2012 - It will be an Olympic effort

DorsetGirl_2

But with a bit of an luck my debt will be gone by the end of it.

Its going to mean that I have to be determined and I will have to keep motivated (which I have been a bit rubbish at in the past) but I really want to do it and then I can start saving.

I have had a diary before but then things got a bit hectic and life got in the way. This time I feel like its going to be new year - new start.

My debt on 12/12/11 was £7,873.87 and by that time next year I want it all to be gone. Its split over three credit cards - I am currently tackling my Virgin CC before the 0% deal runs out in April.

My plan is

• Lots of Ebay selling but no Ebay buying. When I update my diary I will update how many days its been. I am an ebay addict and can spend hours looking at stuff which is dangerous!
• Using the money I would have been spending on my youngest daughters preschool on my debts. She has received her government funding now which saves me £41 a week
• Keep up with the 'Payment a Day' and 'Pay all your debts off by Xmas' challenges to help keep me motivated, also the £365 in 365 days challenge.
• Start a spending diary and keep it going
• Stict to a food budget of £80 a week - thats for 2 adults, 4 children.
• Have as many NSD as possible.

I am also keeping my sealed pot and keep adding to it as much as I possibly can. I want to use what I save in there to kick start my savings in 2013.

It is going to be a hard year, but it will really be worth it in the long run.

Total debt as of 10/12/11 £7873.87
Total debt at the end of January - £6434.29
Total debt at the end of February -£
Total debt at the end of March -£
Total debt at the end of April -£
Total debt at the end of May -£
Total debt at the end of June -£
Total debt at the end of July -£
Total debt at the end of August -£
Total debt at the end of September -£
Total debt at the end of October -£
Total debt at the end of November -£
Total debt at the end of December -£
Total debt at the end of 2012 -£

DorsetGirl_2

I have 2 more things on Ebay I want to buy on pay day then its no more bidding. I would close the account down but I do sell quite a bit on there. Its a bit like a chocoholic that works in a sweet shop but I am going to try and be strong.

My Virgin CC is currently down to £2,309.85 so I have paid off over £200 in a fortnight. :j I love seeing the total fall and all the credits on the online statements.

DorsetGirl_2

I put 2 things on ebay last night and woke up this morning to them both having bids :j.

Worked out I have paid 10% of my CC this month so far (and the new statement isnt due until 10th Jan) which I am really chuffed with, especially with Christmas so close. I have tried really hard not to go overboard with the children's presents this year. Last year I spent way too much and there were so many toys and bits the kids didnt know what to do with themselves. I have cut down on spending but put alot more effort into what I have got each child. I am quite lucky that only the eldest wanted an expensive gift, but I knew that well in advance and had been saving my ASDA Christmas savings money towards it.

Only 3 sleeps to go as I keep being told on a regular basis!

DorsetGirl_2

Still waiting for my 2 other CC statements - they are due 25th December. I was hoping them might be produced a little earlier but never mind.

Still chipping away at my Virgin CC. Its payday again tomorrow (DH gets paid weekly) so I should be able to make another nice payment. Now its at £2300 every £23 is 1% - thats how I am looking at it. I want it gone by the end of March if at all possible. I have got some stuff to put on Ebay so once Christmas is over I am going to get on that - I need to find my camera lead though. Last year I made £700 before the end of January, although I did have a bit more stuff to sell, but I am going to try and aim for £200 and see how I get on. The two items I have listed are up to £20 so thats a great start.

Am off to the pantomime tomorrow - so glad its the school holidays as I have no work for three weeks

DorsetGirl_2

Pantomime was brilliant - and I spent less at Frankie and Bennys than I had bargained for so I have an extra £13 to pay to my CC, along with the £20 I paid this morning.

Still waiting for my other CC bills - I dont think I have ever wanted them to come so much before. I want to see what inroads I have made.

DorsetGirl_2

Statements are finally available online so I can update my spreadsheet and what I have paid this month. £455.60/£7873.87 is the updates total - just over 5%

I have lost the cable to my camera :mad: which means although I have taken photos of stuff to sell on Ebay I cant upload the photos. I have looked everywhere. On a better note the three things I have listed on there at the moment are up to £30 which will be a nice amount to overpay and I still have 4 days to go.

Got my card from Nationwide for my new savings account this morning - I want to start saving by the end of the year and am going to put whatever I get in my sealed tins into it rather than spend it. I would love to have £1k in savings by next year - I am aiming for £750 in my tins.

Hope you all have a great Christmas - will be back after Boxing Day :xmastree:

DorsetGirl_2

Hope you had a good Christmas. It seems to have flown by this year. I am sat here with a cuppa dreaming about how this time next year I am hoping we will be debt free - wondering what else 2012 will bring us.

Sold my first item on Ebay this evening - £10 Tesco voucher sold for £10.51 - very happy. My other few items are selling well. Still havent found the lead to my camera so cant list anything else yet. Am going to start a big decluttering tomorrow so I am hoping that its got buried under all the Christmas stuff and it will appear tomorrow.

Made small payments to my card over Christmas - so another £5 to come off the total.

Itsadogslife_2

I don't think there are many people buying on eBay in this week between Xmas and New Year, I have some bits, but I am going to leave it now until mid January or things to pick up.

I would love to have savings One day I will but at the moment I would prefer to throw everything at the debts.

Hope you had a nice Xmas, must have been exciting in your house with 4 children

DorsetGirl_2

Thank you . I agree with you about savings. I got some Christmas money and I thought about saving it, but instead I am heading off to the bank when it opens tomorrow so I can pay it off my CC. Looking at your signature you are doing really well!

Spent all day de-cluttering - have got rid of so much but the house feels much better now. It can get a bit crowded with 6 peoples stuff and bits. I would love to move in the future, especially as the 2 girls are getting bigger and wont want to share forever, but we are here for the near future at least.

Found my camera lead :j so I can list some things on Ebay tomorrow - have sorted a load of stuff out, and the stuff already on is selling well.

Itsadogslife_2

I am really pleased with how this year has gone so far, but my signature is deceptive, I would not have managed to pay off anywhere near that amount had I now receive a small inheritance from my nan And that is a sore subject as if I hadn't got myself in a stupid situation with debt that money could have been spent on treating the family or doing something good - as it was, it disappeared into the ether

I don't know how you cope with 4 children, I can't manage my one

DorsetGirl_2

Its not so bad - once you get passed two it doesnt seem any more work