Done it once, can do it again

burghgirl

Hello Dear Diary,

My first thread and post all in one!

I have been a member of these forums before but have re registered as I forgot my user name and password!! (It's been quite a while)

I have been in debt before (to the tune of £20K over 2 loans, 2 credit cards and an overdraft) and managed to clear it. Back then I was living with my parents and I was able to throw quite a bit of money at my debts and cleared it all in 3 and a half years including defaults and a shattered credit rating.

This time its very different, I am a single girl, living on my own. With £2,138 of debt. It might not sound like much but to me it is. I have about £75 per month after all my bills and savings pots that I am able to throw at my debts. I should also say that all the debt is on a credit card and I am looking to balance transfer from the credit card I have to another one at 0% interest. Also every penny on it is from moving house! Once I have the CC debt paid off I'll then start to tackle the Mortgage!

I know what I have to do I just need to organize myself better and get to grips with not buying anything and everything when I go food shopping!!

Having previously been a member of these forums I have already taken on board a few things I have learned. I find having separate accounts for different things helps me to control spending. I will not be doing an SOA because I am sick to death of doing them with moving not that long ago.

I can get extra weekend hours at work every so often if it is available, not been much in last month or so and I will put that money when I get it towards the debt.

My accounts
Main Current Account
Food and Car Fuel Account

Savings
Holidays
Car
Emergencies
Gifts
Save the Change

That's all for just now I think

burghgirl

MrsSmith2013

Hi Burghgirl and welcome back!

You sound like you know what you need to do, so good luck and happy debt busting!

Are you planning to try and up your income to clear the debt quicker, or just throw as much of the £75 spare at it as you can?

Mrs S x

burghgirl

MrsSmith2013 wrote: »

Hi Burghgirl and welcome back!

You sound like you know what you need to do, so good luck and happy debt busting!

Are you planning to try and up your income to clear the debt quicker, or just throw as much of the £75 spare at it as you can?

Mrs S x

Hi Mrs S
Thanks for the welcome

I'm hoping to do a bit of both! My day job does allow me extra evenings from time to time, however they have been few and far between recently.
I am hoping to do a bit of selling on eBay soon as well as I have a pile of bits and bobs in my spare room of things I have brought from my parents that I really don't want or need!

burghgirl

burghgirl

Hello Dear Diary,

Huge news on the clearing the debt front today. I applied for a Barclaycard with a 27 month 0% on balance transfer last week, it also had a 3.9% transfer fee, at the end of the application an error message came up and it didn't give me a reply, it also said they would be in touch within 5-7 working days to say if my application was successful.
Anyway I came home from work tonight to find my shiny new Barclaycard waiting for me! First thing I did was to do a balance transfer for £2,100. The total on the transfer and fee included is £2184.13.
The next three things I did, I would have never considered previously!! I paid off the remainder of the balance and cancelled my existing Credit Card. And finally I put it through the shredder!! :A

So I now have 27 months to clear my debt. Let the countdown begin!!

burghgirl

McKneff

Good luck with it, just keep up with the motivation.

When it's all gone, you will feel so gooooood:j:j:j

beanielou

Great start burghgirl
LOve the user name
You will soon be down in the ones

burghgirl

Hello Dear Diary,

I am sorry for abandoning you for so long. Lots going on and not been on here much. Work has been busy then I started a management course in October which is taking up quite a bit of my time.

On the debt front I am 5 payments into my 27 months and I have paid off just under £500
I went on a long weekend holiday with my dad and a group of friends in October, I tried for weeks to get a total from my dad so I could pay for my holiday, he never gave me a total. I asked him over drinks while we were away to give me a total and he turned round and told me to put the £200 for the holiday into paying off my Credit Card!! :j God I love my daddy!

I have managed (just) to finish my Christmas shopping without the need to borrow money from my parents and I have money aside to do my usual Boxing Day sales to start buying for Christmas 2014!
I set myself a list every year on it I always write who I am buying for, maximum I am willing to spend. What I actually buy and how much it costs.
At the top of the list I put the Total to spend, Total spent, How much I still have to spend, and How much I have saved (That bit I like as it makes me feel better!!)
I do the same for birthday's.
For next year I already have 7 friends/ family Christmas presents and my eldest and youngest niece's birthday and youngest niece's Christmas. Just my middle niece to sort out as her birthday is in December! I buy for the kids early as they are still young and don't really ask for much. I always leave the adults in my immediate family's presents until October as I never know what they are needing or wanting.

Anyway, New Year's resolution is to post updates more often!! :eek:

Merry Christmas Dear Diary and to anyone else who happens to read :xmastree::xmassign::xmastree:
burghgirl

burghgirl

Hello again Dear Diary,

I hope anyone reading had a wonderful Christmas.
I had a lovely day, far too much food and lots of lovely presents!

Today I spent several hours at the sales and came away spending just under £100
For Christmas 2014 I now have all my cards and wrapping paper. I buy for about 30 people (including 12 who I am in charge of at work) and of that I have still only to buy presents for 8 people (this is mostly close family) :j:j
All 3 nieces have been bought for so I don't have to worry about them either, along with all 3 of their birthday's for next year also :T
For Christmas 2014 I have spent £111.30 and saved £339.93 so far, not bad going really

Until my next little update.

burghgirl

burghgirl

Hello Dear Diary,

I have had an eventful couple of days. I have been having skin problems again, my skin is a nightmare I have combination skin but it is extremely sensitive as well. I spent all night last night researching to try and find products for a reasonable price that will help my skin. I am going back to Clarins and Avene the combination of the 2 worked in the past so going to give them a try again.

In money news I won £150 to spend in a local shopping centre but it has to be spent all at the one time (I might just be able to manage that!! )
I bought a couple of birthday presents for later in the year yesterday as well.

Looks like I am also going to be earning money at New Year as I have agreed to babysit, cancelled going out as I would rather earn £100+ than spend about half that on a night out! First time in a few years it will be a sober New Years Eve.

burghgirl

beanielou

Debehmams had Clarins gift sets on offer today.

burghgirl

Hello Dear Diary

Happy New Year! :beer:

It was a quiet one, babysitting went well and had a fantastic view of the New Year fireworks, a nice £110 to help pay for my yearly Virgin media phone line bill and Gas bill.

I have also been trying to sort some resolutions that I will be able to actually accomplish and some of them will be financial!

I go on my free shopping trip tomorrow, going early to have a little look before the serious and important shopping starts!! How quick can I spend £150 I will soon see

burghgirl