Catriona's Credit Card Countdown

catriona79

Hello hello

Is everyone feeling Christmassy already? I'm beginning to

I'm posting because I need to whip up some enthusiasm about getting a little bit further ahead in this venture, it always helps.

Need some positivity.

Got a couple of lovely cards today from my parents, which were good to read, they were asking what I wanted to eat for Christmas! Yumster.

Got rent in from L1, it's in the account and I just couldn't bring myself to send it to the Virgin card. Instead, I paid it into my 5% savings account - it is so hard to part with it! It's not my money, really, but I don't want to give it to them:) my 0% on the Virgin card runs out at the end of January, so I figure it can earn me £5 in interest before I pay the card off. Ridiculous I know! Maybe I just need to do it, the joy at closing an account will be immense! And I can cross it off on here too

Does anyone else feel like that I wonder, or have I become slightly obsessed!?

Updated my signature after the rent money, I'm nearly 60% debt neutral. Getting there. Salary will be in on Friday and then my card payments will go out too, so should definitely break through the 60%.

Right, time to get up and face the day! Whoop whoop!

beanielou

Sounding good

catriona79

Thank you Lou x

catriona79

Had a nice date yesterday. My last four dates were very pleasant, and the men were really decent and had their act together.
The lovely guy last night had a beautiful Irish accent - I'm sold! And looks like the last two liked me too, as they keep in touch and are trying to arrange another meet up. Obviously, it's early days and we are all dating. Bur it's nice to meet men who are like that, it brought back belief in men.

On another note, it's pay day tomorrow, so coffee in bed and note down the next milestones. And plan for the future.

Orange_Ena

Hey Catriona.

Congratulations on the good news with your job. Must be a huge relief :T

Sorry, or maybe not so sorry that L2 is moving out. She does sound a bit more hassle than she's worth though. I think getting a new person while you've got the momentum might be a good idea, otherwise a longer break may give you a taste for only 1 lodger! Good luck finding the perfect match for you and L1.

I think you're quite within your rights to get her to pay for the washing machine to be properly sorted but she's blimming lucky you're going to try and fix it. Don't feel bad if you have to get it fixed properly, her fault.

Ooh more dates, how very exciting. Glad there's a couple in there that are floating your boat. :rotfl:

Great money updates, all going the right way. Hey, if you can earn another free fiver before paying the CC off, do it! Very :money:

Sending lots of positivity your way.....you've totally got this

Happy payyyyyydayyyyyyyyyy :j:T:j:T:j:T:beer::D Have a brilliant weekend

catriona79

So, here we are again.

Payday has been and gone, and we are all getting closer to being free of our debts (or neutral, at any rate!)

I'm happy because:
- my net debt now stands at £3,330, which is only 21% of the original amount.
- I have filled my two TSB savings accounts and that means that the £s are making more baby £s. Also, you know when psychologists say that most people are somewhere on the autistic spectrum... I think I definitely am, as it really appeals to me that the numbers in the account are so beautitifully equal and plain, with no stragglers.
- I have opened a new Clydesdale current acc and transferred a couple of direct debits. They pay £150 within 70 days, so hopefully at the start of March I will have a little extra income that can go towards debt. Fingers crossed!

The month ahead is going to be tight, but that's ok!
- I don't have to pay the mortgage this month, but I need to give L2 £600 (minus washing machine expense) back. As she's not a tenant, I don't need to protect the deposit by law, so I just keep it with my savings.
- I'm going to have to pay my uni fees, another 300-odd. I'll stick that on the CC and pay off next month.
- I had to pay 2 parking tickets (£110!) for overstaying at a supermarket car park by 15 minutes (they only allow 90minutes..) - that's a massive waste of money. I've got to be very careful now. And I won't go to that supermarket again. Stomp stomp.
- I'm going to try internet shopping for groceries and use some introductory offers, also to buy little gifts, like biscuits and sparkling wine.

catriona79

Orange_Ena wrote: »

Hey Catriona.

Congratulations on the good news with your job. Must be a huge relief :T

Sorry, or maybe not so sorry that L2 is moving out. She does sound a bit more hassle than she's worth though. I think getting a new person while you've got the momentum might be a good idea, otherwise a longer break may give you a taste for only 1 lodger! Good luck finding the perfect match for you and L1.

I think you're quite within your rights to get her to pay for the washing machine to be properly sorted but she's blimming lucky you're going to try and fix it. Don't feel bad if you have to get it fixed properly, her fault.

Ooh more dates, how very exciting. Glad there's a couple in there that are floating your boat. :rotfl:

Great money updates, all going the right way. Hey, if you can earn another free fiver before paying the CC off, do it! Very :money:

Sending lots of positivity your way.....you've totally got this

Happy payyyyyydayyyyyyyyyy :j:T:j:T:j:T:beer::D Have a brilliant weekend

Hello Ena,

Thanks for the encouragement! I feel I need it a bit more now, don't know why.

L2 is definitely more trouble than anything; what annoys me most is the fibbing. Nothing is ever her fault, she was telling L1 that she was sorry L1 was having to go to the laundrette, but quickly corrected herself to say she wasn't sorry because she'd done it, only that L1 couldn't do her washing! Madness.
Unluckily for her, this time her washing was in the machine, so there's proof. L1 was also annoyed because she had been so adamant to her that it wasn't her fault, and L1 was upset that I might think she had done it.
To think that it broke on Thursday and she went away to her parents for a long weekend and didn't tell anyone. We found out on Saturday afternoon and neither of us could do any washing over the weekend.

On top of everything, L2 went to Morocco a month ago and my rough guide to Morocco disappeared from the shelf a while ago now and hadn't returned. She didnt even ask! Can't get my head around it.

It would have been different if she just tried to chip in a little, and actually research how to repair the washing machine etc. but obviously she can't do that, because her position is that it wasn't her.

Anyway, only about 3 weeks to go. Can't come round soon enough. If you rent a room out, there's so much you need to tell them upfront and put in the lodger's agreement; I'm definitely updating mine! Most people are ok, but before they move in , you can't really tell...

Rant over!!!! :rotfl:

You are right in what you said about getting a new lodger in ASAP! Before I get used to too much comfort. I think the payments off the cards and making more savings will be worth it overall.

Great news on the job front. I don't like my job, but hopefully this is not forever and I can do something more fulfilling in a couple of years or so!

Thank you for the positivity - much needed!

catriona79

:money::money::money: Money update! :money::money::money:



Debt:

Halifax card - £5800 – 0% until March 2016
Santander card - £2745 – 0% until May 2016
Virgin card - £800 – 0% until January 2016

Total credit card debt is: :eek::eek::eek: £9,345 :eek::eek::eek:



Savings:

TSB account - £4000
FD regular saver - £1500
HSBC ISA – £330
M&S regular saver - £125
Car savings - £60

Total savings are: :A:A:A £6,015:A:A:A



Which means that my net debt is £3,330 :T :T :T :beer: :T :T :T

beanielou

Nearly in the 2's :j :j

bellevie

We are good thank you - it is harder now its dark in the mornings, but touch wood we have yet to be late to school or work!

Oh reading that through I cant wait until L2 goes - and I don't even live with her!

Could you include a clause in the contract that carpet, window & curtains have to be cleaned upon leaving, or you will deduct £100 fee from the deposit -labour costs for the time it might take you to clean and the fact that it might have to be empty for a while whilst you sort it?

Fantastic work on the debt & savings - and yes I would be inclined to also earn from savings whilst you can especially if you are not paying interest on the card.

It is a shame about the parking tickets - any chance of contesting? Were they from 2 separate visits? Anything that you can point to that caused you to overstay - for example were the queues too long etc? I know there are rules over different car parks fines some are enforceable some are not. I think there is some advice about it on this site somewhere

Are you all set to decorate for Christmas?

xx