Regular Ramblings from LookingAhead

LookingAhead

Hi ATB & G_R! Nice to hear from you again. I hope you are both well?

Well for tonight's instalment...

Finally got around to using my money off/extra points vouchers in the supermarket after successfully forgetting them until driving home for the last few weeks :wall:

Job might be ok but still waiting really to see what happens....hopefully will be ok though.

I am trying to keep focussed on the end of the year where I hope things will be much improved and I was thinking about PAP's comments on her diary the other day where she says she has to have a goal otherwise she gets lost and although it's outstandingly obvious and simple, I seem to have missed that point somewhere along the way of late! So I'll have to keep thinking about that and try and get myself into the same mindset.

I have seen an advert for a car boot sale at the end of June so I need to see if I have enough stuff kicking around to do it - no point if I haven't but I'll take a look over the weekend.

Not really much else to report....just trying to stay focussed as I say.

Ta-ra for now!

LA x

LookingAhead

Sold a cd on Amazon (listed it Saturday). With posting it I made the grand profit of........30p! :rotfl: Sometimes I have to wonder! Still, penny by penny eh?

Also paid some loose change (2ps, pennies, 5ps) into bank today, just about £3.50 scraped together but better in the bank than in a jar doing nothing

Rang up for my loan settlement figure....£4114.11.
Which means I have paid off £8535.89 since I took it out. A flippin' long hard slog and still a year to go!

I've been good this week - only spent on what I've had to and used a £1 off voucher in Tesco when getting some washing liquid too.

Failing miserably on the £10 a day thing but I'm not adding to debt particularly so that's a plus.

Put some shoes in for a repair today rather than just 'give up on them' - they're lovely shoes (black patent peep toe wedges) so worth the massive £7.50 for repair!

Staying in tonight....just doing stuff on here, catching up on washing (line drying) and perhaps watch a dvd later. It's been a looooong week so happy not having to be anywhere or 'owt tonight!
LA x

hypno06

A loooong week here too! TGI Friday :j

As for the debt - well, over two thirds of the way through your loan - that's not bad going! You are well on the way.......and all those 30ps and £3.50s add up. Even if you don't make £10 a day, you are making SOMETHING, and that is something you weren't making before, so it is all good!!

LookingAhead

You're right hypno - thanks. It's always good to get fresh perspectives.

LookingAhead

I just worked out my total debt.....£6488.

When I first started with MSE, I think my total debt was something like £17.5k give or take a grand either way. I really can't remember. So assuming £17.5k, I've paid off over £11k since the end of 2005 when I had my light bulb moment and I only had to add to it in a big way cos of the scuzz buckets that broke into my house in 2006.

OK I am a little proud of myself!

hypno06

LookingAhead wrote: »

You're right hypno - thanks. It's always good to get fresh perspectives.

you're welcome!

LookingAhead wrote: »

OK I am a little proud of myself!

And so you should be! Not only hve you paid off that much, but you have not incurred "new" debt too.....had you not put your mind to doing this, your £17.5k could easily be double that now.....:eek:

LookingAhead

Very true hypno....there is always that. Oh God how scary that thought is.

Well some good news, I found out that my job should be ok for the moment but I am conscious of the fact that this could change so no room to relax really.

I'm doing ok this month and it's feasible I could get a bonus next month if I get a certain amount of sales this month, that would really help if I do. Still got a week to go in June - fingers crossed.

Paid some change back into bank today...I am trying to get into the habit of paying money back in when I have broken the tenner that I had to withdraw from the bank when perhaps only needed £3 or £4 to pay for whatever it is. If I put it back in the bank then I can't fritter it away.

Trying to conserve petrol at the moment (even more than usual!) so went for walk to centre and lunch time today to pick up shoes from cobblers rather than drive. Burned some calories too so win win situation I guess.

Sold a book on Amazon but ended up paying more in postage than I made selling it :mad: so what a waste of time that was. Am going to look at my remaining listings and try & make sure that never happens again.

Not much else to report...pay day this week and I am trying to eke out the few pence I have left in my purse and petrol I have in the tank! Let's see how it goes.

LookingAhead

Bonus might be on! Will keep everything crossed!

Am deliberating whether I should plod on with the overdraft or do a Virgin Money 0% balance transfer card (they also pay off overdrafts as well as credit card BTs) and then hit that with every penny I have. Think it is a 15 or 16 month limit which is no problem.

I've done this before though and ended up with overdraft again....so....really unsure. Would need ULTRA uber mega discipline to stay in the black!

The thought of yet another CC makes me feel a bit sick. They might turn me down anyway!

Not sure....keep thinking I can get it paid off "in a few months" but I have been thinking that for ages!

Hmmm. *Ponders*

hypno06

Good news on the job, and good luck with the bonus - fingers are well and truly crossed....

I got a 0% virgin card but it was to transfer money from a loan rather than from overdrafts - my experience of trying to cancel overdrafts is not good - they just end up being used for "emergencies" which of course are not real emergencies, and before you know it you have two debts instead of one....

Only do it if you cancel the overdraft facility completely, absolutely, never to be used ever ever again even if the fabbiest pair of shoes are shouting at you.....

LookingAhead

Thanks hypno - I know you are right about the cancellation of the overdraft should I get the Virgin card. I don't think I have the guts to cancel it completely because I always think I want enough to pay one months mortgage if I had to which is about £500.

I am asking myself a lot of questions over this. I DO think I have learned a lot over the last few years and my desire to be debt free is so strong at the moment, more than ever now I can see light at the end of the tunnel. But is it enough?

Also a big part of me thinks "Just play the money game and do it - nought percent is nought percent!" and try not to think about the extra piece of plastic I have just signed up for (if I do it). Maybe I have lost my stoozing bottle!

Anyway one thing is for certain - and that's that I am not certain! So for the moment I will not apply. I'll only do it if I wake up one day soon knowing it is absolutely the right thing to do.

I suspect getting or not getting my bonus (I will know next week) will help answer the question....