Batten down the hatches.....

GoingToDoIt

I second Catriona! The counselling is usually outsourced and so entirely confidential (am also in HR!)
Even if you think of it as "me time" or "life coaching" it's a few hour-long sessions wher you can mull things over with someone who does not know you and will not tell anyone.
I've twice had counselling through work which has been totally focussed on work and (bad) relationship with manager. Absolutely confidential. They can only breach confidentiality if you are at risk of harming yourself, and then they will contact your GP.

Orange_Ena

doingitanyway wrote: »

It's great about the headphones. I swear less money makes you more creative and more 'aware' somehow. Well done
Yearly saving on kitchen roll is hilarious :rotfl: but it's the little things and attention to detail that count and that's why you are where you are and I am where I am...
Have a lovely evening
DIA x

Definitely, I'm holding on to my pennies and you're right, the old me would have just bought headphones. Not now, no siree Haha isn't it mad to think those little things can make a difference. If that downshift a brand of 10 things was the same saving that's over 200 quid saved.

I must look for cheaper brands for everything and report back :rotfl: x:)

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

Hello hello,

Just briefly, as its late, on the topic of mortgages. Do check the tool here in MSE, and if you want to check with a broker, London and Country, endorsed by MSE, are absolutely free.

In my experience, it's worth checking brokers, but my direct deal with Nationwide was £15 a month cheaper than the best deal L&C could find. I think if you look around, you should find the best one for you.

Are you going for a tracker? I think I'm going to stay with a tracker until I need to have a career change, or the cost of mortgages goes down a little bit more, after which I think I'll remortgage for 10 years, on a fix. Then I can do all the career changes I want!

Sending you lots of good vibes. Just keep going. Re counselling, I work in the public sector and ours is outsourced and we (HR) never know what is being said, as its completely confidential. Try to find out whether yours is in-house; very few of them are nowadays. Normally it's an EAP, and over the telephone. It's always good to talk. X

Ah thanks Catriona. I've been playing with the mortgage best buys and calculators and I think I will stick with Nati0nwide. It seems I can get a better rate remortgaging than if I moved to them from another lender, plus less hassle, cashback and I love seeing my mortgage on the app with all my savings accounts My existing term is 18 and a half years but I think I'll try for 19 years which means that my mortgage payment will go down by £65 a month so more manageable but hopefully I'll be overpaying at some point anyway. God I love fiddling with the overpayment calculator :rotfl:

I've always had a fixed mortgage so I'll be doing that for 5 years. I don't know much about trackers, but Nati0nwide don't offer a 5 year tracker. I need to secure the mortgage before I leave my job and hopefully 5 years is reasonable Can't wait for it to start so that extra £65 can go to my debts :T

Thanks for the info on the counselling. I read your posts earlier so I've logged on my work laptop and booked a counselling session for the end of March. The woman on the phone was so lovely so hopefully the counsellor will be too. x

Orange_Ena

GoingToDoIt wrote: »

I second Catriona! The counselling is usually outsourced and so entirely confidential (am also in HR!)
Even if you think of it as "me time" or "life coaching" it's a few hour-long sessions wher you can mull things over with someone who does not know you and will not tell anyone.
I've twice had counselling through work which has been totally focussed on work and (bad) relationship with manager. Absolutely confidential. They can only breach confidentiality if you are at risk of harming yourself, and then they will contact your GP.

Thanks Gonna for the reassurance. I'll be able to really let rip then :rotfl: I think it will really help, plus it's time off work :rotfl:;)

Orange_Ena

Hello hello Time is flying, gah! Monday will be here before I know it but I'm not going to think about the W word until Sunday night

Wednesday
* NSD
* I-S@y 5pts for being screened out of a survey
* 4 PA surveys
* Youg0v survey
* 115SB!earned
* Cleared the stuff from under the spare bed and have put 3 items on Fr33gle. Also found 2 jigsaws I've never done which I'm going to do then donate to the charity shop

Today
* £7.80 on eb@y postage but paid myself back from payp@l
* £23.88 on top up groceries in T3sco
* £36 for shoes and a bag for a wedding, and socks and a cardigan just because
* 42p in H0me Barg@ins for something I forgot to buy in T3sco
* Paid my £8.89 cheque in from R0yal M@il and once cleared will be transferred to my overpayments account
* 4 PA surveys
* P0pulusLive survey
* VO survey
* 228SB earned and a £5 Am@zon voucher redeemed
* £1.03 sweep into my overpayments account

I'm still waiting for one eb@yer to pay. I sent a 3 day reminder so hopefully they'll pay very soon. It's so rudeasy.........I always pay very promptly so I can get my item quicker! I'm also expecting someone to collect something tomorrow but he hasn't got back to me and I want to go out now, hate having to wait in. If he hasn't got in touch by 10am, I'll just go anyway :rotfl::D

Orange_Ena

The Sunday night doom feeling is strong tonight but I have only got to work 2 days this week so I'm grateful for that.

Friday
* £48 on a carpet remnant for my spare room which included 20% off as there was a sale :T I'll need to pay £40 for the fitter on the day but really chuffed with the price
* 4 PA surveys
* Youg0v survey
* VO
* 179SB earned
* I-S@y survey screened out but got 25pts
* £11.98 cash received for 2 eb@y collection items. £10 will be put back with my Christmas money that I borrowed from recently and £1.98 will go in the tin so neither will be logged on YNAB until I spend that Christmas money and count the change in my tin!

Saturday
* £13 for a meal out with friends
* £15 on fuel
* £23.24 on top up groceries!and treats
* £140 paid to the H@lifax CC, the balance is now £1100. It WILL be sub £1K by the end of the month :j:T:j
* 2 PA surveys
* 156SB earned

Today
* NSD
* Called Barcl@ycard to cancel my account but I was secretly hoping to be bribed to keep it open. It worked! They'll credit my account with £20 so I'll use that to pay for my radiator, but clear it immediately and then close it. I'm open to being bribed again though :rotfl:
* Listed one item on Gumtr33
* Drafted 9 items on eb@y but will list once my free listings kick in
* Withdrew £26.46 profit from Payp@l and transferred to my overpayments account
* PA survey
* 22SB earned

In the last couple of weeks I've sold 15 items on eb@y and made a total profit of £73.93. Even though it's a massive effort sometimes to list stuff, it's worth it to make a few quid and to get some more space. I'm expecting a small credit of fees due to a non payer so that item, along with 2 others can be relisted along with the other 9 new items. It's more the low end stuff so if I can make £15 profit, I'll be happy.

Wishing everyone a good week

Orange_Ena

I've just worked out that I've paid 39% of my debt since April, or actually, it was probably since July when I had my 2nd LBM!! :j:T

It was £6895.44 in April and now it's £4200 :T:j So close to 50% paid. Only another £752.28 to go in fact. The minimum I pay to the CC's is £200 per month so with a bit of an extra push and the wind in the right direction, I'm going to hit 50% paid by the end of April. Well that's the plan

Wish me luck!

catriona79

Hello there,

Wow, get you!!! In two months' time you'll have reached the halfway point!! :T:T:T

That's a lot of hard graft and self discipline. You should be proud.

Well done on getting a discount on the carpet remnant, bargain! My friend who was a lettings agent always says that up to July/August is the best time of the year to rent a room, because there's more people looking and you can pick and choose. So you can get that green fingered person who will do your garden and will be out with their friends all the time! And then, when the £ comes rolling in, it's probably about 5 months before you're completely debt free! And a new career beckons!

How did you manage to get Barclaycard to bribe you? Was that after you've paid it right down? Wow. You're motoring. :beer:

Orange_Ena

catriona79 wrote: »

Hello there,

Wow, get you!!! In two months' time you'll have reached the halfway point!! :T:T:T

That's a lot of hard graft and self discipline. You should be proud.

Well done on getting a discount on the carpet remnant, bargain! My friend who was a lettings agent always says that up to July/August is the best time of the year to rent a room, because there's more people looking and you can pick and choose. So you can get that green fingered person who will do your garden and will be out with their friends all the time! And then, when the £ comes rolling in, it's probably about 5 months before you're completely debt free! And a new career beckons!

How did you manage to get Barclaycard to bribe you? Was that after you've paid it right down? Wow. You're motoring. :beer:

I know, I can hardly believe it :rotfl: I think it's right anyway! I bet someone is reading thinking "how thick is she, it's only 6% she's paid" :rotfl: I am quite proud that I'm totally busting this 20 year debts bottom! ;)

Ah that's good then, I'm hoping to be able to find someone by the end of April. That perfect garden loving social butterfly / complete loner is out there somewhere, ready to move to a cat fur covered terrace with a jungle for a garden :rotfl::D Oh I can't wait for the rent to roll in, it'll be weird I'm sure, but it's a sacrifice I'm totally willing to make.

I tried to close Barcl@ycard down a couple of weeks ago as the balance was zero but they offered me 0% on purchases for 6 months which I accepted. Then I read a couple of people had been offered £20/50 as a good will gesture and refund of interest paid to keep it open so I thought I'd chance it too and they offered me £20 :T I tried to sound very nonchalant hoping it would get to £50 but he wasn't playing ball :rotfl: Ah, can't argue at a free £20 :T When it's cleared I'll try and close it again, squeeze them for more.........x

Orange_Ena

Evening money savers

Monday 22nd Feb
* £3 for on offer milk in Asd@
* PA survey
* Youg0v prize draw survey
* The eb@y buyer paid! Another £9.56 profit transferred to my overpayments account. Total eb@y profit in the last 2 weeks is £83.49 :T

Tuesday
* £3.90 to send the eb@y parcel but paid myself back from payp@l
* £3.99 on a new vacuum duster attachment. What a treat
* PA survey
* P0pulusLive survey
* 234SB earned and a £5 Am@zon voucher redeemed

Wednesday
* £23.66 on top up groceries
* £130 to the electrician for my new sockets
* Had my new radiator fitted and the bill will be sent out. It would have been £150 but I'll take advantage of that £20 "bribe" from Barcl@ycard so I'll only pay £130. Woo
* Youg0v survey
* PA survey
* VO survey
* 125SB earned

I called Nati0nwide to extend my mortgage term so I can make it a teensy bit cheaper. I'm only extending it 10 months to make it 19 years left to pay but it will help to get that debt shifted and then hopefully allow me to overpay.

I also fixed a new mortgage deal and happily the rate has gone down from 2.64% (only the other day) to 2.54% and my payments will go down by £55pm from April. When my term is changed, the payments will go down by another £12. That extra £67 will certainly help get me debt free quicker :T:j And if I continued paying that to the mortgage, I'd be mortgage free 3 years and 9 months earlier. Gawd, why didn't I have my LBM 10 years ago!!!!