My SOA - KATCHAMBERS

Edinburghlass_2

katchambers wrote:

Why do you assume that because I haven't been on that I am somehow slacking or not dealing with my debts. Am I supposed to spend my whole life on the internet or can I have a life? I was busy. Sorry I don't mean to be harsh, just some of these comments on this thread are a bit harsh.

I agree so don't bother going back over them all and answering the more negative ones, take on board the advice given and think about what you can do to cut back your outgoings and for sure the posters on here will applaud you for that.

Don't forget that most of them have been down the route you want to take and are talking from experience.

No, its not all bad but only you can work out where you want to be in five years time, still in debt or moving forward

Edinburghlass_2

katchambers wrote:

Yes all my quidco money goes into our bank account periodically, otherwise I would not have said it cost me £150.

The gym membership/private healthcover is being started because I have decided to give up weightwatchers and want to increase my exercise and stop paying for dance classes and swimming, this will make it cheaper, plus if quidco works out then the £18 a month will then become £0 a month because the quidco cashback is big enough to cover all 6 months worth of payments. I am hoping for quidco but not relying on it, we can afford the extremely cheap membership of the cashback doesn't come through.

Actually you can't.

chivers1977

i didn't want to say it. I am not trying to be negative, just concerned.........

itsarichmansworld

Kat

I am not here to judge or be harsh to you as I was in the same situation as you hence why I am 25k in debt @ 25 ! (Thats not including mortgage and student loans!)

The reason's I got into debt was I wanted to keep up with the jones' I loved my life at the time I wouldnt have a handbag that wasnt prada louis vuitton or any other luxury like that. I liked to have at least 2 holidays a year and I loved designer clothes expensive bars and the well the "high life".

But I got my lightbulb moment when I was promoted all the hard work I had done to get there was taken from me thats a whole other story and I was in the "poop".

Now I am back on track with work etc now and I am paying my debts back and darn proud to be doing so I will be debt free come oct 2010 I know this seems like a lifetime but I will do my best to get this down.

I dont want the high life now and on my salary I should be doing it but now I have seen the error of my ways I dont need a prada handbag some of the ones in primark look the same and at the end of the day do the same job.

I too am on a diet I hit my target weight in August so I know how hard dieting can be I need to watch what I eat for the rest of my life but I balance this with the Gym.

We all wish you the best Hun I know it seems hard but your "lightbulb" moment will come and you will beat this

I hope I dont seem smug I'm not I'm in debt but proud to be dealing with it.

Oh and get free broadband and also I found some cracking websites to watch free american telly I hardly watch sky now! (Yes I kept mine too although I called them told them I couldnt afford it got it half price for 3 months!)

katchambers

Right, so me and hubby talked through all our outgoings last night and have slashed money off here and there and hopefully this will help reduce our debts further, I have been listening to your advice and have taken it into consideration.

Sky:
Current cost = £50 per month
Decision - We are going to remove the second box from our account and not have multiroom (saving of £10), we are also going to remove sky movies (save £6) we are also going to have only one sky plus subscription (saving £10) and we will sell the sky plus box on ebay hopefully making an additional £50 or so. We are going to get a digital receiver so that sky can be watched in both rooms, these are about £10.
New cost = £24 per month (50% reduction)

Clothes:
Current cost = £50 per month
I am going to stop buying from next and will start buying from ebay and cheaper shops. The problem is that I always send back loads of clothes when I buy from next, due to not fitting right or not looking right and my concern is that I will waste alot of money buying clothes from ebay, it's fine if you are a perfect 12 but I am very far from that, however, I will give it a go.
New cost = £10 per month maximum (80% reduction)

Entertainment:
Current cost = £70 per month
We are going to reduce this to a more reasonable figure based on our debts.
New cost = £30 per month (60%ish reduction)

Birthday, Christmas & Holidays:
Current cost = £75 per month
We are going to give less, I am overly generous with presents, but I need to stop this now that we cannot afford it. I have gone through and worked out a budget per person and have now reduced this figure.
New cost = £25 per month (66% reduction)

Meals at work:
Current cost = £16
I am going to take packed lunches every day
New cost - £0 (100% reduction)

*Cinema is not negotiable, it is too big a saving and is very worth the small amount that we pay.

I am going to try very hard to stick to this new budget and I will report back on how it is going.

Thanks for your help and advice everyone

Kat x

itsarichmansworld

Well Done Hun Your On The Right Track X

roswell

Well done that is a reduction from £311 to £89 and you dont actualy "Loose" anything.

Giving you £222 extra a month to chuck at debts.

katchambers

Edinburghlass wrote:

Actually you can't.

Yes we can because I am trading in weightwatchers for the gym, actually it will cost £2 less to use the gym. Plus if quidco comes through we will be £115 up!

katchambers

roswell wrote:

No my point was that in most instances when someoen is truely worried they will be up all night with worry and look at every angle even the most desperate ways possible to get info on how they can help themselves.

But don't you agree that everyone deals with their problems differently, just because I don't worry 24/7 doesn't mean that I am not dealing with it. I believe in being proactive rather than worrying all day long. I have been looking at this from different angles and have been spending alot of time on it but in reality I still have to get on with my life, and I have a business to run, which is what I was doing all morning, and if I spent 10 hours a day worrying I wouldn't make any money, which is just going to make my debt problem worse.

Kat

katchambers

roswell wrote:

Well done that is a reduction from £311 to £89 and you dont actualy "Loose" anything.

Giving you £222 extra a month to chuck at debts.

Cool! I forgot to add it all up - that's fab and feels really good!