Regular Ramblings from LookingAhead

taxi73

OK LA...sorry I don't have the answers for you

LookingAhead

You give me support and a fresh perspective taxi - don't you dare apologise!

I appreciate your posts very much.

LA xx

taxi73

Awww thanks for that..you give me plenty of support as well

LookingAhead

You're welcome!

Right - off to watch Heroes!

Catch you soon honey.

LA x

LookingAhead

OK RANT ALERT

Argh! Will it ever end!?

I was planning for October pay day to clear my overdraft but there's just no way that's going to happen. It was supposed to be June....which was pushed back from April.

So October will come around - still will be overdrawn by about £300 I think....then before you know it, bl00dy Christmas so no chance of clearing it then.

Looks like into 2008 then.

Oh B******* I hate this!

Trying to sell things on EBAY and I always seen to get caught out pricing things too low to start with and then getting lots of watchers who do just that - watch, but don't bid. Someone comes along and buys it for the opening bid price and I end up feeling like a right sap.

I just can't seem to go a day without something running out, breaking, someone rattling a tin in my face at work for one thing or another and I feel like I am going to scream.

I feel like I need a day off but we're not allowed to book any holiday (and I've only got two days left anyway - great) as it's "busy".

Got a week off in September - it can't come soon enough but knowing my luck at the moment it'll P down all week.

I'm losing it here...

hypno06

Aw hun, £300 overdraft in October is still so much better than it was. Why not ring up the bank in October and have a new, reduced limit of say £350 in order to avoid running it right back up over Christmas.

Talking of the C word, start planning now and minimise the pain later in the year.

As for losing it- if you are losing it, the rest of us have no hope!!

LookingAhead

Thanks hypno.

I just don't know what to plan for Christmas.

In my mind, I know there's no money to spare for Christmas, by rights, because I am overdrawn. So by rights I shouldn't plan anything.

However as we all know it's virtually impossible to get away with spending zero isn't it?

I guess I just need to start looking out for cheapy things for those that are really close who I want to get a gift for.

This will be the third Christmas in a row where I thought "It will be so much better next year - now I am a DFW!" but - as usual - I seem to have screwed up somewhere along the line and month on month it all falls like dominoes.

ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!


(Big scream there...!)

hypno06

No you have not screwed up - you are getting to grips with getting debt free. It takes time and it takes effort, and you are giving it all of that.

Christmas is difficult when you are trying to reduce debt, I am not going to even try kidding myself that I will be able to get through it without adding to the credit card again, but I will do it with thought rather than with reckless christmas shopping abandon!!

It is all a huge journey, and you are well on your way there. One step at a time, remember xx

LookingAhead

Well a few little steps to add today...

Got my Tesco vouchers through and as wel as the extra point ones when you buy various bits and pieces (they were all handy actually) I also got 3 money off when you spend X amount vouchers - totalling £7 which is £7 better off in my pocket.

I also got a £4 off general voucher which will be really handy in a tight spot!

I got a free (very nice) greeting card come through in the post as well by some company trying to entice me back to their cards catalogue (no thanks).

A friend is popping over on Saturday to give me some hair conditioner to tide me over till pay day as I could order some more now but it will send the overdraft higher so I will be scraping through till pay day this time next week. I'll probably look like a scarecrow by the ends of it but hey ho.

She is also giving me some veggie food stuffs that she won't be using but we will use so that is very kind and handy too.

We are having some work done to a tree that overhangs our back garden for free next week as the tree belongs to an association so they are sorting out a professional guy to come & do it...I will regain some of my washing line hurrah!

I will be depositing some more change in the bank tomorrow (the change jar challenge) and I have been very good - not tempted to dip into it at all so, although it's not much it's better taken off the overdraft than adding to it eh? Although I do still have to buy groceries for the weekend and next week's shopping to do as well.

I cannot wait for August pay day and then on to September.....financially this month has been a disaster and I need to put it behind me and move on but I am finding it very tough (you don't say!) to do that at the moment.

Luckily it's a bank holiday weekend coming up! :j

Also - I am wondering whether to apply for an EGG 0% card to pay off my overdraft then I can throw as much money as I can at it to clear it quickly - you know, EBAY sales and things like that whereas at the moment any little bits get swallowed up in the overdraft.

It sounds attractive but I need to work out how much to 'borrow' (urgh) and what the fee will be and see whether it really is worth it. I don't think there will be much in it ££ wise i.e. interest on the overdraft vs the balance transfer fee.

However having the bank account in the black and seeing a credit card balance go down with any extra efforts I put in is quite appealing.

Any thoughts out there?

hypno06

If you could get that 0% balance and clear the od completely, and also if you cut up the egg card as soon as you get it so not tempted to spend on anything else, and get rid of the od completely so no temptation there either, then a great move.

Of course if you are tempted to keep either the card or the od "just in case" then it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

Only you know what you will be able to do, but in principle, a good idea.