LHG - the biggest adventure yet

lionheartedgirl

Evening all. I've been lurking for a while but not posting, but I need to get back in the habit.

Life has changed again, and sadly I am now on one mahoosive debt-busting journey. For the very, very last time.

It's not hard to find my previous diaries but to summarise, I bought my ex husband out of a very expensive money pit of a house, almost got married again to a very dodgy character but only found out at almost the last minute, decided to up sticks and move north and go back to uni to change my career but sadly it's all rather fallen on its !!!!.

The house has ruled every financial decision I've made for the last 8 years, I've had and lost 3 buyers in the last year and I've had to take some drastic steps to get rid of it at last, and it will complete very soon but will cost me a lot of money to do so, which my very kind parents are lending me.

I've had to leave uni, the previous debt should have been mostly cleared from the equity resulting from the sale of the house but sadly this failed and there was no way I could continue with the new level of debt.

Scores on the doors:

Bank loan: £11,202.44 (6.9%, 4 years left to run)
Loan from family friend: £10,000 (interest free, 4 years to run)
Virgin cc: £10,843.53 (0% for a good few months yet, BT juggling)
BoS cc: £5,962.56 (0% for a good few months yet, BT juggling)
NW cc: £1,152.66 which will be cleared very soon with bill refunds from the old house

Plus £10,000 loan from my parents to cover the gap between what I owe on the mortgage and the proceeds from the sale of the house.

Total: an eye watering £49,161.11 :eek: :mad: :eek: :mad: :eek:

I'm fortunate in that I had a good career working in finance before, so I am hoping to bust this within 2-3 years and get back on track, while still being able to enjoy life.

I have a blog elsewhere but I don't share financey stuff on there as I want to keep it separate. Very few friends and family know the extent of what's going on financially but I do need to talk about it and I find writing helps me.

At the moment I have a good temp job which will see me through til Christmas (at least) and I am looking around for other contract stuff until I work out what I want to do longer term, I'm a bit reluctant to go straight into another permanent job while so much is still settling. I'm about a year into living in a new city and haven't had to really work up here yet so am not great on what the opportunities are and what travel is like etc.

Current repayments are about £650 per month but I hope to add a grand to that once I know I have steady work. I have a little bit stashed aside to cover a couple of months out of work, I'd love to put this towards debt but need to be a little careful for a while, again until the waters are calmer.

So. Things are pretty serious, but having been so ridiculous stressed out about the house situation for such a long time, I am feeling good that it will soon be over and I can get on with planning the next stage of my life. I'm still not sure what the future holds but I feel very optimistic and haven't felt that way for a long time.

For the time being, it's just me and my two furry sidekicks, a pair of retired racing greyhounds. I hope to find a lovely chap to complete the collection but seem to have rubbish luck on that front so I'm not holding my breath :rotfl:

This diary will be about being super super careful with money, in order to wring out every single drop from what life has to offer :cool: and I hope to have some company along the way!

satchmo1

Subscribed.

Lovely to find you again LHG, but sorry things have been so rubbish for you. Having just sold my tiny terraced house for a pittance, after 2 years on the market, I know a little of what you have been going through. I managed to make a tiny profit, and I keep thinking that it was cheaper than renting. Two boilers stolen whilst it was empty was enraging, the second one went just 24 hours after it was fitted. The area has become dodge city, with a large number of feral youths.

Here's hoping that you get a great job, find a lovely bloke, and continue to make beautiful music.

RosaBernicia

Hi LHG

Subscribed and so sorry to hear you've had to leave uni - you were so brave to go for it. Really glad to hear you're feeling positive though - isn't it odd how things can suddenly shift perspective?

I've just decided against buying a flat as it was all getting to feel a bit too scary, and I'm really glad I made that decision. I still have a bunch of debt to pay off but at least I have the flexibility to move and can't be landed with any major bills beyond a new deposit!

I second Satchmo in wishing you a great job, lovely bloke and more wonderful music


Rosa xx

satchmo1

lionheartedgirl

thanks both :j

Rosa, my feelings re owning a place now are so different after all of this has happened. I used to value it more than almost anything else, but now I'm not sure I would want to buy a place again unless I it was much more flexible, i.e. cheaper, smaller mortgage and easily rentable if I fancied flitting off for a bit. It is SUCH a huge commitment.

I've done a concert today and found out a few unfortunate things about the chap - still very sad about it all but VERY lucky to be out of it this early on by the sounds of things. I'm now feeling the benefit of all the counselling and support I had after the last one, as while it has really hurt, I've been able to bounce back a lot more easily than I thought I would.

I'll keep looking as I do want to find someone fantastic, but will just turn the !!!!!!!! detector up that bit higher this time :rotfl:

Had fish and chips today but this has been covered by the few quids' expenses I got for the concert not had any in AGES so it felt good!

I've joined LinkedIn over the weekend and jobhunting needs to ramp up now. I'm heading south next weekend to clear out the rest of my stuff from my old house which will be very strange, but in all honesty I can't wait to get it done with.

lionheartedgirl

well one of the benefits of my current job is that I don't spend money while I'm there.

It's on an industrial estate with no shops within walking distance so I have to take my lunch :T

There's a vending machine but I decided at the start that I would steer well clear of it, and only on the very worst of days have I cracked.

This (along with fretting the man and house situation) has seen off just over a stone in weight. I'm the lightest I've been for years which I'm really pleased about. Normally I eat loads when I'm stressed, but when I get really really bad I stop eating. It's only ever happened a couple of times thank goodness.

The downside of this is none of my jeans fit and I need new undies! :mad:

All my recent clothing purchases have been bits of running kit (thanks to birthday money or sponsorship from my gran) and I feel really guilty about spending money on proper clothes now takes a lot for me to talk myself into buying stuff. This is good in some ways but incredibly slow in others.

I'm also loving weekly pay :j and my account tracker app.

lionheartedgirl

Aaaaand breathe. Big weekend coming up.

I'm off south this weekend, to clear the house out for the very last time. It feels so strange.

Solicitor things are dragging on beyond belief and with no good reason. Very upset and frustrated about it but not much I can do other than wait.....and wait ...... and wait...... some more.

I'd been dreading Christmas but have got some plans forming now and it feels good. I just need the weather fairies to smile on me (unlikely given where I am planning to be) but even if they don't I plan on having an absolute blast. I might be the only person in the country doing a long run on Christmas Day but it works for me :T

I love Christmas but my family hate it, and my friends are all away. I've done a few on my own now and I quite enjoy them

RosaBernicia

Haha, I have done the last two Christmases on my own deliberately and really enjoyed them too. Do what works for you :T


Rosa xx

satchmo1

Check out parkrun as I know Milton Keynes have one on Christmas day at 9am. That could be the start of your long run (5k warm up)?

lionheartedgirl

At last! The sale completed today. There are a few bits of furniture still to clear but it's not a tearing hurry and it's in hand.

Also had some lovely news about friends with weddings and new babies in the near future - so exciting.

Packing up the last of the house was actually a really nice experience, I think helped by the fact that I had already done all the crying and the moving on had happened. I packed up wedding presents and remembered nothing but the joy of choosing them together. It was a crazy weekend but I had some brilliant support from my parents and a lovely FB message to lift things too.

November has been one of the busiest months I've ever had, but for all the best reasons. The life I wanted seems to have finally arrived. It doesn't seem to feature the harp in massive amounts, but I have the social circle I had craved and have been out 3-4 nights every week, whether that's been seeing friends or doing sporty stuff or a combination of both.

And it culminated with a lovely date on Saturday night who was still here on Sunday morning. I hope it becomes a regular fixture, I really think it will. We have some lovely mutual friends, he seems great and very caring and I am seeing him again on Thursday.

The previous incumbent is stirring but I am mostly immune to it and able to see it for what it is.

Satchmo - thanks re the parkrun - I have been keeping an eye near me but they are all a bit far away and I have so many fab places to run nearby it seems a lot of faff to drive for a 3 mile run I spent 6 years living in MK as a kid though, went to the same primary school as Greg Rutherford although not at the same time :rotfl:

So much hope. So much debt, admittedly, but good times and good people in my life now and I am excited about the future. AND I have a 2nd interview for a 12 month contract on Wednesday afternoon (serious outfit purchased from Matalan :money: with shoes from Asda, fits/looks great!) so fingers crossed for that too.

satchmo1

Oh what great news LHG, I'm so very pleased for you that the deal is finally done!


I thought I saw Greg Rutherford whilst I was running around Willen Lake a few weeks back, but then thought "nah, it can't be". Maybe it was??


Good news on the social/dating front, you're building a great network, which is essential to your wellbeing.