Immoral_angel's Debt Diary

LookingAhead

Hi IA. Just wanted to say good luck for January and - the whole of 2007 really.

I don't know what it is (maybe the gin!) but I just have a good feeling about 2007. I feel the urge to clear the decks and hope other people do to as it just feels the "the right time" to do it.

Sorry if that's a bit of a mini ramble (I can ramble for England) but - just want to send positive messages at the moment!

Hugs - and good luck for when the new baby comes along!

immoral_angeluk

Well as it's nearly christmas day I thought I'd update our 'Clear one debt by christmas day challenge' and I'm so proud to say we went above and beyond and managed to clear 4 debts.... I'm so proud of us!
Hope everyone has a great christmas!!! Who knows where we'll be this time next year!!

slowlyfading

Good luck with that, it seems like you're all planned up carefully!

immoral_angeluk

hi again! Well Christmas has been and gone... we all had a lovely time and Ashli got so many presents it's untrue. She was so good all day and loves all her new toys. Having children really makes christmas special .
AND I'm pleased to say that even though christmas is over, we're still not using Steve's wages and have been carefully budgeting and tracking our spending so we can have a really good go at clearing off a debt next month as well as being financially sorted for the month instead of spending it all in december.
We've decided to clear my Mothercare store card next. It was either that or my citi card but as they're both around the same amount we decided to go for mothercare because the minimum payment is higher plus it goes out by DD at the beginning of the month.. so being able to clear it will help us out at the start of the month as well as giving us more cash available to put towards other debts. We've already got the £60 currently clearing in the bank from the xmas pressie, and we get child benefit going in on friday.. so by the beginning of next week we should have £129.60 saved already, which is a great start. Feels great as we've managed to survive December and Christmas and still start off January well. You never know, we may be able to clear mothercare by the end of january but we've set a target date of Valentines day. I can't wait to pay another one off!!!!! Steve and I have even been talking about the possibility of being able to pay off most of our 'unsecured' debt by this time next year... which would be amazing. In reality I think it could be possible if we carry on as we are.. but we've just got to see how things pan out when I go back to work and take it from there. Steve's going to go for a promotion which has come up at his work which would mean his wage goes up to around 16k a year and we'll see what happens.

Hope everyone had a great christmas! x

immoral_angeluk

Update time! Still waiting for cheque to clear for the £60 towards mothercare but got the child benefit today so have £147.17 towards mothercare that is just waiting to go into the debt account as there's already £17.34 in there. Here's what else we'll be savings towards it..
3rd Jan - £35.44 tax credit (before Kaitlyn's born anyway.) - £182.58
10th Jan - £35.44 tc - £218.02
17th Jan - £35.44 tc - £253.46
24th Jan - £35.44 tc - £288.90
30th Jan - £69.80 child benefit (if Kaitlyn's not arrived by then.) - £358.70
31st Jan - £35.44 tc - £394.18

Plus depending on when Kaitlyn's born and how quickly they sort out the tax credits and child benefit we'll have more to put towards it. Mothercare is currently £472 and the next minimum payment is due tues/weds so it'll be about £460 by the time we have the money to pay it... so we only have to find £65 from the january challenge to cover it by the end of Jan! Woohoo! Even if worst case scenario comes and we can't save any extra money our original target date of valentines day will be easy!

We've put target dates on my citi and dorothy perkins of May because when Kaitlyn's here we'll be able to save all the extra child benefit and tax credits which alone will be about £400 a month PLUS in Feb and march we don't pay council tax so that's £99 saved right there (But I have car tax end of feb so thats £64.) so I reckon we could clear my citi in feb, dorothy perkins in march, then barclaycard possibly by end of may.

For example if Kaitlyn was born end of Jan income from cb and tc would be roughly (I say roughly because you know what tax credits are like *rollseyes*) like this
February - cb £117 + tc £397 + 35 leftover from council tax saving = £432 (Citi is currently £480ish so would need to find approx £40.)
March - cb £117 + tc £397 + 99 from council tax = £613 (Dorothy perkins currently £490ish so would have £143 leftover!)
April - cb £117 + tc £397 (if it doesn't change cos of new tax year.) + £143 left over from march. = £657

So if we can find approx £150 in May (Baring in mind I'm due to go back to work in May but will probably be having 2 weeks off annual leave after my m leave ends..) we'll be able to clear another 4 DEBTS including a large one!

Oooooh it's really exciting seeing it written down... especially as it looks like such a realistic possibility. Can't wait to tell Steve! If we do manage it that will leave just Steve's citi and ste's old capital one (Who we're still waiting to hear from as they were passing it to a DCA as they wouldn't accept monthly payments.. *rolls eyes*).... meaning that being 'unsecured debt free and £209 a month in total better (since our LBM) off by the end of 07 is a serious possibility!!!!!! :j

It's so exciting!!! :rotfl:

sophiesmum_2

:j :j :j :j

Hi Sarah
You have done so well up to now :T :T and looks like you have it well planned out for next year.
Must be something in the air at the moment , everyone is sounding so upbeat and positive about 2007.
Anyway good luck with the debt free plans, I love reading your thread and seeing how you are tackling your debts, and I am sure you are an inspiration for anyone in similar circumstances, shows what you can achieve when you get stuck in.:T :T
Not long to go now on the baby front either:D , hope everything goes well for you and Kaitlin arrives healthy and without too much effort. We will all be on tenterhooks when the time comes.
I will be reading your thread to see how you do on the mothercare challenge, but sure that you will do it by valentines day.
Take care
sophiesmum

immoral_angeluk

Oh and forgot to say.. Steve's decided that he wants a big posh new telly (One of these giant 50-million-inch-lcd flatscreen jobbies.. *rolls eyes again lol* so he's taken it upon himself to start a £2 savings tin (One of those that you can only open with a tin opener ) and we have £4 in it so far and he just called me to say he's got another one.. so that's £6 so far.. lol. Wonder how long it'll take to save up the hundreds of £'s he needs in £2's! lol! But either way.. onto the sig it goes..

Gemmzie

At least he's saving

immoral_angeluk

Makes a change.. LMAO.

sophiesmum_2

Those little suckers (£2 coins) soon add up. I started saving them last april and to date have saved almost £500. Paid off the balance owing on the holiday we booked for 2007, and am now working on the spending money. Only problem is it does get quite addictive. I will leave something in a shop rather than spend one of my £2 coins:D
I used one of those tins too and with £390 in it was only about half full:eek:

steve will have his telly before you know it;)

sophiesmum