Journey to the bottom of the debt pile

Evcakes

Things have been strained in the house for a few days, dh really stressed out about cost of car, living etc. He has been better today so glad about that as it gets me down too and I'm the optimistic one in the relationship!

Debt has changed completely and not in a good way so yesterday I came up with a detailed and strict budget to clear all the debt in the next 12 months. I've also moved the overdraft of £500 to 0% card so will close that account and then won't get charged £25 a month

Current debt:
o/d 1 - £1000
o/d 2 - 1500
c/c 1 - 2500
c/c 2 - 1300

I think my first plan is to clear c/c 1 as this is the highest and interest is added so need to get shot of. Loan mentioned in previous posts is going down nicely, only 3 more payments!

Next week is payday and xmas shopping with my Mum, have a strict budget of £10 per person which is fine, my sil has been great and already phoned to say they are struggling too so either don't buy presents or at least cheap. I might suggest in the future that we buy for all the kids only as it gets ridiculous and we mainly meet up to spend time as a family anyway as we live so far apart.

Really need to get on top of this now, sick of being poor but mainly annoyed for being so stupid!

Evcakes

Yay just sold snooker table for £50,that's going straight off the credit card!

Forgot to say, 2nd job should start soon, just waiting for CRB to come back then all sorted and then can start earning the extra pennies x

Evcakes

Payday tomorrow and taking a day off to go Xmas shopping with my Mum, will keep to my budget and then work out how much I can pay towards debt.

Another little boost to the coffers with a redemption from SB so £25 P£ypal ordered, Onep**l really close to pay out too so £40 would be most welcome.

Every penny counts, so must remember that!

Evcakes

Things are very slow here but still heading in the right direction, sold a couple of things on Am$zon and still waiting for SB payout to hit account.

I did all but 1 present in my huge xmas spree but I was very sensible and stayed right on budget, might see if I have any points to buy the last present.

Tried to reduce overdraft online today but have to either phone up or go into the branch, how annoying that you can add to it so easily but such a pain to pay off!

Not much else to report, thinking about my colleague whose house is currently flooded and how lucky we are in our house despite the bad year.

lurvlyloz

Hi Ecakes.

good luck with you journey x

Evcakes

So a few bits and pieces have been sold and adding to the debt repayments, so slowly but nicely helping in their own little way!

My CRB for 2nd job has been received so should start with an Induction tomorrow and then have my own shift from next week, just a formality really as have 20 years experience. All the payments received will go straight on the debts.

Christmas presents purchased for all but my two kids which I'll get with my pay just before the holidays, I was chatting to some of the Mums in the playground the other week and can't believe what they'd got for their kids. One had brought her 8 year old daughter a laptop, a games console and loads of other things! It's just ridiculous, I asked them how they could afford it knowing that none of them work.

Several survey sites still tantilisingly close to payout but seems to get slower the nearer you get!

Two weeks left at work then it closes for 2 weeks, yay but have an assignment to write before then for my course.

See you anon!

Evcakes

Long overdue update from me although I have been reading other threads on the forum during this time to keep me on the straight and narrow!

Hmmm where to start:

* Paid all the money owed to my Mum (£250) last night that was borrowed when car broke down. :j

* Had first pay day from 2nd job which was about £100 so that's well worth it. :j

* Interesting development from dh side of the family, his Nan died just after Xmas and despite not seeing her for over 20 years (strange family!) we will be getting a very helpful £2000 from her estate in the next few weeks. :j

So current debts and plans are:

* o/d 1 - £1000
* o/d 2 - £1500
* c/c 1 - £1200
* c/c 2 - £2400
* Argos card (had to buy a new oven) £350 0% until December 2013

Total = £6450 :eek:

My plan is to use the £2k to pay off o/d 2 and put £500 into savings, my rationale for this is that I find it difficult to pay back the o/d as it is our main account (have a different account for bills) so just not clearing, if I pay off the o/d and start from scratch then I can see my budgeting better.

I want to have £500 in the savings as have no emergency fund and every time something goes wrong then we have to borrow, this will be the start of a very long journey to having decent savings in the future.

My plan for then tackling the remaining debts is to use child benefit, use wages from 2nd job, any survey payments, Qu*dco payments and any other income to attack each one. My loan mentioned in previous posts has one more payment on 9th Feb so we'll have an extra £100 to throw at the debts too!

I want to try so hard to pay off all the debt by the end of the year so need all the motivation I can get whilst trying to study, work, teach Athletics, have two kids and run a home. :cool:

Evcakes

Oh the joys of February, this seems to be a particularly expensive month for us despite the shortness of it! Last year it was the car and boiler, this year it's the oven and toilet, thankfully it certainly won't cost us as much.

So updates:

* last payment of loan goes out on 9th, freeing up £94 a month -yay
* friend accidentally broke flush on toilet so waiting for a plumber to get in contact - meh
* oven should arrive on Wednesday, assuming delivery times fit into my day - yay
* need to get said oven hard wired in by electrician as place where it goes looks a nightmare - meh
* cheque from dh nan should arrive in the next few days - yay

So not too bad in the circumstances, had another chat with dh about the money from his nan and we've agreed that we will use £1000 on overdraft, £500 for decorating I.e. bathroom floor laid, dd bedroom to be finished inc new window and all the room needs doing. The final £500 will be saved.

Debt busting has been quite slow recently so this will give a much needed and welcome boost then can attack remaining with renewed vigour.

Need to sort out lots of clutter in the house to make some more pennies.

Ev x

Evcakes

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh ah that's better!

I know that there are so many people on here that are in a worse position than me both financially and health wise but I am so fed up with all the things that need fixing and repairing it's beyond a joke.

New oven arrived this afternoon so booked an electrician to install it this evening, took one look at the electrics and said it wasn't right the wiring to the points in the kitchen would need redoing and we also needed a new consumer unit - quote of £500:eek:

Obviously I don't have that money at the moment so asked him just to put in the oven and I'll sort out the rest, so have no heating or hot water as boiler is connected to those wires. Phoned another electrician who couldn't believe that we had been left with no heating as there was a temporary measure that would be suitable and will be round in the morning to have a look at everything.

So sick of having to pay out on these things, at least we know it will be safe and right when it's done but could really do without it all, we also have no working toilet as a friend broke the flush at the weekend and have been waiting for a plumber to call back (I think a call to another plumber tomorrow).

I didn't like the first electrician either gave me the creeps!

Right whinge over and get back on to it, need to source some things to make to extra pennies

Ev x

Happydadof3

Ev sounds like a nightmare, but know how you feel! Good luck tmw for a good electrician without a budget busting fix