Putting My Life Into Order

catandy

thanks for your message Robin,

and in answer to your question we are living together as flat mates now and as necessity to keep costs down whilst the business starts to work. his daughter lives 300 miles away and has only got a 2 bedroom flat and lives on benefits so he cant live there and yes the daughter does think that everything should just happen for her. it makes me sound old but when my son was little my tv broke beyond repair, i didnt expect my parents to replace it - we just managed without one for about a year and were no worse off for it - how times have changed uh?

the plan is get this business going, ex take a small income from it and supplement it with the contract work he does currently (just make sure he works for companies that pay) so he can get back on his feet and get a place of his own wherever that maybe. I carry on living with S1 and S2 and take a small income to supplement my day job earnings and get clear of debt and then I can start living again

thats the plan, just got to make it happen now. our business is internet based and revolves around software so relies on the people using the system to do certain actions to get up and running. once they are set up the system runs itself and we just check things/ pay people and so on, so fast forward a couple of months to be in that position

i just hit payout target on my part time job so thats another 100 quid to come straight off a bill this month and will be 150 extra next month. im not even going to think of spending it on anything, ive managed this long without it so its ringfenced with barbed wire for cc payments:)

Ive also worked out that i need to get a copy of my credit report sometime from experian, with all these bounced payments going thru and going over limits it looks like my rating is taking a battering. i take it if i get the money situation back under control and keep making payments on time that will right itself?

anyway im off to make the most of my housework sunday - the excitement overwhelms me:rotfl:

catandy

Ok, another week and I'm raring to go - despite it chucking it down outside, having my first chemo treatment later this morning and getting stuck on my tax return yesterday (sorry but tax is taxing...) - I cant wait to get started and get on with it.

I spent some of the weekend working out how much I will have paid off my original debt levels from my LBM and all of them have gone down - ok 1.5% on some of them which is not a big reduction but it sounds a hell of a lot better than 0% or even +something% as it was until the wake up call lol

today its work until hospital time, then home afterwards and make sure everyone eats tonight even if i dont feel like it myself. Ive been batch cooking so the freezer is heaving with portioned up dinners that just need to be nuked (thats about as far as anyones cooking ability goes to be honest). I think part of why I feel like this is it feels like my health is finally going to be sorted out once and for all, ok the treatment and side effects are probably going to be grim but I'll take that in return for getting well and being around for my kids and future grandkids for years to come. I want to enjoy my older years without the worry of illness or money worries so whats going on at the moment is a necessary evil to get to that position.:)

and before i do any of that ive got to 'create' some work that I did for a company on Friday - tusk, tusk naughty me. you know sometimes I think its good that im as good at my job as i am cos i can get away with 'swinging the lead' and still get paid for it (well most of the time anyway!)

ok off to get busy - cya!

Rainbow_Bridge

Thinking of you at the hospital today x.

catandy

another day and back at it - taking it easy though so just doing half days cos im so tired - after effects I suppose

got to log into aqua credit card later when their online system decides to play ball and make an extra payment to make the figures look nice and tidy lol

catandy

ok where to start?

ended up a short day at work yesterday as felt so blah - cost me another £64 so next months money is all over the place. feeling a bit brighter today so will try to do a full day and then just collapse and sleep...

had a tidying up session yesterday paying off odd amounts on credit cards just to make them nice round figures, yes sad i know but i do like things to be neat and tidy!

S2 got a job yesterday and I'm so proud of him! He's working for an insurance company and starting as the general office gofer by the sound of it but I'm so proud of him for getting out there and doing something. S1 got offered a spot with the wrestling company he trains with on the shows they put on and he gets paid a % of the door takings - works out about £50 per show and hes been booked on 4 this month so he's proud that he 'working' as well even if its not the traditional sort of position - you know they are pretty good kids if I do say so myself!

home based p/t job has come to a grinding halt, business with partner is taking off but I'm not in a position to be able to pull my weight at the moment which I feel bad about. that said ex and business partner is stepping up the plate and getting it done, im just not used to feeling surplus to requirements i suppose

Rainbow_Bridge

Well done Catandy, it's amazing how they have all turned around and are supporting you now and contributing to the finances. It shows they all do care.

Let them step up to the plate, you'll get used to a more balanced environment and it will be great for your health in the longer term.

catandy

I've finally gone and done it! I've finally taken back power over my financial situation and made it clear where my loyalties and responsibilities lie, people seem to be reeling from the shock of it but it feels SO GOOD to be in control for once.
:j:j
I had another bounced payment yesterday and just had enough, I've cut all non-essential spend, oh and I also cut up the 2 highest rate CC's that I have. so the balances on them can only go down now!

ive cancelled contracts/ payments on:-

• insurance on the pc's we use for work gone - saving £17.00 p/m
• subscription to Lovefilm - gone - saving £5
• subscription to Sky for ex's daughter / granddaughter - gone - £35 p/m
• subscriptions to gym - me and S1/ S2 - £90 p/m - ok I'm going to miss this more than anyone but its only fair that I take the cuts as well.
• BT line for daughter canx from Dec - unless she takes over paying it (not going to happen) - £15 per month

total saving each month 147 - will be 162 from xmas onwards.

Oh and ex got paid yesterday finally from the last contract he was working on. He was about to go out and buy his software he needs to get his next project when I said no, I'm paid first. He's written a cheque for £3000 and thats going into my account first thing this morning. Thats us back straight till the end of the month, Ive told him next week I want the money for next month - which he really wasnt expecting but hey ho thats life!:rotfl:

I actually feel like Im in control and I had completely forgotten what that felt like! :T

*Robin*

catandy wrote: »

I've finally gone and done it! I've finally taken back power over my financial situation and made it clear where my loyalties and responsibilities lie, people seem to be reeling from the shock of it but it feels SO GOOD to be in control for once.
:j:j
I had another bounced payment yesterday and just had enough, I've cut all non-essential spend, oh and I also cut up the 2 highest rate CC's that I have. so the balances on them can only go down now!

ive cancelled contracts/ payments on:-

• insurance on the pc's we use for work gone - saving £17.00 p/m
• subscription to Lovefilm - gone - saving £5
• subscription to Sky for ex's daughter / granddaughter - gone - £35 p/m
• subscriptions to gym - me and S1/ S2 - £90 p/m - ok I'm going to miss this more than anyone but its only fair that I take the cuts as well.
• BT line for daughter canx from Dec - unless she takes over paying it (not going to happen) - £15 per month

total saving each month 147 - will be 162 from xmas onwards.

Oh and ex got paid yesterday finally from the last contract he was working on. He was about to go out and buy his software he needs to get his next project when I said no, I'm paid first. He's written a cheque for £3000 and thats going into my account first thing this morning. Thats us back straight till the end of the month, Ive told him next week I want the money for next month - which he really wasnt expecting but hey ho thats life!:rotfl:

I actually feel like Im in control and I had completely forgotten what that felt like! :T

Hello Catandy :wave:

That'a absolutely fantastic news - on all financial fronts - well done to you and your family! :j :j

Sorry I didn't realise Ex's daughter lives so far away when I posted last - obviously he can't commute 300 miles - but as he's started contributing now, hopefully your set-up will work ok for long enough and he'll sort out his own place to live soon - meanwhile I do hope he's being supportive when your treatment is affecting you. Best of Luck with that, by the way (where's the 'cross-fingers touch-wood smiley' I wonder?).

Subscribed - your thread is very motivational; just what I needed to read this morning. :T

Rainbow_Bridge

Hi Catandy,

Your post warmed my heart. I can't believe you have achieved so much in such a short period of time.

Catandy for PM x.

catandy

you know what the big change is? that i finally feel back in control and thats something that ive missed for such a long time. Im not willing any more to make obligations to other people just for a quiet life, I want me and my kids to be able to start living so if for no other reason I need to do this for them. actually i quite like the feeling of having achieved something and being in control for once - very empowering, and I now know that i can and will pay off all this debt. because there is no-one going to stop me now!

thanks for the gentle push in the right direction everyone!