For the girls

Florida2016

Feel very fed up with myself for this, currently in £4139.72 to the penny in debt, what's most infuriating is the fact it's been spent on the daily grind, food shops here and there, filling up the car, and not paying it after. The 0% runs out in August 13, so only a few months, I can't get another card and also I don't think I want to, I'm going to take the interest and use it as a lesson to be learnt.

My partner also has a card that has £1200 on it 0% to next June, I am paying off the minimum but will focus on the larger balance.

It always feels like its never ending, always something breaks or needs replacing, I have since cut up my credit card, and if I haven't got it I will not spend it.

We have two girls and they are my main focus and motivation to pay this off, I would love to take them to Florida in the next few years and once I've paid this off aim to start saving as much as I can.

I have made two small payments to the credit card, and will pay another £30 off today, balance should be £4095, aim to get it under the £3900 mark before June ends. I have £1000 coming to me soon so will pay that straight off the credit card.

Florida2016

Paid off the £30 last night, balance now £4095.

I'm going to list some things on eBay at the weekend, going to have a good hunt around, hopefully can find at least ten items.

jackieblack

If you post an SOA, others may be able to advise you on ways to cut down your expenses so you can get the debt paid off and the holiday fund built up more quickly

Florida2016

For some reason it won't let me copy and paste, essentially it is this

2 adults 2 kids
1 car

Take home pay £2070

Bills
Rent £500
Council tax £80
Gas and elec combined £110 - fixed in
Water £45 - not allowed to put a meter in, apparently this is the norm in our road
Phone bills - £15 and £21 contracts end this month. Will not be renewing mine but my partner might.
Virgin £58 , this is everything
Groceries - approx £70 a week £280-£300 a month
Clothing - it's around £400 a year £200 each child and also includes uniform for oldest £33 a month
Car tax - £30 for the year, one off payment
Car insurance - paid off for the year typically £100 a month, it's £50 for him and £50 for me, I'm newly qualified just passed last month. Have opted against getting a car.
Petrol -£80 -£100 a month
Entertainment - we don't drink or smoke, I have put £50 down on here as its for cinema with my eldest maybe once a month, macdonalds as a treat, essentially this is the kids pot, magazine for my eldest.
Savings
I save £33 a month in park vouchers for Xmas and I save £50 in a pot for anything and everything.

The bills

Credit card one - £4095. Apr 18.9 from August . I pay currently £250 a month

Loan £1300 ish remaining this is my partners, will end in December £200 a month

Credit card 2 £1200 0% £12 a month


I think it leaves us with £250 ish a month

jackieblack

Maybe it's me, but your figures don't seem to add up

Bills (inc savings) = £1892pm
Take home pay = £2070 (does ths include CB, WTC etc?)

Giving a difference of +£178

But then you pay £250 + £200 + £12 on loan/Credit cards,
Still leaving you with £250?

Are you still using your credit cards?

Florida2016

Sorry I've over estimated in some of the costs like groceries and petrol. I don't use the card, they have both been cut up.

The income does include cb and ctc.

We don't have a joint account, my partner pays certain bills and I pay anything child related, food, and the credit cards. But he will give me money to help out if I ask him to, which I feel bad about.

jackieblack

Your income and outgoings look broadly similar to ours, with one or two exceptions.
As you've assessed yourself, it's the credit cards and loans that are the problem.
IIWY I would, as you say, concentrate on getting them cleared and then you'll be able to put that money towards a fabulous holiday.

For incentive, if it helps, our income and outgoings look broadly similar to yours, with one or two exceptions and without the loans/credit cards and we manage a trip to the USA every year, some years on a tighter budget than others, but it is something that is important to us so we scarifice other things in order to make it happen.

You'll love Florida, keep thinking of that holiday, it will be good motivation to help you keep going.
I wish you the best of luck

Florida2016

Thank you very much jackie, that's the goal I am thinking about, now that I can drive I am thinking about cutting down virgin, and saving up for some nice experiences.

What does the IIWY stand for?

emmaglet

Florida is amazing, I'm off for my third time in November and I cannot wait. It is a flippin amazing feeling standing on the boat at Magic Kingdom as it pulls closer to the castle and you think 'everything I've done to get me here has been so worth it'.

Others can help you with the cutting back side of things, but I mostly pay for Florida with money I've earned extra (because I never had the money in the first place to cut back! Things were already as low as they could be). I've got a money making blog where I write about a lot of it, but I do eBay selling, car boot sales, selling on Facebook, cashback, etc. Florida is expensive but I don't think I could holiday anywhere else now, I just love it so much. Once you get there and you've paid for car hire, flights and park tickets things there are cheap - such as food, etc. You'll honestly have the best time ever!

Florida2016

Thank you Emma, you've really motivated me to saving for it.

I sell a lot on fb selling pages as well, I have been applying for night time / weekend work so that we don't have to pay out much in childcare, as soon as this debt is paid off it will be Florida here I come

girlatplay

I second (third?) everything jackie and emmaglet say about Florida. It is fab and you will love it. I had less income than you (approx. £1500) but just for DD and I. I have paid off debt and been to FL. It is totally worth the scrimping and saving. I saved for a long time though. Keep your goal in mind all the time. Hard work and determination are key. Good luck

(IIWY = if I were you)