Time to get honest with myself, a proper SOA!

littlepinkstars44

Katie-Kat-Kins wrote: »

Right then that is your job for today, put all your debts and your minimum payments into the snowball calculator. Have a look and see what you DFD is with making only minimum payments each month and then do a budget where you take all the suggestions made on this thread and work out how much extra you could pay and see what difference it makes.

Also see how much extra you have to pay in interest if you take longer to pay the debt back, and think about what that could buy you, a nice holiday or a second hand car perhaps.

Thinking about your debt free date and the interest you save by repaying early is your motivation everytime you want to spend money on non-essentials.

You need to do this to truely face up to your debts.

You also need to think about what this debt means for your future. The effect it will have when you want to move out of home in a few years, or when you want to buy a car, or get married, or take time off to have a baby. These things may sound years away now but if you don't face up to your debts and deal with them now they will affect these things in your future.

That is why people are getting a bit shouty with you. They see themselves in you, they see the problems their debts have caused them and they want to try and prevent you being 35 with £50k of debt and considering going bankrupt.

Act now, as your debts will only grow and get harder to tackle the longer you leave them.

Thanks, that has given more some more things to think about. I did use the snowballer, but not with the different figures, i'll do that tomorrow as i'm just in from work just now, been up since 5:45 this morning Gotta finish some uni work, print it out and off to bed for me!

littlepinkstars44

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Further to Katie's post above - you shouldn't just be thinking about paying off your debts by the time you leave home, but also building up some savings for when you do - moving is an expensive business. The once you have moved out it's really hard to save money for anything else! So don't make paying off the debt the only thing you want to have achieved in two years' time.

The only other thing I have to add is that going on your previous threads, you must have a LOT of clothes and toiletries and I bet a good proportion of them are brand new with tags/unopened - you could make a fortune on ebay and pay off at least one of those store cards in one fell swoop - why not challenge yourself to list three things a day? What's the old adage when it comes to clearing out clothes? - If you haven't worn it in six months, you don't need it and won't miss it!

thank you, i do try to list things on Ebay once a week, but they rarely go for anything more £3, unless its some really hard to get/limited edition. And it really annoys me sometimes, i've sold a £50 Topshop dress that i wore twice for 99p!! But yeah, i have a few bits sitting waiting to get put on, i think i will have a proper rummage in my wardrobe on sunday, and try to talk my friend into helping me, 2 birds 1 stone, spend time not spending pennies with my friend, and getting stuff to make money of ebay...sounds like a wee plan to me!!

mooomin

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Old Student account............898.......15........0
Overdraft......................200.......0.........18.9
New Look Card..................98........5.........29.9
Capital One Visa...............196.......30........32.9
Very...........................2190......50........34.9
Kays...........................163.......35........0
Dorothy Perkins Card...........201.......10........28.9
Topshop Card...................186.......19........28.9
Total unsecured debts..........4132......164.......-

You can definitely pay New Look online (I do it via online bill payment. The sort code and account number are on the bill and it tells you on the bill what the reference number will be)

I have a Very account too and paid for the items I bought online. You can sign in on the Very website and pay via debit card too. It's quite rare for there not to be an online option for bill payment....check all the pesky small print on the back of the bill carefully. They usually make it hard to spot!

I hope you manage to make some inroads this time. I have posted on your previous threads before, and think you've had good advice this time so won't repeat myself, but I just wanted to echo what the previous poster said.

I got into debt on my 18th birthday. I went to the bank as I knew I would be able to get a student overdraft. From there it was a couple of store cards and then I owed money for council tax arrears so took out my first loan. Then ran up a credit card. Then added it onto the loan. It just kept cycling round.

I'm going to be 30 in December (BAH!!) and still have debt. I hope to be clear of the vast majority of it by then, but it has taken me working my @ss off over the last two years. We have gone without holidays/entertainment/new clothes to do it. It has sucked hard at times, but I'm really proud of myself for what I have done. You can get that same warm fuzzy feeling too!

mooomin

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

thank you, i do try to list things on Ebay once a week, but they rarely go for anything more £3, unless its some really hard to get/limited edition. And it really annoys me sometimes, i've sold a £50 Topshop dress that i wore twice for 99p!! But yeah, i have a few bits sitting waiting to get put on, i think i will have a proper rummage in my wardrobe on sunday, and try to talk my friend into helping me, 2 birds 1 stone, spend time not spending pennies with my friend, and getting stuff to make money of ebay...sounds like a wee plan to me!!

A couple of tips for Ebay as well....

Don't list things for 99p if you're not willing to sell them for that. I know it means you can list for free, but it's not worth the "urgh" feeling.

Take really good photos. I know that with clothes people won't bid high if it doesn't come from a smoke-free home, and I know your clothes will have that smokey smell, so that could be why. Concentrate on getting rid of some of your make up maybe, or any designer/named/previous season clothes.

poppy_f1

you can pay the dorothy perkins card online as well, from my online banking i have a payment set up to pay mine the details are on the back of the statement

bexster1975

hello littlepinkstars

This has moved on since I was last here!

I know it can be easy to interpret peoples comments as aggressive, especially when you know you have a lot of work to do to fix the problem, but most people who have posted appear to be trying to help you. I think your most recent posts show good planning and clear determination and I am certain you can do it. It is important that you don't stop doing everything you enjoy or you simply won't stick to it. I still stand by what I said before that this could be largely cleared in about 12 months. There are some great Old Style threads including the preparing for christmas one that will help you have a homemade gifts christmas.

You may even find you enjoy it, most people on here eventually become addicted to frugality in one form or another!:D

bexster

Tete_en_l'Air

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

thank you, i do try to list things on Ebay once a week, but they rarely go for anything more £3, unless its some really hard to get/limited edition. And it really annoys me sometimes, i've sold a £50 Topshop dress that i wore twice for 99p!! But yeah, i have a few bits sitting waiting to get put on, i think i will have a proper rummage in my wardrobe on sunday, and try to talk my friend into helping me, 2 birds 1 stone, spend time not spending pennies with my friend, and getting stuff to make money of ebay...sounds like a wee plan to me!!

As Flying Freesian said, don't list them that low if you're not prepared for them to go for that. And I agree there's a lot to be said for decent photos, decent close ups of patterns etc. And a good description - measurements and suggestions of what you'd wear with it etc. At the end of the day though, surely it's better to have 99p in your pocket and a lovely tidy wardrobe clear of all the junk you never wear? All those 99ps add up.

I've also noticed that you're on the No More Buying Books and No More Buying DVDs threads. Why not sell each one as you've read/watched it (unless you really loved it?) I know a lot of people make some good money from Amazon. Or even swap your books on www.readitswapit.co.uk - at least you're getting rid of the clutter and getting a new book to read for the price of postage...

littlepinkstars44

Thanks for all the ideas everyone! Has given me some good tips for listing on Ebay now! I am actually looking forward to going through my wardrobe on Sunday now, i might even end up getting it closed afterwords!!!

Also, liking the idea of listing or even swapping some of my books, i don't think i'd really be up for selling my dvd box sets, a lot of them were gifts. But i'd be fine with selling just normal films.

Today has been another long day, was up at 5:45, gym, then uni 9-2, then was working 3-8. Back in for a 9 hour shift tomorrow now as well! Just keep thinking of how all these wee extra shifts will add up, and pay things off! I am feeling pretty good about things, i mean i know things aren't great but they could be alot worse....and i could let them get alot worse. But i'm not going to

So thanks again to everyone who has posted on here, your comments have given me the much needed kick in the bum i needed to get on the right track! I'm away for a nice wee bath then going to read in bed!

mooomin

littlepinkstars44 wrote: »

Thanks for all the ideas everyone! Has given me some good tips for listing on Ebay now! I am actually looking forward to going through my wardrobe on Sunday now, i might even end up getting it closed afterwords!!!

Also, liking the idea of listing or even swapping some of my books, i don't think i'd really be up for selling my dvd box sets, a lot of them were gifts. But i'd be fine with selling just normal films.

It's free listing tomorrow and Sunday as well, so you can have higher starting prices for your clothes without the listing fee

Think about the DVDs and how much you watch them. I have all of the series of 24 and Doctor Who (Apart from the new ones) but I rarely sit down and watch them and I'm going to be selling them before Christmas to try and make some extra money. I need the space too in all honesty!

littlepinkstars44

flying_fresian wrote: »

It's free listing tomorrow and Sunday as well, so you can have higher starting prices for your clothes without the listing fee

Think about the DVDs and how much you watch them. I have all of the series of 24 and Doctor Who (Apart from the new ones) but I rarely sit down and watch them and I'm going to be selling them before Christmas to try and make some extra money. I need the space too in all honesty!

Really, thats even better! Thanks for letting me know that!
I couldn't get rid off my Buffy sets, they mean too much to me, but my OC box sets are getting listed on Sunday, Along with Gossip Girl and Falcon Beach, I have the Sex and the city one too, i dunno how much that would go for, i don't think i would want to sell it unless i got a pretty decent price for it.