Help me with debt, newbie

dumpy

We have no or little TV signal but when we cancelled sky we kept the box and equipment and use that to get freeview channels. No problem with getting a signal and we don't miss the channels at all.

There are only so many hours in the week and when you take out work/travelling/sleeping/cooking/eating do you want to spend what's left staring at 15-20 minutes of adverts every hour?

Use your time to play with your son, he will grow up so quickly and nothing can bring that back... (Sky will repeat everything for ever so you can pick that up again whenever!)

Cazzdevil

dumpy wrote: »

we don't miss the channels at all.

People often find this, it's incredible how many things you consider essentials which are in actual fact unnecessary luxuries. If you're serious about getting debt free you'll be willing to get rid of some of these luxuries and put the money towards paying things off.

dumpy wrote: »

do you want to spend what's left staring at 15-20 minutes of adverts every hour?

Folk don't realise how much time there actually is in the day. During the last 3 years I've worked full time whilst studying for 2 part time degrees, kept a house running on my own and still found time to go mountain biking a few times a week which also involves baking muffins and biscuits for the bunch of friends I go with.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not boasting or trying to put anyone down, I'm just saying that if you can organise your time effectively then you've got far more spare time than you realise.

Time disappears - make the most of it!!

dumpy

I agree, cazzdevil and as someone with 4 jobs and also studying part time with a house, my hobbies and pets to maintain I couldn't be doing with wasting my time staring at the TV for hours on end. (I've always hated sky, it was the OH who wanted it. Why does he HAVE to have the TV on when he is in the house, but I'll stop ranting now......)

The point I was trying to make was that why are you paying for something that for almost a third of time is giving you rubbish? (unless you really like adverts!) TV can be a huge waste of time especially when you have oodles of channels to pick from because you'll flick around and end up watching rubbish because it's on.... and bang... you've lost another evening.

Cazzdevil

Since my OH has moved in the tv is on all the time, but he always puts the BBC Radio 6 on freeview on so we end up either sitting talking or tinkering on with our bikes rather than sat glued to the goggle box.

People put far too much importance on television in my opinion. My mother gets all upset if she misses Neighbours even once. Jees... ::rolls eyes::

pinkshoes

i managed to give up the ciggies, saving myself £850/year!! It took my 4 attempts to give up, so I've tried and tested alot of methods. I recommend:

1) reading the allan carr book

2) everytime you want a drag on your cigarette, imagine yourself licking all the ash out the ashtray that just you flicked in there a minute ago from the drag before! every time you watch someone else smoke, imagine having to lick up all that ash from their ashtray. bet it makes you retch!! as soon as you associate that with taking a drag of your ciggie, you'll soon give up!

monkeymax

update on my changes.

Downgraded sky and NTL - £30 a month off NTL and another 28 off sky
Own lunch brought - £25 a week saving
Switched elec & Gas - 130 a year saving
halfed cigarettes to - 66 a month (that is stopping in 2 weeks anyway)

david_hellier

Hi,

We also need to know the repayments for the loans, then we can work it out.

Dave.

liz105

monkeymax wrote: »

update on my changes.

Downgraded sky and NTL - £30 a month off NTL and another 28 off sky
Own lunch brought - £25 a week saving
Switched elec & Gas - 130 a year saving
halfed cigarettes to - 66 a month (that is stopping in 2 weeks anyway)

If you're stopping in 2 weeks why not stop now??

As a previous poster said, you do NOT need to get a freeview box if you have a Sky box. You get free to air channels through that and the signal is the same as if you had your normal Sky package.

headoutthesand

monkeymax wrote: »

. Freeview is a no no. I only have SKY because we have a terrible non watchable signal. Radio while making sandwiches sounds good though. Thank you

I might be wrong here but i'm sure the basic of basic package from virgin is freeview through a virgin box. i think is the S package or XS.

Try phoning NTL/Virgin and tell them you are leaving them to go to sky (don't mention thinking - tell them you are leaving) They will put you through to someone who will try their hardest to keep your custom. I ended up getting a much better package for less (after i cancelled other things i didn't need).

Call their bluff and see how you get on - you don't ask you don't get!!

monkeymax

monkeymax wrote: »

update on my changes.

Downgraded sky and NTL - £30 a month off NTL and another 28 off sky
Own lunch brought - £25 a week saving
Switched elec & Gas - 130 a year saving
halfed cigarettes to - 66 a month (that is stopping in 2 weeks anyway)

I have sold our second car, downgraded my mobile tariff, downgraded NTL to £20 a month. Stopped online music downloads and have a second job in the evenings in Sainsburys

Getting better?