GTD's DFW Diary - Getting Closer to 40...

hypno06

Pay your council tax NOW!!!! They are one of the few you DON'T want to get behind in!

(sorry, bossy bit over)

Hope you are having a good weekend

Karmacat

Italy sounds *wonderful*, sigh ....

Yes, the spreadbetting is going well - I seem to have conquered the fear, now its the focus, i.e waiting for my signal setup to happen.

GettingThingsDone

Council tax has been paid, it's the gas and electric bills I'm expecting next...

I received some credit card cheques for my old MBNA card (account closed) so I wonder what would happen if I spent them?? Don't worry - I won't because I've already shredded them.

Doing OK so far - apart from being a bit late (over a month!) with the council tax, I've managed to keep out of debt.

I remembered to move my £109 from savings into my current account so that the sofa gets paid but I'm beginning to wonder whether it's worth 'stoozing' ~£800. Should I just write them a cheque and be done with it. I think I'll wait and see how much interest I get and decide from there.

Still waiting for the little one to arrive - I have a feeling it will be the weekend.

hypno06

Write the cheque and be done with it! Savings rates are so low you are not gaining much, so take the "risk of forgetting" out of the equation and get rid!

I hope the weekend brings you all you hope for Good luck to you both xx

GettingThingsDone

I think you're right (as ever!) - I will get the paperwork out tonight and get the cheque in the post.

Thank you hypno! I'll post up some pics if anything happens...

Karmacat

Yep, I'm with hypno on this one - if you were late with the council tax, you might do the same with the loan, and the potential interest payment just isn't worth the tuppence you'll be getting on the money you've put aside.

Woohoo - not just technically debt free, but *really* debt free!

GettingThingsDone

OK - thanks KC - I'm going to do it. I would do it right now, but MIL is in sleeping in room with chequebook; I'll get all the other details so I'm ready.

Just checked the savings account and it has the correct amount in as December's amount has already been transferred... Here goes... And then, as you say KC, I'll be *really* debt free and I'll feel better about posting on the roll of honour

I don't know why, but I kind of assumed that I'd have a load of spare cash now, but it doesn't seem to be the case. I've done a rough SOA based on my known outgoings (of which there aren't many) so the only culprit left is the food shopping. Time for a shopping budget maybe - not sure the DF will be up for that

Anyway - have a good day all... it's very nearly the weekend.

Burlesque_Babe

awwwwwww, my first thread of the day, seeing you were the last to post- I thought -baby news!!!!!

When is baby due to make an appearance?

hypno06

GTD, you say that you don't notice the effect that being debt free "should" have......ie you thought you would be having loads of cash available now.

This is the danger zone **flashing lights and woo woo warning noises** and is probably the reason you got into debt in the first place.....

So you need to sit down and do a realistic SOA, including things like baby costs, child benefit etc, and do proper budgets again, before get even a hint of complacency about you regarding your finances.

Make sure that everything that can be on a direct debit, is on a direct debit, so no chance of forgetting, getting late fees etc, set up a standing order to savings or whatever, so that you don't turn around in 6 or 12 months time and wonder why you haven't managed to save anything.....blah blah blah.

Lecture over

(for the time being, at least!)

GettingThingsDone

Hi Burlesque babe -

When is baby due to make an appearance?

That's what I'd like to know too! Anytime soon I hope. Sunday morning would be nice...

Hypno - keep the lectures coming! I've recalculated and things are better than I thought earlier on - I'd forgotten that I had some money due on expenses and that explains the gap. phew.

I'm more comfortable with direct debits now that 'faster payments' exist - my problem in the past was that I'd get hit with charges before the money took its 3 days to transfer.

I haven't got a clue what my new SOA is going to be so I'll have to get a feel for things as we go along (time to do some more research).

Anyway - time for work...