Rock Bottom - Near £30k of Debt - Now to Tackle it

billybraggtastic

Just read your post and one thing jumps out at me - why are you running 2 cars yet paying £200 a month over and above this to travel to work? I would seriously think about selling off your car, particularly as you using public transport dailly anyway.

Good luck

bbt

TheLostSheep

billybraggtastic wrote: »

Just read your post and one thing jumps out at me - why are you running 2 cars yet paying £200 a month over and above this to travel to work? I would seriously think about selling off your car, particularly as you using public transport dailly anyway.

Good luck

bbt

Excellent and very valid point.

I have to travel 50 miles each way to work. I get up at 6am. I live 3 miles from where my bus leaves. The £200 are my bus travel costs. I am very much aware my car is costing me £100 and all it is actually doing is a 6mile round trip to the bus station car park each day. If it could be sold I would raise around £1300-£1500.

Whilst I am in this job I can't really think of another practicality with regards this. I could get up at 5am and cycle - Ok for now but would be HELL in winter? I'd consider anything though. How much is a moped!? £500?

tbourner

3 miles on a bike should only take 15-20 mins, which a car journey can take if you have lots of lights like I do!!

Lirin

I've only just joined this morning- well done for facing up, and best luck for the future- I really hope it works out well for you.

TheLostSheep

tbourner wrote: »

3 miles on a bike should only take 15-20 mins, which a car journey can take if you have lots of lights like I do!!

Fine coming back, mostly downhill and took less than 20mins. Enjoyed it. Concern is on the way three faily steep hills and it took me near 30mins but chain did come off and got slightly lost. Think I will maybe try again tonight. It'd be really tough in winter!!

The benefits of doing it are £1500 via sale of car plus £100 p/m though!

tbourner

cg81 wrote: »

Fine coming back, mostly downhill and took less than 20mins. Enjoyed it. Concern is on the way three faily steep hills and it took me near 30mins but chain did come off and got slightly lost. Think I will maybe try again tonight. It'd be really tough in winter!!

The benefits of doing it are £1500 via sale of car plus £100 p/m though!

There's looking on the bright side!!

All I would suggest is making sure you have a good bike, with road tyres, not a dual suspension mountain bike!! I bought a hybrid from a local old guy who repairs them (£45), spent about £40 on eBay on new gear/brake levers and cables, new handle bar grips, new saddle; then it was done and it's a nice bike now. I learnt all I needed as I was a bicycle n00b from cycle forums, adjusted all my own gears etc.

Also, spend a bit of money on some gloves (£12 from Halfords), and if you're going into winter then get a cycle top and shorts/trousers (quite expensive, usually £40+). The material they're made of is much better than anything you can buy in standard clothing, will dry much quicker etc. I don't bother with a helmet but that's personal choice, I feel gloves are much more important.

Then, look on bing or google maps and plan your route, you will find lots of little roads and footpaths that you can use to cut your journey down. I used it to find a more scenic route on cycle paths as I don't like riding on roads.


HTH fighting the anti-cycling thoughts that we all get when trying to save money!!

Verbatim

I saw a cycle with a motor recently. Remember them from way back but not seen any for ages. You can pedal or let the motor kick in. Might be an idea for the hills. Or as you say a moped.

tbourner

The Ego Electric Street Scoota is only about £1100.

billybraggtastic

cg81 wrote: »

Fine coming back, mostly downhill and took less than 20mins. Enjoyed it. Concern is on the way three faily steep hills and it took me near 30mins but chain did come off and got slightly lost. Think I will maybe try again tonight. It'd be really tough in winter!!

The benefits of doing it are £1500 via sale of car plus £100 p/m though!

All power to you!!! The winter won't be as bad as you think - I bet your car was just heating up when you completed your 3 mile journey anyway! Think of the health benefits too. :j

The positives are outweighing the negatives here.

bbt

TheLostSheep

I’ve possibly gone off at a tangent here with all the cycling talk. I am happy to say though that it is something I am seriously considering. Before even getting to this stage of “rock bottom” I have been thinking about how having a small amount (up to £1500) tied up in a car is silly and then paying £100 at the most in running it is stupid also. I think I could get a decent hybrid bike for maybe £300. I am quite enthusiastic about that to be honest. The cycling I have been doing is either on a 15 year on front shock mountain bike or a 6 year old Y frame dual suspension. Something that makes the pedalling easier and faster would be great.

My car is going to need new discs pads by the time of MOT due December. Possibly needing new tyres but they are still on about 3mm tread. Be gutted to shift it but I guess it’s train and bus from now on for longer distances. The winter does bother me, as does getting up 15mins earlier when the dark and cold mornings come. Longer working days may be the way to go as that will possibly reduce the travel costs from £200 to £160 – could be pretty draining though.

All in all I have come up with quite a few ideas but need to start getting responses back from places I have contacted and becoming pro-active and doing something about it such as a car sale for example. I reckon if/when that goes and possibly I get a F&F agreed I am £300 better off a month without impacting upon me lifestyle too much.

Yes the gambling is an issue. Ultimately I want to be able to control it and get to the stage where I no longer view it as a necessity to make money. In the meantime it’s stopped. I think my focus is more on sorting this mess out. I’ve time next week where I am not in work so can deal with it then.