Scuba's Spending and Life in the South Diary

scubaangel

Been talking about reading the BBC top 200 books over on GallyGirls diary so decided to transfer the link over here and work out how many of them I've already managed to read - some of the childrens books I'm not sure of so where I'm unsure I've gone for not read, and will try to get from the library (when I join).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Read

Looks like I have 69/100 to read of the first 100 and 70/100 of the second 100. There are a fair few on the list that I've got as free kindle downloads though so might prioritise those before I go looking for the rest.

scubaangel

Holding deposit on the flat is paid....and no wobbles about it yet today. Mind you it is early for me to even contemplate getting out of my pit.

scubaangel

Made a payment of £200 to the credit card which has bumped it down to a much friendlier looking 26 months (March 13) to pay off, and looking at my egg account that's without taking off this months £45 payment.

ETA And then bumped back up to 28 months because I forgot about buying the knives and petrol the other evening - the cost of the knives is covered by cheques I got for christmas so as soon as I pay the cheques in to the bank I'll pay it off the balance.

scubaangel

Can't get to sleep so have been sorting through the post which arrived at the house while I was away, mixed in with it is a typical marketing letter from one of my banks offering me the chance to apply for their credit card on a 0% for 12 months, apr 16.9%,
the snowball seems to think it'll take me around 26 months to pay off if I was to go for it - but that's exactly the same length of time as the current card and rate,
11 months if I could make the £110 per month payment - assuming I could get a limit big enough to do a complete balance transfer, which again is only 1 month sooner than the current intention.

Wonder if it would be worth applying, transferring only what I know can be paid off with my 'standard' £45/month payments, resetting my egg to min payments but whittling it down with extra payments here and there. hmm.

Well that idea puts it at 23 months to completely repay both potential cards, not taking in to account any extra payments I could make.

Me thinks I'll be paying both my banks a visit as one has a card with the same apr but a potential 16 month interest free period. OK that also gives me 23 months assuming I can make no more than minimum payments to one card for 16 months and the £45 to the other, and there would be a very good chance that the egg would be paid off well before the 16 month card, leaving me then able to pay off the 0% card quicker.

Yes I know the point of snowballing is to pay off the highest interest debt first but I know I can pay £45 regardless and have for the last few months made at least £30 of extra payments on average but either option gives me a definite repaid in full (assuming no spends) 3 or 4 months sooner than the current snowball is suggesting even without the extra payments.

I'm also planning to transfer £625 out of my savings account at the end of the week and pay it straight off the credit card - before I go the letting agent to pay the other half of the deposit for the flat - I don't plan to pay the deposit from my debit card as at least using the egg I'm bumping up my cashback which is due in a couple of months (again this amount isn't worked in to my snowball calculations).

scubaangel

Me thinks I really do ramble too much....and talk complete and utter nonsense at times. Still looking forward to Saturday when I get a nice day off...to mystery shop. Meh motivation is still rather lacking this month, then again I figure it takes me a good 3 hours at work in the morning to wake up so I'll allow myself until the middle of Jan to get myself back in to gear.

Kayleighpea

Hi Scuba,

Just sat and had a nice catch up of your diary - you can never ramble too much!

So are you in Cambo doing your MS's tomo? I have a couple too, so if you see someone randomnly taking pics of shops come say hi! (I hate having to take pics - it makes you so obvious!)

scubaangel

Lol no tomorrow am off up to Bracknell, think my next one in town is Tuesday (ish) really ought to check my diary before bed, lol. Although I do need to go in to speak to the L.A. they've sent an email with the total we still need to pay but it looks like they've forgotten to take off the deposit we've already paid, gah, how to make life difficult!

So tired at the moment, been doing 'days' at work this week to clean up and restock after the chrimble break and its been killing me, I sooo don't do 9am starts.

scubaangel

Got my shops done today currently contemplating finishing off the writing up of reports.
Spent yet more money on stuff for the flat, a kettle since we can't remember if either of us already has one, and a slow cooker.

Finally got my second greenmet account fully functioning, and all the books I have here which are read and not worth keeping are now listed, am not liking the new pricing system though far to confusing for my poor simple little brain.

scubaangel

Evening back at work was rather pleasant, lots of confused looking new folk wandering around - resisted the urge to be mean to them...which for me is quite good going! Not that we had many customers overall. But was nice to have a natter with my colleague and watch bits of DOI with cups of tea in between completing our usual work tasks.

Less pleasing is the fact that when sat down my work shirt is straining slightly across my belly, which is not the idea at all, then again I suppose I did order them a size down from my old size as I'd lost weight when I first moved, so this months task is to not eat so much junk, and cut down on the coffee and hot chocs made with full fat milk at work.

Brought some mid sized boxes home with me too so I can start decluttering in to them, they're currently labeled rubbish, keep, and ebay. Currently all are empty, progress on that front will have to start being made soon!

Bed delivery will be some time on Wednesday, although am tempted to see if I can rearrange it for Sat and to the flat rather than here, the frame should be boxed up but it'll be annoying and in the way while I pack if it's here.

scubaangel

Bed delivery due tomorrow morning, so I guess that means I need to wake up earlier than lunchtime!

Also been and paid a huge sum of money to the letting agent, and now have in my handbag the paperwork signed by both of us and witnessed for dropping off at the agent on my way to work tomorrow afternoon.

I also have a package at the post office, didn't think I was waiting for anything to be delivered except the bedframe so need to remember to go to the office tomorrow too - luckily it's on my way to work and a teeny tiny place so shouldnt take too long (unlike the one where I used to live which was three portacabins depending on what postcode you were in with one member of staff to work in all three).