A Thread for After Debt?

rising_from_the_ashes

AlyBaly congrats on the job front:j
Dizzy ouch to the ezcema on the eyelids - I used to get it now & then but thankfully not had it for ages.

There's a really good (unfortunately not cheap but you do only need a tiny bit) cream called Aveeno http://www.aveeno.co.uk/products/daily-moisturising-lotion. I usually get the hand cream one (smaller and around £6:eek:) as it does just as well and lasts ages. They do also do one specifically for ezema http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aveeno-J-J429027-Eczema-Therapy/dp/B003O7IBZC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328219171&sr=8-3 but it is even more expensive - I've not personally tried it, but if you're a sufferer and it works, I know what it's like to try anything as long as it works!

SOT fingers crossed your car doesn't need anything "major" when it does go for it's service. I could just do with a few more months to get on top of my "pots" / budgeting and I guess it's just unfortunate that everything seems to fall within the first couple of months!

Hope the transfer of equity continues to progress well, you probably already know this, but once everything is finalised, check your credit reports and if you're still showing as being financially linked to your ex, you can apply to have the ties removed (I have the links for forms for the credit agencies somewhere if you need them).

oldtractor wrote: »

Is there a long haul savers thread I wonder? I really need to save as much as possible in case of anything going wrong in these uncertain times.

If you find something, please let me know:). I've seen a couple of things but people were looking to save way more than I'm able to (eg £12k in 2012) as even now I'm debt free, I'm struggling to build proper budgeting pots atm and my budget just doesn't stretch (and this is unlikely to change) to being able to put away large sums.

feeling-good

I have been advised to join this thread by AlyBaly so big thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Little bit of history about me, when I had my LBM i was £47000 in debt and have now been debt free for 13 months. I paid it all back over 5 years and it was a hard slog TBH. I deprived myself of everything. The thing is I have now been debt free for 13 months and I cannot relax about it. I watch every penny I spend, look for bargains, freebies etc and shop in Aldi ( which I actually like) but I cannot relax about money.
I check my onilne banking anything from 10 to 20 times a day just to make sure everything is ok and I think I am becoming increasingly obsessed with my finances.
I have managed to save a fair amount of cash since I became debt free and also managed to pay off my mortgage so I cannot understand why I am being like this. I went to buy a new winter coat at the weekend, spent over an hour trying ones on, finally decided on one, queued at the till, got to the till, cashier rung it up and I honestly felt sick at the thought of spending £50 on a new coat as I could not justify it to myself, so i just asked the cashier to cancel it and I walked away.
I constantly worry about money but I don't need to anymore. I actually feel terrified about it.
I have been thinking about trying to rebuild my credit worthiness so checked some cards out and plucked up the courage to apply. Not to go back into owing money on credit cards, but just to rebuild my credit worthiness. I got accepted which I did not think I would. Capital One BTW. This week I had a call on my mobile and it was them just to ask me a few questions etc and to tell me I was accepted and my card would be with me in approx 7 days. It bought so many memories back and not good ones that a credit card company had callled me on my phone.
I am terrified of money and wish I did not have to deal with it all.
Becoming debt free was my dream and I worked so hard over 5 years to get there and then after being debt free for 13 months, being able to save for the first time in 22 years, not having to spend the majority of my wages on debt repayments it's not what I thought it would be :-(
I cant understand why I do not feel good when I know I should. It's a very strange feeling. No post anymore, no phone calls anymore, no comtact with PayPlan anymore. After 13 months it just feels not right.

Little_bit_dizzy

Thanks so much for the links rising, you're right, I'll try anything - it's soooo itchy and prickly. I might look into it a bit more in the morning, when I'm not so tired.

Can't understand why I have it suddenly, I'm very fortunate to be blessed with reasonably clear skin. Although, I usually use Fairy Non Bio liquid but as it was on offer I bought Persil Non Bio... wonder if thats it?

samtoby

I have been reading everyones posts but been so busy that I have not had time to reply...I am going to do it tonight or tomorrow.

Hope everyone is not too cold x

It is FRIDAY!!!!!!

Savvy_Money

I'm debt free (excluding Mortgage debt) but its taken me a long time to get here - store cards when 18, followed by credits cards and the lot! Debt is such a vicious trap and I used to feel so guilty in having loads of debt - I know have a savings account that 'acts as my credit card'. When i take from it I pay back at the very least a 'minimum' amount to try and pay back what i have taken, but the biggest difference is that there is no interest and the money is all mine (plus there is no £2.50+ cash advance handling fee).

But temptation is always there and forums such as this remind you that it is easy to go back, so yes I agree this thread can help people like myself to keep focussed!

rising_from_the_ashes

Q huge welcome to Feeling-good and Savvy Money - great to have more joining our happy wee group:D

Feeling- good that's huge amount to have cleared in a relatively short time - well done!:D When I was reading through your posts, so many things struck a chord with me and I've found the support on here brilliant at putting things in perspective and the realisation that becoming DF isn't the end of the story - in many ways, it really is just the beginning.

Just wondering - have you done a new SOA and worked out your budgets etc? If so, and you've savings in place and are managing well, you need to try to relax a bit and enjoy it (I know exactly what you mean about feeling guilty / justifying spends tho').

Savvy Money yup, this thread keeps me on track too. It's sooooo easy to fall back into bad habits - and also I also think that if you've spent ages in debt / clearing debts then there are often many things that have been neglected for ages and it's very easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.

rising_from_the_ashes

Little_bit_dizzy wrote: »

Thanks so much for the links rising, you're right, I'll try anything - it's soooo itchy and prickly. I might look into it a bit more in the morning, when I'm not so tired.

Can't understand why I have it suddenly, I'm very fortunate to be blessed with reasonably clear skin. Although, I usually use Fairy Non Bio liquid but as it was on offer I bought Persil Non Bio... wonder if thats it?

mmmm it may be - I have "issues" with several washing powders etc and funnily enough I cannot go near Fairy!

I also can't wear mascara or I get ezcema on my eyelids - have you changed make up products at all?


Well, have finally found some tyres after much searching. I could get budget ones for around £90 but really wanted better quality ones (better grip/handling and tbh with the hilly/twisty roads I drive on and the usual bad weather, I'd rather pay a bit more for good quality ones). I've found some for £114 which isn't bad, did manage to get a small discount by ordering them online - even tho' the fitters has them in stock (really don't understand that one!) so will be popping along tomorrow am to get them done:)

Just wish I'd had a couple of more months to build up the pot a bit more - over £400 spent on the car in the last week:eek: against a budget set aside of £300:(.

The only thing I can think is to do an "IOU" with one of my other pots (but really hate the thought of this) and pay it back over the next few months.

The house insurance pot has £100 in it and with it's monthly payment will have enough to pay in full at renewal time (after May pot payment).

I could "borrow" that and pay an extra £25 into it (reducing the car pot payment by that amount) from Feb to May to make it up.

Any other suggestions?

Mint1955

I think borrowing from the other pots at the early stages of pot building is acceptable especially if you have the knowledge that its going to come right sooner rather than later. I have just had to put New Glasses into the plan and definiately have not got enough in the new glasses pot but plenty in others.

I would only borrow for essentials and not for something I havnt even got a Pot for etc.

rising_from_the_ashes

Thanks Mint feeling a bit better now:o

I've decided to take £50 from the emergency fund (which is still struggling to get back off the ground after the huge hit it took at the end of last year) and not worry about paying that back - the other £50 will come from the house insurance pot and be paid back over 2 months.

I was a bit worried about having to reduce the car pot by £25 for 4 months as it means I'd probably be struggling to get it high enough for next years' "horrible January" (and the car will also need an MOT then too :eek:) without having to pay extra for the remaining months of the year.

I've been struggling to put extra into all the pots for the last few months to get them high enough to cover this years' requirements and am so looking forward to getting them to "normal" levels and being able to put a bit more into savings / emergency fund.

backinbusiness

Hi Rising.

I know how you feel. I've had repair bills of £350 since the turn of the year! It's a pain, but at least we now have the funds to do it, and are not bunging it onto a credit card (to be forgotten about/ignored!). (Also I don't think there is anything left to go wrong with my car now!)

I have the unexpected backpay coming at the end of this month, so that will probably clear the garage bills - lucky really.

My monthly savings are split between my ISA (the Holy Grail - totally untouchable), and a decent interest bearing Websaver account. This is my surplus account and pays for treats, bills, etc. I allow myself a weekly spend which sits in a seperate account again, and most weeks I manage to have cash left over in this account which is transferred back into the surplus. It seems to work for me.

A year and a bit from becoming debt-free, and only 2 years 4 months since my last (3rd) default, I have access to £8,700 across available overdraft and credit cards. When the proverbial hit the fan back in 2009 I couldn't access one single penny more - everything was maxed out. In a way this forced my light bulb moment, and I am grateful (although I was desperate back then!).

Ironically tho', I never, EVER touch my overdraft, and both cards are cleared in full each month. I've stuck with Crapital One, 'cos they've stuck with me - I managed not to default with them and now hold their Classic and Progress cards. I know how their system works and FP hit within 24hrs usually - pretty good.

I can sympathise with feeling-good! It's great in a way that the mse ways are so entrenched, but by the same token you have to live a little too! It's a tricky balance and if you read through this thread, one a few of us are still trying to get right!

Have a good weekend all - and wrap up well - 'tis cold out!

BiB