Gembo Bagin's personal Mr Motivator...without the lycra!

DancerSupreme

Right so the hubby has worked his last official day in the office - weird! So no he is majorly job hunting. He is still paid for Jan, Feb and March as he has loads of different leave to take etc. So he is going to try and earn extra through these months to put a bit of money aside for the coming months.

I am looking at a few different challenges to try and undertake this year. I really like the fact the Christmas costs very little this year after finding the wonders of Dooyoo and free scratchcards.

This year I am going to continue with dooyoo after having a break in December. I am also thinking of starting on Slice the Pie. It looks like a good way to clock up some pennies. I would like to aim for making £1 per day. That would give me around £350 for next Christmas.

All other income from freelancing or pay rises etc will be ploughed into debts. We have roughly worked out that the DMP should be gone by March with a possibility of getting rid of my MBNA loan too but that is very if and but for the time being. With any luck, we will only be left with the car loan and HSBC loan. At the end of my HSBC loan I get around £200 rebate so going to continue to pay that until the end of its term. Car loan, well we keep talking about it but changing our minds. Do we pay it off early and save the amount we would be paying each month or keep ploughing away and leave any savings we have to collect interest - not much of that these days though!

Also I am going to set my hubby the challenge of comping. He has the patience for it but I don't! Any prizes we win, we wcould hang onto for Christmas and birthday presents. Will certainly help us next year.

The frustrating thing is we will always struggle on a lower income because of my husband's CSA. Obviously I know we have to provide for his other children. We don't see them so it kind of feels like a chunk of money gets taken each month and just thrown in the toilet. I know this is very sensitive subject for most, me included to the less said the better I guess!

I just want to be able to live comfortably without worrying about money. It doesn't look like we will be able to have another baby next year. Maybe 2012 we can extend the family a bit. All debts will be paid except the flippin' car loan lol!

Thinking of setting a budget for 3 months rather than for 1 month. We don't seem to stick to it very well, especially when it comes to food. Who knows, got lots of figures to play around with and I suppose without a new salary for my hubby I kind of have no idea what budget to stick to!

Getting there slowly - but getting there nonetheless!!

DancerSupreme

Well some good news yesterday! The last two creditors on hubby's DMP will take less for an F&F. One will take 50% and the other 70% although the 70% I reckon would have taken less but we went in to high to begin with - d'oh. So hopefully January we will be able to clear his DMP. Things will be tight that month but it will so be worth it to see the smile on my husband's face. He will no longer have any debt in his name. It has taken 5 laboreous years but we are so nearly there. That will be every debt from his previous marriage gone so time to focus on our future. Besides the payment to the CSA each month, all ties with his past will be gone.

So a good start to the day. Hubby is quite keen to comp next year and I am trying to encourage him to make an extra £1 a day too. That would take next year's Xmas total to £500 plus whatever comps we may win. We would then have no financial pressure throughout the year and can kind of plod on money wise for a few months.

Hope everyone else is rattling towards Christmas with a smile on their face. Snow Day yesterday afternoon and may have to take an "Ice Day" this afternoon if the temperature drops too much!

xxx

twinmum07

Well done on those F&F's - that must really give you both a really fab outlook for the year ahead so hopefully the job hunt will be as successful as the F&F negotiating.

I think December is a hard one with PND - we are all supposed to be so jolly but there is so much to do with the end of year/start of year what have we accomplished this year guilt hanging over you plus the pants weather it is no wonder you have been feeling a bit off. I have been a mess this week to the extent where I am to blah to bother taking my tablets so now I am a total wreck! Bloody hormones eh!

Off to see if i can dredge up my dooyoo account - I think I wrote a review a few years ago so will see if i am still registered

twinmum07

Hmm - just found my dooyoo account and had 3125 points which have all expired - oops!

DancerSupreme

Well what a Christmas - where to start!

We had a wonderful time with family and really enjoyed watching our son have his first proper Christmas. All presents opened Christmas Day and Boxing Day except one which we didn't get until the 27th Dec ....... A positive pregnancy test! Well we were not expecting that one!

So it looks like next Christmas there will be 4 of us. Still feeling a bit all over the place and exhausted as usual! My fertility is always in the balance due to various health issues so expending our family happens when nature decides really. My hubby is over the moon and it really has taken his mind away from the waiting to hear back from a couple of interviews.

Obviously it is not great timing and all but I suppose there is never usually a "good" time. I am only 4 weeks so still very early. Got to monitor the PND extremely closely though and am enjoying being treated like spun glass for the time being.

We still intend to blast out the last two of my hubby's DMP debts. Have decided that I am going to play the "can you go any lower" card just in case. We then have 3 months of him on a full army salary as normal. I obviously need to contact the council now and explain the additional person to house in the future though I am not sure they will care too much. Apparently fighting for your country for over 11 years does not mean the government will give you an ounce of support just getting on your feet in civvy street!

Anyway, we will see what the next week brings - hopefully it brings that percentage down!

beanielou

Congratulations

DancerSupreme

So I checked the hubby's bank account today and his compensation money has finally been awarded! I am so happy. So we have paid off one of the debts from the DMP and have a bit ready for the next one. I have just had a full blown row with Metropolitan which was delightful but always the same. I have offered a 60% settlement so I really hope they accept. If they do it will be done and dusted. Going to post in the DFW and see what the likelihood of acceptance will be.

So time to update the signature!

twinmum07

Hello and huge congratulations - so pleased to get back to the debt busting and find out your fab news. How are you doing/feeling?