Somewhere over the rainbow...

Homemadehappiness

Hi Everyone,

So I thought I would start a diary to help me stay on the straight and narrow, I had my LBM in 2009 when my debts mounted to over 20k, I then worked hard and more than halved them taking the new total to around 10k I was then unemployed for a period of time which saw my debt creep back up I then found a job and a month later my husband was made redundant. Its really felt like 1 step forward 2 steps back for a long time!

So our current situation is this, I am working full time while my husband is still unemployed - he is searching for work but as had no luck as yet

With my income alone we are about breaking even, though we are definitley feeling the pinch! I am planning for Christmas and have been buying gifts every week to spread the cost, I am also only buying sale items and have not paid full price for anything :T

I am snowballing and I am currently aiming to pay off a catalogue bill that has a 44.9% APR rate :eek::eek: my current catalogue balance is £2509.56 :eek::eek::eek::eek: Out of this though 'only' £1, 192.56 is incurring interest as the rest is on buy now pay later :-/ I am currently making a payment a day off the catalogue in order to reduce the balance!

Our other debts include a credit card, overdraft, loan, family, laptop credit and a debt agency... I am making all payments on those and no doubt will talk about them in more detail as the diary progresses but for now im just going to focus on the catalogue!

Hoping to share my debt free journey with some lovely people and who knows i may even find the end of the rainbow very soon xxx

Victoria2322

Hello! Looking forward to watching you find the end of the rainbow When your other half gets a job i am sure you will pay it of quicker! Good Luck!

Homemadehappiness

Thanks for dropping by Victoria

Well fingers crossed I have sold my old pushchair which I will be getting £100 for, just waiting to hear back from the buyer regarding pick up etc.

I've also seen on another diary that its free listing on eBay today so may list some things this evening once bubs is in bed

I am going to jump on the laptop later and make my PAD for the day and also try and devise some kind of plan to tackle the debt - may have a look at the dif challenges and sign up to one or two xx

ChocaholicHandbagQueen

Hi, just found your diary

You've done really well to get your debts down so much and managing on one income. I think I'm going to do the same as you, I'm going to focus on clearing one storecard then move on to the others.

Good luck with your diary, I've subscribed now

Victoria2322

ooh Well Done on your ebay sell! Might see you on the Challenges

Im subscribing

Homemadehappiness

What challenges are you going for Victoria? I am currently doing the payment a day one and have paid £9.56 off my catalogue today to round the figure down to £2,500 :eek:

Also spent the afternoon job hunting with hubs and tweaking his CV - fingers crossed it pays off soon :-/

I'm starting to think about my overdraft - not sure if anyone can offer any advice on the best way to reduce it? I get paid into the account so it kinda just gets swallowed up? not sure if I should try and save the cash seperatley and once i have a bulk phone the bank and pay it off and ask them to reduce it, but the charges are pretty crippling - grrrr xxx

Homemadehappiness

Slowly listing things on ebay...

sorry for the continous posts - it keeps me foccussed x

Hugandroll

Hi homemade, I'm subscribing if you don't mind. I'm focusing on one debt at a time too and have been overpaying my credit card first. I'm on maternity leave so also feeling the pinch a bit but I'm determined to be debt free other than my mortgage by July 2015 ( some of mum debt will go on mortgage as it was to help buy the house).

[Deleted User]

Heyyyy - I am subscribing too sounds like you have it all planned out.

I just started a diary a couple of days ago think this will be my 3rd! Its defo gonna be my last.

I am in debt to just over 12k with 4 creditors - The longest one I have is a loan that runs until June 2017 but I am aiming to have it all paid of by December 2015.

Best of luck on your journey xxx

Homemadehappiness

Hi Hugandroll thanks for posting good luck with the credit card! I hope to be debt free by June 2016 as thats when I turn 30. Hope you are enjoying your maternity leave - I do miss it sometimes!

Hi Dolly Rocker - good luck on your debt free journey, i have a had 2 or 3 diaries before but I am determined this it now - Just sick of living this way - grrrr. December 2015 will be here before you know it xx

[Deleted User]

Me too hon - My problem is that I just want everything now & dont want to wait so I need to get out of that mindset!

I think its just cos its so easy to get in debt but then its so hard to get back out of it.

Oh well ho hum one day when we're debt free we can look back at this as a long learning curve haha

Dxxx