Focused on becoming debt free

Scuff

Hi just thought I'd let you know I've subscribed I know what you mean about wanting things NOW, my dad brought me up with him saving for everything, strictly against credit etc but somehow that skipped me at birth! I'm about a week and a half into my diary and feeling a strange mix of pull to spend and MASSIVE pull to have NSDs just these past few days. Luckily save is (for once) stronger than spend, although I think I have here to thank for most of that! It'll be interesting to see someone with a similar mindset get on and just so you don't feel like you're talking to yourself! x

Hugandroll

Thanks scuff I'll have a look for your diary so we can keep an eye on each other.

Paid £14.17 off the Barclaycard which was my original minimum payment I was informed wouldn't be taken by direct debit because I had made an overpayment :money:

justajamjar

subscribed and good luck HD

Smithfield

I have an old digital camera which I am going to put on both gumtree and ebay but I need to locate some AA batteries first as I'm not sure if there are any old photos on it! (or would putting the memory card in my new camera tell me?

Can you put the memory card into your laptop/Computer? Big Packet of AA's from poundland maybe if your gonna sell so you can show people it works. If you have some already, even better.

I don't have anything else to sell I don't think other than a small amount of broken crappy gold (very low value, may not even be hallmarked) which I doubt would bring me any income but worth a go I suppose rather than it sitting in my drawer at home.

Worth doing, say you get a tenner for your "broken and crappy" gold. That's a tenner off your debt = winner. I sent some absolute rubbish in a while back and got £8.70 lol

Hugandroll

Like you say a tenner is a tenner. I've music pagpied my DVDs so waiting for the label to come, that's £18 and I forgot I used to get graze boxes on a wed but I cancelled last week so will pay that off the cc - just under £4

Hugandroll

Rounded up the payment to £5 to get sub £1k will update sig.

[Deleted User]

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information[/b]
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 2
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 671.86 - statutory maternity pay - will change
Partners monthly income after tax....... 1261.59
Benefits................................ 134.8
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2068.25

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 290.5 - only part repayment so not reducing balance
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 111
Electricity............................. 65
Gas..................................... 65
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 49.75
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 141.14 You are spending nearly £1,700 a year on mobile phones. :eek: Cancel all at first opportunity and go PAYG.
TV Licence.............................. 15
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 60.4 Go Freeview/Freesat and get phone and internet for £25pm
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 350
Clothing................................ 20
Petrol/diesel........................... 90
Road tax................................ 16
Car Insurance........................... 32.43
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 10
Car parking............................. 0 - will change when back in work
Other travel............................ 40
Childcare/nursery....................... 0 - will change when back in work
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 21.81 - parents should really be paying this
Buildings insurance..................... 14.13
Contents insurance...................... 0 - included in the above
Life assurance ......................... 20.13
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 35 That's £420 per year. Try to reduce
Haircuts................................ 35 You are spending £420 per year on haircuts? Reduce
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 35
Reserve Fees............................ 44
Bank Account Fee........................ 15.8
Total monthly expenses.................. 1577.09

Hugandroll

Hi bedsit bob. We are a family of 4 so the presents and haircuts are reasonable when you take that into account.

We currently have 4 contracts, we will reduce to 2 when we can but have to keep 2 as dh setting up his own business and payg will not work for us.

We have zero in entertainment. I'm not prepared to give up virgin and dh needs their super fast broadband in order to earn a living.

I appreciate your input but I'm not as concerned with my SOA its my frivolous spending outside bills and food, we should have £300 left each month and we don't, that's what I need to sort out.

Hugandroll

So had a spend today . Forgot I had to try out a recipe to review for a cook book. Unfortunately my recipe had king prawns in it so £10 spent, also got ds1 Halloween costume included in that money, cost £3 :money:

Did a survey today - 75p reward but better than a poke in the eye.

[Deleted User]

Dear Hugandroll,
Just found your diary and it sounds like your'e doing really well with the overpayments to the CC. I too have just started my journey to becoming debt-free, and it sounds like we have similar upbringings- my parents would never have a CC- I was mortified to finally admit to them I had £20K+ debt, but its been the thing to keep me on the straight and narrow.

I hope you dont mind me commenting on your post about DS2 and plagiocephaly- but I wanted to say I have had experience of parents spending mega-money on helmets and star-bands and would be happy to share this with you if you'd like to PM me. Please dont think I'm a weirdo- I am completely sane (honest!).

GLx