Chapter 2 - Pulverising the Post Office - one debt at a time

mooomin

Things now say PAID in red, have you done all your cash moving now?

If you have CLOSE the credit cards you have paid off immediately. Don't keep them for emergencies or rainy days or any of that. You've done that before and it doesn't work for you.

Remove your overdraft limits NOW. Keep a £100 buffer in case of direct debit issues, but other than that you have no need of them so CANCEL them.

Housework*Fairy

Well all of my debt-shuffling is done as per above. However it's going to be a tense wait to see if the balance transfers both go through as I think I have gone over by 25p (over the allowed amount) and I'd forgotten about the transfer fee so didn't pay as much off the Natwest card as I had planned. Hopefully for 25p they'll let it go....(I discovered the balance transfers could be done online)

DH got paid a day early today (woo). Although I have done all the banking today that I would normally do on pay-day, I refused to allow him to take any money out. (he was v understanding though, especially when he saw I had bought coffee)

Also transferred my petrol and groceries money across. I had £122.77 still in there and I have gone for a grand total of £450.00 this month as £500 was plentiful over 5 weeks last month so I transferred £327.23 across to make up the balance. Then spent £12.84 on groceries because I wont get the chance to go shopping tomorrow. For my money I got 2 days of evening meals, coffee and 2 lunches for me at work including a bottle of cordial. Although I got them today that was for the sake of convenience so it's coming out of my Feb budget (total left £437.16)

It's been well difficult trying to work out a credit balance on my bank account – I am not used to working in plus figures.

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £1.00
Money in change box (A) 0.00
Money in spends account: £1174.65
Grand total: £1175.65
Days left til payday: 29

It looks good but I will have road-tax (£118.25) and Wembley (£295) to debit straightaway tomorrow or Friday. I will also have to transfer some money to the bills money either £52 or £107 depending on when the MBNA want paying (my statement date is going to be 20th, so I'm thinking I might not have to make a payment in February). My loan payments will go out on 24th of each month.

Out of the money remaining I need to pay £110 for coach fare, DH and DS1 both have birthdays, and my Godson is 11 on Friday so I'll have to put some money in a card for him. Activities money will be £93.25 this month so roughly £450 for everything else this month. DH is completely understanding that he can't get spoilt on his birthday and DS2 is just asking for a computer game.

Housework*Fairy

mooomin wrote: »

Things now say PAID in red, have you done all your cash moving now?

If you have CLOSE the credit cards you have paid off immediately. Don't keep them for emergencies or rainy days or any of that. You've done that before and it doesn't work for you.

Remove your overdraft limits NOW. Keep a £100 buffer in case of direct debit issues, but other than that you have no need of them so CANCEL them.

I am definitely going to close all of the credit cards that I have paid off. I have the Tesco one for emergencies. That and the HSBC one are the only ones I know PIN numbers for, but I will close HSBC.

Housework*Fairy

welshdreamer71 wrote: »

Hiya lovely I can imagine how hard that was to write down as ive hidden my spending for years but like you am finally getting a handle on my spending... You seem to have a complete solution for the $10,000 youve borrowed and I can imagine how relieved you must be to pay off these and just have the 1 loan i've done exactly the same last year or so every time I clear one of my bills I plonk another on my barclaycard and plod away clearing that i've been lucky and not really gone backwards just sidewards a little with my spending but this time I will hand over the cards to stop me spending...

I think when you have done all these transfers to whoever you will fly with debt repayments look what you've achieved since xmas with the catalogue then the Wembley tickets in a month especially as you'l have more money in the pots to PAD i'd say choose which gives you best mental well being (sounds dramatic) but anyone who's laid awake thinking about debt repayments knows what I mean...

Are you going to keep anything by for a family treat or just whack the whole lot off my mum side would say save a bit for a treat my focussed paying debt side would pay every single penny off !!

Keep up your diary tho lovely its fab and I read daily just don't always have time to reply!! And it will also keep those penny kerching'ing into the pots, I've pinched your monthly grocery card idea and am going to try this as I get paid cash it dwindles instantly if i've no where to aim it at so 'im putting my $300 onto card and intend paying it off monthly with cash wages... Enjoy your plotting tonight xx

Paying the overdrafts off won in the end! You hit the nail on the head when you called in 'mental wellbeing' it feels so good having a credit balance.

I'm definitely not keeping any back for treats. We don't need any possessions and we're having a family trip to Wembley which is costing the same as a bloomin' weekend away to Blackpool (although everyone is in agreement that they want to go).

Thanks for your support, it really does mean a lot to me that people are reading. I know people can't post every day, what else can you say when someone has been carrying the same £1 round in their purse for a month, etc etc and I'm glad my separate grocery account (even if I'm doing it on a CC I'm doing it for points) has inspired you.

mooomin

Housework*Fairy wrote: »

I have the Tesco one for emergencies.

*stern face*

Careful now...!

welshdreamer71

Thats her points for xmas prezzie card lol...

So whats chapter 3 called ??? Fairys go to Wembley ? lol

Hope your really proud of yourself youve done fab!! and hubby realises too x

Housework*Fairy

Back again

I didn't get the chance to post yesterday as it was late when I got in from college

Groceries: (will need to update this later as I got petrol)

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £1.00
Money in change box (A) £56.00
Money in change box (B) £72.49
Money in spends account: £561.40
Grand total: £690.89
Days left til payday: 27

Reduction since last time: £484.76

Where has the money gone:
£118.25 - Road Tax
£295.00 -- wembley
£12.00 - bus fares
£22.70 - school dinners
£10.00 - in Godson's birthday card
£2.69 - birthday cards x 4
£5.50 - Groceries from Asda (DH forgot to put them on the CC)
£3.60 - cigarettes
£0.60 - stamp
£15.00 - owed to subs tin for Petrol

Housework*Fairy

sorry I haven't posted in a week! DH and I had a massive argument last Friday (over money) and he sulked for two days accusing me of being controlling and treating him like a child. This really upset me and has taken all the shine off my new found frugal-ness so there was no 'fun' (is that the right word) in keeping track of money. Anyway we're back to normal now so I'll crack on again.

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £1.00
Money in change box (A) £48.50
Money in change box (B) £9.00
Money in spends account: £327.69
Money in savings account: £110.00
Grand total: £496.19
Days left til payday: 21

Reduction since last week: £173.70

Where's the money gone? Bviously after a week I can't really account for every penny.
£40 in a birthday card for DS2 who was 10 this week
£20 in a birthday card for DH whose birthday is today
£50.00 to bills account to cover the shortfall
£10.00 to bills account to cover a £10 cheque. No idea what this is for!
£18.21 on a McDonalds tea for DS2's birthday (plus 5 friends)
£10.00 which DH took on Tuesday
£0.99 on a Kindle deal of the day book
£6.00 that I spent at Morrisons on non-grocery stuff yesterday
£2.00 for DS1 athletics on Saturday
£2.00 for DS2 athletics on Tuesday

(leaves £14.50 unaccounted for which is probably mostly DH as he definitely took a tenner when he stomped off on Saturday in a huff, and to my knowledge I haven't spent any cash on myself yet)

Grocery spends:
£14.51 on Wednesday (this was for 3 evening meals and some dilute pop)
£28.38 last Friday (Home Bargains, snacky stuff)
£?? spent on Saturday in Morrisons – I have lost the receipt for this but I will have to track it down as there was some non-grocery shopping on it that I will need to reimbuse.
£0.86 (forgot to buy meatballs so had to go back in after the big shop)

I was very proud of myself this week. DS2 and his school have been learning about space and on Thursday they sent a letter home asking us to send the kids in fancy dress on Tuesday with a space theme. I posted on facebook asking for ideas and someone suggested a satellite. I formulated a picture in my head and using my collander, 5m of silver foil (39p), some drinking straws (a box for 59p) and uggins of sellotape I transformed him into Sputnik 1 for the grand total of 98p. Ker-Ching! Some of the mums spent up to £20 on shop-bought outfits but I refused to do this on the basis he would only be wearing it once.

And I've gone and put our wembley coach money to one side too.

Right then hi ho, hi, ho, it's off to work I go – have a good day y'all

Housework*Fairy

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £8.11
Money in change box (A) £46.50
Money in change box (B) £9.00
Money in spends account: £314.37
Money in savings account: £110.00
Grand total: £496.09
Days left til payday: 20

Reduction since yesterday £8.21

£3.00 on a sandwich and a pasty from Greggs
£3.32 – cigarettes (last night)
£2.00 – subs for athletics on Thursday
£0.79 – tub of margarine

I've started to become complacent again. I haven't been keeping up to date with my washing which meant last Saturday (and tomorrow) I had the tumble drier on most of the day or else I wou;dn't have anywhere to dry it. Last Saturday I washed five loads, and put four of them in the drier. Same will probably happen tomorrow.

I've also stopped trying to keep the heating to a minimum. Instead of putting my slanket on, and my uggs, and then putting the electric heater on if it gets cold, I just whack the electric heater on. I did put my meter reading in for January (79 units of gas; roughly £95 and 472 units of electricity; roughly £57). However EDF wont produce a bill until January 2014 so although my payment has come off my debit balance, my useage hasn't gone on! I haven't even bothered to read the meter in February yet.

I have however finally got around to setting up a direct debit for my prescription pre-payment certificate. I had to go and get a dental prescription for antibiotics on Monday so I quickly set one up from that date.

Housework*Fairy

Cash-in-hand situation:
Money in purse £6.01
Money in change box (A) £41.50
Money in change box (B) £4.00
Money in spends account: £255.32
Money in savings account: £110.00
Grand total: £416.83
Days left til payday: 17

Reduction since last time...£79.26

£25.50 – printer ink
£15.00 – hair cuts x 3
£1.97 – Tesco – Saturday – snacks for footy
£5.00 – Greggs pasties from Iceland
£3.00 – subs for football on Friday
£13.55 – debit interest in spends account
£3.00 – football subs for Thursday
£12.24 – unaccounted for, probably DH

Grocery shopping done since Wednesday
£17.92 in Tesco on Friday night
£5.76 in Asda on Saturday night
£24.71 in Home Bargains on Friday night
£?? in Home Bargains on Saturday morning (wine and crisps – can't find receipt)

Really need to get a grip and stop losing my receipts.

Also need to pay attention because I've just paid £25.50 into my Post Office account instead of the Tesco CC to reimbuse myself for the ink cartridges. I know I'll get it back but I need to take care!