The journey starts here - don't stop believing

Lemon_Tree

glad you've finally got your house back must be a great feeling.
Not sure about the curtains, have you tried online, or the Range or Dunelm etc? Maybe even charity shops? Personally i would make them, they are just glorified squares therefore one of the easiest things to make.

**Kat**_2

I found curtains in Dunelm 90 width by 72 drop - £20!! Bargain if I may say so, especially as they are fully lined. DS bedroom - DONE.

**Kat**_2

Right. Done a snowball and not too happy. Basically, as my loan won't let me overpay, my DFD is in 39 months, i.e. June 2014. That will not do. Also with just normal snowballing and not really overpaying much my other debt won't be gone until March 2012. SO that was the kick up the a**e I needed so badly to get back on the straight and narrow and get this gone.

Lemon_Tree

well done for getting the curtains, i got some last year from Dunelm (diff size though) for £18 which i thought was fab.
As for your loan, you could do what i'm doing and save up to pay it off early, that's what i've had to do as my two wouldn't allow overpayments. I paid the first one off 16 months early, this one added interest monthly, and will pay Norbert back 12 months early which will save some interest even though they front loaded it

**Kat**_2

Mine is front loaded interest too. I think they have to take that into account when giving you a settlement figure. That is when I (almost) wish it was credit card debt - at least you CAN pay you pennies off each month, see the balance going down and the interest too!

Lemon_Tree

Kat, wow that's deja vu, i vividly remember expressing the same wish that my loans were credit cards so i could pay off as much as i wanted. The only 'good' thing with loans is that the interest rate is fixed.

**Kat**_2

Well, I have some good news and some bad news. Bad first, interest rate on the loan is actually 23.37%:eek: (man on phone when I did my sig etc LIED to me :mad:). Good news, my loan statement states I can make overpayments if I give notice :j. I need to ensure they are penalty free and I doubt I could pay 1p etc but I could prob save and pay a whack off each month.

It's not the first debt I want to clear - reserve has to be totally gone first and I want the Kays gone so I don't have to pay the interest but it's good to know.

Did another snowball, if we can find an extra £200 per month to go against debt, we will be totally debt free by December 2012 - I want it sooner but need to get out butts into gear for that - lets see what we can do ay .

**Kat**_2

Had an expensive couple of days as went away with my mum and DS. My mum paid for most of it but I couldn't let her pay for all - had to get a stroller for DS as he couldn't walk everywhere as too hilly (£20), I bought breakfast (£7) had already paid for the room as my mum's birthday present (budgeted and already paid for so doesn't count lol), lunch yesterday at the zoo (£16), my grandmothers birthday present (£3 - bargain, her birthday isn't until August but it was a beautiful china duck. She collects ducks and it was so cheap and pretty I couldn't leave it), prezzie for my niece (£2.50) and other bits and bobs I can't remember (oops) prob spent about £55 but was all cash from job 2 so not too bad. Also underspent by that much on the weeks shop as still had food from the previous week, I was away for 2 days and we are eating at a friends house tonight so it does kinda cancel out.

Woowoo

Hi Kat

As long as you enjoyed yourself that is the main thing, and your right it did cancel itself out anyway

brizzledfw

Hi ** kat** just read your diary from the start. You're doing really well and impressed that your OH is there as well..well done on the team effort!

Will subscribe and keep reading!

Brizzle