Journey to Debtfreedom. Can I be debt free by 2015?

DawnW

Hello Jayne :wave:
Bad luck with the car and washing machine It is really annoying when things come together like that isn't it, especially if you are trying to clear debt.

I couldn't help noticing that you pay a lot for fuel, especially electricity (£90) and firewood (£80). Do you have a really big house, or some other reason you use a lot? Could you save any money by changing suppliers at all? What about help with insulation as you have children and are on quite a low income? Or thick curtains, draught excluders etc might help?

Good luck with the mystery shopping. I have often fancied trying that, but not got round to it so far

JayneC

Hi DawnW,

Thanks for dropping by. My electric has shot up (as in almost doubled) in the past year. i do think I'm overpaying a bit since switching suppliers, however some of it has been down to extra use. Bit of a long story, but DS friend came to live with us after having some probs at home. He isn't in school, due to probs there too and was spending every waking hour playing computer games or on the computer - sometimes up all night! Often there were 2x Tvs, games console and computer all on at the same time:eek:! Anyhoo I decided this couldn't go on and so have now enforced a curfew on electricals - everything to be switched off at midnight at the latest and not back on before 8am. This has also helped with sleeping patterns;) I'm monitoring this now and hope that I can lower my payments at some point. The firewood is expensive I know and I may be better with coal ( I have a multi fuel boiler stove) so am going to try that this month - I've also sourced some cheaper wood but this won't be available until March at the earliest

I do have quite a cold house - It's a victorian terrace with high ceilings and big rooms. I think i was a bit too ambitious thinking that my wood burner could run the heating:( But that's where we are. I have wooden floors downstairs too and stone in the kitchen, so that doesn't help. I've just found a tutorial for making rag- rugs which looks quite easy so I will try to make some big rugs - I have some bedsheets I can rip up and use. I have door curtains for the front and back door but it may be worth doing them for all the doors and definitely could do with draught excluders. we already wrap up in layers and dressing gowns and put blankets over us.

JayneC

Picked up my new to me washing machine on Friday from the lovely lady on Freegle, and spent half an hour there having a cup of tea and a chat - You don't get that in Curry's:p

Done some mystery shopping, so will be getting payment later this month and have listed some stuff on ebay - fingers crossed at least some of it sells.

There hasn't been any surveys since Christmas from my usual sources, will check out Swagbucks as they usually have one. It's slow progress...

May have to have another look through my CDs/DVDs to send to Music Magpie or CEX

JayneC

Still plodding on... Collected in my avon orders today and will hit my 25% discount target, so will make at least £30. Still may have some more orders from work and DDs so hoping to get more than that when it's all in, which isn't too bad for this time of year. I am planning to re-canvas my area next month, so may get some more customers and may also try to get some parties going too. I thought about contacting some of the nursing homes (there's lots round here, being a seaside town) to see if I could go in there to do a bit of a demo and sale. I was chatting to someone who sells jewellery and handbags in that way and that's where the idea came from, there wouldn't be much initial outlay, so worth a try I reckon?

Eyebright

Hi Jayne, just read through your diary, well done for being so motivated! Sounds like you have some great ideas to try out, will subscribe to see how you get on. Might give me some ideas too, though I am in no way crafty

EB xx

JayneC

Hi Eyebright:hello:,

Thanks for reading and welcome. Please share any ideas you have.

My problem is not coming up with ideas, it's actually putting them into practice I struggle with:o Hopefully if people are following my progress I might actually get on with it and stop procrastinating...

I've just spent half an hour down loading free kindle books, it's quite addictive and I don't even have a kindle!!

There were some about setting up businesses and some crafty types, so will have to put aside some time to read them _ I have a kindle app on the computer, or I suppose I could read on my phone. I would like a tablet, but that's definitely a want and not a need so will have to wait. I'm kinda hoping I maybe able to haggle one when my phone contract comes up for renewal, but that's not til the summer anyway...

I have a workshop booked for Feb and am doing bath bombs and bath melts, there was an ebook for that too:D So may have some new recipes to try. I should look into selling some stuff - I did a craft fair once and it was a disaster, I sold ONE item... it put me off, but I could maybe sell on etsy or find outlets that could sell on commission, just need to get my arris into gear. The workshops are going well though so I may try again to get some more up and running - I did contact some adult learning centres but didn't get anywhere, with those. I do have a contact who is involved in a community project that offer some classes, so I may have to see if there's an opportunity there.

Well off to have a mooch around the forums, will check in again soon.

JC

JayneC

Well its been a few days so thought I'd better update. I've joined so many challenges - I can't keep up with all the reporting back, lol.

Have sold a few things on the bay of e but won't total up until I have posted them off tomorrow and can accurately deduct postage costs. Still its a start.

Found 2p roadkill:rotfl:

Not much going in the way of surveys of mystery shops ATM, so have spluttered to a bit of a stop, need to be more proactive and investigate some of those bright ideas I have;), but back to work tomorrow so will have to chase later in the week.

Got my phone bill on Friday and discovered that foster child has been ringing mobile numbers without permission and doubled my usual bill:mad: Seems its destined to be one step forward 2 steps back this month:( He will be paying it back from pocket money deductions, haven't told him yet, he'll not be happy! He's also declared he's moving out when he turns 16 (later this month)! He thinks he's got a plan but there's a few gaping holes in it that I can see. Will have to see what happens...

JayneC

So Foster child has moved out! He's gone back to live with his mum but this is apparently a temporary measure until he gets his own flat. Hmmm...

A bit sad as he left in a bit of a strop, but that's teenagers for you I guess. Ho hum onwards and upwards...

Went for a walk with the dog in the dark and the rain and felt surprisingly better afterwards!

Managed to exceed my overdraft, it's not going well, don't know what's up with me lately - must do better!

Have spent a while redoing my budget and have withdrawn cash for day to day expenses which is all separated into envelopes, so 'hopefully' I will keep better track of it.

Spent this evening removing doors. The door on DS bedroom is falling off (and falling apart) so we are swapping it for the one on the unoccupied spare bedroom. DS came over all manly as he unscrewed the doors and took of the hinges:rotfl:, tomorrow we will have to chisel out the door frame to refit the hinges - exciting times.

Eyebright

Hi Jayne, how are you doing? I've had a super busy week, so have barely managed to keep up with my own diary let alone anyone elses!

Hope you are ok after the foster child incident, I don't have children, so can't offer any sage wisdom! You did your best for him and that's what counts I'm sure. Sometimes we have to make our own mistakes to learn, I just hope they aren't too hard a lesson for him

Have fun with the DIY tasks! I'm useless at them :rotfl:

JayneC

Hi Eyebright,

Thanks for the support. I'm ok, to be honest I'm a bit relieved, I hadn't quite realised how stressful it had been until I looked back! An you,re right people do have to learn from their own mistakes, however hard it is to watch...

So the old door is propped up in DS bedroom and the replacement is on the landing:rotfl:. We had issues with the screwdriver - as in I couldn't find one the right size, even though I know I have one somewhere:o and we need some better screws, so it's on hold:o On the plus side, the door and frame have been chisled out and it's all ready to go when I have the screws...

I've always gone the DIY route. My dad was very handy and he did everything, it never occurred to me not to do things myself when I moved into my own place, plus money has always been tight, so even when I realised you could 'get someone in' I couldn't afford it:(

I have a mystery shop lined up tomorrow (lunch out!) and looks like I've made about £40 from this time's avon campaign and I sold something on ebay:T