There is light at the end of the tunnel

girlatplay

Hello :hello:

I have been inspired by so many diaries on this forum that I thought it was about time I started my own. I am girlatplay (Gap), I live In a wee flat with Little Miss Gap and our two cats. There is a Mr Gap (my boyfriend of 3 years) but he doesn’t live with us, he has his own house.

I had my LBM sometime in the first half of 2007. I was a single parent. We were living in a grotty council flat in not such a great area. One of the large fuel providers had cut our electricity off because I couldn’t afford to pay for it. Sheriff Officers were writing to me demanding council tax payments which I also couldn’t afford. I was getting bank charges every month. I worked part time and earned a reasonable part time wage but I had debts too. We got a lot of anti-social behaviour from people round about, kids outside and some neighbours. I was at my wits end. I was discussing my options with a friend one night and I had almost made the decision to go bankrupt. Somewhere along the line during that night and the next couple of nights I realised that if I went back to work full time and sacrificed some things (picking my daughter up from school myself and spending time with her in the afternoons) I might be able to pull things together and get back on my feet. I spoke to my boss and he agreed that I could go full time. Then I contacted the bank and asked for a loan to consolidate all my debts. This was my last chance, if the bank said no I would have to go bankrupt. Someone must have been looking down on me that day. The bank said I could have a loan (???) and that was the beginning of a new life for Little Miss Gap and I.

Slowly but surely I managed to get things under control. I wrote to the Sheriff Officers and sent them £20 (loaned to me by my friend – her idea, to keep them off my back for a bit) and suggested a payment plan to them (also friend’s idea). Miraculously, they agreed. I sat down and worked out the fuel provider’s bill. Long story but a very strong letter of complaint to them followed. The result was they refunded me the £44 they were due me and apologised for cutting me off and wrongly demanding £144 from me :T

Fast forward 4 years, I now live in a lovely wee flat that I have a mortgage over (shared equity with a HA) in a much better area. I work full time, spend the weekends with Little Miss Gap and manage to fit in Mr Gap every now and then! Somewhere in between I found this site.

The reason for the diary now is that I still have £3,566.64 to shift on the loan and two years left to do it. I would love to do it sooner than that but I don’t know how disciplined I can be . I have been lurking and stalking many diaries for such a long time and they are so inspirational that I think it is time I set things down on paper for myself.

Payday this month should be the best one yet. I will only have the mortgage, the bills, the loan payment and £100 to my credit card (which I pay off every month – I hate giving away money) to pay out then the rest will be mine, all mine mwah hahahaha! :laugh:

I would like to say that I have had amazing support from my parents and my sister, without which, I would not be in the position I am in now. They have not helped me financially but they have all helped out and made sure there was food on the table when I wanted to curl up and die.

I don’t mind if no one is interested in my diary, I just need to write it all down to keep myself focused.

Sorry for rambling.

Gap x


ETA: Over the past 4 years I have also had credit card debt, an overdraft and store cards. I now have no overdraft, a Next card (which I pay off when I (very rarely) use it) and one cc which I also pay off every month. The only debt I have now apart from my mortage is my personal loan to Bank of Scotland. I have a small emergency fund.

Little_bit_dizzy

Hello Gap

What a lovely post! You sound very level headed and well done to you for picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and making things happen. Little Miss Gap must be very proud of her Mummy! It's nice to hear stories of hard work, motivation and the sheer determination to change things rewarding people.

Good luck with the last of your loan. Have you thought about having a peek on the 'A Payment A Day' thread? I found this enourmously helpful - the idea being you make a payment a day towards your debt. In your case it may be into a savings account to clear the loan sooner (might even earn you a little bit of interest along the way!). They are an amazingly friendly bunch. Heres the link if you'd like it: PAD


Anyway, however you decide to tackle things, I wish you the very best of luck and hope that you continue to do well for yourself - I shall tag along to see how you dio if that's ok

girlatplay

Hi Little bit dizzy, thank you for your kind reply. What a lovely welcome to the Debt Free Diaries . I did look at A Payment A Day a few months back but I only managed to do it for one month. I'm a bit thick sometimes (my friends call it "blonde" ) and I was struggling to make one payment every day. I might go and lurk again for a bit and maybe try doing it as often as I can rather than every day. Thank you for the link. Feel free to tag along, don't know how interesting it will be though


Took a prescription to the chemist yesterday and prescription charges in Scotland have been abolished now! Woo! Saved myself £4.


I have been getting a lift to work every day this week and will again next week as it is easter hols for the school :EasterBun. Gap-dad is good at collecting Little Miss Gap from our house in the morning during the hols and giving me a lift to work. I have started walking home two days a week as well so am saving myself lots of bus fares. Also, because Gap-mum and Gap-dad are kind enough to provide childcare during the shorter holidays (not so much summer hols but still some) I save on childcare costs too. I am so lucky to have them, I feel blessed that they were given to me!! (seriously)

Had a training meeting for work this morning so now I'm off to do a whole day's work in 3 hours.

Gap x

elantan

Hey gap really enjoying your story so far good luck with it all

Little_bit_dizzy

Hope you managed to get your work done Gap!

I know on the PAD boards lots of people use it every few days or weekly rather everyday. I'm sure they would welcome you on board regardless of how often you make a payment. There are days I only manage 20p or similar into a change pot, but as Mr T says 'every little helps!'

Excellent prescription charge news! Think it's now up to about £7.40 in England which is shocking really.

beanielou

Gap~Wishing you all the very best on the rest of your journey & a bit pat on the back for doing so well so far
Keep plodding & keep posting!

loumac

Just to add to the welcomes and well dones and good lucks.

It seems like you have a plan and determination and I think where there's a will there's a way.

I love reading other peoples diaries (I am naturally nosy!) but it does remotivate me with my own quests so keep posting and let us know how you're getting on.

girlatplay

Thank you elantan, beanielou and loumac for your kind welcomes. I am naturally nosy too loumac, hence the reason I have lurked on other diaries for so long!! :rotfl:

I have a plan for my bus fares! Since the start of the year I have been taking allocated money out of my account in change (£1 coins and 10ps) and paying for bus fares in cash. I used to have a bus pass but Mr Gap started picking me up from work on Mondays and Wednesdays and I was getting odd lifts in and home and, as I said before, started walking home 2 days a week when the weather improved so the bus pass was not benefiting me. I was taking the allocated amount out of my account each month and putting it in a pot so I would just use it for bus fares. This has worked really well and I was £40 up at the end of March! Unfortunately this has been spent on other stuff now My plan is this: I will continue to do what I am doing but rather than put what I don't use back in the bus fare pot (and then spend it when I think I don't need it), I will put it in a different pot. If I need to dip in for fares I will. At the end of the month, whatever is left will go to my PAD which will actually be payment a month! This is completely separate from my sealed pot.

Ramble ramble again, sorry

Going to Mr Gap's sister's house for a few drinkies tonight :beer:. I don't know her that well so it will be good bonding time. Will have to take wine and flowers but Mr M's have nice small bunches for £1.85 and I always try to get a half price bottle so won't cost the earth. Getting a bus there because she lives on the bus route and Mr Gap will pick me up. Sorted! :T

Gap x

girlatplay

Had a great night at Mr Gap's sister's house on Friday night :beer: Spent under a tenner on wine, flowers and shortbread! Also, saved £1.30 bus fares because my friend gave me a lift :T

NSD yesterday as went to friend's house and she insisted on buying nibbles and drinks and told me in no uncertain terms not to take anything (she is the friend from 4 years ago who helped me at my LBM).

NSD today and Gap-mum gave me £20! She had given Gap-sis £20 towards a dress she wanted and Gap-mum never gives to one without giving to the other. I did point out to her that I wouldn't have known if she hadn't said but she said she would have known so I am twenty quid up!

Day off work tomorrow as it is a local holiday :j so all in all a good weekend.

Gap x

girlatplay

Enjoying a lovely day off :j

Little Miss Gap has gone for a golf lesson this afternoon and I have to go and pick her up at 4pm. Have decided that since it is a reasonable day I will walk to get her and we will walk back. Will save a few pence in petrol. Just to explain, Gap-dad is a golf fanatic and Little Miss Gap is the only grandchild. She has had a golf club in her hand since before she could hold a pencil! She quite enjoys it so who am I to stop her going? Also, Gap-dad is paying for the lessons and it keeps her entertained during the hols.

Been to Mr M's today to get cat food and something for the tea. Also got a new cup for work as the last one broke a couple of weeks back :coffee: Managed to spend £17.12 :eek: but the tea stuff will do me for lunch at work tomorrow as well and also bought some diluting juice for the house. Bought some pickled beetroot and pickled onions as well for the tea so they will do for part of another meal. That's the £20 from Gap-mum nearly gone! I also bought myself a can of redbull as a treat. I absolutely love the stuff but try to limit myself to having an occasional one as a treat. It was reduced from £1.35 to £1.21 so that was good too.

Gap x

mummytogirls

GAP well done on starting your diary :beer:. I have just loved reading all about your LBM wow how far you have come :T.

Well done on what you have achieved so far, you will such an inspiration to little miss gap!!!

Just subscribing!!! Much love x x