Batten down the hatches.....

Orange_Ena

lcc86 wrote: »

Hi Ena, I can completely see where you're coming from in respect of your job having been in a similar situation myself more than once!! :eek: all I will say is no job is worth your health. One thing I found was that desperation to leave a job made me sometimes think about my debt in different ways. I found that as soon as I got a different job I felt my debt was so much more manageable and less daunting. Perhaps you would feel like this if you got a new job, who knows. At the end of the day you have to do what's right for you whether that's borrowing on your mortgage or finding a different way to tackle your debt. Keep us updated on what you decide to do, and don't give up!!

Thank lcc. You're right, it's not worth my health. I just can't keep doing it to myself really so it's definitely something I need to do. Ah, I won't give up.......I've come too far!

Orange_Ena

doubleug wrote: »

Just spotted this ...most interesting.

For the last 10 years-every spring--I have listed out all my regular bills--then -like you-forced the issue on whether i needed the product or whether it was an essential. With utilities -with the exception of Water-it was possible to achieve a saving every time "renewal date " came up.
Looking ahead i see no reason at all to see any increases in most of my outgoings-in fact I started setting "target prices" of the maximum i was prepared to pay!.

My latest massive saving is the cancellation in private health insurance. Asked by my health provider why I was discontinuing I told them that I had never made a claim in over twenty years --and the monthly payments which rose every year way above inflation represented poor value for money, inbuilt profit for the provider and stress for the customer.

It's always worth shopping around. And it doesn't pay to be loyal!

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

Ena, just wanted to say hope you sleep well tonight. So sad to hear how you feel about your job. Really pleased for you re new job.
As for mortgage consolidation - I did it and it was great! I paid off some of my debt and kept some in savings. It's better than endless worrying!

Sending hugs x

Thanks Catriona. I have slept reasonably well, probably because I'm so tired

I think I will end up doing it. It's not like I'm going to clear the whole lot and go on a spending spree. I really do want a debt free, simpler future, more than anything really, so I don't plan on building debt back up. I saw something on FB earlier about the anti Black Friday - Buy Nothing Friday. 100% off everything! :rotfl: I'm definitely getting into anti-consumerism I think

Thanks again x

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

Ena - it's been a while, hope you're doing well and the money keeps rolling in, with the second job and no time to spend any of it!!!

Christmas is around the corner!

Forgot to say - Happy Payday!!!

I didn't realise it had been a week again since I last posted. Time goes too quick!

Ah its been a lovely payday! Work still haven't taken the lease car money I owe them but I'm not going to point this put to them. I'm sure they'll eventually realise but hopefully not until next year It's payday number 2 tomorrow :rotfl:

I guess yours is tomorrow? Happy payday Catriona! Best day of the month

Orange_Ena

Another week goes by......4 more and it will be Christmas day! As if you didn't know!

Friday
* £28.26 on groceries and receipt scanned on checkoutsm@rt
* Pinec0ne survey
* PA survey
* Youg0v survey
* VO survey
* 317SB earned
* £20.62 requested from PA and will be transferred to my overpayments account
* A very good survey day today!

Saturday
* NSD
* PA survey
* Youg0v survey
* 74p sweep into overpayments account
* 84SB earned

Sunday
* NSD
* 30SB earned

Monday
* £1.25 for some milk
* £1.50 for a chippy dinner
* £11 on the toll road charges which I said I'd give my dad for driving to the funeral :A
* Youg0v survey
* 129SB earned

Tuesday
* £3.20 for lunch and receipt scanned on checkoutsm@rt
* £13.50 on some groceries and receipt scanned on checkoutsm@rt
* 2 VO surveys
* 211SB earned

Wednesday
* £15.07 on special cat food. This should be the last lot I buy him before I move on to something a bit more purse friendly. We've had a chat about it and he seems on board
* £2.00 on some reduced smoked salmon.....a pre-payday treat
* £558 paid on my Nati0nwide CC for the radiators I had fitted 2 weeks ago. I meant to put it on the Barcl@ycard but nevermind!
* Youg0v survey
* PA survey
* 100SB earned

Today
* £58.57 on groceries, bigger household stuff, and quite a few offers. My favourite Lib3rte mango yogurts were half price so I bought 6 packs! :money:
* £30 on fuel
* £1.59 sweep into my FD savings account
* £3.30 sweep into my overpayments account with Nati0nwide
* £40.20 that's not needed for professional fees this month swept into my overpayments account
* £235.95 final payment for my doors which look great. Really has made a difference
* 272SB earned
* Youg0v survey
* 3 PA surveys

Thanks for the comments ladies. I will think some more about the mortgage borrowing but I think it's something I'll have to do. But the debt busting continues.......

My overpayments account now stands at £315 which has only taken a few weeks to get together. I don't think I'll be able to do that all the time at that rate but it's amazing how quickly it does add up. I've decided to use this money to pay down the Nati0nwide CC that I used the other day to pay for my radiators.

I know I should have some sort of emergency fund and that £1000 is recommended but I don't have my own car so that's not too much of a worry, unless there's damage and a claim needed, and most of my white goods and boiler are only 2 years old so I'm hoping to dodge that sort of emergency for at least another year or two. If something does crop up, I'll either drain my rainy day funds or use the CC. Fingers crossed I don't have to!

It's payday number 2 tomorrow and I've seen what's going into my account for 28 hours work and I'm a wee bit disappointed if I'm honest. £132! :rotfl: Blimey, didn't realise I'd be taxed quite as much as I have, unless I haven't been paid for all my hours. I'll check my payslip at the weekend. Still, it's all money and it's going to help on the road to debt freedom.

I've been thinking about the future of the 2nd job as I've been told some people are kept on post Christmas. If I'm not taken on, then the job has served it's purpose and I've earned a few hundred quid. If they do offer me a permanent part time role but with hours I can't or don't want to do (working Saturdays and Sundays is not sustainable long term, as well as Monday to Friday ) then I'll walk away and again, the job has served it's purpose. If I can get better hours, then I'll probably stay on as the income, however small, will help.

So anyway, the overpayments account money and 2nd job income totals £446. The radiators balance on the CC is £558 so that will only leave £112 left to pay. Hopefully the interest won't be much but I'll do my best to clear it asap anyway.

I'm pretty much done with eb@y. I officially hate it! I posted an item on the 2nd Nov to someone, 2nd class signed for. On the 23rd, she contacted me to say she hadn't received it. !!!!!!? 3 weeks! I checked the tracking and they tried to deliver it on the 4th then on the 23rd, the day she contacted me, it's marked as returned to sender. She said they didn't push a card through and that she's been to the sorting office for other things but they failed to give her this parcel. I did put the return address on but when I rang RM they said it could take 2-3 weeks to get back to me. The recipient wants the item and doesn't want a refund. But if the items comes back, I thinks she's expecting me to pay for delivery again when I don't feel I should. I know as a seller I'm meant to get the item to her but 3 weeks before contacting me? Really!? Eb@y is ok really, it's just the buyers I can't deal with! :rotfl::D

It's my last day off tomorrow before 11 days of work. So I'm doing something lovely. I'm having my hair done, and a facial! I won't even say how much I'm spending, but it is all budgeted for and I've lengthened the time between appointments, my roots are shocking, my face is dry, and I hardly go out, so it's totally justified. :rotfl::p I just wish they weren't on the same day so it doesn't feel like a massive indulgence

Must get on here more so the updates are more bitesize! Hello if you're still reading :rotfl:

catriona79

Ena, I love the anti Black Friday 100% off everything slogan!!! :rotfl:

I'm like that this year too! It's just marketing. I'm not buying anything that I won't need to buy anyway.
Thinking seriously of getting 6 bottles of prosecco, as sainsb have got an offer where it's £6.75 for one but if you buy 6 bottles, you get 25% off the lot, which works out at £5 a bottle. Good Xmas pressies for the ladies.

You are motoring now! I'm loving that little account you siphon all the surplus money into!

Are the doors looking good? I bet they are smart? And the radiators must be a big change - toasty?. You're charging ahead, brilliant stuff.

catriona79

And :eek: re pay for 28 hours' work...

belleandthebudget

We all need an indulgence every now and then, Ena! A facial sounds heavenly!

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

Ena, I love the anti Black Friday 100% off everything slogan!!! :rotfl:

I'm like that this year too! It's just marketing. I'm not buying anything that I won't need to buy anyway.
Thinking seriously of getting 6 bottles of prosecco, as sainsb have got an offer where it's £6.75 for one but if you buy 6 bottles, you get 25% off the lot, which works out at £5 a bottle. Good Xmas pressies for the ladies.

You are motoring now! I'm loving that little account you siphon all the surplus money into!

Are the doors looking good? I bet they are smart? And the radiators must be a big change - toasty?. You're charging ahead, brilliant stuff.

Haha I love that too! It's cyber Monday tomorrow I think so again, I'll be having a 100% off everything day by buying no crap! :rotfl:

Haha that is a great offer, a lot of people have been taking advantage of that if my checkout is anything to go by :)

I love my little surplus savings accounts, it soon adds up. I've only recently started doing it with my FD account but my Nati0nwide account is up to about £450 now! That's sweeps, survey money, unspent DD's and my supermarket wages. Really pleased with that.

The doors look really good, but they door need painting. It's makes it look so much more modern. My cat can't understand the concept of cat flaps though so he'll need to try harder before a lodger moves in. I've tried pushing him through but he can't figure it out on his own. Must take some biscuits up to tempt him through lol :D

I think my 2nd job wages were short so I'll need to contact them this week. I did 28.5 hours but it only looks like I've been paid for 22.5, but it may be that one of the weekend days gets paid in the next month. I'll check anyway as I don't want to work for nowt!

Orange_Ena

belleandthebudget wrote: »

We all need an indulgence every now and then, Ena! A facial sounds heavenly!

Thanks Belle, I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it's kind of an investment. The future me will thank me :rotfl::D