Maz's debt free madness!From one extreme to another!

mazy_m

Ohhh so since I last posted i've been very good in my attempts to not buy anything that's not needed so far the only money i've spent was £6.85 in nandos on Tuesday!! This was a treat in the truest sense!! I was so proud I walked all the way to the hospital.....then to town from hospital then all the way back home....I resisted shopping in town even though my friend was talking things back to many shops!! ekkkk....so we stopped for a well deserved munch in nandos...However when I think back to what I would have spent if I hadn't walked I've nearly saved what I spent!! The car park is £4.00 at the hospital just extortinate!! then the car park in town would have cost around £2.00 as we were there a while I had to talk to Natwest who accidentaly hasn't sent in my PPI claim for 9 days....then I complained as it wasn't showing on the system when I rang up...talking of which i'm meant to hear from the branch manager today...hmm gone 5 not looking very likely now really!! Anyhoo so I'm guessing I would have spent at least 95p on petrol probably a bit more as it was just under 9 miles we ended up walking..good for someone who doesn't walk at all....I've decided now i'm going to walk to work! it's not far at all..should then halve my petrol bill for the month and keep me active!! just need to do a practice walk to see how long it takes so I can get up in time....

I'm so proud this is all i've spend that's out of budget but even then it was on food so I don't feel that guilty...although looking at my grocery spend for the month is £62/£100 and it's only the 3rd of the month....ekkk will have to curb my hunger for the rest of the month and make some very cheap meals with what we have in the house...although saying that this does include two presents (cheap but still great presents!!) and loads of juice I seemed to have brought so much stuff to drink...not alcohol though!! ha ha....so £40.79 spent yesterday ekkk that's the most i've seen spent on groceries in ages....ekkkk but like I said probably won't need to buy anything drink wise until the end of the month ha ha!! Might have to get some more of the bottlegreens for a squid thought that's a great saving....
So plan for tonight is to go the cinema...again free as i'm bringing my own ice cream...he he and we have a cineworld card.....possibly go to the gym before or after again free....
Tomo will see aquafit in the morning...then i'm helping my friend set up for her Jamie at home party for GOSH....only £427 left til she hits 10,000 now....I've told her I can't afford to buy anything it's pretty expensive (but I guess it is good quality!!) hence why i'm helping her sort it out etc....so should be another no spend weekend!! then i've got the budget set for the trip to Manchester and Liverpool the weekend after...now we have three people coming the petrol can be split three ways so that's an even better saving....however may get spend on alcohol instead of put back into the pot!! he he!!!

So plan for the rest of the month

1) Don't purchase anything at the Jamie at home party.
2) Pester Natwest about my PPI every week if need be!
3)Don't spend over £100 budget for trip next weekend
4) Don't spend over £50 budget for cocktails class and night out (class paid for bargain at £21 from Groupon, was meant to be getting £21 back for the additional ticket I brought but my sis is skint and needs a good day/night out so asked mum to lend her a bit to get a drink or two and her travelcard for the day.
5) Pay off the interest so I can close Sainsburys CC finally.
6)Have at least 8 NSDs.
7) Lost at least 8lbs.
8)Keep to my grocery budget! only £38 left although OH has £82.50 left.
9) Try not to let more than £100-50 go onto the CC ( I know it may be more though as this month had the two trips!!)

I can do all this just have to put my mind to it!! I've been able to just let the DD and SO come out of my account and it's such a good feeling seeing the balance (albeit a minus one right now) stay the same for a day or two!!

Maz xxx

mazy_m

Just a quick update....as it will be another huge essay if not....well managed to get most of my goals completed....have stuck to the budgets so well that I still have £30 left in my account and that is with lending some to the OH as he was in his OD...ekkk...

The only one I didn't really stick to is the CC one ekkkk...but it was for a good cause have another two mini breaks booked wooo....so had to buy some coach and train tickets for me and my friend but when she pays her share back it will go straight onto the card to pay that bit off!! wooo woo!!! oh and LA also gave me £40 as a goodwill gesture cos my card kept getting declined when my balance was just £4.99 on it with £495 available!! so that was a lovely surprise!!...

Also had a great few nights and days out and all within the budget and we even got to spash out on a few takeaways as we sold some stuff at a car boot!! didn't make a great amount of money but still a decent amount so all good!!

So on track for this month that's coming up.....

First things first ...have to pay off that sainsburys as have finally had the final int payment through all £3.96 of it lol!!! so that'll be gone just as soon as i've stopped typing!!

Then tomorrow i'm paying off the rest of my laptop and setting everything aside for the budget for the month!! for the first week or two if we can we're going to try not to do any food shopping just a little top up here and there...that's one of the things we've found hardest that and not being able to say no to the pub when mates come round and it's a friday night...also had a lot of unexpected prescriptions grrr damn being sick!!! ridiculous it's £7.20 per item!!

So this month is another crazy month...ekk and most of it will have to be paid with this wage... this weekend we're off to Wales to see my OH mates baby!! only a week old bless!! then have a little trip to manchester and blackpool for friends bdays in fancy dress ekk more expense..then it's my mums bday....then the end of term staff day night....he he...then a lovely trip to Amsterdam wooo wooo...then my bros bday....so a lot planned for this month ....however going to try and get some paid work over the summer to pay for some of this as I know the going out and entertainment budget will be blown...plus need some new clothes...only a few pieces to mix...my washing machine went nuts and ate some of my clothes lol...oh that was another added expense having to take it to the laundrette...that ate loads of budget tooo...ekkk so a good month despite the extras and I've a feeling next month will be great too !!!

Woooo Xxx

mazy_m

Ohhh payday today!!!

So I need to update my debt status...woo it's such a good feeling.....

It now stands at:So Debts as of today 27/05/11 Settlement agreement amount from car £3457 (not that I can afford that right now) but this is what's effectively left including the interest.
CC 1 @ 24.9% (Ekk) Racked up £187 on this last month!! Ekk I know I know...but paid it off today but then had to get petrol on it so stands at £21.09
CC2 @ 15.9% £0.00000 ALL PAID OFF last payment of £3.93 paid today!!
CC3 @ 0% (June 12) £1025
Grad Loan @ 8.5%(approx) £924.24 (waiting for around £600 PPI back for this!!)
Overdraft @ 16.5% £2,0000
Laptop @0% £0.00 ALL PAID OFF WOOOOOOO Last payment of £661.50 paid today!!!

So debts paid off to date!!!

Very
Littlewoods
Dorothy Perkins
Natwest CC
Sainsburys CC
Laura Ashley CC
Laptop

7 down ......4 to go..... Yeah baby yeah!!! I'm getting there....Just need to get that Overdraft down to a big fat ZERO now so I can pay off my car then start paying the OD off again!!

Maz x

atush

Congrats on paying down your debt.

Still being a bit 'flighty' with your short breaks and treats (you can't afford to treat your sis til you are out of debt!) but you are getting there. So well done and you are a great example to others about A- not overspending when you can't afford it in the first place and B- if you do, you can dig yourself out with the right attitude and some hard work!

But if I had a penny for each girl on these boards who is in debt yet still lends to their male OH, I'd be able to pay off my mtg!!!!

There are a lot of girls out there being taken advantage of. Your OH doesn't seem so bad (but really should not borrow frm you as he knows you are in debt). But read some of the others where partners are refusing to pay their share of bills, things for children etc and spend it all on drinking and fruit machines and lads mags etc. One girl's OH left ther and she was dealing with baliffs on his debt (not hers) while he was flying to spain and eslwhere on hols! Another was paying his ex's mtg and wouldn't give her money for their joint flat! yikes, it is a hard old world out there.

So keep on trying, and digging yourself out of that hole. Well done! And next time the OH wants a loan, give him a copy of your SOA lol.

RAS

mazy_m wrote: »

.
CC 1 @ 24.9% (Ekk) Racked up £187 on this last month!! Ekk I know I know...but paid it off today but then had to get petrol on it so stands at £21.09 - please stop using this card and close the account - you have cheaper credit
CC2 @ 15.9% £0.00000 ALL PAID OFF last payment of £3.93 paid today!! - not a good idea when you have debt at 24.9% above - use this card for anything else you need to buy.
CC3 @ 0% (June 12) £1025 - let it take the strain at the moment
Grad Loan @ 8.5%(approx) £924.24 (waiting for around £600 PPI back for this!!)
Overdraft @ 16.5% £2,0000 - you would actually be fractionally better off loading some of this onto the 15.9% card

Some ideas above.

Phelpsie001

Really enjoying this diary!! It's great to see someone managing their debts but still having fun!!

mazy_m

Phelpsie001 wrote: »

Really enjoying this diary!! It's great to see someone managing their debts but still having fun!!

Aww thanks that's nice to know someone is reading...lol I thought I was all on my lonesome there!! he he!!

x

mazy_m

sorry only saw the last response thanks Ras and Atush for the ideas!! ha ha thanks for that about my OH he's ok actually he just need a kick up the bum sometimes and usually I just have to dig him out a big when he meets his mates ...which he doesn't get to do that often as he moved with me to London where he didn't know anyone!! : ( so I don't mind when it's for that I just need to try and educate him a little on everything and actually i've put a grand off my debt onto one of his credit cards that's 0% and am going to start paying him over the next ten months from next month!!

That's horrible to hear about some girls being taken for a ride especially when they have kids!! I can't (well actually I can and that's a sadder thought!) believe that people could do that to their own kids!! I've always said to myself that I won't have kids until I can afford them completely on my own as I don't want to have to depend on anyone else....but I think that's quite a sad thought too and the dad should be there wanting to support their child and go without for them!!

I know i'm naughty with all the trips etc...but I've literally done nothing over the winter...I think I went through a bit of a depression thing where I couldn't leave the house sometimes...I could only leave to go to work (go figure that!! lol!!) but now that i'm feeling I can it's best that I do it or i'll sink into a slump again where I won't do anything..so I know it doesn't make the most financial sense but i'd rather it take a month or two longer and be happy!

Ras I know it's silly using this card...but the other ones are all closed now...the 0% one is a card of my OH.....I tried to get a Tesco one to use and pay off at the end of every month to get more clubcard points but they rejected me due to a "notice of correction" on my account that wasn't supposed to be there (i've since heard from Experian? I think that it has been taken off)....so i'm waiting to apply for another card.....In a couple of months I think that will be off and all the other stuff will be off!! wooo!!! I had to close those lower ones to keep paying them off at those lower ones as they sent me a letter saying they'd increased it to about 20% something... I think something like 21.9 or 22 something I can't quite remember so I would have been paying off the whole amount at a higher interest... I am literally going to only put petrol and some of the food budget on it every month and pay it off in full before it generates any interest as I see exactly what you mean!!!

Thanks again for all your replies it really is so nice to see there's so many friendly people out there willing to given some advice!! Thank : ) Maz x

mazy_m

Just found this while checking through my threads!! ekkkkk!! completely forgot about it....

Well since I last posted i've not been terrible i've lived reasonably well.....gone out at times.......gone on a holiday...some weekends away and days out....brought some clothes n bits (not been on crazy sprees tho!!) brought a sofa....redecorated the living room, garden and bedroom to an extent......and held a few bbqs!!! Oh and brought a bed!! but that's on 0% from dreams in my OHs name! But Still managed to get my debt down a reasonable amount.

Although I don't go out as much as I want and did a few years ago I don't believe in not living my life at all! just being reasonable and realistic about things..oh and groupon/kgb are great in helping us do things at a fraction of the price!! so my debt now stands at....

£1250- Natwest 0% (July 2012)
£1950- Overdraft 0% (Oct 2012)
£1500-Barclaycard 0% (March 2013)
£540 left on Bed Dreams 0% (July 2013)
THis is a total of £5240...

So not bad all in all ALL Of my debt is at 0% so not a penny interest is being paid or has been paid in months!

My debt free day should be around the end of October 2012 .....depending on how much of a life I want over the summer and over the bank holidays!! lol!! oh and of course over October half term!!

I'm really happy that i'm getting out of debt while still living life and having fun!! it makes it even better knowing i'm getting great deals and not throwing money away and I aim to save roughly the same as i've been paying for debts once I'm debtfree!! yay!!

It's so exciting thinking it's this year i'll be debtfree...
So to everyone out there that's on the same journey whether you've been doing it a while or you've just started keep at it there's so many amazing stories on this site and people (most) are so helpful on here and inspirational!!

Mwah Maz x

mazy_m

Oh my god i'm terrible at keeping a diary!!!

Well that October date has been a gone but I did have a pretty cool summer holiday that had to be added onto it...then straight after this I had unforseen issues with my car that ended up costing nearly two months of debt repayments!!

Yes i've been naughty (although I do work damn hard lol) and been on a few weekends and breaks etc....but I balance this out with not going out out and wasting money on alcohol every week like I used to and we're a lot more frugal with meals.... I was also really naughty in the summer and went on a crazy shopping spree it was as if all my excess shopping energy for the last year flew through me and I couldn't stop!! But I felt so guilty afterwards to the point that I know i'll never do this again and i've brought no clothing since apart from a couple of workwear items!!

After the summer hols, the october hols and the car issues I realised my new Debt free day was to be in March 2013 in time for my OHs bday!

We even went away to a beautiful cottage for NYE with loads of friends and had a great Christmas and with all this i've still overpaid and managed to bring the date back down to the end of this month so January 2013 a lovely way to start the new year!

My debt will be at £0 on the day I get paid!! i'm so excited I can't wait!!! Just have to get through this month without spending anything!! ekkk!! Although apart from Petrol I've not spent a penny so far this month and should hopefully not have to spend much if anything!! ekkk!!!

Maz xx