Finally worked up the courage to write it all down...

LaughingLorna

I love the idea of a treat sum thanks kerri! i think he prob does have some idea as he madecomments about the amount of 'bank statements' i was getting but he will think its under control. i was very gd with money when we met and still am with shared pot.

i'm buulding up to it though. opened up to a friend of mine about a week ago when i was feeling down and she shared that she had a similar amount in loans and cc and her husband didnt know either but had suspicions! its crazy how many ppl are in same boat but just dealing with it in isolation. Difference is she hasnt had LBM or got current spending under control so i feel even the small bit of progress ive made so far means i can help her with that :-)

LaughingLorna

Just wanted to do a quick update for those who were good enough to offer much needed support and advice.

Gradually getting things sorted. Current spending is deff under control (for the most part lol). The treat pot really helped with that. Plus the fact that I now sit and think about how long it would take me to earn the money on textbroker/ swagbucks etc before I buy anything and that helps to curb any urges.

Had a bit of a wobble today as I realised that my 0% period on Halifax card was coming to an end next month. Was freaked out after getting turned down for new card after taking a pay cut but having read the shuffle guide I'm trying to use my existing cards to move things around. PO have said I can have 0% transfers till Feb but won't raise my credit limit so have to persuade halifax to give me a balance transfer and swap the two over. Just have to try and find the cards now as they need the security codes. Hid them so well to stop myself from spending!!! It'll be good to get them the other way round as well - minimum payment is lower on halifax card and thats where the biggest balance will be :-)

Also been making good use of the income generation boards but gradually getting a feel for what works for me. I found some of the surveys stuff just doesn't work out cost effective for me but Swagbucks and valued opinions have been good and already paid out with a profit after accounting for the electricity. Onepoll is regular but obviously takes a while to cash out. Pinecone has only sent me one survey but paid out promptly...

LaughingLorna

Also been searching for a challenge that suits me and the 1% at a time is just the ticket as I get put off if I can't see gains as I go along. Need the little goals to get me focussed. I'll post on the challenge board as I make up my %s but so far it has motivated me to get a load of books boxed up - 7 piles - momox, webuybooks, zapper, fatbrain, amazon marketplace, amazon trade in, ebay. I searched on each site to see what price i'd get and then wrote them all down in a book with deductions for fees and postage costs (where the postage limit on amazon and ebay wouldnt be enough to cover the heavier books and I'd have to top it up).

To try and save others a bit of work who don't want to go through all those hours!!! Fatbrain worked out the best by a mile for academic textbooks (except where condition is borderline - then i'm doing markeplace, trade-in or ebay as I can advertise condition or get them returned to me from the trade -in whereas fat brain just recycle!)

zapper tends to pay low but takes the ones nobody else will.

Factored in the 10% extra voucher till September for we buy books - use as many times as you want WBBFB1608

Also have decided to theme my ebaying to make it a bit more focussed and manageable and get enough on there to make at least 1% for my challenge :-)

Also settled at work now and things going well so hoping to get a promotion before Christmas which should mean about £50 more a month to do overpayments on the card.

Feeling way more on top of things now and if I can get BTs sorted for CC i'll feel way better. Really uplifting still looking at everyone else's diaries and realising that every step I take on this journey means I can hopefully be of some help to others on here who are where I was a couple of months ago. I find myself really looking forward to checking out how people are doing and seeing the ups and downs. It's like having a 24hr on call counselling service :-) :-) Trying to give something back now on other threads after all the amazing suggestions I've had from others.

Planning to start some blogging sites after I've cleared the books - so much useful info on the blogging thread - will try and work out how to post the thread.

Also can't work out how to change my signature to have the numbers crossed out but still readable - anyone help me out on that??? I know I must be missing something really obvious on the formatting options but can't work it out!!

LaughingLorna

:j:j:j:beer::j:j

Yayayayayay! Found my cards and Halifax offered my 9months at 0% Also said that Once I've balance transferred the existing amount somewhere else I can BT to them again. So I can use the PO card as a mule (is that the right word - read it on here and assumed this is what it means) and get most of the balance on the Halifax card thus drastically reducing my monthly DD for the ccs even taking into account the balance transfer fees it is totally worth it to be down to one card very soon and a cheaper one at that (in terms of the DD because both are 0% interest)

Such a weight off my mind - just have to remember to finish the process early next week after BT start taking effect!!!! whoop whoop:T

LaughingLorna

Finally worked out the signature - Can you tell how proud I am that it's finally going down every month rather than up???? :-)

Time_to_face_the_music

Hi Lorna :hello:

Have you tried Green Metropolis for selling books too?

Tends to be a bit slower and cheaper than the "big names" but I have sold a few there and I like their green credentials

LaughingLorna

Hi TTFTM, always nice to say howdy to a new virtual friend

I too like their green credentials and I sold a few with them when they first launched a few years back now. But as you say they can be very slow and I don't know if it's still the same but there was a flat fee for books last time I used them and many of the textbooks i'm selling are worth over £10 on fatbrain and they pay the postage which would be very hefty for anyone buying from me on green metropolis.

Will definitely check out the stock numbers on some of my fiction paperbacks though - I managed to sell the low stock ones quite quickly on GM. Hadn't really considered them this time around for my smaller paperbacks so thank you for reminding me about them - they are indeed a cause worth supporting!

Will let you know if I succeed - I have a HUGE book addiction and I do actually read mine and use the library as well so have started visiting charity shops for cheap stock (most of which I return to them because it's worth more to them and I feel guilty for clearing them out lol! *Lorna crosses fingers and hopes to make millions and clear all debt from hoards of books*

fantastiyk

Hi Lorna,
Just popping in to see how you're getting on. You're doing great at this debt busting!! Keep it up :T

LaughingLorna

Thank you for checking in on me :-) been sort of off the grid again this last couple of months its crazy when i'm feeling crappy i lurk and post a couple on others but stay aaway from my own thread and unsubscribe. am back on meds and seeing a new therapist but it has been so hard last couple of weeks staying on the wagon.

Before the LBM i would have phases of spending and being good - i was so in denial even in OP about how good (or not) i am at managing money. bit more realistic now but have finally realised i am a FINANCIAL BULLEMIC!!!! I am super good at managing for ages and then things get tough and i reward/treat/fool myself with money thats not mine in the belief itll work out. one day im working out how to chop time off dfd and next im telling myself ive paid a bit off now so wont really matter if i buy a cd. then its 2cds and then its a holiday.

have resisted so far but dont know how long - know i'll hate myself if i give in....

LaughingLorna

Just looked back at some old statements to check out my theory of binge and starve spending and it's been like this a good five years or more - very depressing. I had been saving up to go on cheap uk break using a little bit left over in holiday account and then money i had saved out of my surplus by using mse tips.

realised with how i was feeling i would probably just blow it on crap so i bit the bullet and paid £600 off my cc - 10% of my newly restructured cc debt. need to update my stats on the 1% thread but pretty chuffed at self control :-) also set up cc dd at £100 rather than min as restructured min is much lower. really need to put it at £130 but convinced myself thats just too much pressure ! feel like such a big wuss again :-(