ConsumerP's Diary - road to a debt free life!

consumerpower

Hello...!!

I did write a massive bla bla yesterday, only to find I hadn’t logged in and had lost it all grrrrrrrr.:mad:

So I had my light bulb moment this week :j , after 6 months of absolutely debt denial hell , and a bit of a melt down on Sunday when I sent my OH a SOS text:eek: .

So this week we totalled all my debt which is stands at £32,500 :eek: :eek: and I handed over all my credit cards to my OH, my bank account card, my cheque book, all the mail etc…

Wednesday I starting writing down every penny I spent and I am going to do this, I’ve already started to get completely obsessive about it, and I even deliberately kept my receipt from Sainsbury last night so I could write it in my diary this morning!

I’ve have read lots of the people on the debt free honour list, which is so inspiring!

So hubby and I have re shuffled my debt, and I am going to be debt free by my 30th birthday, 3.5 years to pay off £32,500 whoo hoo. So we have taken a £25000 loan from natwest @ 7% . And then my hubby is going to loan me £7500, which will clear my £3500 overdraft and the rest of my credit cards £4000.

I have started all my claims against the banks for the fees, and hopefully I can use this to clear as much of the £7500 loan from my OH. Whatever is left will be paid back after I have paid off Natwest 3 year loan!

So we sat down last night, and chatted through all our money, how I am going to close my own bank account, and have my wages paid into the joint account. I have £56 a week to spend on me, just me all cash, and I can earn £10 a week cleaning on top (we pay our cleaner £20 a week, so she is getting the elbow today!) and another £4 to mow the lawn, so I can have £70 a week!

Which is actually much more than I have had in a long time! Hubby explained to me about saving, and not spending all my money at once, he was like save one week, the another week you can go spend £100 on clothes. Amazing that it seems all these things are clicking into place! I have just been spending non stop, and I did just think of well, I will worry about it when it runs out!

So anyways, last night I boxed up all my old jewellery, and wrote a list of the items I can take to cash converters! Like that PSP I got and played with for one day, and my ipod I used for about two weeks! And I started getting stuff ready for the car boot sale I am going to do on Monday! Figure if I can make some £££££ I might be able to reduce that £7.5K by £500 this weekend! Imagine that! Instead of spending £500 this weekend!

Its going to be a long road, but I am going to do it, and in some sick way, right now I am not daunted, I am feeling probably the best I have for ages! I feel….eekkkk in control! And I told my OH and he is still very much here!

We also agreed that I would be given cash for the next month or two, and then if I have proven myself I can get a switch card. I guess that is what happens when you break someone’s trust and go get yourself in a mess, ignore all there offers of help!

Also OH said we can still go on holiday in September, and he will pay!!!!!! Whoo hoo…..


So here is to the next 3 years! Watch out for me as I am on the road to a debt free life!!

SOA
£1820 - Net pay (after season loan, and student loan deductions)
£750 - Joint account payment includes share of mortgage, food, all house costs etc

£25,000 @ 5% - £755 per month repayment. 3 year Natwest Loan
£7500 @ 0% - Loan from OH to be paid after Natwest Loan
£127 @ 0% - Loan from OH for Next to be paid after this weekend!


Spend yesterday
£1.60 Stamps for bank charges letters
£36p Yorkie
£87p Rolls for sandwiches today (we did have bread at home to I am counting this)
Total: £2.83

weegie-dfw

Good luck with it all. It's great that your OH is being so supportive and can help you out.

Just take it one step at a time and it will be gone before you know it!

consumerpower

Thanks very much, got a feeling some days will be tough, but once these three years are over I keep thinking how much better off I will be!

It cant be anyworse than it has been recently!

consumerpower

It’s been a very eventful cash raising weekend, sold my PSP and some old jewellery to cash converters on Saturday for £130, so managed to pay off the loan my hubby gave me to clear my debt with Next. So that really makes my whole debts consolidated into two big loans! Also raised £50 from selling my telly to my next door neighbour, although I need to collect this from him! Also raised £135 from car boot, and have £20 left from last week.

Also raised some money on Sunday by cleaning OH car, and doing the garden, so I do have some cash! But also have appointment on Thursday for bra fittings at R&P, annoying that this cash will go on bra’s., but at least it is cash I have rather than going on a credit card! Hoping they really wont be that expensive, eekkk!

OH and I did row on Saturday morning when we phoned around to pay off the CC’s, they are so sneaky that you have to send a cheque and then once it is cleared you can cancel it, annoying that OH couldn’t pay using his switch card, no wonder we all end up in debt, I wonder how many people pay it off and then don’t cancel it and run it up again!

Also got a letter from Egg saying they had received my letter re bank charges, sure it is going to be a long process but hoping that eventually all the refunds will pay half off loan from OH.

I am feeling ok, although the reality that I only have £56 a week is setting in, no more big spulges, will really be a case of saving up, but to be honest I have need new bras for months and couldn’t afford them so I have not only taken leaps and bounds last week, but I am ticking a big one off my list as well. Next one is defo to get a new pair of glasses, or maybe just the lenses!

Have considered getting a Sunday job, would be good to be able to earn another £50 a week, might see on that one!

So I need to spend as little as possible until Thursday, when it is Bra day!


SOA
£1820 - Net pay (after season loan, and student loan deductions)
£750 - Joint account payment includes share of mortgage, food, all house costs etc

£25,000 @ 5% - £755 per month repayment. 3 year Natwest Loan
£8000 @ 0% - Loan from OH to be paid after Natwest Loan
£127 @ 0% Next - Paid 05/03/2007

Wannabesaver_4

Hey - well done you for such an inspiring start!

Just wanted to say i know how you feel on the bra front as R&P is the only place I can buy bras - they are amazing and last a lifetime so money well spent. I dont know if you have been there before but they are expensive - normally from £55 - £80 a bra.

Have fun x

consumerpower

Oh Thanks I know went last January time, and have warn my four bra's to death, they are great worth every penny. But I am now down to two, a red and a black one, so really need a white and maybe a neutral one!

Annoying that I have to fork out, but unavoidable, as they are the only place for me and I cant live without them!

But if anyone knows a dicount code that would really help me!

consumerpower

Oh so some good things have happened since my last post lets start with them!

Went to R&P to buy my bra's and managed to buy two for £80, which is very good, pushed the sales lady down saying I want something plainer than that, and end the end she showed me some ones that were only £40 each rather than the £80-90 ones! Bad thing is OH thinks they are awful and he is staying well clear of them!

But my extra good news is that, I got a bonus at work, which was such a shock. it is £2k before tax, so have agreed with OH, that I will pay him back £500, yippe, and put £500 toward our holiday in cyprus and then the rest will go on me! But I need some new glasses, so have filled out my form at work and will hopefully get a free eye test, then will be good and just get some new lens!


Have stuck to my budget, and have £10 left this week, I have spent £15! from next month it will be so much easier as have almost £70 to spend on me. But I would really like to save this and pay off my debt to OH. Which is about £8K right now, and just worked out on the basis I do get my bank charges back and I save approx £20 a week then i could do it in three years!


Bad things have been lots of times I have gone to my wallet and have found no money in there, guess it stops you spending but it is depressing! The weekend was hard as it was OH birthday and brought him a card, and a book. That was it, and I felt terrible, we went out for dinner on Saturday evening and he had to pay, felt like a right *$)"&(_$".

Although he said that telling him and getting things sorted was the best present I could have given him.

I have also put my tiffanys necklace and ticket to ladies at Ascot on Gumtree so hopefully someone will buy them. Have been very very good on the home made sandwhich front. Although I am so bored of my rolls, need some salad I think to cheer them up!

Also have sent Egg my response letter and according to the CAG website they have been paying out within a couple of days after receiving this!


Just hoping the next three years will fly

Indianna

Good luck in your quest to become debt free. A good thing to do is to ask yourself do you actually NEED the new item - if not DO NOT BUY IT. Buying just because you like it or it is nice is completely no go.

£100 on clothes!! do you NEED them or are they just nice to have/look good etc. Throw away the Next catalouge and return the cards.

Good luck buying just what you NEED

consumerpower

Indianna wrote: »

Good luck in your quest to become debt free. A good thing to do is to ask yourself do you actually NEED the new item - if not DO NOT BUY IT. Buying just because you like it or it is nice is completely no go.

£100 on clothes!! do you NEED them or are they just nice to have/look good etc. Throw away the Next catalouge and return the cards.

Good luck buying just what you NEED

Hi Indianna,

Not sure which £100 on clothes you are refering too, spent £80 on bra's which yes I did 100% need, as I only had two at the time.

consumerpower

Today I received an offer of £280 from Egg for my first bank charges claim, that it the full amount plus £8 interest I calculated!

Yippeee

angelavdavis

Well done and congratulations! Make sure you throw it at one of the debts though!