Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

FinanciallyUnsavvy

Just saying hello. Hope all is well- not like you to skip a day! xxx

debtfreewannabe321

Hey even paying off £800 is fantastic! If you manage the £1k then all the better but at least you know everything is being paid

Hope all is well xx

StressedSteph

Hi all


Not sure what I did yesterday but it flew by and I didn't get chance to post here.


Still balanced my account and behaved


I have just finished reading The Book Thief and I took myself off on my own last night to watch it at the cinema. I cried all the way through, it was amazing.
If you like reading PLEASE read that book, it is incredible.


The movie was good but they did cut out ALOT of fantastic bits, but suppose they cant fit it all in.


Balance YNAB again today, still a steady stream of Direct Debits coming out but no room for any more overpayments.


Next week is mortgage payment and last couple of minimum payments on debts, but at least they knock my total down and will finish off my target of 1k for the month.


Just looking forward to getting on with April now...I'm so impatient.


GOT to make some MONEY!!! where can I find some???.

mfmaybe

Steph you sound just like me!!! But you are paying HUGE amounts down each month. I'm currently way off target whereas you are very close indeed. Massive pat on the back.

elfy1807

Hi Steph.

It's taken me about 10 days to catch up on all the goings on in this diary, but I've got there.
You've done fantastically with all your debt busting and I've enjoyed reading your diary.

Your crafts are brill and it's even inspired me to give crafting for money a go.
Not sure what I'd do yet... but I'm having a think about it for a bit of extra dollar.

We've got plenty of [strike]junk[/strike] fabulous treasures in our house that need decluttering that I could sell, but it's finding the motivation to sort through it all and sort it out. I'm more of a car booter than an ebayer because ebay is just such a hassle with fees and working out postage and stuff.

The main reason I wanted to post was because of your mention of the council tax - do you pay 10 months or 12?
I know it's usually 10 months, however my mum received her review letter yesterday and there was a note saying if you wanted to pay over 12 months instead of 10, to phone them. So she did, because on the free months, the money just gets lost because it gets spent on random stuff. However, over 12 months, she'd be paying less per month and the small amount she's saving will be easier to put towards savings/debts rather than the large amount that just disappears.

Anyway, just a thought.
Look forward to reading more of your journey to being debt free.
Keep up the good work!

StressedSteph

mfmaybe wrote: »

Steph you sound just like me!!! But you are paying HUGE amounts down each month. I'm currently way off target whereas you are very close indeed. Massive pat on the back.

Hi mfmaybe


Thanks for such kind words.
I have slowed down a lot this last week or so and kind of lost my mojo a little.
Got to find it again, I think its because I have sold all the easy bits and now its hard to find ways of making more money.
Got to keep going. Its only the 1k per month target that is keeping me going. I can knock the debt total down so well if I keep achieving this. Very hard though.
Keep going hun, sell your soul on Ebay haha sxxx

elfy1807 wrote: »

Hi Steph.

It's taken me about 10 days to catch up on all the goings on in this diary, but I've got there.
You've done fantastically with all your debt busting and I've enjoyed reading your diary.

Your crafts are brill and it's even inspired me to give crafting for money a go.
Not sure what I'd do yet... but I'm having a think about it for a bit of extra dollar.

We've got plenty of [strike]junk[/strike] fabulous treasures in our house that need decluttering that I could sell, but it's finding the motivation to sort through it all and sort it out. I'm more of a car booter than an ebayer because ebay is just such a hassle with fees and working out postage and stuff.

The main reason I wanted to post was because of your mention of the council tax - do you pay 10 months or 12?
I know it's usually 10 months, however my mum received her review letter yesterday and there was a note saying if you wanted to pay over 12 months instead of 10, to phone them. So she did, because on the free months, the money just gets lost because it gets spent on random stuff. However, over 12 months, she'd be paying less per month and the small amount she's saving will be easier to put towards savings/debts rather than the large amount that just disappears.

Anyway, just a thought.
Look forward to reading more of your journey to being debt free.
Keep up the good work!

hi Elfy,


Thank you so much for trawling through my diary. Must have bored you half to death with my moaning hehe.


Fantastic that I have inspired you to try crafting. People seem to make so much money doing it. I guess you just need the spare time to be able to try stuff out.
Be careful though as it is super easy to spend more money than you make on fancy fabrics and supplies for the craft.
My MIL keeps trying to talk me into a better sewing machine that costs £900 :eek:. difference between me and her though, is I am TRYING to make money, so if just treating it as a hobby.
My sewing machine is from the 1970's but it works fab for me, so why spend the money.


Thanks for the 12 months council tax idea. I will have a think about it.
My monthly payment is £194 :eek:, and if I spread it over 12 months it would be £162, which does seem a lot more of a nicer amount.
This February & March I have paid that £190 against debts, but can't be sure I will always be so good.
Might be worth changing it as hopefully by the time I get to next January my debt will be under 10k which seems a lot less to worry about than now.


I will give them a call, thank you hun xxx
Please come back x

StressedSteph

Hi all


Bank balanced against YNAB again this morning. Just my £7.50 delivery saver for Mr T direct debit has come out.


I took Elfy, a previous posters advice and just rang the council tax about direct debit over 12 months.


I got into such a pickle last year with not affording to pay them on the 1st of every month, and as we all know the council doesn't mess about waiting for payments. eeeek


They were really helpful and offered me four different direct debit dates. I chose the 2nd week of the month, to give the bank balance time to recover from the mortgage payment.
That is the next thing to tackle as once I have paid the mortgage next week, I need to ask them to set up the direct debit but at a different time of the month so help me to be able to pay on time.


YNAB has been a great help with this. As we get paid weekly. I have set YNAB up in Weekly categories. Having it set up like this I can see the total of how much needs to go out each week. This really helped me choose a good week for my Council tax and mortgage direct debits to come out.


Being weekly paid, it is essential to spread the DD's out as evenly as possible.


So thank you Elfy, that is another problem solved. xxx

elfy1807

StressedSteph wrote: »

hi Elfy,


Thank you so much for trawling through my diary. Must have bored you half to death with my moaning hehe.


Fantastic that I have inspired you to try crafting. People seem to make so much money doing it. I guess you just need the spare time to be able to try stuff out.
Be careful though as it is super easy to spend more money than you make on fancy fabrics and supplies for the craft.
My MIL keeps trying to talk me into a better sewing machine that costs £900 :eek:. difference between me and her though, is I am TRYING to make money, so if just treating it as a hobby.
My sewing machine is from the 1970's but it works fab for me, so why spend the money.


Thanks for the 12 months council tax idea. I will have a think about it.
My monthly payment is £194 :eek:, and if I spread it over 12 months it would be £162, which does seem a lot more of a nicer amount.
This February & March I have paid that £190 against debts, but can't be sure I will always be so good.
Might be worth changing it as hopefully by the time I get to next January my debt will be under 10k which seems a lot less to worry about than now.


I will give them a call, thank you hun xxx
Please come back x

I've always been into crafting, paper crafting is my favourite - like scrapbooking and collaging, but I always seem to run out of inspiration to finish them off.
I've got so many projects started around the house.
My biggest started project is my WDW album.
I did all the easy bits in it and then couldn't figure out how to finish it so it's been sat unfinished for a good few months now.

However, your diary, along with that album has given me a little idea as to what I could sell.
My album is based on Project Life, which is basically clear plastic sleeves that are separated into different size pockets (usually 3x4in and 4x6in sizes).
I've made various character related journalling cards for my album and was thinking maybe I could try making these to sell to other PL fans.

My next issue is whether to sell on eb@y or et$y.
And whether to pre make or make to order.
We have lots of paper/card sitting around the house that I can use to start with, so wouldn't be costing anything material wise at the beginning. And then when it comes time to stock up, I work at a store that sells crafting bits and can use my discount on it to get it at a reduced price.
Starting to wonder how much I'd like a bit of extra cash though as I'm getting myself all confused haha.
Any advice?

StressedSteph wrote: »

Hi all

Bank balanced against YNAB again this morning. Just my £7.50 delivery saver for Mr T direct debit has come out.

I took Elfy, a previous posters advice and just rang the council tax about direct debit over 12 months.

I got into such a pickle last year with not affording to pay them on the 1st of every month, and as we all know the council doesn't mess about waiting for payments. eeeek

They were really helpful and offered me four different direct debit dates. I chose the 2nd week of the month, to give the bank balance time to recover from the mortgage payment.
That is the next thing to tackle as once I have paid the mortgage next week, I need to ask them to set up the direct debit but at a different time of the month so help me to be able to pay on time.

YNAB has been a great help with this. As we get paid weekly. I have set YNAB up in Weekly categories. Having it set up like this I can see the total of how much needs to go out each week. This really helped me choose a good week for my Council tax and mortgage direct debits to come out.

Being weekly paid, it is essential to spread the DD's out as evenly as possible.

So thank you Elfy, that is another problem solved. xxx

I'm glad my advice was useful and that you've managed to find a solution to your council tax.
I assume it's also been changed to 12 months now as well as the date changing?

StressedSteph

Hi Elfy,


Yes I have spread it over 12 months. Saves me £40 per month, although of course life in its wisdom hs just sent me an Email from my electricity supplier saying that I am £300 in Debit and they are upping my monthly Electricity Direct Debit by another £40. lol Typical. Save £40 then lose £40. Love it!!!


(Note to self - Must keep reminding kids to turn off lights...ggrrr)


I would really recommend a Facebook page. That is where I make all my sales. There is a paper crafter I have liked, who makes beach scenes out of paper with cute seagulls and beach huts etc. She frames them and sells them. Seems to always be busy.
I have no clue what Project Life is, will google that later.


Get crafting xxx

maddiemay

OH, after several tries, managed to speak with our energy provider today to get moved to a new deal as ours finishes at end of the month.

We have been here for 2.1/2 years and it has been one c*ck up after another, but as we managed to port a very good deal from our last house to here we just sort of went along with it. We knew that we owed them money (their fault not ours I won't bore you with the saga:() and today they told us we were £400 in arrears, fortunately OH has been putting the money we thought we ought to be paying to one side (a bit more in fact), so no harm done, but I do wish these people would get their act together.

It's a pain you not having the Council Tax money to put towards debt, but at least you have the extra for the energy DD covered. I read on someone's blog this week about the "jobs" assigned to the children in the household and switching off lights etc was one of them and said child I think was quite jealous about it:D. Could be a bit tricky if child went round turning off fridge/freezer though:eek: