Striking a balance between paying off CC's and also paying for inevitable things.

Hockeynut

I hope this is the right forum section for this.

My OH and I both have CC debt. And while we both earn alright and are slowly paying them off, and will probably have done so by about 12 month's time. We are fortunate to be nowhere near as bad as many stories we read.

But given the current less than certain times, I would rather have no debt (wouldn't everyone always anyway!), as I wouldn't want to be caught out being made redundant and no way to pay off our debt, I think that's what makes me most uncomfortable at the moment.

But I sometimes struggle more with some other aspects in my semi-moral mind.....

I feel I want every spare penny to go towards paying off the CC debt asap, but at the same time, I know there are things for example that need doing on the house. Things that I know will need doing now, and will still need doing/buying in 1 year's time when we've paid off debt.

So I find myself thinking, well we need it doing asap really, but I definitely think they aren't 'essential' things, more like 'inevitable' things!

Like the fireplace I purchased before the VAT increase, which we've being putting off paying a tradesman to fit as it'll cost £300 or so.

Or the proper back garden gate with lock that we really need since we got a dog, to save our carpets being destroyed this winter by traipsing through the front door and the house. Again no doubt another couple of hundred quid.

I find myself stacking those things like these forward as inevitable, and thus don't pay as much off the CC that month.

Do you also find yourself in similar quandaries? Am I being stupid?

Advice appreciated.

Kei

Hiya, no you are not alone, but the key is not to add to the debt with these things. If they are essentials, then you will have to pay for them to be done sometime anyway, whether this is now of after you have paid off the debt (unless you know someone in the trade and you can swap favours with them?)

So my advice is to budget for both, but be proud that rather than adding to your debt by whacking the bill on the CC, you have saved the money to pay the bill off in full, or even in cash, at the time.

It will also be another weight off your mind - otherwise who knows where your dog could escape and end up!

elaine12022

I completely understand where you're coming from, as do many others I'm sure.

Kei is absolutely right, it's an achievement to pay for things without adding to the debt burden, plus you'll have the relief of having those jobs done. The gate definitely sounds like a priority!

mrsb83_2

Sounds to me like you need a 'home maintenance' allowance in your budget. Mine varies from month to month but is usually between £60-150. Over the year that allows me to buy things like dog beds, a new washing machine, to thriftily redecorate a couple of rooms and pay for other things which whilst inevitable are not easy to specify in a budget.

It costs money to keep a house maintained, run a household and preserve the value of a property. No point not including those sums in a budget.