£25,000 to clear. Ready...steady...GO

banwa

Box_of_Fluffies wrote: »

Hi Banwa, I've only just caught up with your diary and it seems you've had rather a lot going on. I was sorry to hear about Mr B's job but also that your gamble re a new job paid off. I have my fingers and toes crossed that he gets a permanent job at the end of it.

Well done on posting your SOA. Being half way around the world I don't feel I can comment on it but I'm sure you'll receive lots of support from others on here.

Keep your chin up. {{HUGS}}

Hello Box of Fluffies, thanks for that, I sent off Mr B's application form for the permanent job today, I'm keeping everything crossed for him

banwa

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

hello :waves:

I just had a quick look and noticed the sky, can you not call them and explain your situation and haggle? I know of a few people on here with full packages for less that £30 (i'm sure i read one had the full package on the min. payment!) I pay £16 but only have the min. package. (potentially save £25).

Do you use AF for food (can't remember if you do or not now) if not i'd get
an order in for when DC stay over as their snacks will be next to nothing.
(could potentially save perhaps £20+ a month)

I'm quite fortunate that I work for a big grocery manufacturer and I got sweets/choc, coffee and petfood at rock bottom prices. I buy everything else fresh apart from the obvious stuff like tins of tuna and rice and pasta, and tinned toms and I buy own brands for that. Where we could cut back though is alcohol. We have got really good at taking food to work, I haven't bought a sandwich from work in about 3 months. Mr B told me he's been buying scrambled egg on toast every day from the canteen because it was only £2 with a cup of tea *slaps forehead*, I pointed out that was £30 or so per month that we need to find for that. He hasn't done it since:D

Also agree with what someone said about presents, perhaps halve this by shopping
in sales etc and if you know where the DC like shopping, do surveys and request
vouchers for those stores (i.e top shop) you wouldn't be spending anything then?
(potential saving, £50?)

We don't give them anything else throughout the year, it's the one time we like to give them something to buy what they like with.

Sorry not great suggestions but would definitely give the sky a go. They are
begging for customers and will easily reduce your bill for you!

Now this is a great idea, in the past I have said to Mr B that he must get rid of sky sports and he has always refused and said what difference is £25 a month really going to make, and I always give in because I don't want to take away the only 'hobby' he really has (when he was working 60 hours+ it's about all he had the energy for). But perhaps if I gave him a personal mission to try and get the same deal for less money one way or another, I think he would quite like that. I just wish I had taken sky out in my name. Rookie error!:p

Hope you are well anyway aside from financial dramas xxx

Just about:D, will be heading over to your diary later to catch up on all your news too. I always leave yours, Pinots and Noras until last because they move so fast

banwa

Good Things about today :j

• NSD
• Got lift to work
• Took lunch to work
• Have made some inroads into using up all stuff at back of cupboard/bottom of freezer
• Had vegetarian sausages and scotch brother made from above
• Got a letter from Santander today telling me they are reducing my interest rate after the promo is over (weird, but good). Will hopefully tart the card anyway though

Bad Things about today :exclamati

• Have not caught up on all diaries yet. Naughty Banwa

Spends

• Nowt

MSE-ness score = 9/10. Couldn't have been any more frugal, but no payments made.

banwa

Bottom of Freezer/Back of Cupboard mission (called BOF mission hereafter)


Left to cook

• Beef joint
• Kippers
• Sausagement x 2
• 6 pittas
• 3 packets of Chinese pancakes
• Frozen strawberries
• Jellies
• Refried beans
• Mushy peas
• Oxtail soup
• Lentil vertes
• Gluten free crumble mix (why?)
• 24 beefburgers (yes, 24!)
• vegi sausages

Scotch broth mix and some vegi sausages eaten tonight.

The remainder sounds like the worst episode of Can't cook won't cook ever:p

Box_of_Fluffies

Mr B told me he's been buying scrambled egg on toast every day from the canteen because it was only £2 with a cup of tea *slaps forehead*, I pointed out that was £30 or so per month that we need to find for that. He hasn't done it since

This made me laugh. Sometimes you really have to spell it out for them don't you? Good to see he's learnt his lesson now though.

banwa

Quick update

Good Things since I last posted :j

• The freezer challenge is more or less complete. (still a few burgers in there)
• Lift sharing still happening
• Got aircon fixed for £57 (thought it would be 6 times that)
• Mr B is doing really well working for the agency and one of the shifts has asked if they can keep him and train him up for a skilled role. All good, all good
• Despite everything that has happened in the last few months, we have paid 20% of our starting debt. Really really proud of that

Bad Things :exclamati

• Estimate it will take until summer 2014 to get debt free. But this could have been so much worse with recent events.

debtfreewannabe321

evening hun did you give sky a call? you know you can deal with them on the phone if you get dh to give them a password. I also made that rookie mistake of putting it in dh's name lol. So soon sorted that out

Hope you're ok and like the BOF mission idea!

banwa

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

evening hun did you give sky a call? you know you can deal with them on the phone if you get dh to give them a password. I also made that rookie mistake of putting it in dh's name lol. So soon sorted that out

Hope you're ok and like the BOF mission idea!

He finally phoned them and cancelled sky sports! Yippee in every way...£32 instead of £49 per month I think is progress.

Hope everyone else is still debt busting

banwa

Well then, long time no speak.:hello:

I have been hiding. Mr B still didn't have permanent work. They wouldn't give him machine operator rate at my company through the agency despite him doing that job. He had gone for an interview in August for a permanent role, and heard nothing. His shifts were being cancelled at short notice. Everything was just a bit depressing. We were making all our minimum payments etc but it was all so slow and I just had nothing positive to say.:(

Anyway. yesterday was my birthday and I got the best present. Mr B got the job! :jI can't tell you how happy I am; and very very proud. There were about 400 applicants for 7 positions. His starting salary will be 24k; and after 6 months it should go up to nearly £28k so nearly what he was getting for driving, only he only has to do 42 hours, not 60 and he doesn't have to stay out all week.

Then to top it off today I got some extra good news about my sister's health too. Happy happy:D

Best. Birthday. Ever.

So will be posting from now until be are debt free with some gusto.

Banwa

banwa

Good Things since I last posted:j

• Kept up payments of £760 through the last few horrid months so debt is going down
• Mr B got permanent job
• Mr B is home more
• Credit rating seems to be excellent, keep being offered 0% deals (which we don't need)
• Have cut expenditure even more by cutting down on meat and alcohol
• Running 6 miles regularly now, and swimming a mile in 35 mins
• As a result of above 2 points, am a stone lighter and feeling v healthy.
• Sister much improved.
• Job going really well. Next obvious move, which my boss says I am ready for and might happen as early as January, is shift manager at £40k!
• Still lift sharing regularly

Bad Things since I last posted:exclamati

• There are loads but let's not dwell on those

First mini goals

1. Get through Christmas without increasing the debt
2. Clear out the loft and maybe do a car boot sale before Christmas
3. Put plans in place to get this new job, know what will happen and when before I break up for Christmas

It's good to be back:D