C'est La Vie

January20

Hi GreenSaints, I'm not great at updating either at the moment!

I got a Toyota Yaris, and yes, followed the MSE ways. It was a better deal to get a brand new one, as I got 0% interest, road tax, fully comp insurance and breakdown cover for the first year, and of course, I won't have to worry about MOTs for a couple of years either. I just love it.

I've been repainting my flat and I will leave it at that for the moment. I'm saving up for carpets and a new kitchen and will do those when I have more disposable cash, and can find a good offer too!

I'm also thinking of moving again. I'm really not settled into this flat life and still dream of a little house with a bit of outdoor space for me and the cat

congratulations on the new job! And becoming debt free! I'm sure your own business will pick up!

GreenSaints

Hi January,

So sorry for my late reply. It's all just been a bit manic here.

You sound like you have a great deal on your car! I'm still thinking I can get through life without one, though it's only been 12 days since I gave my company car back!

Why not move now then? Sounds like you are in a better place financially plus I think the market it picking up so you may not have to do the work to your flat. When we put our old house on the market, we had the intention of finishing off bits (last bit of patching up work from the new doors, skirting etc) However, we got an offer just £2k under asking price and we didn't have to do anything! Result

I've been in my new job for just over a week now, and it's going ok. Just the same as everywhere - everyone is over worked and resources are stretched so I have been abandoned as my boss went on holiday yesterday and it's back for two weeks!

On the DF front - my student loan is at £3,701 - meaning I paid nearly £3k last tax year! With my redundancy money, I'm going to put £701 to it so I am under £3k meaning I should be able to clear it before my 30th!

I'm also going to treat myself to a new laptop - if the PC World website ever works! :mad:

GreenSaints

Hi All,

I was looking at my old diary and thought, to keep this on in perspective, I'd update the 'What I Have Paid Since January 2011' so here it is:

Updated 27 August 2013

• [STRIKE]£1000.00 FD Overdraft [/STRIKE] CLEARED (YAY!)
• [STRIKE]£4065.02 MBNA [/STRIKE] CLEARED (YAY!)
• [STRIKE]£4350.87 Barclaycard [/STRIKE] CLEARED (YAY!)
• [STRIKE]£1404.73 Lloyds TSB Student Overdraft[/STRIKE] CLEARED (YAY!)
• [STRIKE]£8394.00 [/STRIKE] £3,701.85 Student Loan (estimated)
• [STRIKE]£12742.90 [/STRIKE] £7,600 BOM Loan

I sometimes forget where I've come from to where I am now. I actually have savings (not loads, but it's more than I've had for a long time!) for the first time in 2 years (as the last lot of savings I had I used to pay off one of my credit cards!) thanks to the house sale and redundancy money, I owe no 'real' money to any institutions (apart from Student Loan) and I'm never in my overdraft anymore

Doesn't mean I don't have a life - I buy things (when I know I can afford them now), I go on holiday and still debt bust an average of £672.35 per month! :money:

Anyway, enough about money! What else has been happening in my life?

Well, we've started to redecorate the front room. We're doing as much as we can to keep costs down, but also because we quite like it! So far the wallpaper has come off, next is the electrics. This room is going to be our 'cinema room' but on a budget!

I have one of my oldest friends wedding to go at the end of September. She has lived in Ireland since I was 11, so we're off there. Managed to get the whole weekend for £135 each, that includes flights, hotel, train and car hire (it's miles away from the airport, so it'll be cheaper than a taxi)

I've been in my new job for over two weeks now. It's still very strange, but I think I'm getting used it to. I'm loving my 17 cycle communte every morning! I just need to make sure that I don't spend my diesel savings in the canteen!

January20

If you haven't got a laptop yet, try dabs.com.
Got a laptop this week as my pc was really on it's death bed and had a positive experience.

GreenSaints

Hi January,

Sorry for the late reply.

For some reason I couldn't pay for my laptop online with my Halifax debit card. I rang up Halifax and they said it was 'fraud preventation' I ended up having to use my credit card!

I think I'm having problems paying for other things online too, which is very annoying!

Nothing else really to update. Oh actually, I had a courts summons for unpaid council tax! In a very long and scary story, it works out that it was the councils balls up, but it's been sorted now. Phew!

GreenSaints

Hmm, well this isn't going well. I really need to get on here and update more!

Can't give you an update on my debts as I haven't got my form here with me. Needless to say I still pay as much as I can, but my reduced pay hinders this quite a bit

I finally managed to get my £100 cashback from PC World for my laptop purchase so that went to my card to pay off (I haven't counted that as a 'debt' as I have the money to pay that off but because it's interest free until January I'm keeping my money in an account where I can get some interest)

Things in the house are going along ok. Got some new sockets and consumer unit in the house so I'm all up to date. Next is to get some more lights in the front room. Still looking for someone to open up the fireplaces for us so we can get a woodburner.

I started my diet (yet again!) on Saturday. I'm hoping to lose 10lbs before I go on holiday in November. I think I'm getting on ok - my daily cycling has been helping.

Hope everyone else is getting on well.

GreenSaints

Well, it's been a month since I last posted. That's pretty poor!

Just some quick updates:

My student loan is below £3k!
I owe my mum exactly £7k!

Which means my debt is now 4 figures instead of 5!

I really wanted to cut half my debt by this year, but I don't think that's going to happen. Particularly when I received a letter from the tax man insinuating that I had two full time jobs and my new tax code was going to be K717!!!!????!!!

Luckily I spoke to them and it should be sorted, but maybe not forbnext pay day .

GreenSaints

Hi All,

Just checking in on here.

I made a big sale on eBay, so transfered £80 to my student loan. That is slowly disappearing, but not quick enough!

My tax has been sorted - phew! However, my boyfriend got a letter saying that they think he's been unemployed! What a nightmare - luckily that's been sorted out too.

I'm off on holiday in a few weeks, so I'm working out what to take and my budget while I'm out there. I'm stocking up on toiletries to take with me so it's not a mad dash in the airport!

Hope everyone else is doing well.

GreenSaints

Hi all,

This is my last payment for my remaining debts in 2013.

My final total is £6,773.16! :T:T:T:T:T:T:T

That is 43.68% of my total debt. It isn't the 50% I was hoping for (thank you redundancy, a huge pay cut in my new job and house moving) but I'm pleased I managed to clear as much as I did.

Looking forward to 2014 for being debt free - the first time since 2005!

Hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and New Year! :xmastree::xmassign: :snow_laug :xmassmile :snow_grin :xmassmile :rudolf: :santa2:

January20

Well done GreenSaints! Nearly 44%! That is absolutely excellent!

I hope you have a happy and productive 2014 and clear even more of your debt!

PS: I think one of my New Year's resolutions should be to follow your diary a bit more closely! I've been so busy in the last few months, I have forgotten some of my good habits!