Scaredy Cat's scary debt!! -debt diary

deliciosa

you're doing so well, don't give up... get rid of that next directory debt - thats an expensive one! good luck!

I am slightly jealous because of the cake :j enjoy :j

x x x

scaredy_cat_2

Hi well am feeling much better even though went shopping today - i felt i didn't really have any enthusiasm for shopping i just bought the things i needed and a shrug type woolie thing from next clearance for me £36.99 reduced to £1!! but i found myself putting things back as i didn't need them and i know that before i would have bought the very lovely linda barker storage jars but do i want to spend £20 on storage jars that i cant afford and aren't needed yet!!!

anyway have already written up my spending for today and planned my moozie's challenge so am pleased about that

Also we have been sat doing our new spreadsheet (thanks LookingAhead :T for formulas etc) and to everyone else who has given me ideas for what to include. I now need to do one for debts and that will show them reducing - i want to do the snowball calculator too. AS soon as next statement comes i want to clear that and cancel it - but i have a couple of discrepencies on it - they haven't taken off (as of yet) £68 worth of stuff i returned :eek: so i want to get that credited before i pay it all off - but that will be gone in a few weeks. I must then decide on my next target and ring bank to ask what results would be if paid off big chunk of one of the loans

i also want to know my debt free date - think it will be around 2012 as it stands now with the loans and not sure about credit cards? :eek: but at least not increasing now :T

am off to bed as been a bit of a high and low weekend - oh i must also thank deliciosa for your positive comments - i have also starting reading your diary and its great to see your debt dropping - very motivating for me too! I am also going to get sorted with selling on ebay so thanks for that

night

scaredy_cat_2

well today i found my way to the snowball calculator :T i played around with it because i realised that i need to ring banks tomorrow to get new final settlement amount for loans to put on, it confirmed 2012 for our debt free date (except student loan and mortgage :eek: ) but i am determind to reduce that.

Tonight DH and i sat and sorted through the bank statement to enter into the spreadsheet. we realised that we could reduce our shopping budget by a further £10-20 :j and we also did our spreadsheet for march :j :T

it feels really great being in control - it is dd1s 4th birthday in march but will come out of april paypacket have just realised BUT i already have her birthday presents except for 1 book which i am going to look on ebay for. I overspent at christmas and instead of giving them to her but them back for birthday!! I also have bits for pass the parcel in gift box, and there are a run of friends childrens birthdays coming too but i have gifts in the gift box for them too so only a card to buy.

so tomorrow i am going to ring the banks to get the figures and then will do the snowball calendar

i also only have £5 left of our food budget for the month til sat because of being spendy last week :mad: but i am going to stick to it - i have done meal plan for week and have everything i need except pack of bacon for lunch and dinner - if anyone wants snacks i can make popcorn or bake a cake!! nothing to buy for that!! i didn't even have a milky drink because i do not want to buy milk before sat :rotfl: can't decide if that is sad or good - it felt good but am i taking this too far!!

scaredy_cat_2

help please - have just added signature and it is not showing - how do i get it to?

aha - now it is!!

Snaggles

Hi scaredy cat, well done on the progress you've made so far. Had to laugh about the linda barker storage jars.....if I'm wavering, I work out how many hours I would have to work to pay for them, and it usually puts me off!

Looking forward to reading how you get on, you really seem determined if you're even refusing to buy milk! I always have a spare carton of long life at the back of the fridge, in case I run out, to avoid those trips to Asda where you just need milk but spend £35!

scaredy_cat_2

hi snaggles - thanks for tip re milk i will do that!!

Hmm like idea of working out how long would need to work too!!

Can i ask when your baby is due? Is it your first? Congratulations :j how exciting

Snaggles

scaredy_cat wrote:

hi snaggles - thanks for tip re milk i will do that!!

Hmm like idea of working out how long would need to work too!!

Can i ask when your baby is due? Is it your first? Congratulations :j how exciting

Thanks very much! Of course you can ask.....I'm 'one topic woman' at the moment, and rabbit on constantly about pregnancy and babies.....I just can't help myself lol!

I'm having a little girl, due 11th May (just over 11 weeks :eek: )- I've got a son already who is 6 & a half. I'm so excited, I can't wait until she arrives!

LookingAhead

Really glad the formulas/spreadsheet is helping you s_c.

Keep going....think of your debt going down penny by penny if you have to (I did/do!), I find it helps stay on the right side of sanity!

scaredy_cat_2

snaggles how lovely - and not so long to wait now!

lookingAhead it is really good - it has made me feel better too - i just feel in control and that is such a good feeling - i don't feel have as worried even though the debt is not much less at mo because we are dealing with it and it is going in the right direct! Thanks again for the time you took to put all that info on for me :A

scaredy_cat_2

Hi tonight am feeling a bit fed up - i had hoped to be able to pay off about £1000 from one of my loans but i can't they don't allow for any overpayments at all - they suggested i pay off what i can and then take out a new loan that is smaller - now not sure what this means exactly but have avague recollection of reading it on here and know its not a good thing so I asked the question 'but isn't the interest front loaded' :rotfl: and low and behold the answer is yes!!

so am fed up as i don't really want to clear the £1000 of a credit card as they are all 0% did wonder about putting loan onto credit card and then throwing everything at it to clear a lot of it in the time remaining - august and then swapping rest to 0% - is this a mad idea? The loan is just under £3700. i just feel fed up that i couldn't do this as it was my first plan for clearing a chunk - guess i am going to have to live with it! Or i could put money in high interest account until i have the lot - a good motivator to sort out ebay stuff anyway

oh well - on the positive side i have had a no spend day - i even went window shopping with my mum but we went to all the silly shops that you can never afford so you don't even feel tempted i just loved looking at the lovely things i could never have :rotfl: Not sure i would ever spend those prices and when i did see something that was a more achievable price i did thnk - hmm do i want to buy that or put more in my debt free savings!!!

I now feel confident that i get this!! :T