Debs' debt-free dreams

mrsmoneybee

Woo hoo, NSD! I'm enjoying this, I've made lunch every day this week, who knew I could find the time?!

Trying to think of the upsides of T being away all week, we spend less as he has his meals covered and he's getting overtime. Don't like it though, especially when the electric tripped and I spent 10 minutes knelt on the utility room floor looking at it before flicking the breaker with a wooden spoon. Seriously contemplated phoning an electrician, I think I need some lessons when he's home!

Hovel_lady

Yay for a NSD :j
I have done exactly the same when our electric tripped.
It just seems a little scary :rotfl:

Lemon_Tree

hi and welcome to the boards. Well done for finding out exactly what you owe, it's always best to lay it out on the table in one hit then nothing will come back and bite you just when you think you've got it sorted. As to the ex company's overpayment of wages, i'd write to them an explain that as it was their error and as you need to live you're prepared to repay the money at a reasonable rate ie over 3 - 4 payments, that way you get to put extra against a debt which will be costing you interest. It's not much but it will all help.
I'm only on the bottom of page one so sorry if you've already paid it back.
oh and the biggest congratulations to your little one for being nappy free, that will save you tonnes of money.

just at the bottom of page 2, hopefully to give you a little confidence that you can achieve debt freedom have a look at my signature, and please don't think i'm being the big i am. that's totally the opposite of who i am, but i never ever thought i'd get on top of my debts and i still remember posting on here the first month i lived within my means without resorting to credit cards etc.
one of the biggest things i sussed out was that i needed a realistic budget, one that told the truth not just the edited 'truth' that you tell your mum or bank manager. That and i started saving for the annual things that i either paid an insurance company 10% to have the priviledge of paying monthly for or that i previously bunged on the CC.

Sorry for the essay. i'm gonna subscribe if you don't mind or think i'm too boring.

mrsmoneybee

Um, should I confess that my hubby is an electrician? In my defence, I don't touch the electrics as he does it, hence the stupidity! :embarassed:

I would fight T's old company but to be honest, they're such incompetent people I'd rather see the back of them. He's finally happy in his work and I don't want anything from those muppets hanging over him (that coupled with the fact that he wouldn't flipping tell me if they wrote to him, he's worse than me with money)!!!

LemonTree, if you can cope with my inane ramblings about my 3 smelly boys and me getting my head round finally living within my means (and bullying the hubby into joining in), please do follow it all! I've seen your signature, that is EXACTLY the kind of inspiration I need! Until a week ago when MoneyMax convinced me to pull my head out of the sand I was waking up in a panic about my debts at 2/3am and not getting back to sleep. Despite the nonsense just this week as chucked at me I feel a sudden calm, and almost excitement that I can at least stop getting into more debt, even if I don't achieve much in paying off the one I have already. All tips and pointers will be gratefully received (ok, I will beg - but not steal or borrow ).

mrsmoneybee

Well it's T's payday today so time to sort some of the money out. Bit cross they've not paid the £800 expenses or his overtime yet but at least I can Santander cc off my back. Going to ring Natwest at lunch about moving the o/d to them. Fingers crossed!

mrsmoneybee

Well the Natwest say no the o/d or a balance transfer to a cc with them. That was a 2 minute waste of a credit search. Oh well, at least I know now not to bother applying for anything else and just concentrate on dealing with the hand I have. Had no joy sorting Santander out as the staff are 2 GCSEs short of a pair. I'm actually going to have to go into a branch just to make a payment as they won't do it over the phone! Sooner I'm rid of that card the better. :mad::mad::mad:

What's anyone's opinion on getting your credit file? I really don't want to see my previous misdemeanours in black and white tbh.:o

Lemon_Tree

hello, first off you can and will get controll, you're making great steps at the moment.

Re the credit file, i'm of the opinion that the more information you have the better you're armed in this fight. That and you've hit yourself with the full extend of the debt so another piece of 'badish' news won't kill you and gets it over and done with.
Use one of the cash back sites, i use quidco but there are others and you will even get paid to get the information for free. You do have to watch that you cancel the subscription before you start getting charged. I've just checked mine for a month and have been paid £20 between two credit agencies for doing it, and they've paid pretty quickly which is even better.
The first time i checked my report it felt like horrendous reading, but i'm glad i did as one loan was on the list twice due to an error with the loan company so that would have made things even worse if someone had seen that.

Good luck with the banks, although i've not really had many issues personally with banks i don't hold opinion of them through my involvement with work and also the aguements/ conversations i've had to have with them occassionally. Just keep at it, as long as you stay polite they have to keep dealing with you.

mrsmoneybee

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

Re the credit file, i'm of the opinion that the more information you have the better you're armed in this fight. That and you've hit yourself with the full extend of the debt so another piece of 'badish' news won't kill you and gets it over and done with.
Use one of the cash back sites, i use quidco but there are others and you will even get paid to get the information for free.

Thanks, I think I'll make that Monday's job, I'm looking forward to hubby coming home tomorrow and am just going to enjoy the weekend first (as no doubt it'll cause some friction when we get it as we'll both be cross with ourselves). Might as well get paid for doing it though so will go through one of the cashback sites as suggested.

Well yesterday was spends free again, I'm amazed how well I did all week. I've treated myself to lunch today (£3.40) for being a good girl all week and will have to get petrol on the way home, but unless I do the big shop tonight (necessary evil) then I've had a really good week.

Tomorrow I'll go give Santander some money, ooh, I almost forgot, they wrote again with a new higher credit limit as 'due to activity on the account they've been unable to apply the lower limit'. Really bright these people aren't they? Well, they can still have the money I'd planned to pay as it's a chunk off it all the same.

Happy Firday everyone :beer:

mrsmoneybee

Firday... kinda like Friday when you woke at 4am convinced there was someone in the house! Doh!

£24 on petrol, bread and milk tonight but all in a good week. Paid for the hotel for next month's wedding, rate was £20 less than last week when I couldn't afford it and cashback was doubled till midnight. Will really be in the money if T's company do pay for it, profit on a night away that'll be! 2nd mystery shop tomorrow, that and my quidc* are going to tackle Santander. Off to watch Alan Titchmarsh without the hubby turning over! Have a good weekend all!

Itsadogslife_2

I have to say OH has a 0% balance transfer rate with Santander but so far they have been so pants. He set up to pay minimum DD per month. They phoned him to say he had missed a payment, he told them he had set it up and they said they didn't have his details. They wanted to take a payment off his card there and then. When the next statement came, he phoned to set it up on DD and they said it would take 21 days and therefore he needed to make a payment, but they can't possibly take card details over the phone???

They don't actually want us to pay anything off I am sure!:mad: