Drop Debt Diva – ‘Plus-Sized Debts to Plus-Sized Savings’

Swinstie73

Evening all, well think my food diary is out the window as I can't even remember what I had yesterday for lunch or what I've eaten today, except porridge.

Having chicken curry tonight (home-made), might stick a naan bread in the oven too cos not really had much today (I think). Went to Body Pump this morning and took my cheque to the bank but didn't spend anything. Getting good at not spending much these days - by tomorrow I'll have loads to buy. OH is on his way down so not going to get much more done in the house, not done much except go through my toiletry list again - I still have LOADS! Thinking about what I buy now though and noting when I need something. Anyway better go and get dinner started, chicken is probably still frozen......

Swinstie73

What a day, didn't get up until noon, guess I must have needed the sleep but have then proceeded to not do very much at all. I did get the inside windows cleaned, something I've been meaning to do for ages, had to be done in the daylight which is why I forced myself to do them today. Have only had porridge so far today but have just put the kettle on and I feel the chocolate urge coming, eek!

Anyway, back to work tomorrow so I'm just going to chill for the rest of the day, need milk and stuff but can wait til tomorrow, not crucial (and I'm not showering just to go for milk), hope everyone else's weekend are less boring!

Another NSD though, yeah!

Shoe_Gal

Weekend is boring here too - am justt watching the footie Done a bit of housework and got some washing on but nothing else achieved Off to my Mum's for tea

Swinstie73

Enjoy tea at your mum's SG, I've got a baked tattie in the oven and having it with beans - Sunday dinner eh!

Well managed to get one (double) cupboard in the kitchen tidied out, was going to empty clean and re-organise them all, but did that not too long ago so they were still clean - some I will do i.e. think my honey jar has stickied up the cupboard - yuk. So one cupboard re-organised so I know (and can see) what I have - dreading getting to the herbs and spices one - it is chokka!

Had planned on getting the kitchen and one other room done today but hey ho, baby steps and all that. House will be here tomorrow. Didn't go out for milk and stuff so I'll either try and stop for milk tomorrow (for porridge) or buy some at work. Going to try and have porridge everyday for breakfast, no lattes and try and take my lunch in at least 3 times a week. Was spoiled last week getting lunch at court.

So tomorrow it will be porridge for breakfast and baked potato and the rest of the tin of beans for lunch. Trying my best to use up things I already have i.e. made chicken curry yesterday as I already had chicken in the freezer, an onion, a Coleman's curry mix, rice and naan breads. Didn't cost me anything - meal planning is the way to go I think - I'm just slow in picking up on it. I'm going to try and use up things just now so it will be random dinners for a wee while. Had pepperoni pizza (individual sized) and a half pack of pasta last Thursday and it was flipping tasty.

Swinstie73

Well back to work today and it wasn't too bad I suppose, missed out on all the Happy New Year wishes cos wasn't in last week and on the 10th Jan, it's no longer a new year. Did get a few but not to worry.

So it was porridge for breakfast, crackers and dairylea and a yoghurt for lunch. I did sneak in a few biccies but that's my fill. Really need to get my diet on track. For dinner it was (and I know it's not the healthiest but it was tasty), quiche, baked potato and sweetcorn.

Went to get some groceries after work, so £8.90 spent today on milk, two reduced price quiches (have cut up and frozen the rest), garlic bread, cheese (making macaroni on Wednesday), onions, yoghurts, baquette (reduced) and fishcakes (reduced). Need to start thinking of what I'm buying and meal plan.

Tomorrow, it will be porridge for breakfast, baguette with tuna and sweetcorn and a yoghurt for lunch, fishcake, baked potato and beans for dinner and plenty of water throughout the day.

Wednesday, macaroni and garlic bread - OH is coming down. Thursday, baked potato, savoury rice and maybe the other fishcake and Friday not sure yet. OH is working til 8pm on Friday so won't be down and he'll sort dinner for Saturday.

Well only have the pot cupboard to do in the kitchen then the worktops - work in progress. We've decided that we might not put the house up for sale just now and save some more. It kind of makes sense whilst my mortgage is under £200 a month, to stay here and save save save. OH is going to move down in the summer and we'll see how it goes. I'd love to get another house by the wedding but we've got the wedding and the cruise to save for and adding on house-selling/buying costs is just too much too soon. We should've been saving sooner I guess.

Anyway still need to get the house in order though so better get a move on. Want to have a nice bath before bed tonight. Nothing much on tv but I have just watched Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, was actually rather good. Thank goodness for not being an awkward teenager any longer though.

Swinstie73

Money still looking ok, although had to spend £15 today on a new carbon monoxide monitor, better safe than sorry I guess. Nine days til payday and should be ok for food etc. Might need a mobile top up but will try and eke out my texts til payday.

Have a little dilemma, obviously I'm on course for being debt free by the end of March but I will still have £850ish of wedding debt on my Visa. Here's the dilemma....

I currently have a Halifax CC which has no money on it, I just haven't got round to cancelling the card, received a letter today offering another six months 0% with a 3% transfer fee. Now question is, do I transfer the wedding debt to this card and pay it over six months or do I just continue to pay it on my Barclaycard??

BC interest rate is 6.8% APR and I'm crap at working out how much interest that would be, the Halifax transfer fee is something like £25ish pound, would I gain this in interest if I continued paying the BC card. I reckon I could have it paid three months after I've finished paying my own debt off. Baring in mind, I will get this £850 back once the wedding fund money becomes available. I wouldn't add the transfer fee money onto the wedding debt as this would be my choice to transfer so I'd pay it. Decisions, decisions. I need to transfer by mid February so have time to think about it.

I just thought maybe I'd get some breathing space and be able to save more by paying it over six months instead of three.

romylou_2

Hi Swinstie

I have considered your dilemma and I would transfer to the 0% to give yourself some breathing space for 6 months. Its basically a safety net in case anything unexpected happens;)

I say this because I've just had to fork out £235.99 for a new dishwasher last night after mine decided to give up on my (with 2 days worth of dishes in it!!:mad:) Bought a new one on my CC (Yes the one i'm trying to pay off).

Lesson - Always expect the unexpected:D

Swinstie73

I feel your pain with the dishwasher Romy, I had to buy a new fridge freezer last year which contributed to my CC debt. And I know that my washing machine and cooker are both as old as my fridge was.

Going to think about the transfer a bit more, I have until 14th Feb to decide, BUT my reckoning now against doing it is that if I pay off my own debt by the end of March then make 3 payments of around £275 to clear the wedding debt, the card will be clear after June's salary.

If I make the transfer on 14th Feb, I'm thinking my first payment would come off mid March (maybe March wage) and if I pay this for six months then the card will be clear after Aug's wage. This is only really two months more than originally planned IYSWIM. Is it worth it, will I get £25 in interest in the meantime, I probably will if I use my BC CC I guess. My next big purchase (hopefully) will be my road tax in March and I have this money saved up already, I only put it on the CC cos I do it online. Ok, need to think about this sensibly....

tasha-debt

I think its a good idea to use your Halifax card and then say that is the wedding card. i.e not part of your debt. Then if anyother wedding bits come up and you would pay by CC you can use your 'Wedding CC'.

I am loving your diary Swinstie, how quick have all out lifes changed since the beggining of the very first Blonde thread.

xxx

Swinstie73

Hey Tash, lovely to see you posting, feels like I'm rambling to myself at times. I know, we've all came a long way since the first Blondie thread, still sometimes wonder what happened to her!

Have you got a new diary? Keep looking on yours but been no posts and the last time I posted on someone's diary they said they were letting it 'die'.

Well, still un-decided on the Halifax CC, if I can make purchases on it as well as the BT then I might transfer and use this as the Wedding CC. We will have enough saved for the wedding, it's just the getting to the money - savings account matures in Sept. Which is why I've been putting wedding spends on my Barclaycard and getting the money back as and when, don't want to keep doing this though.

Well 60p today on milk as I forgot to lift mines from home. This will do my porridge today and tomorrow, having porridge for lunch today (had it for brekky this morn) as I couldn't be bothered trying to think up a lunch.

Ended up in bed straight from work yesterday, text OH to say I didn't feel like it last night so we spoke on phone a couple of times whilst I lay in bed shivering. Felt better this morning though but still sniffling and coughing, need to fight it though.