer:

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Well the car finally died today after a short illness haven't had a proper diagnosis yet but I'm sure it's the clutch, I've had that happen on another car, I had to stop on the dual carriageway as it wouldn't go into gear and I pulled over in exactly the same place where my little Citroen AX died many moons ago... spooky eh??!!!

So not really sure what to do, I know clutches are very expensive and at the last MOT there was something else would be needed at the next MOT in Sept. It's possibly not worth repairing. Only definitely need a car for another 4 weeks and then I could look around for a bargain as I'll be on mat leave. Hmmmm, cars eh!

Anyway I'm happy today because I put 3 items on Ebay yesterday and already have a bidder (and 6 watchers) on 1 item, starting at £29.99!!!! Woo hoo! I also have watchers on my other items already and there's still 6 days to go - keep your fingers and toes crossed for me that it's a good haul

Probably going to have 'cupboard surprise' for tea as couldn't get to shop and then going to go and retrieve the car from where I left it so at least it's in the road - will decide what to do with it later. Working from home tomorrow so don't have to worry about transport for a few days at least.

Might pop back in again later.

OrangeFairy

Fingers and toes crossed for lots of big bids! We have made a lot of money will ebay but sadly don't have much more to sell!!! Though have a junk free house pretty much!!

I hope you managed to sort a car. Is there no one with two cars in their family who could cope on 1 for a few weeks so you could borrow one? We had to borrow MIL's second car once when ours died.

Woohoo to the cupboard suprise for tea!! :D

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Thanks LittleKel I was wondering what I would do when I could find nothing more to sell, obviously it would be good to have a junk free house but Ebay can get a bit addictive can't it - especially when you make a sale.

My mum has offered her partners car, although it is huge and automatic and I'm not so good with automatics. I would feel a bit guilty as he has a few hobbies and it would put them out for a while. I haven't spoken to my dad yet but they have 2 cars and his partner has just had an op, not sure when she can drive - he often cycles to work but again his car is huge! I'm used to little cars lol. There is another option, DH is trying to sell a car for an elderly family friend, her husband was the driver and has had to go into a nursing home, it's too expensive for us to buy but I'm wondering whether she'll mind me borrowing it for just 4 weeks. Will have to see, we have already spent out on putting it on Autotrader for her but it didn't sell so perhaps that could be a favour returned.

DH had his food (last nights leftovers - which was very nice) and so far I've had some cereal but have chronic heartburn so waiting til it dies down to eat more.

Hope things are good with you LK!

mama67

Determined_2b_Debt_Free wrote: »

Had another mini lightbulb moment today when I realised that even though I try and psychologically account for certain spends per month when they might be needed once or twice a year (say for car tax or something), I don't actually put this money away anywhere. This is a problem as it throws me out when it crops up.

I'm going to look into having different accounts for things like gifts, car tax and car maintenance, house repairs/appliance repairs etc, hair cuts and clothes. Does anyone else do this? If so, how many accounts do you have?

I have 20 different savings accounts set up with smile. these are just as you say keeping everything separate. some only get 50p/wk put into them but it is still being saved; and they are all together under online banking so it is much easier to keep track

Ceniza

One thing that I have found to be really handy is a facility with Lloyds TSB called 'save the change'. Basically how this works is that with every card payment you make (I never carry cash, as I spend it too easilly), the residual amount up to the nearest pound is paid into a saving account. So for example if I buy something for £5.25 I get 75p transfered into my savings. I've already acculumated just over £8 in a few weeks, so it's a really handy way of saving without knowing. I don't notice the pennies leaving my account, and each month I can use to to further clear debt

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

mama67 wrote: »

I have 20 different savings accounts set up with smile. these are just as you say keeping everything separate. some only get 50p/wk put into them but it is still being saved; and they are all together under online banking so it is much easier to keep track

Thanks Mama67, I hadn't thought of using a different bank, I have an appt with Lloyds tomorrow so if they have a problem with the amount of accounts I want to open, I'll look into Smile - thanks! :beer:

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

AdamA9 wrote: »

One thing that I have found to be really handy is a facility with Lloyds TSB called 'save the change'. Basically how this works is that with every card payment you make (I never carry cash, as I spend it too easilly), the residual amount up to the nearest pound is paid into a saving account. So for example if I buy something for £5.25 I get 75p transfered into my savings. I've already acculumated just over £8 in a few weeks, so it's a really handy way of saving without knowing. I don't notice the pennies leaving my account, and each month I can use to to further clear debt

Thanks Adam - been meaning to ask them about that as we used to have 'Save the Change' on our account and it seemed to just disappear one day. I will ask them tomorrow at the appt - thanks!

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

After losing 2 posts, I'll try again...

Just stopping for a quick break from work, looked at the account as both wages are in now. Not as much as hoped for DH but someone made a mistake before he even worked there and it now comes out of his money (very annoying but the way of the industry I'm told). Anyway it's still good and I hope we can make an overpayment of £500 tomorrow on the loan, might just check I have all my figures right tonight. Bit concerned this might leave everything a bit tight if I haven't calculated right but it's worth giving it a go this month and if anything does go wrong, I'll learn for next month.

I have ordered some Cafe Rouge vouchers (from Tesco clubcard) for me and DH to go out with on my birthday in June. Got a couple of other birthdays but will try and be conservative on gifts. Will tell DH not to get me anything, it's not like I need anything so I'd rather save the money.

Only other expense might be some extra insurance for me if we borrow a car, hopefully won't be much although I will only go fully comp. Petrol might be more expensive, been offered 2 cars so far but they are way bigger than mine and way juicier too!

Ebay is looking good, 1 item is over £40 now and I have a bid on another of the items at £9.99.

Was also wondering if anyone knows of a site like Ebay - but where you can rent/loan things to people? I have searched in the past but not found anything, I have the perfect item to rent, not really wanting to sell it - but it's the sort of thing I could definitely lend out to someone (for the right fee of course! ).

That's it for me - better get back to work for the afternoon. I'll pop back in later...

Determined_2b_Debt_Free

Quick Ebay update (it's so exciting!!)

Item 1 - 5 bids (9 watchers) - current price £46.00 - 5 days to go
Item 2 - 1 bid (6 watchers) - current price £9.99 - 5 days to go
Item 3 - 0 bids (1 watcher) - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX - 5 days to go


:j