Keeping up appearances.......

PinotGrigio41

I was only drinking coffee while I read that, so no harm done this end !!!:D

Wobblydeb

I'd just finished my leftover pizza so all okay

poohbear59

Hi Happy, I have enjoyed catching up with your news. I am glad to hear your septic tank runs just like ours. We have had ours emptied just once in 18 years and that was last year. If they are looked after properly they don't need emptying as they are our own sewage treatment plant.

I cook in bulk (when I manage to get bargains like very cheap steak mince) and use foil dishes that you might get from a take away but because we have a take away or ready made meal once a year we have to buy ours!! We get them from the cash and carry so they aren't too pricy. Bulk cooking is where the slow cooker comes into its own.

Pinot, we bought a tumble dryer with cash a few years ago and the salesman had to go and get the manager as he didn't know what to do with it!!

NewLeaf_2

HappyNow wrote: »

Hi NewLeaf, welcome back

Wow, that's a good income! When I looked at your figures, my first thoughts were that our circumstances aren't very similar at all. But then I saw that your total debt is just over double your annual income, and so is ours (very roughly). So yes, we are in a similar position, but you've got the souped-up version !

Good luck with those credit cards. Do they account for the 45k unsecured? To clear them by the end of the year means paying off approx 5k per month :eek:. That's a bit of a challenge - over the last three months I've reduced mine by the princely sum of £842 ! I hope you can manage it, and you will get loads of support and advice on this site if you need it. Keep us updated on progress x

Congratulations on your lovely edit too - it's nice when that happens .

Hi Happy, the £45k is now £39900 whoot! Realistically you are right 5k a month is a bit much. I will aim for 2k per month. I have some of it on 0% for 12 months, I need to move the rest to 0%

AND NOT SPEND! I am also going to do a major ebay clear out and try to raise £1,000 that way by the end of May I also am doing some comps after work to win some pressies for xmas for the family and other relatives. Going to non-branded groceries, etc.

Let's keep trying our best

HappyNow

NewLeaf wrote: »

Hi Happy, the £45k is now £39900 whoot!

AND NOT SPEND! I am also going to do a major ebay clear out and try to raise £1,000 that way by the end of May I also am doing some comps after work to win some pressies for xmas for the family and other relatives. Going to non-branded groceries, etc.

Let's keep trying our best

Yay! Well done, less than £40k now, that's a real milestone . My figures only alter once per month, each 15th. I'm trying to hit a mini-milestone each month to cheer myself on, even if the totals don't reduce much. For instance, last month my unsecured debt paid-off went over one per cent (yes, a WHOLE one!!), and next month my total debt will be £127k+ instead of £128k+. Small victories .

The non-branded groceries has saved me loads, I definitely recommend it. That and having a total lack of store and brand loyalty. I used to only shop in Tesco and never checked any prices, whereas now I only buy about 1/3 of my shopping there (all offers) and also use Lidl, Aldi, Home Bargains and Wilkinsons. I've been in Wilkinsons today and bought a 900ml bottle of Tresemme shampoo for £2. It's massive, will last well over a month and the quality is fine.

Good luck with the Ebay. That's still on my to-do list and I MUST get on with it but I seem to have a mental aversion to it!

brizzledfw

Ah Happy...you do need to do the bay of evil..I am sure you have stuff that will go... ( am sure we all do ) ...and the feeling of catharsis as you declutter and get money for it is fab. I thoroughly recommend it as an alternative to expensive therapy:rotfl:

newleaf do you have a diary? Interested in your story too!!!

brizzle

NewLeaf_2

brizzledfw wrote: »

Ah Happy...you do need to do the bay of evil..I am sure you have stuff that will go... ( am sure we all do ) ...and the feeling of catharsis as you declutter and get money for it is fab. I thoroughly recommend it as an alternative to expensive therapy:rotfl:

newleaf do you have a diary? Interested in your story too!!!

brizzle

Hello Brizzle: I had a diary, at the time I began the diary between us we were on about £250k a year and I had some negative feedback so I stopped doing it. It seems that if you are a good earner that some folks think you should be a whizz financially and quite saavy about spending it, but when you work 60 hour weeks you start thinking you are entitled to luxurious "treats" and the whole thing gets out of hand very quickly (as I saw in your diary re: going FT to PT)

So Happy! The non branded goods are doing well so far. I will say I have a Waitrose literally across the street from my house, and I mean literally!

You simply must ebay. It can bit a bit of a pain but I will use the £ I make on my cards.

We can do it and tbh this economizing is forcing me to cook from recipes which I have to say is helping improve my cookery skills and making some different meals from my usual 5 things that I know by rote well received by my partner.

xx

brizzledfw

newleaf..seems that you and I were in the same place...I often think the well known L'@real slogan should have been said about me!

It's hard isn't it....people do seem to think that a large salary brings financial integrity..but it can be just as hard..and often you're surrounded by people living the high life to boot. Doubly difficult to make changes then...as Mrs PG would testify.

Non branded goods are good Happy...literally! The only one I struggle with tho is Hei&z spaghetti hoops. Other brands just don't seem the same!!

HappyNow

Hi Brizzled and NewLeaf, thanks for dropping by . NewLeaf, I have found your diary and subscribed; I genuinely think that a diary is the secret to keeping the debt-busting 'fresh', and I hope it will really help you .

Ebaying. You are both so right, I really need to get my head out of [STRIKE]my @rse [/STRIKE] the sand and just DO IT. I don't know why I can't bring myself to start, it's a real mental block. So..... I have a cunning plan. My daughter is home from uni for a month on Friday, and I have decided to put her in charge of it. I will choose the items to sell, but she can do the work in exchange for the month's free board and lodgings (which she'd get anyway - that's the cunning part of my plan!). I believe we need to wait for a free listings weekend, so I will research that. I have loads of horsey stuff that should sell, and we're just coming to the best time of year for that. Please will someone try and remember to nag at me if you hear there's a free listing weekend and I don't do it !

Other financial news is a bit depressing. I mentioned that our car insurances are both up for renewal this month, and that it's cheaper for us to stay with Admiral's multi-car policy. It IS cheap (£580 for both cars), but only if payment is made in one lump - their charges for monthly instalments are ridiculous. So my plan was to pay on credit card and spread the cost over ten months, classing it as a living expense rather than debt. But when I rang to renew, they make a charge for paying by credit card. It was under £10 so I should have just paid it, but I recoiled in horror and shoved it on my debit card (no charge for that). So that means that I've reached my overdraft limit already, had to empty my 'pots' back into the bank account to cover it, and will now have to pay for everything on credit card until 15th April . Ah well, I loathe credit cards now so that will definitely keep my spending lean! And on the postive side, at least the insurance is all paid for, and I have a small bonus due from work next month to help cover it.

Speaking of work, I'd best do some ! I'm working from home today and will hopefully manage a bit of frolicking in the sunshine along the way! Just to clarify, that's with the dog, not Mr Happy!

PinotGrigio41

brizzledfw wrote: »

newleaf..seems that you and I were in the same place...I often think the well known L'@real slogan should have been said about me!

It's hard isn't it....people do seem to think that a large salary brings financial integrity..but it can be just as hard..and often you're surrounded by people living the high life to boot. Doubly difficult to make changes then...as Mrs PG would testify.

Non branded goods are good Happy...literally! The only one I struggle with tho is Hei&z spaghetti hoops. Other brands just don't seem the same!!

Helloooo, did I hear my name mentioned ?!!! Now dont get me started on this subject you two, I could go on and on and on !!! New Leaf your story sounds very interesting, I am sure very similar to mine in many ways ! I have just started rambling but deleted it all again, as I will go on forever on a bit of a rant on this particular subject and hijack the lovely Mrs Happy"s Diary ! Sorry !!! xx