Debt Destruction December!!!

Mountaingirl

I'm still here, although with not much to report. The bank account is empty, so we are eating up the contents of the freezer and stick cupboard. We leave to go on holiday on Saturday, with relatives for christnas and new year so I have everything more or less prepared.

I'm trying to think ahead to next year, my goals and resolutions and how Si am going to achieve them. As soon as Christmas is over I know I'll have more energy to help me focus.

splodgethefirst

clippy_girl wrote: »

i would interupt it and have your pub dinner if it is a special occasion and have it as your splurge meal. i know you are not meant to have one for the first few times but we havent really picked the best time of year to start! i am starting properly day after boxing day but trying to at least do some of the rules until then!

very wise thank you! well it is the end of term festivities and i don't know how restrained i'll be able to be - also knowing that i can look forward to the pub meal should make me better tomorrow (!)

Mountaingirl what are your plans?

I've got my weekly savings plan (shameless plug i have made a thread for it on DFW) to give me something else to think about as well as feeding the monster as fast as possible; skinny rules; going from good to outstanding ... that leaves two more ... hmmm

clippy_girl

LoveaDove wrote: »

I have a question for the Mystery Shoppers out there? I have never partaken in a mystery shop so please excuse my naiivety (hehe looks a bit like nativity). How is your tax and N.I calculated? Do you have to do a tax return for this? I'm a little baffled, as would the tax be at a different rate as it would be classed as a second job? Tis just something I might consider in the New Year, but want to make an informed decision before committing to it. Thanks in advance for any info!

hello, basically if you earn over the tax threshold in job one then you will pay 20% tax on your mystery shopping earnings. however you can deduct mileage, printing, parking etc.. from your total so you wont pay tax on all of it. generally i pay about 10% of the total earnings in tax once i have taken off the allowed expenses.

as long as you earn under around £5k (i think not sure!) from job two, you can apply to hmrc for a ni exemption cert so you dont need to pay ni on the mystery shopping income (its free).

you do need to do a tax return but as long as you keep records (preferably on a spreadsheet) it takes about 10 minutes to do if you dont do that many jobs. i have a spreadsheet that calculates tax so i know how much it is but it will tell you when you do the tax return anyway. i can send it to you if you like.

there is lots more info on this and other stuff to get started (inc company lists) on the mystery shopping thread on up your income xx

Liliyanna

Good evening one and all,

Apologies for not posting for a good while, just been drifting along with a kinda pre-christmas apathy

Calling14, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, although it's never easy I think it's doubly difficult to deal with when everyone else is so festive and happy

PurpleJay, I'm glad everything went so well, don't be in any hurry to be up and running around...remember it may 'only' have been keyhole but you've still had a organ removed, time to be nice to yourself :A . Be careful with all the yummies you've been missing...a sudden increase in fatty food can have a 'explosive' result as I found :rotfl:

I've forgotten who has the poorly kitty cat but hope she's better now, there's nothing worse than an ill pet when you don't understand whats wrong or how to help them. I know vets cost a lot but it's money well spent

Did the last of the Crimbo shopping today and whilst it was more than I would have liked it was certainly a drop in the ocean compared with previous years Christmas spending!!.

We tried to 'boost' our clubcard points to buy a pressie but for some reason after accepting everything and debting my card we then received an email saying it was all declined. Well, the OH rang Tesco and asked what was the issue and it turned out they had sold out of the item ordered. They refunded our clubcard points (£7) then gave us double that as a gesture of goodwill (£14). All in all not a bad outcome

The £14 arrived in the post this morning and was duly spent on our last shop of the year. We treated ourselves to a bottle of port (£7) courtesy of Tesco

We're up to 10 SFD and all budgets are either maxed out or a little over but nothing unmanageable. We decided to get away from the house yesterday so went for a day out to the beach (Cricceith), took a picnic and went rock pool hunting. How disappointing there was nothing to see this time of year! Do all the crabs/starfish/little fishes/anemones go south for the winter?

Ended up in Caernarfon which was stunning Just been on the travelodge website and it will be £20 per night to stay over in March so will look to book a night to soak up some Welsh culture, all on an MSE style budget of course

I know you shouldn't wish your life away but I am so looking forward to being paid on the 28th, I'll make the last payments of 2013 and be able to do the end of year round up to see what has been paid in total and what our personal 2014 DFW challenge is going to look like.

Well that's all from me at the mo... take care all..

Lily x x

CEW

Not doing too well. Still stuck at 4 SFD's. BUT..I have done all of my Xmas pressie shopping and only need to add some cash to the pressies for my daughter and OH's son and daughter.they are all adults now and don't really know what they want. Really happy as original budget was £750 for pressies this year down from around £900 last year and after I factor in the cash it looks to be around £480 :j:j

Grocery shopping is well under budget..so far. Next big shop will be on Sunday for Xmas bits, meat and veg. Should not need to go shopping till then and that should last us through to the new year.

Will have a spend day tomorrow or Friday when I pay my dues for a football prediction game at work (currently £4 up for the season) and repay a friend for some cards she picked up for me.

Over budget on fuel had £50 in mind but spent £60 so far but as we've only had the car a month or two we are still getting used to the consumption and I also forgot to factor in the difference in price of diesel over petrol. Although its more expensive we are getting a much better MPG - almost double - so will work out cheaper. Previous car was around £130 per month.

Have made a start on my objectives for 2014:

1) Clear CC and OD total £5,500

2) Make or earn enough extra Money (and save it) to have a cash neutral Xmas 2014

3) Finish decluttering and start on all the little jobs that need doing around the house - after many months of saying I want to paint the kitchen units OH has finally agreed after I showed him Thrifty's pictures. He suddenly realised how nice and light it could look.

4) To be confirmed

5) To be confirmed

Hope everyone is well and saving money .

Chez x

stewby

Evening all... I am still here. No excuse for being missing.

So sorry to hear of your bad news calling14. As with everyone else, I am sending you hugs and hope it gives you and your family some small measure of comfort.
Hugs.

Yesterday and today are spend-free days so I am now up to eight!!


Looking forward to January. Can't wait to start again properly. I hope you can make up a great new challenge NSK. I am waiting with baited breath (I think thats how the saying goes).


I am so jealous of the open fire and I had no idea that dried orange peel had that effect. Speaking as someone who still enjoys xmas lights and fireworks, that would amaze me and keep me well entertained.


Hope everyone is having a good day.
Hugs to everyone.

PheoniX

Ho Ho Ho-wdy folks :santa2:

Just a quick check in to declare 1 SFD in the last 3 days. I think the magic of christmas has hypnotised me and sent me doolally with its twinkling lights, festive tunes and tinselled trees! My overdraft is ching chinging up very swiftly and considering my food budget is low this month and all my direct debits are accounted for, the extra spending has gone on gifts, cards, wrapping paper, tree, decs etc.. I shall be glad to see the rear end of Christmas so I can remove the temptation to part with cash and get back on the straight and narrow :xmassmile

Overdraft is now sitting at £840 and only 5 more days until payday! :T Thank goodness I will be back in work on Friday to give my debit card a rest!


Off to catch up with the thread and see what youve all been upto.. Nighty night all :wave:

Fmess

Evening all,

NSK welcome back. Glad to hear from you and love the sound of your parent's house and open fire! It's windy and miserable here

splodge I would have the pub meal as a treat meal. You deserve it and you will be able to be stricter after Christmas. I had lunch off today as it was a fuddle at work, although a lot of it was fairly healthy. My The Skinny Rules is due to arrive on Monday!

Hope your marking is going well. I like your good to outstanding target! I need to work on this too but seem to get bogged down in the day-to-day stuff.

Today is SFD number 9 and took lunch to work. Also earned £25 from tutoring

Found out I get paid on Friday So will be making my final debt payments of the year on Friday, can't wait to see my totals

Hope everyone is ok today

splodgethefirst

Fmess wrote: »

Hope your marking is going well. I like your good to outstanding target! I need to work on this too but seem to get bogged down in the day-to-day stuff.

Today is SFD number 9 and took lunch to work. Also earned £25 from tutoring

Found out I get paid on Friday So will be making my final debt payments of the year on Friday, can't wait to see my totals

Hope everyone is ok today

Very impressive tutoring monies! The fuddle sounds fun! I bought my skinny rules 2nd hand so not sure when it will arrive (though is due before Christmas Eve allegedly). looking forward to making my payments on Monday

Fmess

I got mine second hand too, from Am4zon. I'm very proud of myself as I never buy books second hand, as I like owning them from new! How daft

Yay for making more payments Well done!