Ridin' solo (with my ickle emo and cat for company)

donner_kebab

Hi everyone,

Well I am back again with a shiny new diary and one hell of a lightbulb moment to help get me back into the swing of things debtwise!

Bit of background...my names Donna, single mum to an amazing 14 year old teenager called Emily and I proud owner of what has to be the biggest cat in the world, a Maine Coon called Buzzby! I live in Bristol and work full time in IT and have approximately £13k of debt (which at the time was £20k plus!) left to pay from a rather awful previous relationship that ended 5 years ago whereas my ex went bankrupt and everyone started chasing me for the cash...won't be making that mistake ever again!

Well the last 5 years I have been in a relationship with a guy who I thought that I would marry and settle down with despite trying to keep my DD seperate and have the guy be nothing parenting wise so as to kinda still be a single mum but have a partner if you know what I mean? Hard to explain but not to worry as the other day he came home and explained that he didn't want to be with me and hasn't for a long time so we have gone our seperate ways and I am on my own for the first time ever as the 3 relationships I have had in the last 14 years have been over with one guy and then straight in with the next...but not anymore! Looking forward to being on my own and getting myself sorted and deffo not looking for anyone for a very very long time!

Now that I have got my head around the fact I am single, I want to focus on sorting this debt once and for all as now I am back to paying for everything single handed and as I am kinda sick of this situation now, I want to pay it all off and start enjoying my life as it should...plus I want me and Emily to have a lovely home that we can call our own.

So, had a long chat with Emily about the massive cutbacks I need to be making to get this debt down...that went well! She understands bless her and it is gonna be tough but soooo worth it.

I have took the following plan of action over the weekend and feel a heck of a lot happier now...

As stands I have 3 cards.

HSBC - at £8k maxed out
Virgin 1 - at £2800 with a £4k limit which I have requested an increase to £5500 for as they are prepared to offer me a Balance Transfer of 0% until August 2012 on them done by end of July this year
Virgin 2 - £2300 This is on my ex's card...long hoo haa where I thought I was getting 0% but it all went TU down to him forgetting he doesn't get statements and them revoking the 0% and charging standard interest as the first payment was a day late.

I have been accepted for an £8k loan which I was initially planning on paying the HSBC card with as the payments for 4 years is the same as what I am paying now payment wise. But now am gonna use the £8k to pay off both Virgin cards leaving nearly £3k to pay off of the £8k HSBC card. Resulting in a £5k credit card and £8k loan.

Then once balance on Virgin card is zero, transfer at least £4k to that and the remaining 1k if they accept my request to increase the limit which would make the one card 0% for over a year, giving me time to hammer at it big stylee.

Once done, I will work at saving to overpay the loan and close it early.

I want this debt sorted asap so it will be worth the sacrifice for a while whilst I try and pay it off.

Have started trying to flog bits to make a few quid. Have sold my guitar for £50 and have had a refund off of a canceled school trip and also canceled concert ticket so that totals £100 there for just those 2, making £150. Listed some concert tickets on ebay for a gig next week, have no bidders yet but 6 watches so praying for a bid very soon!

Have a few bits I wanna list soon so plan to do this over the next week or so. Car needs its MOT and a Service too so this will cost a bit, plus we have School Hols soon and Car Insurance as well so money is gonna be tight anyway.

I am feeling unbelievably focused now and it has hit me big time. I am in such a mess and need it sorted.

xxx

Emzilla

Hi Donna

Just wanted to wish you good luck. You sound very focused and determined!!

I'm off to subscribe

Emz xx

(by the way, Emily is a fabulous name! )

donner_kebab

Heya Emzilla! Never been so focused! The cack has well and truly hit the fan recently and I am not prepared to let it get me down. Gotta grab life by the horns and go for it and this debt is seriously stopping me from having a great time so it has to go and soon!

Yep I agree, Emily is a fab name! My dad chose it as I was so certain Emily was gonna be a boy! He said that hardly anyone has that name these days (back in 1996)...and then found out after being sat in new baby clinic with 6 other Emilys that it was the number 1 name of the year several years running!

I love your avatar...oooooh I do love cats!

Better get back to it now as lunchbreak is well and truly over but will pop on for an update later! Want to keep on updating each day, if only for a quick update, as need to keep this focus up! xxx

Emzilla

donner_kebab wrote: »

Heya Emzilla! Never been so focused! The cack has well and truly hit the fan recently and I am not prepared to let it get me down. Gotta grab life by the horns and go for it and this debt is seriously stopping me from having a great time so it has to go and soon!

Yep I agree, Emily is a fab name! My dad chose it as I was so certain Emily was gonna be a boy! He said that hardly anyone has that name these days (back in 1996)...and then found out after being sat in new baby clinic with 6 other Emilys that it was the number 1 name of the year several years running!

I love your avatar...oooooh I do love cats!

Better get back to it now as lunchbreak is well and truly over but will pop on for an update later! Want to keep on updating each day, if only for a quick update, as need to keep this focus up! xxx

Your dad chose well . It wasn't a popular name back in 1981, seemed to get more popular when I hit my teens. I think there was only 1 other Emily in my whole school. My late dad named me after a Pink Floyd song .

Emz xx

donner_kebab

I was born in 79 and I only ever knew of one Emily in the whole town! Mmmmm 'Watch Emily play'...same reason as to why my dad chose it too as he is a massive Pink Floyd fan and is one of his fav songs! How strange xxx

Emzilla

donner_kebab wrote: »

I was born in 79 and I only ever knew of one Emily in the whole town! Mmmmm 'Watch Emily play'...same reason as to why my dad chose it too as he is a massive Pink Floyd fan and is one of his fav songs! How strange xxx

Spooky!! Obviously kindred spirits. I'm blessed that I was a girl - he had Arnold in mind if I were a boy :eek:. Although I think my mum would have had something to say about that.

Emz xx

donner_kebab

Oooh not an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan too was he? Like mine (and me!) xxx

Emzilla

donner_kebab wrote: »

Oooh not an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan too was he? Like mine (and me!) xxx

No, more Pink Floyd references I'm afraid (he was obsessed). They did a song called Arnold Layne. He was determined that I would be named after a Pink Floyd song one way or another. The spooky thing is that my OH's surname is Arnold so if we ever get married, I will be called Emily Arnold.

Emz xx

donner_kebab

Haven't heard of that one! And as for the surname thingy that is spooky!

I like you signature about the moon...so true! And the bed target is an idea I may pinch if that's ok as I really need a new bed (frame only) so might be best to start putting a little away each week to save up for one. I have been thinking I may start doing things on a weekly basis, so I can see the progress more each week as opposed to waiting for payday each month, help keep me motivated!

xxx

xxx

donner_kebab

Roll on 5pm as will be time to go home and me and Emily get off to Kickboxing class. Kickboxing is mine and Emily's passion and we have been attending quite a few classes together since my gym membership expired. One day I am hoping to get in the ring and have a go in a proper fight!

I am thinking though that these classes will have to be cut back on a bit really, until the card gets under control. I am running a Half Marathon in September so am thinking that we will cancel the class we go to on Saturdays as I need to be race training for the next few months and also, need to see if I need to cancel the techniques class I started recently, leaving the normal Monday and Wednesday classes. Sacrifices must be made but I refuse to give up on them completely as it is a great bonding thingy between me and Emily, plus keeps us fit, allows her to get rid of that pent up teenage agression and as I don't smoke, really drink or go out etc I think I need something to help keep me sane!

xxx

donner_kebab

Well back from Kickboxing and jeez and I a sweaty mess. I will sleep well tonight I can tell you!

A friend from class owed me a fiver as I ordered her something on ebay a while back. She paid it to me today so that will be going towards the cards...every little helps!

8 watchers on the gig tickets now but still no bidders. I really hope that the tickets get a few bids on them soon.

Have noticed that when I applied for the loan and went via Quidco, the money has not been tracked! Was worth £42.55 so I will be chasing that in the next day or so as could really do with that money!

xxx