Catriona's Credit Card Countdown

catriona79

Haha Z, good thinking re the music! They woke me up last night with a screaming match but I was shattered and just prayed they would stop. Then I fell to sleep.

I'm sorry to hear you're off sick, I had no idea? Don't want to pry, just to show concern- how long are you likely to be off work? Understand it has an impact at recruitment stage.
IT, as you say, is very transferable and I have my fingers crossed for you that, when you want it, you are in the position to get it.

You sound terrifically well organised, what are you talking about?! So go on, spill the beans. Are you looking for a flat or a house? Alone or with partner? Done up or a fixer upper?

Clothing budget may come in handy actually. Got a date to see Ed Sheeran this Wednesday. With a guy who sounds so nice and level headed but with a sense of humour. I was in a tizzy as thought with having a handsome face and being nice, I thought he was really short - why is he single otherwise?
But no, 6'1"! Nice! It's important as I'm 5'10" and taller than many men... Last one I dated was a tiny bit shorter than me and I just couldn't get past it...

So anyway, back on the dating scene. The relationship of 3 years (almost) has gone terribly messy. Feeling pretty pooh but trying to just deal with it, the passing time is bound to make it feel better.

Hope everyone is is doing well? I'll be updating my budget totals again this weekend to keep me on track. Try to do this every weekend now.

Have a good Friday

ZTD

catriona79 wrote: »

Haha Z, good thinking re the music! They woke me up last night with a screaming match

Not good. I'm sure there's some heavy rock they can scream along to...

catriona79 wrote: »

but I was shattered and just prayed they would stop. Then I fell to sleep.

I'm sorry to hear you're off sick, I had no idea? Don't want to pry, just to show concern- how long are you likely to be off work?

Hopefully I'll get back at the end of this month. Got some tablets which are showing an improvement, so that's a bit more hope than even a couple of weeks ago.

catriona79 wrote: »

Understand it has an impact at recruitment stage.
IT, as you say, is very transferable and I have my fingers crossed for you that, when you want it, you are in the position to get it.

You sound terrifically well organised, what are you talking about?!

Not at all. I've been looking back at my paperwork and found stuff I've lost track of and have no idea what's happened with it.

catriona79 wrote: »

So go on, spill the beans. Are you looking for a flat or a house? Alone or with partner? Done up or a fixer upper?

I'm looking for a house alone. I would never even contemplate a flat. I'm not that bothered about what state it is in, so long as it's habitable. I don't mind living like I'm on the set of the Brady Bunch for a while so long as there's hot water for a bath and general warmth. Even if I walked into a fairly modern decor, I'd probably end up changing at least some of it.

catriona79 wrote: »

Clothing budget may come in handy actually. Got a date to see Ed Sheeran this Wednesday. With a guy who sounds so nice and level headed but with a sense of humour. I was in a tizzy as thought with having a handsome face and being nice, I thought he was really short - why is he single otherwise?
But no, 6'1"! Nice! It's important as I'm 5'10" and taller than many men... Last one I dated was a tiny bit shorter than me and I just couldn't get past it...

Now I must admit, I don't understand that sort of thing. Once you put heels on, you'll be taller than him. What's he going to do? Go all glam rock on you?

For me, once past a certain minimum standard of appearence (arms out the side, legs out the bottom, head out the top and nice skin - no fur or feathers or scales) it's the thoughts in someone's head that fall out of their mouth that are important. It's actually the hardest to fake too - you can wear clothes to make you appear thinner, but no hat in the world can make you appear less stupid... :rotfl:

catriona79 wrote: »

So anyway, back on the dating scene. The relationship of 3 years (almost) has gone terribly messy. Feeling pretty pooh but trying to just deal with it, the passing time is bound to make it feel better.

:grouphug:

catriona79 wrote: »

Hope everyone is is doing well? I'll be updating my budget totals again this weekend to keep me on track. Try to do this every weekend now.

Have a good Friday

You too.

beanielou

Take care Z

catriona79

That's great news about the new tablets, :grouphug:

Re decor and buying somewhere to do up, yes definitely I'm with you. It's better to get it to look like you want it to look, rather than live with someone else's taste because it's recent and you we feel bad about getting rid of it.

Re height, I'm going by my last dating experience, and it was bad because he was a little shorter than me in my flattest flats. I don't know but it was weird. In addition to me just generally not feeling any chemistry whatsoever. I think 3 inches difference is enough, I dot ever wear three inch heels, so he will still be taller than me.
And I do know what you mean that it's not the most important thing, that what's in their heads is far more important. I know it all, but it felt so uncomfortable walking next to this shorter guy, and when he went to kiss me, and in the pictures he's always shorter... Makes me cringe. Wish it didn't!

:rotfl: glam rock!!!!!!!! Hopefully not!!!!!! Can you imagine my face? Not impressed

Right - time to get up! I've got a hair appt to go to. Well timed for the date, coincidentally.

Have a good day and hope you're feeling better Z.

ZTD

catriona79 wrote: »

That's great news about the new tablets, :grouphug:

Not quite great news, I'm still having a bit trouble with dosing, but it's a definite improvement.

catriona79 wrote: »

Re height, I'm going by my last dating experience, and it was bad because he was a little shorter than me in my flattest flats. I don't know but it was weird. In addition to me just generally not feeling any chemistry whatsoever. I think 3 inches difference is enough, I dot ever wear three inch heels, so he will still be taller than me.
And I do know what you mean that it's not the most important thing, that what's in their heads is far more important. I know it all, but it felt so uncomfortable walking next to this shorter guy, and when he went to kiss me, and in the pictures he's always shorter... Makes me cringe. Wish it didn't!

I had a meeting through work with a woman who must have been 6' 4". I guess she must be used to it. Even the tallest guy in our office is only that.

catriona79 wrote: »

Right - time to get up! I've got a hair appt to go to. Well timed for the date, coincidentally.

Enjoy yourself.

catriona79 wrote: »

Have a good day and hope you're feeling better Z.

You too.

catriona79

Hello dear money savers, if you are reading this.

Another return to the flock, another bout of enthusiasm and another plan. We shall see where it takes me.

I've rented out my spare bedroom (lodger is lovely) and looking to rent out the third one now, so having viewings.

The plan is to pay off some of the debt and see where I am at. Maybe invest in something, but that remains to be seen.

My income has gone up to £2080, and my lodgers will bring in £900 a month in total, meaning that I will be able to spend about £1200 a month on debt/saving.

My initial plan is to tackle one of the credit cards (this month and August), and to pay it off completely.
It's the V*rg*n card! where I have a credit limit of 12k :eek: and a debt of £1050.
I think my overall credit rating will be better after I've closed down the card.

I've also got a regular saver maturing at the end of the month with a nice £3600 sitting in it, so then I'll have to see what to do, pay some £ off the remaining two cards or not... I suspect I'll just leave it in a savings acc for now, as both cards are 0% for another 9 months or thereabouts, so the cash can make me some money meanwhile. But maybe psychologically it would be better to pay it off. I'll have to do a new SOA and work it all out.

I'll also be getting rid of Sky and going over to virgin, as paying £80 a month, where withV I could easily halve it, even with movies.
I do want to get the movies for the house /lodgers.

Right, off to SOA again....

catriona79

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 2080
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 900
Total monthly income.................... 2980

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 438
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 150
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 100
Electricity............................. 40
Gas..................................... 45
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 20
Telephone (land line)................... 17
Mobile phone............................ 20
TV Licence.............................. 12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 20
Internet Services....................... 13
Groceries etc. ......................... 170
Clothing................................ 150
Petrol/diesel........................... 100
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 40
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 20
Car parking............................. 10
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 10
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 5
Contents insurance...................... 5
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 50
Haircuts................................ 70
Entertainment........................... 40
Holiday................................. 100
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1645

Assets
Cash.................................... 3600
House value (Gross)..................... 210000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 10000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 223600

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 100680...(438)......2.49
Secured Debt.................. 10395....(150)......2.49
Total secured & HP debts...... 111075....-.........-

Unsecured Debt
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Halifax CC ....................6310......64........0
Santander CC ..................2950......30........0
Virgin Money CC................1050......11........0
Total unsecured debts..........10310.....105.......-



Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,980
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,645
Available for debt repayments........... 1,335
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 105
Amount left after debt repayments....... 1,230



Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 223,600
Total HP & Secured debt................. -111,075
Total Unsecured debt.................... -10,310
Net Assets.............................. 102,215

Created using the SOA calculator at https://www.stoozing.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission, using other browser.[/font]}

catriona79

So, with a bit of luck with new lodger, I may finally actually pay off a card, rather than just moving it to the next one! Here's hoping.

Have a great weekend everyone.

cwal

Hey Catriona great to see you back on the boards, just a thought about closing your virgin card once you have cleared the balance - I think lenders look at the percentage of available credit you have used and a high percentage is seen as a bad thing so rather than closing it down it may be worth keeping it so your debt to credit ratio looks better and they may offer you another transfer rate in the future (especially once the balance is at 0) so this could give you an option if one of your other deals expires. Sounds like a great plan with the 2 lodgers though!
Have a great weekend.

catriona79

Hmmm that's interesting to know, cwal...

So, my question is: below is a list of all my credit cards, limits and used credit. Would be great to hear people's advice on whether to close down the virgin card. They offer me deals all the time, but I could get better ones elsewhere, so not been tempted.

Card................Credit limit.......Current balance

Virgin.............£12,600........... £1050
Hsbc...............£4,000.............. £0
Post office.......£3800...............£0
Halifax............£6500...............£6310
Santander........£4000..............£2950


My salary is 35k.