SOA-Help needed!!

CMorena

Its good to get all this advice and to face up to the problem and to take a look at where you can make things better.
I now jist feel totally overwhelmed and engulfed by all these things i need to do, feeling a bit lost
thanks for your help people

fallenwiccan

we have both nectar and tesco cards, my mam (im 20 on thursday a student but still at home) managed to get tesco car insurance and this gave clubcard points sainsbury's probably do the same.

also i love my boots advantage card even if you dont use it very often there are lots of offers that work with 3 for 2s and things to help build up and it can pay for christmas or birthday gifts.

i've just recently signed up for quidco as well so its good to see what offers for cash back are like on there, tesco do online shopping which you can get your clubcard points on and cashback, that might be worth trying!

CMorena

Hiya
I love Boots advantage card too, I used to spend enough in there!
thanks for your help

Bunnylady

Hi

I know it can be a bit overwhelming. What i would do is go through all the posts and write a list of all the suggestions that are possibilities and then pick one thing you can do now - e.g. make up a spending diary and then either pick another one or aim to pick one or two things a day.

I know you feel that you don't have much and so you deserve things and that you have cut down - you need to work out what is most important to you - is it having nice things or being out of debt? I would love to go to the hairdressers regularly but we just don't have the money so i wear my hair long, dye it at home and visit the hairdresser once or twice a year for a trim - am actually thinking this time I might just get my mum to do it.

Just keep at it - often a nights sleep will leave you able to look at things differently.

Regarding the gym - and it being unsafe to run where you are - if you go with OH then it would be safer and you could always drive to a nicer area?

Bunnylady x

CMorena

Hiya,
thanks for that, I do feel overwhelmed (and stupid that am in this position) and there are so many of these great suggestions that I want to implement and i know would help me get out of debt.And yes, you are right I want to be out of debt more than anything so I do have to cut back on things.
I think the gym will have to go (have to give 3 months notice) am gutted about this though because have never ever been fit and committed myself to this last year and determined to stick to it and find classes and gym v motivating.
I set myself target to do a local 10k run and am in training to do so. Running with OH good idea, its just finding the time for us both to do it.heyho.
thanks for your support,its great that there are people out there with great advice and support,ta

Haughley_Harridan

Hi

I, too, am a newbie on the site. I have been listening to ML on the Jeremy Vine show for a while now and my OH has joined in enthusiastically. My lightbulb moment was in August, when I seriously considered going bankrupt as I could not see a light at the end of the tunnel. This would also involve my business going down as well.

I gave up haircuts every six weeks (have a really good haircut twice a year now), holidays, going out, agreed with all my family that we only do children for Christmas and birthdays and the limit is £20, moved to own brand cosmetics (just as good and a lot cheaper), shop everyday for what we do need, not fill my trolley with what I think we need, agreed with OH that no presents to each other for Christmas, but put money instead to paying off CC debts and sorting it out, switching cc to 0% balance transfers, turning off lights, TVs etc, selling stuff on E-Bay, car boot sales, etc, no new clothes (the old ones fit and who am I trying to impress?).

We have reduced our debt from £42,500 in July to £33,900 in six months. Gave myself a pat on the back this morning but back to the grindstone now.

However, I am not one of those people who respond well to plans and other people telling me what to do and I have never been on a diet in my life. You have to dig deep to do this but it is not forever. Once you are debt free, you are going to be able to treat yourself to something really worthwhile. Perhaps try and visualise a really good holiday and it will make giving up the gym worthwhile

Without a goal (mine is to recarpet the house!), it is an impossible struggle. So give yourself a treat to look forward to and go from there.

all_hours

For moving your debt around this is the order I'd do things - this is assuming you don't manage to get any new cards with better deals.(Maybe wait until you've been at your current address for just over a year and try for other 0%/lob cards then)

Next few months- overpay what you can on the barclaycard and get it cleared.

In march contact egg and balance transfer what you can off the halifax (but check those interest rates first)

April/May when you clear the barclaycard the next statement will have few £ of interest to pay, pay this off. Overpay what you have left off the halifax.

May/June contact BC and ask them what transfer deals they have for you and if they will up your credit limit. Transfer what you can off halifax and reduce the credit limit.

Overpay halifax until clear.
Then overpay on egg.
Then work on the overdraft.

At the moment you're paying £140 a month off the cards. If you pay £440 you could be rid of your CCs and OD debt 20-22 months.

sarah0404

About the gym - try joining your local freecycle group and post a wanted ad for gym equipment. You could do your own gym at home. Or check your local paper. People are always selling excercise bikes and stuff.

You can also try fitness DVDs. I've found them pretty good. If you join Amazon DVD rental you can rent fitness DVDs too. There is info on this site about getting several months free of DVD rentals from different companies.

A spending diary is also a great idea. You can start now by looking through the last couple of months bank statments. Note down what you've spent and in where. Total up how much cash you've withdrawn from the account and try to remember what you've spent it on. That'll give you some idea where all your money has been going.

Good luck!

lynzpower

have a look at my diary, its kicking around somewhere and has my SOA in there somewhere, although it may have changed a bit

a rough breakdown is
11 pcm BT
primus 2 for calls about a fiver
11 tv licence
100 food
21 buildings & contents
17 internet ( not the cheapest - changing when we move- any day now)
28 electric
108 council tax
water included in rent, no gas here.
no sky, we have digital
we get free films from dvd tarting - go through quidco so you get paid for taking on free trials

HTH

CMorena

feeling better about things already