"Simply not solvent!

mizmir

Seaxwyn wrote: »

Morning all. And what a rainy one.

I'm off to the Hoo Peninsula today (between the Thames and Medway estuaries in Kent). This is part of an effort to reinspire myself for work. I feel I've been just going through the motions recently, and want to get back to putting my heart into my work. Now I've got a commission to produce a leaflet on an environmental issue in that part of Kent, so I am going up there to get a sense of the place, meet a local photographer, get shown round by a RSPB warden, rather than sitting at my desk writing it all from research reports and Google.

This sounds fantastic - really good way to get that creativity going. Have a lovely time.

With my MSE friends making big plans, I feel ashamed of the way I drift through life, never thinking more than a month or two ahead. I'm going to have a proper think about my work and my personal aspirations, and see if I can see a way forward marrying what I want to do with my responsibilities to my family.

Go for it - and don't think that we don't drift a lot too. The reason I am putting stuff up on here is to try to shame myself into not drifting and just letting things go. I have realised I am a starter but not a finisher. I get bored very easily and give things up if I can't see progress - even if I really want what it is working towards. So I need all these lists and notes and challenges - and nagging! - to keep me going.

Back to mundane moneysaving: OH had to pass a Tesco's yesterday so I asked him to do a week's shop there, thinking it would be cheaper than our usual Sainsbury's. He was armed with vouchers and got 10% off, even so, he spent..... £189 :rotfl:

This did include birthday presents for DS (7 on Friday, bless) and lots of party food - far more than will be consumed by 12 kids - so we can live on twiglets and jam tarts for the rest of the week.

:rotfl::rotfl:Sorry - but I had to laugh at the twiglets and jam tarts. We had a Christmas party and OH did the shopping. We ended up living on party food for about a month afterwards and I think there are still twiglets in the cupboard somewhere (can't stand them!) :eek: I am definitely going to start shopping online again - and meal planning.

taxi73

Hi seaxwyn and all...wow ..with that spend I think you'll need to do the shopping online or do it yourself..could you maybe stretch the shopping with meal planning for a couple of weeks.As for drifting we all do that(I do anyway) because too many plans at once in my head end up confusing me....LOL.
Hope you found some nice inspiration from your meeting today it sounds like a lovely job.

taxi73

Are you ok Seaxwyn?....was just wondering as not seen you about xx

Seaxwyn

I'm OK thanks, Taxi.

We had a lovely long weekend away, staying at a friend's house at the seaside in Sussex. Two whole long days on the beach, and a lovely walk in an ancient yew forest n the Downs, it was really magical. And my friend has offered us the use of her house for two whole weeks in August. I am really so happy we will have a summer holiday for free. Well I'll give her something towards her bills but almost free.

Now back to reality and things are a bit tight here. OH has no work at all and I have not very much. We need to find more, there are leads we can follow so it's not entirely desperate.

But meanwhile, I am not at all sure whether to pay off his HSBC loan. It's at 12.7%, by far our highest debt. The sum to pay it off tomorrow would be £3275.26, and this would save us £800 over the life of the loan.

HOWEVER, I would need to get £300 out of my ISA to have enough to pay it off - even though I have already balance transfered £3650 from my Virgin CC for this purpose. And probably withdraw more from my ISA to live on.

So as you can see, we are living beyond our means at the moment. Maybe I should just keep the £3000 that's in my current account to live on until we find more work.

I don't know what to do. Advice welcome.

mizmir

Hi Seaxwyn

Tricky one as I guess it depends how likely those leads are? You need to live so I would definitely leave yourself enough for that. Could you perhaps pay half off the loan now and half next month? Or does it all have to go at once?

Your weekend sounds glorious!

Karmacat

Exactly what I was thinking.. thats a lot of money to save on the interest, and logically, you're getting less on the ISA money. Its all very well saying that, but when you don't have a regular wage coming in, thats a bit scary...

Sea78

A very difficult one Seax - I really don't know either - might the money just 'disappear' if you did keep hold of it? How long would it need to last you?

sea xxxx

Seaxwyn

We can't pay half - it's all or nothing. The sensible part of me says don't pay it off yet.... but another part of me says pay it and be damned. As otherwise I've just increased my debt by £3650 and I can't stand that!

mizmir

Do you have more in your ISA to tide you over in case it takes a while to get income? If so pay it off and use the ISA as your back up fund just in case. If not - how easily can you get cheap credit if you need it? Again I think the question I would want to answer is do I have somewhere I can get money (even temporarily) if I don't get immediate income?

Good luck! Can understand you wanting to pay the loan off and if it has to be all or nothing I would tend towards all!

hypno06

If you do pay it off......you must make sure that you do not leave yourself short, so you HAVE to go out and get other work between you.

It could be that this potential shortage acts as a motivator to get work in, but it could also be that it just gives you stress.

Which one, will depend on how you feel at this point in time, and only you know that.