MSE Changed my life :-)

Travelqueen

Just wanted to give a quick run-down of how MSE changed my life...

Think I originally saw Martin on This Morning at the beginning of 2003 when I was unemployed & trying to get temping work, so started becoming a regular visitor if not contributor to the site..

Got temping work... managed to tell a couple of white lies & get a credit card, which I went on a Ski holiday with, gambling that I'd soon get a permanent job.

I didn't

My bills were still over 1K a month (with rent, elec, gas, phone, transport, food, overdraft interest, student loan etc etc) and I kept on gambling that I'd soon have a job that paid more than my bills were.

I didn't

By July I bought a cheap car, to get me to a new well paid 3 month contract job which I hoped would lead to a permanent one. I had fun, and created some monetary breathing space, but I didn't get a permanent job.

By December, having gambled all year that I'd soon have another job at my previous salary levels and be able to afford all the things I thought I 'deserved' I was 10K in debt having started the year at 0...

January 2004 was dreadful. Temp job, earning less per month than my bills (as usual), nothing in the pipeline, disagreements with friends and generally a bad time when I knew that I would have to admit defeat in my year long search for a job and move home to Leeds in order to ever repay my debts and start again.

In February, completely out of the blue, I got another contract job, working at my previous salary, for a huge global blue-chip company. I worked very very hard and also decided at the same time to bite the bullet and buy a house with my dad acting as guarantor as this would reduce my monthly bills by approx £200...

In July not only did I become a home-owner, but also had a job created for me, my contract extended for another 6 months (and will probably go permanent for the first time in my life in 4) and negotiated a substantial payrise :-) I've also managed to pay off 4K of my debt in the past few months.

My debts cost, and never have cost, me anything, thanks to this site. My bills were as cheap as they could be, thanks to this site. My mortgage is the best I could get, thanks to the advice on this site. My car insurance, house insurance, life assurance etc is the lowest it can be thanks to this site. Peoples birthday and xmas presents cost me half as much as they used to thanks to this site, and any trips I do are a lot cheaper, though I try and make the most of my travelling for work now.

Basically, although I am in debt, I am confident I can manage it. Not only that, but due to budget sheets I've created (thanks to this site) I can see that by living sensibly for 9 months (the time it will take before my last 0% runs out!) I can pay off my remaining debts, and maybe even earn some money too by sticking the majority of the repayment money in a high-interest account and paying the debt off at the end of the introductory period.

So, thanks Martin, with MSE I'll hopefully pay off in a year what I managed to run up in the same period of time. However, this time I'll have a lot more to show for it. I can't wait until my cards are paid off and I can use the same money for things I'll really enjoy without feeling guilty.

Hopefully but the time of the March reunion (we are having one right?   ;D) I'll be well on my way to debt free (apart from the mortgage of course!  :D)

TQ

jo_b_2

Well done, Travelqueen. You're an inspiration to others! Keep up the good work.

Travelqueen

Feeling pretty happy today.

Finally putting my debt repayment plan into action. My job is looking more secure too which is all good.

Basically I have now switched to another 0% for 9 months card (virgin) and am planning to pay off £500 a month - I've set up a dd into my Halifac ISA for that amount, and am paying the minimum to Virgin. I should have paid off 4K by the end of the 0% (the first month I have to pay off the remaining 400 from my other card)

I've also now got a car & petrol account - £200 a month which should cover all servicing, MOT, Tax Petrol etc every year.

I've created an ING savings account for holidays & presents with £167 a month going in, and I've got a joint account for all the household expenses including mortgage with my cousin.

If I stick to my budget I should still have a reasonable amount to live on every month too, and, if not, I can always take some back out of the savings accounts...

But anyway, I'm feeling good today & that I'm making organised headway, rather than suddenly realising I'd made substantial repayments like before!

Thanks again

TQ

Martinslovechild

Travelqueen,

I'm VERY impressed.

It's been 3 months since the last update - how are you doing as of today with your plan?

Pat__3

Travelqueen, a very inspiring story.:)

Can you update us.??

David_Brent

money saving can become quite addictive. Hi my names dave and im an addict (I must stress im not being insultive to any current addicts of anything else)

Pat__3

Hi David_Brent, I think were all addicts on here, so Martin must be the pusher.;)

In the nicest possible way.:D