smartbear's road to debt freedom

savingholmes

I will forward you some pms...

smartbear1

Anyone want to participate in online free games stuff get in touch with Holmes, eg. bingo etc.

Though I love bingo in the clubs, I've found the onilne free versions where you get points and cash them in for vouchers or money off real online bingo, etc a giggle but not a serious money making opportunity. Will let you know how it pans out. I've resisted the temptation so far to sign up to real online bingo and claim my free £10 etc. The cash in rules on any winnings need some careful reading.

I've joined another survey site, so I'm hoping to see those start to roll in and through topcashback im now getting paid to click on links. Its peanuts and pin money really but it might help to make a payment off something at a cruical time or to treat myself every now and again.

smartbear1

Need to keep a check on the direct debits for card payments. Shock of my life this morning when I got a letter in the post stating my direct debit had been cancelled and I incurred fees and my balance transfer rate was now void.

After a bit of persuading they are going to keep an eye on the card and refund any charges before they appear on the next statement. I've had to make the payment by debit card too. I've also set up a new direct debit.

The bank of course no nothing about cancelling the instruction and kept saying "it's strange" - Excellent customer service there... NOT! They said would look into it - yeah right?

Anyway, I've now done a sweep of direct debits set up on the account and dead debits (as I call them) are now gone.

Started making money on the new survey site I registered with and building up clicking for cash, but no sign of any pennies yet. Got to waiit a while I think for payout!

savingholmes

hope you get the balance transfer reinstated

smartbear1

Everything worked out fine on the statement this month and no charges.

I was hanging on to the Santander card with £500 limit to do a balance transfer but nothing availalbe:mad:, so I've decided to cancel the card. I guess its one less piece of plastic temptation!

Minimum payments only this month on debts. Have to pay for all the car insurance, tax, mot and service costs. Got some savings put away to cover this but will need to add to it. Probably will need to dip into my overdraft but a sensible approach to spending should help. Looking around for cheap deals on the insurance and hoping to get a good cashback offer. At least the debts will still move in the right direction and I'm not making any purchases on credit cards.

Trying the new monthly income expenditure sheet I worked out for myself. It will keep a track on everything for me and should keep me in control.

Still putting the odd £1 coin a way and this pot is growing.

savingholmes

nice to see you posting again... hope you have a positive week

smartbear1

October means spending I'm afriad in the house of the bear. Car insurance, mot, breakdown cover and tax. Yikes!

Well thankfully had some savings put away but my tesco card (used just for purchases) took a bit of a battering this month and I will be paying off what I've spent spread over the next two months. I daren't even put the figure in my signature. I'm in denial until its paid.

Oh and top of all this bother my bedroom TV broke so my £1 a day challenge pot and amazon voucher from lovefilm has gone to a good home in exchange for a TV. Look out for the new figure when I post the signature soon.

Anyway, managed to compare car insurance following martin's tips to the letter.

Found cheaper car insurance deal on comparison (nothing doing on cashback). Having another quote or two helped me to hammer down my current insurance provider, who well put on the pennies this year to con me into paying more. My provider has thrown in the breakdown cover at a discounted rate. I did increase my excess by £100, but haven't made a claim in 4 years so consider this a calculated risk to bring the premium down. I've saved between £75 and £100 this year.

Unfortunately I did go to my dealer for mot and service (but I've tried cheap and cheerful garages before and ended up regretting not paying the extra for the proper job) but, intend to go to kwik fit to get my advisory notice brake discs, etc sorted in a couple of months time. Have a handy 20% voucher which should save some pennies on tyres too.

Student loans kick in early december and I'm still bracing myself for that!

smartbear1

smartbear1 wrote: »

I'm waiting for £50 cashback from topcashback.co.uk for home insurance policy, which worked out at just £29 for the year with the cashback. My cheapest home insurance purchase ever!! The cashback will go straight off a debt when it comes in.

Great news!!! Cashback became payable today including a few other surveys I'd done on the topcashback website and I got £50.85 coming to my bank account.

Really impressed and pleased with L&G keeping their cashback promise.

Money will go towards keeing away from overdraft this month.

smartbear1

I've not posted my diary here for a quite a while, but recently updated signature and more than impressed i've reduced my total overal debt over 6 months (on 10 Jan 2011) by £148.92 per month. Will have a celebration when the total goes below £15,000. That will be a major milestone for me.:T

I'm still hoping to get another card paid off before redundancy at end March 2011. Its looking more and more likely that it will happen for sure.

Student loans did kick in and of course its the biggest of the two loans which needs to be paid. Otheriwse I would be knocking more off the debts. Nevermind at least the loan amount is reducing.

I hope all you savers had a happy xmas and wish you all the very best for 2011.

smartbear1

Success at last!!! Finally broke the £15,000 barrier. Very very pleased with myself and celebrating like mad (reservedly not financially).

If someone had said in July 2010, you will have paid off nearly £1000 off your total debt in just 7 mths i would have said no way. Moneysaving is definitely working for me. Keep on moving down the debt free road - it works - just wish I had turned the lightbulb on sooner!