Smash These Debts - The MR2Jay debt busting mission

mr2jay

You know when you get that feeling something major is going to happen than is going to blow this wide open?

I have a sneaky feeling that something (no idea what) is going to give us a HUGE boost on this front - we'll see

mr2jay

Yet another Friday

So, I have finally caught up from the double bank holiday/sister wedding and all the other stupid days off I have had which I don't get paid for - The one down side to being contract

Anyhow, managed to find another £100 to pay off the council tax so that is the first £500 gone

Unfortunatley, the Lloyds credit card has had the monthly interest added on which knocks that back to £23.75 but I had placed another £25 onto it to bring it back to £48.75 paid off

So, this brings my paid off balance to £681.25

However, to rub salt into the would - NPower have now decided that the original gas bill of £403.88 was wrong They have now sent through a revised bill of £479.88 This has taken our TOTAL debt owed to £12869.94 - OUCH!!!

So, doing the maths, this week I have managed to clear another £62.57 taking interest into consideration.

slowlyfading

Looking good anything planned for the weekend?

mr2jay

This weekend?

Well, I have to rack and bottle the Merlot and the Blueberry and Apple wines I have made, so that'll burn some time.

Also, if the weather is good, I may just do some work on my project car. Fitted a new engine to her that I have built from the bottom up and it has now reached the point where I have spent pretty much everything I need to now (other than a new MoT, tax and insurance). The timing is just out so I will be trying to get it running properly this weekend....

As you probably guessed by my username, this thing is my pride and joy so after 18 months, I can't wait to get it running....

Here is the engine build



Probably the major cause through getting in the mess we are in but I am NOT getting rid as that would be effectively throwing thousands of pounds away

slowlyfading

Sounds good

mr2jay

Gawd, things are complicated at the moment

Whenever I seem to get us back on track to hit things hard, something else rears it's head...

So, I have to take a day off work and spend £120 in petrol this week going to Cornwall from the Midlands for a funeral (OH's Uncle has died after a decade of serious alchohol and tobacco abuse - not unexpected but still not pleasant)

Ah well, got to keep my head down and do what I can.....

mr2jay

It's amazing when you think about it...

A few weeks ago I sealed an old biscuit tin and cut a slot into it. This means that is is completely sealed, only to be opened once I can't physically fit any more into it. By the design on the slot, there is no way of getting anything out of it, only getting stuff in.

Now, into this tin, I am putting any 50p and £2 coins I come home with. I have chosen those coins as they are the largest in our currency and I don't like having them in my pocket (I know, I am odd)

I picked it up yesterday after using it for about 3 weeks and, to my surprise, the bottom layer of the tin is now covered in coins. You can't see the tin at all through the slot!!!

Working on the volume of the tin and say a 25%-75% coin mix in favour of the 50p bits, once full there should be about £1,000 in there once it is full....

Moral of this story? There really is truth in the "look after the pennies" saying. I can't touch this without breaking the seal and having to start again (not only is it taped but I welded the lid on )

Thought I would share this with you as it is amazing just by picking coins out of your pocket that don't seem important, it is possible to build them into a nice big lump especially as the odd coin you don't miss day to day

meow5678

Hi mr2jay,

I do this with loose change to - 1ps, 2ps, 5ps and 10ps go in the communal money pot with the bf and my 20ps and 50ps go in my own little money box, but the £1s, £2s stay in my purse.

It's amazing how quickly it adds up! My little money pot on my dressing table is nearly full already!

I'm not sure whether to bag and bank it into my savings or stash it somewhere and carry on...? Once things land in my savings account they often get juggled around to cover minor discrepancies.

mr2jay

I know what you mean - tempting to stash it away for a holiday but the head says you can slash another lump off your debts....

Anyhow, another Friday has gone and passed and yet another £100 off the council debt. Also cleared another £25 off the credit card. Up over the £800 paid off mark now in 7 weeks

mr2jay

Never rains but it pours eh?

Another bill has fallen on the mat

Anglian water have undercharged us which has come about after we supplied a meter reading....

New outstanding bill - £166.28

Best add that to our total.....

2 steps forward, one step back

On the plus side, I have been looking at the Virgin Card which, for some reason, I haven't been including in my payments. Currently, the card is suspended at a balance of £3984.74 (£184.74 above the limit of £3800) with interest payments at about £75 a month but I am paying this one at £25 a week. So, as I am making payments ABOVE what I am being charged a month, technically I am paying this one off, albeit slowly.

So, I have adjusted the payments in the sig to suit