PigginSkint's DFW Diary

PigginSkint

Hopeful1 wrote: »

Good work on planning ahead for your DS's lessons. I am getting slightly better at planning ahead too.

It is difficult to make much headway when there are things like holidays and Christmas to account for!! My beginning of September figures will certainly look better than my early August ones

That's very true! I just have to keep battling way and convincing myself that I am getting there slowly, but surely!

Love your sig by the way 'One step at a time' - it is something I need to keep in mind, that's for sure. It would be so easy to get depressed because the debt isn't falling as fast as I would like it to!

PigginSkint

hypno06 wrote: »

Things are certainly looking very positive there, Piggin! Hopefully DS won't need too many lessons and you can then start throwing that additional cash at the debt too, and it will be gone in no time!

keep going x

Thanks Hypno!

I can live in hope that DS won't need too many lessons! I forgot to mention that one other thing that I have been doing for the last year is spreading the word around that I am planning to get him driving and suggesting to people that they might like to pay for 1 driving lesson as a birthday present for him. If enough people do this then hopefully that will mean that I won't have to pay for all of his driving lessons - only most of them!

Hopeful1

PigginSkint wrote: »

Love your sig by the way 'One step at a time' - it is something I need to keep in mind, that's for sure. It would be so easy to get depressed because the debt isn't falling as fast as I would like it to!

That was one of my problems. Things really started to hit the fan last year that impacted hugely on my finances. It really got me down 'cause I had to reduce my minimum payments even further and couldn't manage to PAD. I also found that I was trying to tackle everything at once and that just doesn't work when you haven't got much spare cash. I've stayed away for a while but come back feeling positive and realising that without a lottery win, it will take time!!!

PigginSkint wrote: »

Thanks Hypno!

I can live in hope that DS won't need too many lessons! I forgot to mention that one other thing that I have been doing for the last year is spreading the word around that I am planning to get him driving and suggesting to people that they might like to pay for 1 driving lesson as a birthday present for him. If enough people do this then hopefully that will mean that I won't have to pay for all of his driving lessons - only most of them!

I often laugh that no-one would know how poor we are when they see the things my eldest DS has. It's only because I've done the same as you and asked family to contribute to particular things that I know he wants. The state of my frequently repaired clothes tells a very different story though :rotfl:

PigginSkint

Hi All

Today is the start of my last week at work before I go on holiday – woohoo! I have got so much to do this week, it isn’t true – housework, packing, Avon, etc etc

I can’t remember whether I mentioned it before, but I shall be giving up doing Avon very soon. Now that the LTSB loan is history, it has freed up quite a lot of disposable income, so I don’t actually need to do Avon any more – which is quite a nice position to be in! I am doing one more order and delivery and then that’ll be it. The only problem is that I have got to finish my last order this week, before I go on holiday, which is a bit of a pain.

I spent quite a lot of money at the weekend – mainly stuff for holiday – but all on my debit card. As a result I have realised that money might be a tiny bit tight on holiday. I planned to do what I did last year – anything like petrol , campsite fees, excursions etc will go on the credit card, but food and other day-to-day expenses on the debit card. The problem is I haven’t left enough leeway on my debit card to be absolutely safe. However, the good news is that I have been putting money aside regularly into my cash ISA in order to save up for the expenses of a car when we get one. I think it makes sense to use some of this money towards holiday expenses.

Normally I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but I shan’t be able to keep up to date with the internet banking or my spreadsheets while I am in a tent in Wales. I am probably worrying unnecessarily but I would rather be safe than sorry! It is for this same reason that I shall use the credit card for things I wouldn’t normally use it for (e.g. petrol) because I won’t be able to monitor my bank account as closely as normal. I don’t want to run any risk of going over my overdraft limit!

In other preparation for my holiday, I have also set up the minimum payments on my credit cards to be only just above the actual minimum payment – normally they would be much larger than the minimum. I plan to pay off as much as possible off the Egg card as soon as possible after we come back.

In addition I have just received a rather tempting balance transfer offer. The ones I have received recently haven’t been good enough to tempt me, but this one is quite a good one – 2 point something % APR for 24 months. I think I will transfer a portion of the debt that is currently on the Egg card to take advantage of this offer, which will certainly cut down on the amount of interest I am paying!


Anyway, I think that is all the news for now!

Bye all!

PigginSkint

Hopeful1 wrote: »

That I've stayed away for a while but come back feeling positive and realising that without a lottery win, it will take time!!!

Ooh a lottery win - wouldn't that be nice! Sigh!

Hopeful1

PigginSkint wrote: »

Ooh a lottery win - wouldn't that be nice! Sigh!

Sigh indeed! I live in constant hope It sounds like you're going to be busy this week, but that means you'll enjoy relaxing on hol all the more

PigginSkint

Only 3 more days at work (including today) before my holiday! Woohoo! :j But still loads of stuff to do! Boooo! I am going to have to give WeightWatchers a miss tonight, because I just got too much to do!

I have just booked my pick-up for the car hire - saves me a walk to the branch.

OH has agreed to my aim to leave as early as possible on Sunday morning. I said that I wanted to leave about 9:00 am - he thinks we should aim earlier than that. I haven't got a problem with that, but he is the one who has difficulty getting out a bed in a morning!

Right, better get on with some work!

Bye all!

Hopeful1

Am excited for you!! Hope you both have a fantabulous time

PigginSkint

I'm back!!!!!

I have been back from holiday for just over a week now and am still trying to catch up with everything!

I have been dealing with my last Avon order - once it is all done I am free! A couple of people have not been able to find the money for their orders (one is not sure yet) so I am hanging on to see how much stuff I will actually have to return.

I came home to some really great news - I have been awarded a performance related payrise. The increase to my gross salary will be roughly £600 per year - not to be sniffed at! I definitely don't need to do Avon now!:j:j:j

I have updated my sig with my 1st August figures - as expected, much higher than my 1st July figures but we have been on holiday after all. However, we were a lot more restrained with our spending this year so this holiday has definitely cost us a lot less than last year's.

I need to investigate some balance transfer deals as I now have about £5K on the Egg card - mega amounts of interest. I have received a good offer for my Sainsbury's credit card so I shall definitely take advantage of that one. As the deal is for 24 months I shall transfer part of the Egg card debt to that, in case there is any left after the 24 months is up (I still have a large-ish balance on that card) because the standard APR is quite a bit more than it is on the Egg card. After that, I shall try to get some deals on some of the cards that I have still got but that have £0 balance on. After that I shall do something I haven't done for a very long time - try to apply for a new card or 2 which have a reasonable balance transfer deal. Even if I can transfer just some of this £5K to some cheaper deals it would be beneficial.

Anyway, must get on with some work - bye all!

Hopeful1

Welcome back!! Yay to a pay rise - that's fab news :j I never had that welcome when i returned from my hols

Good luck with the card juggling, hope you can shave some interest off that debt.