Chapter 1 (Vanquishing Very) - Here's to 2013 and one debt at a time.

welshdreamer71

Hiyas lovely xx A massive well done on not battering hubby I know how disheartening it is to watch your built up bit of cash squandered away on a pint n fags we dont go out often but spending $70 over the new year literally killed me now ive got to replace that out of another budget ....

Well done on sticking with the diet how has today gone and wow inches lost are amazing, ive done a bit of fasting well actually there isnt a lot I havent tried its sticking at them thats my problem, the rubbish in the house is wrecking my attempts at mo but im back in work tomorrow so will be out of temptations way thank god!!! Water fasting I really enjoy I like the control...

So its post office next then eh, verys gone in a flash amazing!!

Housework*Fairy

Grocery/Petrol Fund: Was £500 – is £366.91

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £0.00
Money set aside for fire repair: £73.74
Money in change box (A) £12.00
Money in change box (B) £96.70
Money in bank: £389.92
Grand total: £572.36
Days left til payday: 27

Reduction since yesterday..+ 31.27 - this is because DS2 decided he wanted to spend his Christmas money on some new football boots which were £37 including delivery. So I've paid for it on my card, taken his cash and put it into the tin (but the payment hasn't left the bank yet so I'm still up). I've paid £2.43 for two more magazines (bad, bad habit) and DH must have taken some money to put towards some cigarettes. I also paid the £2 athletics money to Very leaving the princely sum of £1 owing.

Oh dear me. My diet caved in at around 6pm yesterday evening, I was just too bored and not distracted enough to not think about food. I was also really grumpy and as ketosis hadn't kicked in yet I was hungry and water wasn't cutting it so I had a word with myself and need to tackle the diet like I'm tackling the debts, slow and steady. Last time I did it, I had a holiday to prepare for whereas this time I don't really have the impetus to lose it fast and drastically. This meant I had to go to Morrisons and buy in some healthy stuff spent £16.17.

I'm feeling a bit sick to my stomach with worry at the moment. DH has been laid up with a virus over Xmas (although he felt well enough to go to the pub t'other day). Anyway he had been getting pins and needles in his arm so he went to the doctors today. She thought that was connected to a shoulder problem he had in the summer so has referred him for physio for that (and wasn't too worried) however when she took his pulse she said it was irregular and wants him to have an ECG (Monday). She also told him she didn't think he should go into work until he has seen the doctor for his results of his blood tests and ECG are back (probably Tuesday!). It's alright these doctors telling you to stay off work but he doesn't get paid for being off sick! So he's gone off to work this morning to finish off some stuff and to put in his last 3 days annual leave to 'fund' the time off. Obviously I hope to God there's nothing wrong with him to cause this irregular heartbeat but I also can't afford to drop to one wage :-(

I think rather than start paying the Post Office down from Saturday I'll put it into a separate savings account, so that if he does have to take any unpaid time off (God, I hope not) at least I haven't 'wasted' money by putting extra payments to the CC.

Igamogam

*de lurks*
Hope the OH is OK Fairy

welshdreamer71

Life Always throws a spanner in the works when things are finally going in the right direction don't they.

I really hope hubbys just a little run down after this virus and causing the problems but if he does need time off then im sure youl manage even if debt repayments are put on hold for a bit...

!!!!!! ! Regarding the diet but maybe get hubby sorted and kids back to school could be easier on the nerves and give you a little peace to concentrate on you x

Housework*Fairy

It does indeed. But I've been dreading something like this happening and perhaps 'payback' time is finally here for all the time we've spent living off credit. Oh well, at least I still have a job. if worst comes to the worst I'll have to go on a DMP which I really, really, don't want to have to do but it's not the end of the world is it?

Housework*Fairy

Grocery/Petrol Fund: Was £500 – is £366.91

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £0.00
Money set aside for fire repair: £73.74
Money in change box (A) £33
Money in change box (B) £71.20
Money in bank: £330.80
Grand total: £508.74
Days left til payday: 26

Reduction since yesterday...£63.62

£45.82 payment to HSBC credit card
£ 3.55 on bunny food
£ 9.75 Asda (when I went on the magazine spending spree)
£ 3.00 - DS2 footy practice
£ 1.50 - DH must have taken this to buy some cigarettes. We sorted out the subs money last night as he hasn't been near the treasurer in weeks and we were £2 up, which he threw into the tin (good lad!) so I guess he must have taken £3 odd this morning for some cigs.

This is feeling like a VERY long month already and we're only on 4th January

I had a go at on-line bingo yesterday as my friend has been extremely lucky lately. I've played it before but never won anything but I've only ever played with my own stake, going through quidco, and then playing the free / matched money. So I decided to use my own money, not go through any quidco sites etc to see if that made me any more lucky. Well it didn't. I staked £10, then Gala automatically gave me a £15 bonus, and I 'won' £14.56 on 2-lines so I withdrew £10 of the winnings and gambled the rest and didn't win any more. Oh well at least I didn't lose anything. *and to add insult to injury I received an e-mail telling me they weren't able to verify my identity so I would need to send them driving licence and bills before they'll pay me out!!!!

I'm still feeling really anxious about DH. He's decided to go into work after all today. He came home yesterday afternoon and seemed okay. It's to get over the virus that the nurse told him to take some time off work rather than the irregular heartbeat but I'll be glad when he's had the ECG (Monday afternoon) and seen the GP (Wednesday morning). I'm just worried in case he's going to keel over from a heart attack (he does say he's never felt palpitations or been aware that his heart rate is fast; hopefully it's just a temporary thing because of the virus).

I've got together a bin-liner full of old clothes from DS2 which weighs around 5-6kg (£2.50-£3.00) so I'm going to toddle off to the recycle shop in a bit, hopefully they will be open / staffed / have enough change then whatever I get can go into the savings 'holding' account to pulverise the post office once I know DH is going to last for a few more years yet.

And need to go to Morrisons to get something in for the tea...I'm going to take some coins with me, I've got £4 odd but when I took them down before Xmas, the coin star machine was full so I couldn't use them. Hopefully it will work today.

I've done very well on my diet and am - daredn't tell you the number of stones - (X) stone 0.4lbs (I was (X) stone 5.6lbs on Tuesday). I stuck to 1450 calories yesterday and have been enjoying healthy eating. And how about this for a cheap tea? Egg salad - 99p for 6 eggs, 46p for some lettuce and 82p for some tomatoes - it's lasted me for three nights and averaged at 76p per night!

AND - I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVEN'T REALISED THIS BEFORE. Quido have an in-store check in for 10p for Morrisons via iphone! ARGH I live so close to Morrisons that checking in on a daily basis wouldn't cause me any great hardship and earn me £36 a year! I've also sent my Quidco minimum payment to £1 and I have £3 odd in there so I should be getting a payment run soon which can go into the 'holding' account

Right then, off to write a shopping list, hope everyone in diary-land is doing good.

EDIT: My 3 bill came today, and the new tarrif is being applied already, so rather than £37.92 like it was at the end of December, at the end of January new ill is only £18.90 so those savings can go in holding account / Post office too.

fallen121

Bingo is a slippery slope. I would always recommend you go through Quidco, but don't hold out any hope of getting paid - Caesars, Gala and William Hill are ok, but some such as Bobs and Butlers I have waited 6 months or more. Caesars was a good one because I deposited £10, lost it, but then got £60 cashback. I ONLY go for sites where the cashback is more than the stake.

Never EVER re-deposit, however tempting - you will just lose it. I have seen people gamble away their Child Benefit in a morning. it is heartbreaking.

And think yourself lucky that Gala let you withdraw £10. Most places the minimum is £30. And some places they make you wager 4x your stake and bonus AND deposit £25 before they will let you withdraw anything. I worked out one site I went to you would have to wager around £1,000 before you could make a withdrawal based on their rules.

The identity rule is justified on the basis on "Money Laundering". Pah. It's just a ruse to hold onto your money. William Hill are better than some. I won £600 with them and they let me withdraw it AND keep my bonus money. I HAVE NEVER WON THAT MUCH EVER AGAIN. Most "good" prizes are reserved for rooms you can only get into if you deposit. Clever. Identity requirements are often not so strict if you use a debit card to deposit, it depends. On the whole the bigger the company, the more relaxed they are about withdrawals. Beware of small sites you have never heard of. You may win, but you'll never get your hands on the money!

I mainly play Bingo with free money or bonus money at sites that give away say £1 a day and then let you withdraw £30 if you win with free or bonus money but then cancel out the rest of your balance. But often I win just below the minimum withdrawal threshold (convenient, eh?) and then gamble it all away. Thank goodness it isn't real money!

Housework*Fairy

fallen121 wrote: »

Bingo is a slippery slope. I would always recommend you go through Quidco, but don't hold out any hope of getting paid - Caesars, Gala and William Hill are ok, but some such as Bobs and Butlers I have waited 6 months or more. Caesars was a good one because I deposited £10, lost it, but then got £60 cashback. I ONLY go for sites where the cashback is more than the stake.

Never EVER re-deposit, however tempting - you will just lose it. I have seen people gamble away their Child Benefit in a morning. it is heartbreaking.

And think yourself lucky that Gala let you withdraw £10. Most places the minimum is £30. And some places they make you wager 4x your stake and bonus AND deposit £25 before they will let you withdraw anything. I worked out one site I went to you would have to wager around £1,000 before you could make a withdrawal based on their rules.

The identity rule is justified on the basis on "Money Laundering". Pah. It's just a ruse to hold onto your money. William Hill are better than some. I won £600 with them and they let me withdraw it AND keep my bonus money. I HAVE NEVER WON THAT MUCH EVER AGAIN. Most "good" prizes are reserved for rooms you can only get into if you deposit. Clever. Identity requirements are often not so strict if you use a debit card to deposit, it depends. On the whole the bigger the company, the more relaxed they are about withdrawals. Beware of small sites you have never heard of. You may win, but you'll never get your hands on the money!

I mainly play Bingo with free money or bonus money at sites that give away say £1 a day and then let you withdraw £30 if you win with free or bonus money but then cancel out the rest of your balance. But often I win just below the minimum withdrawal threshold (convenient, eh?) and then gamble it all away. Thank goodness it isn't real money!

Thanks for the advice. I don't think I will be making a career out of playing Bingo, I was just glad I managed to win my stake back. I'm really unlucky at winning, I've never won a game at proper bingo, BUT on the other hand I hate paying out money as stakes, so I'll never become addicted (Gala must be a reputable site as they let you withdraw a minimum of £1)

VERY IMPORTANT MONEY UPDATE....

(drumroll) VERY is now PAID OFF. :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

It's taken me 5 weeks to pay off £225 in full

I went to Morrisons (and checked in - 10p). The coinstar machine gave me £4.87 and spat 30p back out at me, so I therefore bought £5.14 worth of shopping and used the spat out change to pay the difference. so £1 of that was used to pay off the catalogue.

*HAPPY DANCE* :beer::beer::beer::beer:

Made two trips to the recycle shop, first one at 10.15am and no-one was in, despite the "OPEN" sign on the door. Second trip at 10.35am was more successful, and I got £3 for my old clothes. So in total I've now transferred £7.14 to the 'holding' account.

Housework*Fairy

END OF PART 1

If you're interested Part 2 can be found here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/58347441#Comment_58347441

and signature duly updated with next target card

pennywisepoundstupid

:j:j Big well done on paying off Very, off to find part 2 and subscribe.