Any help welcome

x_raphael_xx

x_raphael_xx wrote: »

Incidentally, the guy who bought the comics off eBay is local, he's coming tomorrow morning to collect them (and pay me) and I'm going to ask him if he wants to buy any more of my ninja turtle items.

Well, he came today, and he did buy more! He bought a large playset (so saved me eBay postage) 2 cars and 3 figures. He offered me £20 for it all, which I was happy with, but then he offered another £5, as he didn't think it was enough!
So with the £15 for the comics I made a great £40 today!:j

He was a lovely man and also gave me a lot of tips for selling the rest, putting it into job lots etc. Apparently I have a Thundercats figure which is worth £15ish! :shocked: I would have sold it at the boot sale for £1. And I have another turtle playset that is worth a lot more than the £5 I would have sold it for.

So all in all a good day! I got rid of a lot of the bulkier things, which would probably not sell on eBay due to postage, and made some cold hard cash!

I will list the remaining stuff next weekend, so it ends on the weekend (the best time to end an auction apparently), might not have enough left for a boot sale!:rotfl:

In other news: I really really really really want a Terrimundi money pot ever since I heard of them on here, I was sooo tempted to buy one online last night but at £17ish I stopped myself. I decided that I will ask my brother to buy one for me for xmas (hopefully he'll stick a few coins in too!). So, hopefully, I can wait 4 1/2 months for one (yes xmas is that close!) and I know he would pick a beautiful one for me.
Pat on the back to me for resisting!

LookingAhead

Well done you for resisting! :T

Just wanted to say - but you probably know this already - the decorating tables that you fold up are so good for boot sales and not too expensive from Focus or B & Q or somewhere like that.

Or if you know anyone who does a lot of their own decorating, they might lend you one. If it is paint splattered - no worries, just stick a sheet over it....looks more decorative at the car boot

Brilliant result too with the sale of your comics & the advice etc.

x_raphael_xx

Yeah I was thinking along the lines of a paste-table, I know a guy at work who does lots of DIY so I might ask him, also another guys mum does a lot of boot sale selling, so might loan me a table. If I can get away without buying one I will!

Realised tonight that with my overdraft I have enough in my back for my £545.31 cheque to Bank of Scotland, and I still have around £70 left before wages go in on Friday (and no spending planned) so will be posting cheque tonight on way home from work :T

In other news: My finger is sore, its swollen up right next to the nail and today I noticed a greeny-yellowy 'mass' in the middle. Hope its not serious!

x_raphael_xx

Why is it, just when you think you're starting to get somewhere and make headway, something else gets thrown at you?! :mad:

Posted my Bank of Scotland cheque in the early hours (so its winging its way as I type ), then got up this afternoon to find a letter from Abbey re:my credit card. From my September statement (thanks for the notice fellas:rolleyes:) my monthy interest will go up to 2.2071%. When I first read this I thought it was my APR going up to 22%, I'm not too sure what interest I pay monthly at the moment, but it looks like around 2.0% for retail.

Also they've changed the minimum payment requirement:

If the balance shown on your statement is more than £10, (at the moment its -£1611.58) it will be whichever is the least of 5% of the statement balance or the total of any Payment Protection Cover charges, interest, handling fees and default charges plus £5, provided it will always be at least £10.

Payment protection is £5.39, this is the lowest that I could get it, and they refused to get rid of it all together.

So if I'm reading this right I have to pay the lower amount of either
5% of the balance. Which if my maths is right (which I doubt) is around £80.58?
OR
Payment protection (at £5.39) + Interest (roughly £35) + £5. Which will come to £45ish.

I've just rang Abbey up, and they say my APR will now go up to 29.9% :shocked: at my September statement! Mother humpers! :mad:

So, my question now is...do I pay minimum payment as before and concentrate on getting rid of HFC 1 by xmas as planned.
OR
Try to pay as much off of Credit card as possible as its now my highest interest.

If I pay my credit card I won't be able to pay it all by xmas, but I would have paid most of it, and would have 'emergency money' available if needed. I know I can pay off HFC 1 by xmas, and wouldn't feel happy about dragging it into 2008.

Ok, I think I've just answered my own question :rolleyes: HFC 1 will have to wait.

In other news: My sore finger is now worse, the green mass in the middle has grown. I also managed to get a papercut on the knuckle (while folding my letter to Bank of Scotland would you believe!:p) AND I also manage to trap the same finger on my baby gate while shutting Shadow in the kitchen, so I now have a blood blister too! Sigh.

x_raphael_xx

Ok, thought I'd stick up my new SOA, this should be what I'm paying from start of September.


£355.00 ~ Rent
£ 49.98 ~ HFC 1 (28.5%APR 25 months to run)
£ 85.64 ~ HFC 2 (21.8%APR 25 months to run)
£ 50.00 ~ Credit Card Min payment (APR now 29.9% - current balance £1611.58)
£ 65.00 ~ Council Tax (Recieving 25% single person discount)
£ 28.05 ~ Water Rates
£ 11.37 ~ TV Licence
£ 20.00 ~ Gas / Electric
£ 20.00 ~ Mobile contract
£ 23.49 ~ Telewest/Virgin Media
£ 7.40 ~ Pet insurance (No discussion about losing this. I consider it vital!)
£ 80.00 ~ Food Shopping (Usually £10/£15/£20 less, keep trying to challenge myself.)

New monthly outgoings = £795.93
Basic take-home wages = £980.91

Balance = +£184.98

So I should be able to pay an extra £150 onto the credit card each month and still be in the plus. I have also decided that I will pay my £80 food shopping budget onto the Credit Card, and use it to buy food, rather than leaving it in my current account. This will bring the monthly balance down, and I get points for spending on my card. Any extra I don't use for food will be left on the card.

So hopefully I can pay £280 on it each month, and use it as little as possible.

jamesd

Do the credit card now. It's the higher interest rate and it accepts partial payments whenever you make them so you can lower the debt level each week by whatever you can afford. It's time to shift as much of your wage and spending to the card as possible and use it as your bank account for anything that will take credit card payment at the normal price. You have the right idea with the food spending.

Almost one year later and that SOA is looking much better than the original one - 215 a month better and safely within your income!

The green mass in the finger is puss from an infection. If it doesn't stop growing by the end of tomorrow you should see a doctor.

On the brigher side, if you like them there's the national fireworks championships today and Wednesday.

x_raphael_xx

jamesd wrote: »

Do the credit card now. It's the higher interest rate and it accepts partial payments whenever you make them so you can lower the debt level each week by whatever you can afford. It's time to shift as much of your wage and spending to the card as possible and use it as your bank account for anything that will take credit card payment at the normal price. You have the right idea with the food spending.

I'd sorta come to the same conclusion, while it would be nice to start next year with 1 loan and 1 credit card, the card has been too near the limit for too long (prob why they've increased APR, more money to them). Looks like I'm stuck with the dreaded HFC for a bit longer.
Most of my bills come out as direct debits so the food money is really the only thing I can pay into it. I don't buy £80 worth of food in one go, so it would be £80 in, and a slow trickle of £20 here and there out.
Any extra overtime, and every spare penny I will now throw at this.

jamesd wrote: »

Almost one year later and that SOA is looking much better than the original one - 215 a month better and safely within your income!

Thanks this site and the people on it have really helped. I'm in a much better frame of mind, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I keep thinking that my minimum payments come to £229.81, and what I'm going to do with this spare money once the debts are paid off!
I've found that emotional support is alot more beneficial than financial support. My best friend has always been behind me, when I first realised I was in trouble she loaned me money, I paid her back but it didn't really sink in. It took another loan from her and a loan from my mum before I realised I needed to sort my life out and stop borrowing from them.
I guess its like anti-depressants, they help for a while but when you come off them the problem is still there.

jamesd wrote: »

The green mass in the finger is puss from an infection. If it doesn't stop growing by the end of tomorrow you should see a doctor.

Great, so I have to pester the doctors for an appointment (my surgery is stupid and won't let you make advance appointments, you have to ring up on the day, and is always booked up!). Then splash out £7ish for a prescription!
I will keep an eye on it thou.

jamesd wrote: »

On the brigher side, if you like them there's the national fireworks championships today and Wednesday.

While I like fireworks, this news isn't good for me, I am working both tonight (should be getting ready now!) and tomorrow, and it will be crazy-busy from people wanting taxis home. Most of the roads are closed around the Hoe too, so it will be fun!

LookingAhead

Re: the poorly finger - you can buy some stuff from the chemist which is like a paste and you put it onto your finger then (if I remember correctly) you soak your hand/fingers in a bowl of warm water and it helps 'draw out' the poison.

If you can - get to a chemist tomorrow and ask if they have such a paste! Wish I could remember what it is called.....

MAGNESIUM SULPHATE PASTE!

PING!! Where did that come from?? Anyway that's what it is called and it may well help.

x_raphael_xx

Thanks, I'll pop to chemist across the road tomorrow and see what they say. As long as it's cheaper than £7, be worth not going to doctors for a prescription.

jamesd

The chemist may also have a different suggestion - is the sort of thing they can handle initially. You may dodge doctor hassle after all.