C'est La Vie

GreenSaints

Hi All,

I've started a new diary as my circumstances have changed dramatically in the last few months. My original diary is located here https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3534335 if you want to read how I got to this stage.

Well, after 12 months of looking, we finally found a new house! :j Technically we found one before this one, but for a number of reasons this fell through, but are delighted with this one (it's a lot bigger, in a nicer area and needs some work meaning we can make it our own)

We exchange contracts (hopefully) this week, so everything is going great.

Until...........

Two weeks ago my company announced it was closing the three offices and making a new office nearer a big city, which meant people being made redundant :eek: This was a total shock to everyone. They have been going on about this for ages (at least since I've been there and that's nearly 6 years)

Now, everyone is at risk (but surprise surprise the Directors are all safe :mad:) and we have to reapply for our jobs. My job isn't there

Those who have read my previous diary have seen that I wanted to leave my company and did hand my notice in, but that was on my terms, not being forced out. I am quite upbeat about the situation - though I don't think it's really sunk in, but I can't stay miserable all the time - it's not in my nature.

And that's all happened in a matter of months!

So why the new diary? I'm hoping the new diary will focus my efforts on what is important - not just debt busting, but:

• finding a job closer to home (no more 160 mile round trips),
• spending more time with my boyfriend, family and friends (not being expected to work late and my weekends, only when I want to),
• finding a job I love (I can finally start getting fit again and using my newly achieved Personal Trainer qualification I worked so hard to get!)
• spending time in this beautiful house we've just bought (we've worked so hard for it, it's time to start enjoying it)

I'm very lucky that I cleared as much of my debt as I could (refer to my other diary for the exact figures) so my only debts left are to the Student Loan Company (circa £4.5k) and to my mum (circa £8.6k) If I had my original £40k, I think I would be in a very different frame of mind. I will no longer be able to pour as much money as I have been doing in my debts, which means I might not be able to be debt free before I'm 30, which I'm gutted about, but as my diary title says "C'est La Vie"

Obviously this is going to be a very tough time, but there's no point me being miserable or angry about the situation - there's nothing I can do. I just have to ride the wave and do my best. Anyway, I'm going to leave my boss a list of rates he can hire me for when it all goes to pot when they move and realise what a mistake they made by letting me go! :rotfl:

So, I'm going to be as positive as I can. I really do believe that this is the best thing that can happen and that in a few weeks/months/years time I will say "Why did I stay there for so long?"

Hopefully you can join me for the ride. I'll be detailing my job hunting efforts, the new meals I'll be cooking, the work we'll be doing to the house and hopefully some debt busting to boot

LittleMissKitty

Hi GreenSaints, congratulations on the house! I love moving, it's such an exciting time. We have similar amounts of debt, apart from our OD all our money is owed to parents too (wonderful people parents!)

Sorry to hear the job's going but, to be fair, it looks like it's all working out for you anyway (my hubby got made redundant a few years ago and we were really happy - it confused people!)

Good luck with the (albeit slower) debt busting and happy shiny new diary. Kitty x

GreenSaints

Hi LMK,

Thanks for the message.

It is an exciting time, but very stressful too! I can't wait till we finally get to move in though.

I think I'm going to concentrate on getting rid of my student loan debt before next May (my 30th birthday) My mum doesn't want me to pay so much money to her every month to clear off a debt which she says "When I die, this money will come back to you anyway!" :P

I think I could manage £4.5k in 12 months. Works out to roughly £13.39 a day. Granted, I won't have a job in a few months, but I won't be spending any money on fuel (as I have a company car, so I'll be carless too!) so that'll be one less thing to worry about.

Day 3 of my calorie counting - doing pretty well. Since I will be my own advert for my personal training business, I better start walking the walk!

LittleMissKitty

Oooo, calorie counting worked wonders for DH, he lost 1.5 stone in 4 months just by calorie counting. Good luck! And good luck with your £4.5k too. We owe FIL £5.5k and I really wanted to pay it off by my 30th (January) but there's just no way we can at the moment so I'll be happy to have it down to £4k. We're going slowly at the moment but as long as it keeps going down that has to be good, lol.

GreenSaints

Hey,

Well I lost 1.8lbs last week. It would have been more if I didn't stuff my face at the BBQ!

Exciting news about the house, WE GET THE KEYS TOMORROW! We can't wait. I've forgotten what it looks like since I haven't seen it for 9 weeks!

On the redundancy front - the employee group consultations have now finished. The senior managers are starting their individual ones now. Not been given any more information and it's starting to do my head in!

On a debt busting front, I sold some of my old boots for £5! Woohoo!

GreenSaints

Hey,

Well we have moved in! It's all very exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time!

I have been selling a lot of things that I:

1. Don't use
2. Can't be bothered to move to the new house!

So because of that, I have made a lot of money, which I'm keeping in my account to keep it looking healthy. I did pay £70.29 to my student loan, which means it is a few £££'s away from being £3??? left to pay, rather than £4???

I should, in theory be student loan free by my 30th birthday (which is what I now want, given the fact I will have no job in a few months) so that makes me very happy

I will still owe my mum money, but she's happy that I'm paying her anything and that my whole attitude to money has changed. I will pay her off eventually, just not when I would have liked to :mad:

Still waiting to have my individual consultation so no news on when I am leaving, so just have to sit and wait...........and worry

Buffythedebtslayer

Hello,

Congratulations on the house move good news!

Re the student loan be warned, their maths isn't brilliant, I paid mine off early and this confused them - they ended up owing me almost 3 grand bearing in mind I had paid them according to the amounts they told me both over the phone and on paper. Over payments take time to show up apparently (2 years in my case!!)

xx

GreenSaints

Oh my goodness! Have you got it all sorted out?

I've been doing odd payments and a fixed monthly payment. I've been quite sad and made an excel spreadsheet with what it should be and I've checked online and it'd roughly the same (give or take £20)

I will definitely make sure that I check the figures

Buffythedebtslayer

To be completely honest I had no clue till letters saying I was owed money appeared.

I was so happy to see the letters I didn't really think about it! It is mental tho.

xx

GreenSaints

Hi,

Sorry for the super late reply - it's all kicking off at work, so I've been a bit distracted!

So, we've been in our house two weeks today It's amazing and it's totally different to our old house.

I invited the neighbours round and they are very nice - out of the 7 houses I invited, 5 households turned up, so I was very pleased considering it was a very late invite. One of the households who didn't come, did pop round this week to apologise as they were on holiday. So I have very nice flowers, wine and chocolates! :beer:

On the work front, I had my first consultation today. Nothing new was said, but I do know my second consultation is on the 26th June, meaning that when I do get made redundant they'll have to give me 6 years instead of 5 now

I did get a bit chocked up - not because I was upset, because I was angry at how this whole thing has panned out.

The last two days I've been on a course on CV writing, interview techniques etc. They have also put me forward to go on a start your own business course so I'm very much looking forward to that :j

I've applied for a couple of jobs, but I'm really just trying to get as financially stable as I can. Saving some extra money, paying off a little more to my debts etc.

Fingers crossed it gets better

GreenSaints

Hi all,

Well, I'd like to say a lot has happened since my last post (11 days ago) but sadly not.

My second redundancy consultation has moved to today meaning it is the day that they have to give me notice so I will get 5 years instead of 6 years statutory redundancy pay! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad: Hopefully I can drag out my answer until at least tomorrow!

Since I'm still getting paid, my debt repayments have come out, so I made a milestone yesterday, well two really.

23.23% of my remaining debt paid this year! :j

Over £20,000 paid since January 2011! :j

I think if I still had my huge amount of debt, I would not be as in a strong position to make life changing decisions. Having only a student loan (less than £4k now!) and my mum (just over £8k) left to pay is better than 2 credit cards, 2 overdrafts and the above!

We've been in our house for three weeks now and have FINALLY moved all the old stuff from our old house. Me and my mum are cleaning up tonight and then I have to hire one of those Rug Doctors as a last final clean so it looks spotless!

I have been applying for jobs in the local area and have redone my CV and sent that out to loads of companies specutively. Already had one rejection

But, onwards and upwards