Kate's Journey

Kate_fixing_it

Now here's a thought...been doing heaps of reclaiming research and in 2001 after a marriage break up I was forced to sell the house we owned. I'm almost certain there must've been PPI on the mortgage. Long shot but just maybe there's a claim there.

I need to read up a lot more but letter templates have been forwarded to work email address ready to complete tomorrow and I'm feeling really fired up about this. If it all fails I'll have lost nothing but a few hours and a couple of pounds on stamps and I've gained an evening of not stressing (yay!) and a wealth of knowledge.

This is where my dogged determination and unwillingness to let go of a bone comes in handy...if not my overuse of canine related cliches

Kate x

P.S. with all the distraction of research I've spent the last few hours with my leg up and just climbed the stairs to bed with much less pain and barely a limp definitely cause for celebration

Kate_fixing_it

Letters are done! I discovered letting agent is a member of property ombudsman so I've completed their complaint form. I've been ignored for months (it's obviously not just us pre-LBM DFWs that bury our heads in the sand) but I thought maybe seeing the official form and supporting evidence might nudge them into action so I've emailed them a scanned copy of everything and given them until Friday to respond (in writing - big thanks to the boards for that gem, they've backtracked on every verbal promise!) and as of 4pm I'd had read receipts from two departments.

The bank and building society letters are done and ready to send. I'm not hopeful that I'll get anything back but won't hurt to try.

I've even done this week's grocery shopping and come in £30 under budget.

In all it's been a great MSE day and not bad at all for a day when I woke up 20 minutes after I should have left for work I'm now going to tuck into fish and chips for dinner (found at the back of the freezer and catch up on 3 weeks of Downton.

My mini break has done me the world of good and I'm back in the game and full of fight and optimism

Kate x

beanielou

All sounding good

Kate_fixing_it

Thanks Beanielou. The support here means so much, hubby is sick of hearing how much I haven't spent on a daily basis! Lol!

I've just had a surprise ebay payment! I got so caught up in my letters that I forgot I had items ending today until my phone started flashing a notification at me to say the buyer has paid! I'm leaping (okay, hopping) around with happiness over £6!

I'm genuinely surprised at how much has sold and for how much. It's certainly been an eye opener. I used to spend that without a second thought and it's added up to more than a week of groceries! Yet another lesson learned and this one wasn't overly painful!

I've discussed/told hubby about a study night once a week and it's all set for tomorrow.

I actually feel a bit emotional tonight about how much I've managed to change in less than four weeks. I'm not at all phased by the road ahead, I'm eager to see the debts reduce and the saving to start and I'm content in this moment knowing it was ME that got myself this far and before I know it it'll be ME that's created a new debt free life.

Kate x

Kate_fixing_it

Morning all! I am probably going to be late for posting this but I had to tell someone. ..

I've just battered the little devil on my shoulder! :j

Checked the bank and a refund cheque has cleared Old me would be making a list of treats I could spend it on, dither around and waste it on rubbish. New me is in a bit of a dilemma...I can't decide which debt to pay it off!

It's not even a really substantial amount (under £70) but it's sitting in the bank and burning a hole in my pocket in a whole new way I'm all giddy at the thought that I have a little money in the bank and I can make one of my debts drop a bit more and make it the magic £1000 paid off this month

I think I've killed Spendy-Kate! I cut off her cash/credit supply and it's drained the life from her
Kate x

Kate_fixing_it

I'm a bit disappointed now. I think a small part of me thought I'd hear something from the letting agent even if it was to say "we've seen it and we'll be in touch" - it's what every other company does! So glad I sent read receipt requests! I do KNOW the emails have been opened but nothing. I suppose it's proof that I'm being ignored though.

Still can't decide which debt to pay the cleared cheque off either but it's not going anywhere, just sitting there making my overdraft look smaller so at least it's doing some good

Kate x

Kate_fixing_it

Bleurgh I appear to have caught the lurgy

I'm a big snotty mess and and actually dozed off at my desk yesterday! (No one noticed!) Arrived home with littlies and the groceries we forgot yesterday only to fall asleep again! A lemsip, a big bowl of soup later and I was wrapped up in fluffy pj's and a blanket and still shivering. I think I worried hubby as he put the heating on but I still wouldn't give up the blanket! Fell asleep AGAIN for 3 hours on the sofa and woke up to go to bed and back asleep by 11! Up early this morning with sore throat, MORE snot but feeling less tired and cold.

The upside to all that is that I wasn't stressed and couldn't spend anything so not all bad.

I'm now heading into a hat trick of NSDs hopefully. I have no intention of going anywhere except work and SW tomorrow night (£1 coin for raffle is put aside) and weather permitting we've planned a Saturday morning out with kids at local country park.

The lurgy is sweeping the office so I'm hoping that the healthy eating in line with SW plan will arm me to beat it and I have found a huge pile of lemsips in a cupboard.

I completely forgot I'd sent a cheque into school for littlies first photos (very overpriced but it's rare to get a decent picture of either and that's the mothers Xmas gifts sorted) so that's half the cheque gone but I'm still within the overdraft limits this month. I'm half expecting the bank to call and check I'm still alive - no Xmas bonus from me this year!

I'm planning to lay low and fight the snot the rest of the week. Still not managed a study day so I want to fit that in too and I even got the books out between my naps yesterday.

Above all I'm feeling positive and cheering myself on. That last £70 will be paid off a debt before payday even if I have to cash in the penny jar!

Tomorrow is exactly four weeks since the confession day and although I knew I had to do something about it I procrastinated until that day so I class 17th October as my LBM and there's been no looking back. I will keep on chipping away until the debts are gone, the overdraft is gone and the loan is paid and the moment there is £1 free to save I'll have won and a whole new adventure begins

Kate x

Kate_fixing_it

STILL nothing from letting agent...ombudsman here I come! Also managed a NSD today despite a really awful day at the office. I've turned down a lunch offer for tomorrow citing SW reasons - best excuse ever non-members just accept it and the fact that I simply don't want to spend a fiver doesn't enter anyone's head

Letter has arrived from CC company claiming I'm £37.55 behind which I can't quite grasp as I pay by direct debit and no surprise that the collections department was closed when I called. Guess I'll be trying again tomorrow.

In all its been a very long day and I'm really looking forward to my bed but it's one day closer to debt freedom and another day when I haven't made it any worse and only 12 days until I can see another big drop in the money owed and that can't be a bad thing

Kate x

Kate_fixing_it

I have news! The verdict is in, monthly interest and charges have been calculated and...drumroll please... NO BANK CHARGES THIS MONTH!!!

I really can't remember the last time this happened! I'm getting impatient waiting for payday to roll around so I can pay off another chunk and this has really made my day! One less bill and proof that I'm REALLY doing it The bank will still be taking interest on the overdraft but even that's reduced. It feels a bit like a pre-party for me. I'm desperate to see the totals drop again so this is an early gift to myself

Admittedly I was £4 over the overdraft limit for 6 hours but they haven't charged me for being disorganised and it's not money off the debts but I'm so happy right now! Next month I'm determined to stay within the limit and this time next year they'll be paying me interest

Kate x

beanielou

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