Story of one man's LONG road to financial recovery

turbo.jet

...and I can't wait to update it! I'm debating whether to go ahead and stop my Barclaycard repayment direct debit and set it up to go to my savings instead. Trying to hold off because it will be more exciting to do it at the same time as I go into internet banking to send the final lump sum over to Barclaycard. How sad am I!

I'll hold off. I don't want to jynx it. I still can't believe its happened and I probably only will when I see it land in my bank account.

I've just sent off the offer acceptance letter, sprung for next day recorded which was a bit extravagant, but I don't want to have it all go t.u. because of something stupid like it getting lost in the post. It'll be worth it when it gets paid. (I know I've told you all this already. Saying it again for other readers. Should have saved it for my own blog! )

turbo.jet

Feeling very productive and in control of my life tonight.

Apart from sending off the PPI offer acceptance today, I've just sorted through all my paperwork and created a massive pile of !!!! I don't need to feed in to the shredder at work tomorrow. Getting rid of any documents over 6 years old relating to old flats I've lived in, old credit cards long since closed etc. Then I sorted everything that was left all out in suspension files and labelled each file.

I still need to go through my room from top to bottom and create a pile for eBay/car boot. I have a laptop that I need to format and do a clean install of the operating system so I can sell it. Dreading that. I can do it in my sleep but its so boring, and as I do it for a job its the last thing I want to do when I get home. I need to think of the money!

I didn't go to the gym tonight so am a bit disappointed with myself for that. My muscles are still aching from my return to the gym two nights ago, and I can't go for very long on the treadmill at the moment because I'm smoking so much, so I knew it'd be a rubbish work-out. The real reason I didn't go though was I just have no will power and self discipline when it comes to exercise.

Have started on Champix again though, so will be off the cigs soon. I hope I can stay off them this time. It'd be so much easier if my OH didn't smoke. Once I ditch those I'll be able to get serious on the treadmill and weights and shift my muffin top - just in time for winter and Christmas face-stuffing hehe

Had a voucher for a free sunbed which I used too so that was a win! Always feel better with a nice tan. :cool::cool:

turbo.jet

I'm a bit bummed today. Its been an expensive month since payday (I get paid on the 21st) already and by the time payday comes I am going to have to have found some extra somewhere to get by. Either a) my Christmas/Australia fund or b) credit card.

Obviously I really don't want to opt for the credit card option. I've learned my lessons and don't ever want to use them again. The only reason I may consider it is that I will be able to pay it back in full as soon as this PPI claim comes through. I rang the bank this morning and they said they take 15 to 20 days to pay it back after receiving my signed offer acceptance (I assume these are working days, so nearly a month). This was last Friday so it looks like I won't get it until next payday, meaning another debt repayment is going to have to come out and another month of having nothing. AAARGH.

It occurs to me that if it weren't for the delightful bank, in whom I entrust all my hard earned money, conning me over this whole PPI thing, I'd have been debt free years ago. They've caused me years of sleepless nights and stress and now that they have taken their 4 months to uphold my complaint, they want to take another month to pay it. Surely now the investigation has taken place the rest could be done by a data entry clerk. Transfer £7K from your massive PPI Reclaim pot we all know you have into my account. Now. Just do it. AAAAARGH.

I'm just venting it'll be OK.

I'll probably make up the shortfall from my Christmas/Australia fund, but this is in an ISA so I want to be very careful about the impact of making withdrawals.

As soon as this PPI money comes in, then I get paid I'll be OK. Its just a loooooooooooong wait!

On the positive side, I've started taking Champix, which is a stop smoking drug. My quit day is next week and from payday I shall be putting the amount of money I was spending on cigs into my savings.

Also, I saw my family in Wales on the weekend and my Aunt gave me an old fashioned phone to eBay for her, said we can split the profits. I don't hold out much hope it will fetch much, but might kickstart me into action to sell other stuff.

Baking the shepherd's pie I made last week tonight to bring into work over the next three days. This should save me some money.

Still haven't had an invoice for the lost keys the other week. They reckon 300 Euros but I'm desperately hoping they will be kind. <crossed fingers, toes & everything else>

LondonGirl252

Hey,

So frustrating they're dragging their feet over paying you - how very typical of banks! Just remember it is coming and when you see your bank balance soar it will be a great feeling!

Good luck on the smoking! Will be easier now you have less debt stress I'm sure!

EEK fingers crossed they dont charge you that much or, even better! Forget completely!

turbo.jet

RESULT! A mate at work gets invited to do market research every now and again. In return, they give him a 'gift' (they can't pay him for tax reasons). I'm going along with him this Friday, £10 for 15 minute survey, and his contact now has my number so will hopefully keep me in mind for future surveys

turbo.jet

Ooh I have 2 stars under my name now wonder when that happened!

debtfreewannabe321

well done on the 2nd star

And I hope they don't take too long paying out for you. So frustrating when you know you can pay it all off but have to rely on someone for it all to happen!

dfw

turbo.jet

Thanks DFW, I think deep down I'm being a little bit impatient, but I also think I've been patient enough since my LBM

Well I'm getting more involved in the forums now, just officially joined my first challenge - the sealed pot challenge. I live above a pound shop and they have those big money tins that you can't open. So I got one (I know, more money spent, but will be worth it in the long run!).

I've put the contents of my old coin jar into it to hit the ground running. I loved my old jar because it counted the money you had in it and displayed the amount on the lid (a Christmas stocking gift from my OH), and I do love my gadgetry, however being see through and knowing how much was in it meant I dipped into it all the time.

debtfreewannabe321

Oh wow now if i lived above a pound shop i would constantly be broke! My dh says that I am the only person he knows that goes in to spend £1 and always comes out with £20 worth of 'tat' but i love that shop, i really do

i also had one of those money tins from there, covered it in brown paper and made some pretty pictures with the kids on it and then saved our holiday money in it for a few months, we had £130+ when it was opened (which was a nightmare to do by the way, had to get dh's swiss army knife to it :rotfl:)

dfw

turbo.jet

I manage to restrain myself, but it is massively handy when I need something that would cost a lot more in a normal shop. It literally sells EVERYTHING!

I reckon a can opener would do the trick Luckily my bank branch has one of those coinstar machines where you just pour it in and it counts it for you and deposits it straight in your bank (without taking a cut like the ones in the supermarkets do)