oh my life...... Light Bulb moment.

Thistlewhistle

Hi MiMi,

Reading your thread with interest and I'd like to subscribe to follow your progress if that's ok. I'm trying to pay off my credit cards too. Not as much as yours but still a millstone!!

You've been so brave to face your issues. Don't berate yourself for falling foul of it. You're not the only one!

Keep fighting! Now I've started, I'm sort of enjoying this paying off lark! It might take some time to break free but you'll get there and you'll enjoy the ride as everyone on here is so positive and supportive.

Your status says you need a hug so here's a cyber one!!!
:grouphug:

TW

MiMi66

Hi All

Another pay day and another set of payments made! Still very broke and now considering adding extra work to the list of To do's. I don't relish extra shifts as the full time job is exhausting but needs must.
So the debt is under £21000:-) yay!
What a haul this is but I am determined!

Jox

Hi Mimi66, well done on tackling the debt, is there anything you can trim off your day-to-day outgoings, satellite tv, buying lunches, buying coffees etc? That money can go towards the debts.
Sounds like you're making good progress

clayre1979

Hi Mimi66,

I've also had a lightbulb moment this week so you're not alone. My Husband and I are in for the long haul going forward with almost £40k in debt to clear....I really wish I had something to show for it, but like you there isn't really much, just life's circumstances getting in the way!

Good luck, I'm hoping that being on here will help encourage me to keep going on the dark days!

LannieDuck

MiMi66 wrote: »

I don't seem to be able to find the time to do eBay for my small pile of things to sell. Starting to think about doing a car boot instead. I think working full time and juggling family life seems to leave too little room for some things.

Ebay does take quite a bit of time, but it's definitely worth it. (I made £400 in three months from stuff that I didn't want. I could kick myself at the amount of stuff I've given to charity shops over the years that I should have tried selling first!). Would your 18 year old be willing to take on the job? Maybe you could 'pay' her 10% of the profits?

Otherwise, a carboot sale would take less time/effort, but I think prices do tend to be very low.

If you mostly have children's things to sell, maybe you could take a table at your local NCT nearly new sale?

MiMi66

Hi Clayre,

Thanks for your vote of confidence and you to Jox and Lannie Duck,
Good luck with the at debt payback too - I know it can take years but better to get started and evntually the light will shine through as you see the end of the tunnel.

The debt is slowly coming down in the right direction and I am trying to live more wisely when it comes to money - no necessarily tight tight but a lot tighter than ever before. I am aiming to pay back about £3000 a year, which when added to waht I am now not racking up in debt (on average £4000 a year) makes a £7000 lifestyle cut - I was spending money that wasn't mine.

No satellite TV to cut I am afraid, those things went last summer (and we don't miss them at all - Love iplayer and freeview!) Gave up bought lunches and never been a coffee out fiend - only very occasionally maybe once a month if that. I guess my wekness is being a foodie - I get slightly overexcited by organic vegetables and jam....so sad.....but I guess it is good I really don't have a massive high end habit - cookwear maybe.... a bit guilty there. Hasn't food gone up and up and up in price!

I have managed to also save £900 over the year - fortunately as I have a £300 car bill which I can at least pay in cash. I am also going to fund a camping trip in a wigwam in the summer for the kids - Shropshire here we come! So it is good to have a balance of paying back, not spending and also having something fun to look forward to that I can pay in cash for and not rack up debt. I cannot remember thelast time I had a holiday that I didn't end up balance transferring the costs to the monster debt. I feel pretty proud.

I know some people would say no holidays while dealing with debt, however I made the decision that as my kids are teens, and my daughter will move on next year to Uni, I really want to make the most of the time we are a family in this way - life changes and I am sure having an adult daughter will be fab, but I am intending to enjoy this summer with her. Mind you I think she is going to enjoy the summer more - she is off to Italy with friends and then to Germany with college - largely funded by her 4 hours a week part time job while she's been at college and a little bit from a childhood savings acoount I started for her when she was 2 - The bulk of it is for uni padding - not much but a bit to ease those years. She'll be joining the masses getting student loans and maintenance loans I am afraid. She is a good saver (may be the answer a little to why I have debt me thinks) and squirrels away money ever so well.

Righht off to update my totals - I am down to £20818 - I am 10 weeks off being under £20K!!

Good luck everyone reading this who needs a boost too!

MiMi66

Oh and ebay and Amazon! I have listed things there today that we hope to sell - this is specifically for my son to buy some sports things with the proceeds - I am really trying to live by the motto of if we don't have the money we can't buy anything else - so he is selling games and cd's etc that are no longer wanted. I am thinking that the money from the sales will be valued by the children while I throw all my spare cash at the cards.

theoretica

Can you set your children to doing the selling? You would need to be responsible and supervise as I don't think you are permitted a paypal account at under 18, but either paying them to do it, or when the money goes on their stuff anyway this might save you time?

32b3in2013

Hi MiMi66

Just read your diary and you sound really on top of things, and positive. I have subscribed, and will come along with you for the ride if that's OK?

I can really recommend ebay, the money soon adds up.

Good luck

32b3

MiMi66

Well we had our first ebay sale! a very small sum, which my son is pleased to tell me is his (we did get rid of Halo Reach, so I got my reward!) And we have sent of £70 worth of other games and CD's to Music Magpie so that will go in his Orthodontic fund (can you believe they want £1987 to sort out his teeth - apparently he doesn't meet threshold for NHS orthodontics and we'd have to go private.)

And Friday is pay day and therefore pay off a bit more debt day - it will bring it down to under £20500 - still have to say it fast, but it means my first £1000+ will be paid back. I have to break it into mental chunks other wise I just start to panic about the overall figure. It actually works out at over £2000 paid back if I count from worst debt moment rather than my light bulb moment - I still don't understand why I didn't freak out at the £22668 mark? It was when I started paying it back that I went down like a burst air balloon - almost up in flames. Anyway - we are living more frugally and it is OK.

I do want to take my daughter clothes shopping in the summer and hopefully we will have some savings behind us to do that. As well as that camping trip when the sun shines.

I've arranged a slow repayment of the car insurance costs - that was a nasty suprise but I am glad they can take it from my salary at £25 a month - is a lease car, and the money is because of an car park bump accident. Frustrating as the other person was at fault but is now denying it - no witnesses means no case against him. Grrrr.

So it goes on though, and I have to keep up my will power - I am such a fine foodie junkie, I am now having to face how much I spend on that front. I am trying hard to get us by on £450 a month for food, school lunches and petrol - it's not easy when you have a weakness for deli and ethically produced food....hmmmm. Food for thought - pun intended! But I guess there are people out there who are doing it on even less than me so I shall try not to feel too glum about it.

I ought to celebrate really - my mortgage is heading downwards too - still on repayment and managing it - (£111500) It was around £130000 a few years ago so that is good - please let the interest rates stay low!! I've got a 1.39% above base tracker for life :-)

So debt crusher me....Got to laugh really - what a fine old mess! hope everyone else is doing well, but please don't beat me to wining the lottery! Oh I remember now - you have to buy a ticket to win - and I am too tight to buy one these days!:rotfl: