About to be struggling really badly

asparagus1968

flip,what a shame!
good for you not getting too stressed by it.

good luck in your new job,i start mine 3rd sept,can't wait.

tinkerbel

just read from start to end and very inspired! well done you I hope when your new job starts (congrats) you can keep the motivation up and manage to knock this debt out and get a new attitude to cash like so many on here! it sounds like you have a plan and once youre back on your feet properly, (like, been paid from your new job the first time etc) perhaps you could make a detailed action plan and sit down with your OH to discuss? If he can see youre already got it under control, he just needs to be involved and on board it might make it easier for him to take! Sounds like you've both had a terrible year but you have a lot to look forward to!

bogusdruid

Due to the new job starting, and I feel a little unsettled tbh. It's never easy joining a new school, but this time it's been made harder by the fact that hubby is now working on the other side of the country, and so school for me and the kids all started the same day and we don't seem to have had time to catch up. Added to the fact that we had ofsted at school last week too, and I had a weekend away (paid for by my dad), I seem to be chasing my tail a little.

Anyway, updated my signature numbers as they have come in this month. Making small inroads, but need to throw some money at them - just need a proper payday again!

Allypops

Not a busy month at all then?;)
Hi, just read through your diary. You are doing really well!

You mentioned moving your diary to the DFW diary section. I think you'd have to ask one of the board moderators. Perhaps you can PM Fermi?

Anyhoo, keep up the good work....and roll on payday!

bogusdruid

Well that's all the cc bills in and signature updated. And to be honest, I'm slightly shocked at how little some of the payments are making to reducing the debt I have - it's something I've been aware of but not really thought about, but it's totally obvious to me that I have to make some quite large overpayments to a least one card to make any difference at all.

On the plus side however, updating my signature every month is showing me that I am making some progress, and I am properly filing statements now, rather than leaving them in a heap (always opened though!)

Hopefully first pay day not too far off, because the summer was expensive with the kids all the time, no matter how much we tried to cut back. Anyway, trip to library today and Primark for some more socks and tights for school! And to return a top that my sister convinced me to buy but doesn't look right - in the past would have kept hold of it until too late to return - not now. Also managed to resist the next sale as they don't have the suit I need in the right size, and I don't WANT/NEED anything else - mega step forward, rather than sulking and buying something else instead!

lemonpopsicle

Hi, you're doing really well but there are a few ways that you can get that debt paid off quicker.
1. Get a water meter - we are a family of 4 including 2 shower loving teenagers and our water is £40 a month, you can then use the water saving advice including water hippos, not flushing every time etc and it will further reduce your bill.
2. Sell everything on Fleabay that you don't wear, doesn't suit you, doesn't fit, or that you don't use, like or have room for.
3. Shop around for better deals on internet, gas, elec.,house insurance.
4. Use all of these savings or extra income to pay off the cc with the highest APR first, then snowball to the next highest.....etc
5. Look at joining The debt free by Xmas 2012 thread- it's going to be extended for those that need to to Easter 2013 or Xmas 2013. It's really inspirational (and a little bit addictive too!).
Good luck with your journey.

bogusdruid

Just made an overpayment on my next account - only £31 but it was money from the change jar that would normally have gone into my purse and been spent on something silly.

I've been paid, so at least the authority think I'm working for them, even if I still haven't seen a contract - you'd think that they'd want to tie stuff up legally wouldn't you! But, I suppose that's part of the problem with being a teacher - you're expected to be perfect but not so much is expected of the people who are supposed to be responsible for you!

Waiting with anticipation for the next set of statements so that I can update my signature - want to start seeing those balances go down.

Heffi1

Hi i have just read right through, it is lovely to see you being so positive now things have settled down again, isn't it good to see the numbers reducing, I have made a game out of it and have been known to make an extra payment to bring the number down to a round number total. Mad but it keeps me inspired to do more.

Well done so far.

bogusdruid

Just updated my signature and the figure has come down a little bit - need to find some money to overpay on the next account, I think and then sowball that payment to onw of the other credit cards.

I've realised that one of the reasons why stuff is a bit a of mess is that the cc bills come in at random times in the month, and therefore keeping on track of them has also been random. Now in the habit that when the bill arrives, I am updating my signature (and getting frustrustrated that mint always arrives really late in the month despite having money on the first :mad:) and that is keeping me focussed.

Not a good saving money month this one - kids needed new clothes again (sometimes I wish they'd stop growing or wearing out the ones that they have) - good old primark! And I really need to sort out the home office - managed to lose paper work this week due to keep shifting stuff off the dining room table.

Oh well, we'll see what can be done and roll on pay day!

bogusdruid

And this one hasn't been so successful on the money saving front. Thought that I'd make it to the end of the month with some money in the bank - still have my fingers crossed that this happens, but it won't be as much as I thought it would be. On the plus side I have sorted out the home office (and therein lies the problem that there isn't much money left), and it looks gorgeous. There's still a couple of things to do but waiting for the hubby to put some shelves up for me.

I've nearly paid off 10% of my total debt, which isn't too bad for the amount of time that I have been money saving. Still frustrated that the cc bills are coming so late in the month - also need to shuffle some money off the nut card - it seems to be increasing rather than decreasing at the moment. Pity we are up against Christmas as won't be able to throw some extra cash at it.

Money saved on Christmas so far as my little girl and I have made plaster of paris princess ballerina picture frames for all her little friends. She had a great time making them (from a kit that she got for her birthday) and it's cost me £3 for more plaster of paris, as I have loads of poster paint and mini paintbrushes. Not so sure what her friends parents will make of them as they are a little scarily painted as only a 5 year old can.

Got one more credit card bill to find before I can update my signature properly for this month