Hypno's kick up the backside debt diary....

atypicalblonde

Hey Hypno have a good day, glad to hear your cold has nearly gone

Karmacat

And hypno - hiya! You're really getting into the budget thing, aren't you! You go, girl! Unfortunately your cold has transferred down the phone lines after all, and I'm now coming down with it.... I have two clients today, and (quite rare for me) a friend coming round in the evening during the week, so I'm going to be dosing up with echinacea, its ages since I had a cold.

hypno06

Oh, forgot to mention that there is a possibility I have persuaded OH to get rid of our second car.

We have 2 cars - the family car, and the little runabout, plus OH has a motorbike.

Now the idea behind him (in his words) getting the motorbike was that it would save on petrol etc. I had my doubts at the time, and I have so far, sadly, been proved right because it sits in the garage most of the time, and OH still uses the car for work etc.

I have raised the subject of selling one or the other for some time but get greeted with that "we can't manage blah blah blah need car....what if I have to take the kids blah blah" you know the sort of thing.

Anyway, yesterday, when reading the small print on my work car park permit, it seems that the UNI have got an arrangement whereby you can get an annual bus pass for £135! That is less than the annual car tax on the second car, so if I could get that bus pass, then we could def sell the second car, and save what we currently pay on insurance, MOT, and reduce petrol costs significantly.

If there is any chance that OH can get this annual pass too, then that would be even better, so next time I am at the uni, I will be in the travel office like a shot!

The second car has its MOT in 3 weeks time, so we would MOT it then sell it with a full year on, which also gives me time to sort out these bus passes, and the practicalities of it all!

I am quite hopeful that it will work out ok - would mean getting up earlier for work, but in order to save money, that will be absolutely fine!

Fingers crossed!

hypno06

Sorry to read that you have the cold, KC, I hope you don't suffer too much with it, or pass it on to your clients.

hi ATB, I hope you have a good day too!

Karmacat

Thanks hypno, I don't quite know what to do with myself, I'm not used to having colds any more, I used to get them all the time. I think I didn't want to come back to work!

Hey, the bus pass thing sounds great - and you could certainly do with cutting down on *three* sets of wheels, thats brill. That would help the soa no end.

Seaxwyn

Wow hypno, brilliant plan about the car. How much do you think you would get for it? That could be a big help towards your ski money as well as saving costs throughout the year. We only have one car and manage fine. We use our bikes lots too (push-bikes that is).

duchy

I stopped driving nearly three years ago. The car died and I couldn't afford to replace it so decided to try doing without it for a year. I really rarely missed it. Our nearest supermarket delivers if you spend £25 so I'd often pop in before work and shop and they'd deliver it after work. I walked more so was healthier and didn't begrudge the odd minicab when absolutely essential. There was probably only one time in the whole year I didn't attend an event because I needed to be home the same night and the trains didn't run that late-and in the end decided that I didn't want to go badly enough to justify a cheap carhire.
When the year was up I totted up what it was going to cost me to get back on the road and decided I simply couldn't justify it and have been happily car-less (and parking ticket free ) ever since. I don't regret the decision one bit.
One car one bike should work out fine-it's just planning and organization and we KNOW how well you can do that

hypno06

I guess we would get between £1000 and £1500 for the car - it is an ideal runabout or first "safe" car for a new driver and is in good nick, so hopefully it won't be too difficult to sell, especially with a new MOT on it.

It is really coming down to either selling the car, or selling his bike. I am happy for him to keep the bike, but the original argument of it saving money has fallen flat, so at the moment I am in danger of saying "I told you so" which I don't really want to do.

On the other hand, we just can't afford to keep everything, so something has to go, and if I can get this bus pass, then it will work out well.

Not only would it be a useful addition to the ski fund, but it would reduce costs on an ongoing basis which is what we need to do to survive!

ani*fan

Good morning hypno

Just wanted to say good luck with the car situation. And don't forget your carbon footprint will be greatly improved by not driving. I would love to be car-less but at the moment I really couldn't get to work on time without it. I live in the country and buses are few and far between.

I look forward to hearing how it goes for you and your family.

hypno06

Thanks ani*fan - I KNOW it is the right thing to be doing, all round - it is OH that has the attachment to having a car and bike. I don't criticise him much on these boards, because really he lets me get on with the debt busting, but on this issue he put up a fight a bit more!

So, to have got this far and have a potential way of getting rid of the car without saying "I told you so" is a big big improvement!

I will keep you informed! Much will depend on whether I get the bus pass ok - that is what got him thinking last night, so that is what I have to "play" on IYSWIM!!

Right, need to get moving, if I am to get everything done today!

Catch up later x