Desperate To Be Debt Free!

artyfartyem

Thank you LunaLady... I just find it so difficult because I want everything yesterday.

Well, some good news, I am going to receive £1700 for a claim I made from last year so this will be used to pay off the the creditors who are still charging me interest (TSB namely)...

I managed to pay an extra £100 off a cc this month which brings it down to £365 so I hope to pay this off ASAP. I have put in a PPI claim for my Barclay card so hopefully will hear from them soon, I figured it was worth a try, they can only say no.

We go on holiday in 3 weeks, and I can honestly say this is the first holiday ever that we have saved and budgeted for everything and we will not need to worry about money whilst we are away and that feels amazing. I am looking forward to over paying as much as possible when we get back though, as I cannot face another 2 years on a DMP. I want to aim for December 2013 rather than October 2014... Sounds like a bit of a pipe dream at the moment though!

artyfartyem

Cheque for £1750 arrived this morning, sooner than expected! Just waiting for it to clear and CCCS payments to clear to get some more debts paid off!

artyfartyem

Paid off 3 creditors this week, just 4 remaining now. For some reason I just don't feel good about it though. I don't know what to do with myself I should be over the moon but I just keep looking at the mountain left to climb

Getmeoutofdebt

Hi Arty!! I know that feeling so well! It is horrible isn't it? You get some extra cash, pay it off and somehow feel worse. I think when I do it it is because I am only paying a bit off one card or whatever and you somehow feel that it hasn't made a difference because you still have all the rest! You just have to keep positive and tell yourself it IS making a difference! I signed onto that opinion website and actually got a survey where the woman came to my house last week for an hours chat. Funnily enough the survey was about being on a debt plan!! I got £25 cash for doing it and it drove me mad not knowing what to do with this £25! How daft is that? I had 5 debts I could pay it off or put it to one side for xmas or for a family wedding I have coming up etc.... I suddenly had so many things that needed this money that I felt really miserable because it seemed pointless paying it off any as I felt it would hardy make a difference! In the end I put it in my "save £2 coins for xmas" pot. I figured it would buy a present or two or at least cards and wrapping paper!
I'm all in a flap over my debts again as Yorkshire bank only gave me 3 months interest freeze when I started my plan and now that times up they are hassling me! Its like starting all over again, writing letters to them etc.... waiting for them to get back to me! I'm making progress with everything else but it feels so slow! Lloyds are still charging me stupid amounts of interest!
Never mind! Onwards and upwards! Keep positive!
Enjoy your holiday!! You deserve to take a break and enjoy life! You have done so well so far with your plan! Don't forget that! Keep focussed!
G.m.o.o.d xx

artyfartyem

Hi Gmood,

I wonder why it makes us feel like that? Surely we should be pleased with ourselves! £25 cash for one survey is amazing! I'd probably end up spending that on a treat though! Good call with the xmas fund though.

Thats crap about Yorkshire Bank... Thats the thing thats worrying me the most. If the creditors put back on the interest then it's going to take even longer to pay off! Let me know how you get on. We are waiting to hear if we get slammed with interest with paying off those smaller debts and increasing the payments to those remaining....

Holiday is on Wednesday I am trying to focus on that and put all the money thoughts to one side when we go... I just feel guilty that the money could've come off the debt mountain!!

Hope you are well, enjoy the sunshine this weekend!
Arty xxx

artyfartyem

So we have just returned from holiday for the first time ever we haven't used any credit to pay for a thing and it feels really good. I am now in full debt busting mode and have worked out that I can up my DMP payment by £200 a month which should wipe a few months from my DFD... I guess I am lucky as, as of yet I am not being charged any interest (touch wood it stays that way)

Going to ebay some more junk later this evening and hoping to do some PADing to try and wipe off some more debts...

Getmeoutofdebt

Hi Arty,
Hope you had a great holiday! Wow, thats amazing that you can now pay so much more off your debts! That is going to make a big difference. What's PADing? Sorry, its prob something really obvious... laugh. Have you tried weighing in any old scrap jewellery? I took some gold and silver to a jewellers last week hoping to get about £50 and I nearly passed out when he gave me £280!!! It was just bits that had like old chains and bits that had fallen off stuff, an old gold watch that I'd inherited off someone I didn't know etc... It's worth a try if you have anything... but i'd advise you to pull off any stones, non silver/gold bits, like brooch pins etc before you go as i spent about an hour in the shop while the guy disassembled everything. still I didn't mind too much when he told me what it was worth!
Well I don't know if you have read my diary since you got back but my debt plan is all going a bit to pot right now. I've not only been waiting 5 weeks for yorkshire bank to review my card to see if they are going to give me any more time than the initial 3 months interest free/lower payments but hubby has had a really nasty accident and is prob going to have to have 6 months off work with only basic ssp @ 140 a month!! Yikes! It is going to be a huge struggle. On the good news front, a pal of mine has started a job as a debt collector for various credit card companies loan providers etc and has been giving me some inside info on how it all works. I'm going to write about it on my diary shortly, so other people get an idea of where they stand etc if they get visited by one. Not got time now, have to dash for work. Good luck with your plan and your fresh determination to plough on with it after your hol!
G.m.o.o.d x

artyfartyem

Hi Gmood,

PADing is payment a day, basically paying an extra £1 or more off if you have it, not every day of course, but just as and when you can.

I replied on your diary earlier, hope you are ok..

No news really, the new payment started at the start of the month which has made me me extra careful with money. I'm challenging myself to be debt free by december 2014... not exactly sure how, but everyone can dream can't they?! I'm also back at work after the summer hols which is stopping me from over analysing everything which is good, although I do miss the late nights and lie ins!

X

artyfartyem

So I have come up with a plan. I am not going to pay anymore additional money off the debts because I am worried about interest being added on if we pay off another debt early. So I am going to save as hard as possible to enable me to clear the whole amount hopefully by December 2013. I have worked out in addition to what I am saving now I need to find another £200 a month to cover the surplus. I'm so determined to do this now, I cannot face another year like this. I have learnt so much in this past year, but I want my life back again.

On another note, I ordered a free 4 min shower timer from the water company, and by using it our electricity bill (we have an electric shower) has almost halved!! Would recommend this to anyone trying to save money!

Getmeoutofdebt

Hi Arty,
I'm on with the same plan. I'm trying to keep all the money I make from selling things on e-bay stashed away in my paypal account. I didn't want it in my bank in case the creditors can find out it is there. (I don't know if they can or not but just wanted it to be out of their reach a bit more) I too can't risk my interest going back on. If it did I would probably have to go bankrupt as I'd never get it paid.
Did you read the info I put on my diary about what my friend told me? The one who has the debt collecting job? It's a lot easier to get a settlement figure once the debt collectors are involved. They buy your debt for next to nothing so even if they add a bit on to what they bought it for its still a lot less than what you owe. My plan is to save a bit up so that if it gets to that point I have something to negotiate with and with it being in my paypal I can say to them that I'm selling something on e-bay to pay the debt rather than let on that I already had the money. It feels a bit naughty but like you say if you pay it as you go along they add the interest back on.
Good luck! You are sounding pretty positive which is good! And you ave done incredibly well so far!
gmood
ps how do you work out the % of debt paid on your signature? I'm rubbish at maths! Lol.