Looking forward - Debt Free in 4 years

mizmir

One step closer to getting debts on low interest rates - balance transfer from Sainsburys to MBNA has come through - 0% for 9 months. Now to transfer Barclaycard onto Sainsburys - also 0% for 9 months. Then I can transfer MBNA (existing balance) onto Barclaycard at 6.7% life of balance! Determined to get rid of all the high interest rates - but ideally have some on long term life of balance rates since we're in this longer term.

Piquant_2

Investigation complete! Subscribed!

I had a go at matched betting when I first started debt busting I never really got my head around it. I might have another look and see if my brain copes better this time.

On the broadband front I have had first rate customer support from Plusnet and their prices aren't bad either. Getting set up was very quick, they text you up to date status reports all along the way. Very good indeed.

mizmir

Hi Piquant - thanks for stopping by. I used to love matched betting but after a year or so the deals became much harder to do - in the early days there are a lot more easy ones to pick off. It is good to be back in that position. My OH may feel the urge to do the whole thing too!

Thanks for the tip about Plusnet. That is good to know as I have heard horror stories - not about them but about other lower cost providers (Talk Talk etc). I have gone with BT - could cancel still so will check out what Plusnet have in my area.

Second stage of balance transfer shuffle complete. Next stage tomorrow will be shifting MBNA to Barclaycard!

Ali-OK

Great news on the card tarting and the low rate loan. :j

The key thing with broadband is to check your local exchange line as that has the key impact on speed apparently.

For all the bad reviews of Talk Talk, I've been with them since they took over Tiscali and they guarantee no restrictions on speed. We've had one day down in 4 years and I've just changed my package to £8 a month for unlimited broadband and 24/7 inclusive calls with them.

If they weren't any good, I'd be gone, especially with working from home and a heavy download user of a teenage son

Matched betting looks interesting, though I never managed to work it out first time round! :rotfl:

How's your meal plan and shopping list coming along?

mizmir

Thanks Ali. Good to hear that about TalkTalk. Looks like as you say the key is the local context - do you know how I can check this for my area? I believe we are quite a way from the exchange (according to the BT person) but we do have fibre optic cable.

Matched betting is great fun and there is lots of support for it on the forum. Definitely money to be made there.

Meal plan done. Shopping today - cash from my client work yesterday. Must update my list but first have to get OH to work!

mizmir

Good news today - OH's loan has been approved. Just need to get the paperwork through and check that it is indeed at 4.7% then we will be able to shift a chunk of debt on to that and probably get rid of some cards once and for all! :j

Just waiting for stage 2 of the credit card shuffle to clear (should be today I hope) then I can get stage 3 in motion.

Today is going to be spent clearing up and sorting but I do have a shopping trip and some errands to run. Am armed with a list so there will be nothing bought that is not on there unless it is a yellow ticket thing that we would buy anyway!

Plus I need to call in at the vet and deliver an insurance claim form - should hopefully get back around £100 of drug costs for my dog - plus will pick up a prescription so I can get his ongoing drugs online much more cheaply.

Apart from that it is clear up and sort out day. Might turn up some things for eBay (still haven't tackled the attic!).

mizmir

Shopping done - just love Aldi! Also went to Tesco to use some vouchers - saved £12.88 on that. So have got the main food shopping to the end of the month and am still £65 under budget - there will be some things to pick up over the next fortnight (mainly fresh fruit and veg) but should still come in under budget. Am really pleased with that as my budget is half what we had actually averaged over the past 3 months. :eek: Just shows what a difference some planning and careful shopping can make.

Put in the insurance form and they are going to try and get all my dog's medication put on it which would be about £300. Fingers crossed. Also got the prescription - only for a month's medication but free. I don't mind calling in once a month for a new prescription if it is free and the cost of his meds on line is so much cheaper. Off now to see what price I can get on them.

mizmir

Wow - will definitely be getting the monthly prescription written up by the vet. His meds from the vet came to £157.43 for 1 month (he has a heart condition). The same meds online are £61.20! I do have insurance (at the moment - but it has gone up to £100 a month so I am not sure I can keep it going - but he is 11 and wouldn't get insurance elsewhere). But even so I have to pay this out then claim back and there are excesses etc. So the cheaper I can get the meds the better.

Ali-OK

What a fab day you've had on the money saving, well done :j

I'm sure there's a website to look up a) how far you are from the exchange and b) if it's got the latest line or if not, if it's due to be upgraded. Distance definitely affects speed.

Have a google

mizmir

Thanks Ali - will check it out.

Busy day on the DFW front. OH's loan application has been approved - didn't get the 4.7% rate but have been offered 7.7%. Have spent a few hours going through all the different options and recalculating different snowballs and have decided to go for this - it will allow us to knock 4 months off our DFD and save several thousands of £££ in interest over the next 4 years. It will also allow us to clear our overdraft so that we are working in the black - which will make it so much easier to budget - and will also mean that we will have our overdraft facility for dire emergencies and so only put away the money we need for annual expenses not for possible emergencies.

Completed stage 3 of the card shuffle - and put a chunk more onto 0% for 9 months and another chunk onto 6.9% LOB. The way we will end up is with about a 3rd of our debt on short term (9 month) 0% deals and the rest on lowish interest (8% and under) for LOB. SO we'll have to shuffle again in November for the 3rd but the rest can just stay put and get paid off gradually. Just one more transfer to do once these ones have cleared - and then the loan to pay off the rest.

Found a new dog food supplier today and altogether have sliced £75 a month of my dog food costs (have 3 dogs including one very big one - they get through 4lbs of food a day between them).

Have done my spreadsheets and checked banks - a stray cheque has been cashed - need to track down what it was for - is from an old cheque book so may have been sitting with someone a while But thankfully I transferred a bit from the offset yesterday so we are still within our limits.

Getting very cold here. We've just built a log store (out of recycled pallets and fencing) and have a pile of old wood that we need to break up and get in there to dry out - job for the weekend - sawing up wood. Am determined to forage for firewood and kindling to avoid paying for logs if we can help it. We have a multifuel stove so try to keep heating to a minimum and use that to keep the living room warm.