Changing for good...a new start!

Baldybear

pollyanna24 wrote: »

Defo worth getting the cam belt done. I didn't even realise they had to be changed. And so on one of my cars, it just snapped and it would have cost too much to have replaced it as it kinda wrecked the whole car by snapping.

So when I got another car, I replaced the cam belt straightaway. Don't remember it costing as much as you have to pay though :eek:

I'm useless with cars. Since 2009 when I started driving (had my licence since 2000, but lived in or near London so never needed to drive), I've had:-

Ford Fiesta - totalled this - also broke my neck while 6 months pregnant, eek!

Alfa Romeo - this is the one the cam belt snapped on

Ford Fiesta - I like Fiestas, what can I say, haha.

Fiat Punto - the head gasket or something went on the Fiesta.

So four cars in six years, is that a lot? Really gotta stop buying bangers.

Thanks for this, my bro in law is going to look under the bonnet on sunday to check the state of the cam belt as it gives a good idea, still want to do this but try and save for it first if I can, just wait to see if need urgently or not

I had some of my debt from buying a nearly new car (6 months old) is now 5 years old (spent £15k on originally :eek:) but still worth around £8k and is great on fuel and should last me for a while (in theory). I have a Golf, my third one interspersed with a Vauxhall Nova, a Polo, citroen zx and peugeot 306 so quite a combination

Baldybear

clearmydebts wrote: »

Hi BB,

Have read your diary and have enjoyed it. Fair play to you, you sound very determined. I can understand why you don't want to get rid of the horse, although personally I don't think I could accept that amount of cash from my parents each month, and save for a holiday while knowing they are subsidising you each month. But you both seem happy with the arrangement so each to their own!

I agree with this, my holiday fund is not working anyhow :rotfl: I want to be in a situation where I dont have to be subsidised by my parents and pay for everything myself. I am doing so much better than this year, all my savings etc are just from me and I have done this on top of not adding to the debt and slowly chipping away at the debt so I have come on in leaps and bounds

How is the lodger hunting going? I think that would make huge inroads into your debt and really allow you to snowball it. As it stands it seems like any little emergency could tip you back further into the red, which would be an awful shame. Would taking a second job be an option for you, just in the short-term?

Lodger hunting not going so well yet, still need to finish clearing ex's stuff from the house to the loft, he left the loft in a state so having to sort that first :mad: but it is still on my agenda. Re a second job I could look into weekend work, during the week I just dont have time, up at 7 do hoss, work at 8.30, finish at 5, do hoss, home eat dinner and then its 8pm and I am in bed at 10. Could get someone to do the hoss but it wouldnt be worth it financially, definitely something to think about at the weekend tho

It's hard to see how an end to the debt will ever be in your sight if you don't make a few sacrifices. For you it isn't the horse, but what about compromising on living on your own, or taking the second job?

For me you are right the sacrifice will never be the horse but I am trying hard to cut down and do things in other areas

I think it's only a matter of time before your ex starts looking for his share of the house. If I were the other woman I certainly wouldn't be happy knowing my partner had equity tied up in another property. Particularly if we wanted to settle down together.

Fortunately I am quite lucky in that my ex wont want share of the house yet. Situation is this...ex's new wife has a house, she has a mortgage on that (in her name only). If they wanted to move to a bigger house (which then my ex would want his share) first she has to give her ex a lump sum of the house (payable under her divorce settlement either when she sells or kids are 18) (kids are still under 12) so they would need a fair whack, not sure what figure is, to make up the shortfall in this figure. Second my ex would need to be debt free (dont think a bank would consider a mortgage if he isnt). He left my house with £15k of credit card debt, probably still the same if his words the other day are anything to go by. He is still spending like water and she seems to be just as bad. They have just got a new car (traded old ones in) but still apparently only £20 a month better off and it is on finance. Also talking last night about something else he was bragging about buying a new hoover which is the bees knees (he has to have the latest gadget, thats how he got into most of his debt). The new hoover £400 :eek: Who spends that on a hoover :cool: So in theory while he is still living that lifestyle and it seems she is too it gives me more time to achieve my goals. With each month that goes by I chip a little bit of the mortgage so less to find overall so always working towards the bigger picture Also he still has loads of stuff here, if he wanted out he would have nowhere to put it (just pay for storage, more money lol, he probably wont want half of it in the end, he has been gone 7 months and hasnt needed it. Part of the deal was that I store his stuff for nothing which is fine but it is such a mess trying to sort it out, its annoying me. Actually the only good thing is because of it I am sick of stuff so am gradually becoming more minimalist and getting rid of crap I dont need (Mostly ebaying )

I hope you don't view my words as being too harsh. I am just being realistic, I think a few things need to change for you in order for you to emerge debt free. Unfortunately when you have the level of debt you have, you can't have it all. For me, we've had to sacrifice holidays abroad since 2012. Holidays and travelling are a huge passion for us, but we had to just accept that we can't do it until the debt is gone. Took me about 6 years to see sense, but I can see the debt going down now and it is worth it.

No I dont think you are harsh, its nice to have other peoples points of view, maybe I cant have it all and a holiday will probably go by the wayside, but I am keeping moving forwards and each step each day is a step in the right direction

My answers in red above

clearmydebts

I'm glad you don't think I'm being harsh. I have made many mistakes myself and though I could have it all while still being in debt but I was fooling myself for many years. Maybe getting rid of the ex's stuff could be a priority for you. Could you give him a deadline of when he has to have it collected by, before you give it to charity? He is being very unreasonable and preventing you from making good inroads into your debt.

Baldybear

Oh how I wish I could get rid of his stuff, but the longer I keep it the more I get to keep the house

Have started on the loft, thrown away all the random cardboard boxes he hoarded (2 wheelie bins full) and have done a quarter so at least I can see where I am at. I have a huuuge loft, ex has a lot of stuff! Few more weekends and hopefully can finish it lol!

If I could I would sell all the stuff up there, would make me a fortune but alas until I can buy him out and he wont collect I cant, darn it could probably make the money up with whats in there, well at least a few thousand!

Baldybear

Good morning

So bought fuel yesterday went first as short queues, then went to shop behind bought rest of stuff for dinner on sunday, found mince pies, pigs in blankets and brandy sauce. Used gift voucher and £5 nectar points, ended up spending extra £9 on top so not too bad as bought lots of soft drinks but will last for a while. They gave me a voucher for 10p of a litre, argh head wall, I probably wont need it now and it will expire before I can use it, should have got fuel afterwards but didnt know. May see if mum or sister needs it

Have ordered big lot of hay for the hoss, running out this weekend and wont have time to get any more. Have put on my Sains CC, will have enough in next months budget to cover this and will be in time so wont pay interest so thats ok.

No more extra money in or out, so far am on budget but 20 days till payday yet :cool:

Have had confirmation that should get my amazon vouchers for some mystery shopping that I have done recently, just waiting for them to land then can buy nephews birthday present outright and should be able to have some spare for my mums birthday

Target 1 - Insurance Savings overspend £156 - £128

Target 2 - Cambelt servicing £589

Baldybear

£40 amazon voucher landed for first set of mystery shopping

I have bought my nephews present and have enough left over for half of my mums present due in may. I am due another few vouchers so hopefully be able to save up and get that for free too.

Am super pleased so far all presents this year I haven't paid a penny of hard cash too

Baldybear

Good morning

Its friday and I have a nice birthday weekend to look forward to

Still waiting for my survey money, hurry up and pay, stamps foot impatiently :rotfl:

I have a bid on ebay so will have a few more pennies to add to the pot next week.

Most boring entry ever but keeps me motivated.

Target 1 - Insurance Savings overspend £156 - £128

Target 2 - Cambelt servicing £589

Baldybear

Small amount of £3 survey money landed so sent straight to insurance, target 1 almost complete now

Target 1 - Insurance Savings overspend £156 - £131

Target 2 - Cambelt servicing £589

clearmydebts

Well done BB. That's fantastic

Baldybear

Good morning

So my birthday yesterday, cracking weekend Saturday went to see Charlie & Choc Factory in London (tickets already paid for) then went out for dinner. Dinner paid for in budgeted amount. I paid for trains and lunch for me and friend as owed money for ticket for gig he has bought to go to in December. I put this on my credit card - details below.

Sunday family came round for lunch, I had loads of leftover xmas turkey so did proper xmas dinner with the works including crackers which had a flying sprout game, then we ended up playing whack a sprout using a tube, wooden spoon and leftover cooked sprouts :rotfl: It was such a fun day Then did my hossie, my friend did sat night and sun am, so I could have a lay in, so no extra money to pay out but I did sat am and last night so we are evens

I was running out of hay so I placed a big order for delivery last week as wouldnt be able to go at the weekend, there is minimum order but ordered a lot as got a small discount, should be 10 weeks worth, put this on credit card too.

So credit card spends - £163.20 on hay :eek:, £50 on fuel, £19.40 on misc food shop and £51.30 on train/lunch. So I have paid £100 already which was fuel budget and leftover hoss food budget for the month. So I have £183.90 to find :eek:

Good news is bro in law looked at cambelt yesterday and it looks in perfect condition, it should be fine and be replaced next year, will check again in a few months to keep an eye on it, so temporarily I dont need target 2 so scrapping that one, will have to save for next year but will do that after other targets met. If it does deteroiate will swap targets and reinstate this but for now its scrapped.

So target 1 insurance overspend still stands, now mini target 2 is pay of the sains CC spend of £183.90. So I have budgeted amount for hoss food next month which can go straight to target, also got some money of overdraft left if I dont need any, so in theory although not clearing overdraft Sains CC should be clear after payday on 24th

I am still awaiting survey money too so can use this either way, depends on what lands first.

Once the 2 targets below are met then can go back to original targets of holiday fund and emergency fund.

I did get some cash for my birthday - £30 shouldnt need to use this at all, maybe top up groceries before payday but then will have more in account to clear sains cc, watch this space.

Target 1 - Insurance Savings overspend £156 - £131

Target 2 - new - Sains CC - £183.90