My story/I mean it this time..

quantic

Just wanted to say I read your story and wish you the best of luck, you have the opportunity to really sort your financial situation out over the next couple of years if you tackle this in the right way. Get rid of the cards asap. You have come this far - your on the home straight now

Best of luck!

asparagus1968

good to hear you are getting sorted. did you cut the cards up??

will your bank allow you to open "saving pot accounts" or extra saving accounts?

with mine, I have a main current account for wages to go into and direct debits to come out of, then an account for savings and car stuff, and another for emergency savings and then every Friday I take £60 out for the groceries.
this helps me stay on track,i know whats where etc.

I really hope things work out for you,good luck :T

Mizen79

quantic wrote: »

Just wanted to say I read your story and wish you the best of luck, you have the opportunity to really sort your financial situation out over the next couple of years if you tackle this in the right way. Get rid of the cards asap. You have come this far - your on the home straight now

Best of luck!

Thanks very much, it truly means alot.

We did our first shop on the new budget last night, and did very well. As part of the plan, our one weekly 'treat' (FYI, also part of the shopping budget) was to eat at Morrisons before we do the weekly shop. we have always been "hungry shoppers" before. Amazing value- 3 hot meals, 3 drinks, desserts and crayons for daughter- for £8! It may be a couple of quid more than if we had eaten at home, but I definitely think it helped us NOT buy much more on our wander round the shop afterwards

We may not do this every week, but will see how things work. Even with that meal, we spent £54 in total, when our budget was £75 :j

asparagus1968

what a good idea, you still need a treat now and again! you have taken these measures to be in control of your life, but you have to enjoy life,good luck.

Mizen79

asparagus1968 wrote: »

good to hear you are getting sorted. did you cut the cards up??

will your bank allow you to open "saving pot accounts" or extra saving accounts?

with mine, I have a main current account for wages to go into and direct debits to come out of, then an account for savings and car stuff, and another for emergency savings and then every Friday I take £60 out for the groceries.
this helps me stay on track,i know whats where etc.

I really hope things work out for you,good luck :T

Thank you.

Not actually cut the cards up, no, must get round to that. They havent been used though (of course )

I am with Lloyds and do already have 2 separate accounts- have set up 2 standing orders- one for car things, and another for Christmas stuff (for next year, as got this year covered).

Early days, but have made a good start (I have planned as well as I possibly can, I believe).

Mizen79

asparagus1968 wrote: »

what a good idea, you still need a treat now and again! you have taken these measures to be in control of your life, but you have to enjoy life,good luck.

Very true- have enjoyed it a bit too much last few years, but little things like that will help- and £8 for 3 people, cant grumble at that! And I had Scampi! :beer:

In_Debt_Bet

Just wanted to say good luck and to add my voice to those saying please do cut up your cards and close the accounts.

I'm sure I'm one of many people on this board who have over the years fallen into the trap of taking out a consolidation loan and then running up further debt - it didn't take me long to realise that although I'd cut up my card, I only had to make a quick phone call and the company would send me a replacement.

Even now every time I ring my bank they try to encourage me to take out a loan to help me to manage my finances better, I thank them very much but politely decline their offer. It can only take one unexpected bill to come in and you think oh well I'll put it on my card and pay it off in full next month but then something else happens the next month and before you know it you're in debt yet again :eek:

Good luck and stay strong,

Bet x

Mizen79

In_Debt_Bet wrote: »

Just wanted to say good luck and to add my voice to those saying please do cut up your cards and close the accounts.

I'm sure I'm one of many people on this board who have over the years fallen into the trap of taking out a consolidation loan and then running up further debt - it didn't take me long to realise that although I'd cut up my card, I only had to make a quick phone call and the company would send me a replacement.

Even now every time I ring my bank they try to encourage me to take out a loan to help me to manage my finances better, I thank them very much but politely decline their offer. It can only take one unexpected bill to come in and you think oh well I'll put it on my card and pay it off in full next month but then something else happens the next month and before you know it you're in debt yet again :eek:

Good luck and stay strong,

Bet x

Thankyou for your good wishes

Mizen79

So I realised I made a boo-boo with the loan amount I got. I got about £800 short of what I needed (d'oh).

This has left me with a balance on 1 credit card of £800 ish. Now, I COULD pay about £600 off this right now, but I have left about £600 in the bank for a few big things which are approaching (MOT, Car Tax, Xmas, trip away for wife/daughter which has been arranged for a very long time).

I have decided to set up a D/D to pay the remainder of this card (I can afford about £30 a month), and any surplus at the end of the month will also go towards paying this off (based on first shop last night, this is quite possible).

Now I know some of you may say 'pay the £600', but if I do this, it will mean having to use the c.card for that £600 of spending as and when, and this is what I want to avoid- I do NOT want to use credit cards ever again! So for me, I think this is the best option.

As for those expenses (Tax, MOT etc), I have now set up standing orders (to savings accounts) so that I will be able to afford them next year (but this year, I just needed the whole amount available now).

Mizen79

Did some more thinking on budgets etc this morning, and have set up 2 more monthly standing orders to my savings account- one for £40 per month for my childs classes (ballet & swimming, not regular enough payments to include in normal monthly budget)- also £10 a month for emergency fund- I want to increase this but at least I have started it off.

This does only leave us with a budget for "other" things (e.g. presents, clothes, etc) of £75 per month- BUT we have already covered ourselves for groceries, petrol, Xmas, car expenses, school dinners, & now DD's classes and small emergency fund (as well as all normal monthly bills e.g. Mortgage, water, gas, Insurances, & LOAN..lol)

I am SO determined to make this work....