The 300k debt-free diary!!!

evab_2

pp well done for all the work so far, I'll be here reading about your fantastic in roads towards your debts. Ev x

pandapaws

Thanks guys - I find it odd that anyone would want to read about the mess we've made of our finances, but then I do exactly the same thing, so maybe we're all just a bit strange!!!

Huge result this morning: Aim for August was to pay off the NatWest credit card with £677 owed. We have managed to collect £366 in our new 'save for debt' bank account (£147 mobile cashback chqs, £134 bingo win (still laughing about that!), £72 child benefit and the rest from loose change), and rang NatWest today to find out the exact balance - it was only £357!!! Apparently that's due to our last payment being too high, estimated interest based on different amount etc etc - I don't care why, so long as they've got it right now!

Tried to pay it off through the bank (they don't take Switch payments) but couldn't as they £147 cheque hasn't cleared yet, so will try again on Thursday. That will be a great feeling!

Hubby getting right into matched betting now he's really got the hang of it. Father-in-law still slightly sceptical (he can't understand the concept) but showed him our statements and while he doesn't know how it works, he now believes us that it does! We've done a deal with him that we'll do the betting for him and go 50/50 on the profits - works well for both, all he has to do is supply switch card and address, and we'll do all the research, place the bets etc. Sis-in-law heard about this and is considering getting us to do it for her as well - could be an earner!

Off to work this afternoon, so will make good use of the time to see how much cashback I can make in work's time!

lunar

I have become obsessed with reading everybodys debs journals, I love to read when people manage to pay money off their debts. Nice one on managing to get the money together fo rthe natwest card.

Have fun at work

chocaholic110

pandapaws wrote: »

Hubby getting right into matched betting now he's really got the hang of it. Father-in-law still slightly sceptical (he can't understand the concept) but showed him our statements and while he doesn't know how it works, he now believes us that it does! We've done a deal with him that we'll do the betting for him and go 50/50 on the profits - works well for both, all he has to do is supply switch card and address, and we'll do all the research, place the bets etc. Sis-in-law heard about this and is considering getting us to do it for her as well - could be an earner!

Sounds like a winner all round! Wish I had a family member who was up on matched betting -I would willingly split the profits for them to do all the work!

pandapaws

:j RESULT!!!

Got a cheque today for £100 from the Scarborough Building Society for mortgage exit fees! They declined my initial claim because we'd been quoted correctly on the mortgage offer, but when I queried the original mortgage offer 2yrs before they honoured that and sent the £100 as a gesture of goodwill!

:j I LOVE THIS WEBSITE!!!

I also got my voucher yesterday for my free laptop from Currys as part of the Orange broadband promo (well, not free but £70 for a high-spec laptop isn't to be sniffed!). They haven't even connected my broadband yet, so that was an unexpected bonus! Means that I can take computer to bed now and fall asleep while doing the daily clicks!

AND, thanks to Martin's article I sent off a letter last week to query our council tax (we're band F which is way too high) and they wrote back today saying they'll review it. Could be worth a fortune if they downgrade us so fingers crossed!

While I'm feeling positive I've joined Ehallet's 'pay off 3 debts by Xmas' challenge. Going for the Mint card plus 2 of the overdrafts. We've put one of our cars in the autotrader for 3995 (hoping to get anything over 3000 for it) so if it sells that'll be a good start. We'll have to buy something else, but as long as it has air-con I don't care what - our other car was £350 because of its mileage and I love it, so I'll be happy with one like that!

Had another scan on Tues as I got the formal booking for the hospital I want to go to rather than the local one and all's looking good which was a relief. They've brought my due date forward 3 days to 11 March, so I'm now 11.5wks gone and hopefully getting to the end of the shattered stage!

Thanks everyone for all the support - it really does help! Just updated my signature and I'm a few quid over £78k - feel as though I've paid LOADS off already so feeling very motivated to stick with it - could never have achieved even that small step without this site!
:A

pandapaws

:j Have just been handed £134 on a plate by southernscouser. :j

Can't believe it!!! And I can do it again in hubby's name. For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, take a look at his diary from this page onwards: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=338682&page=75
I'll admit I was slightly skeptical, but trusted his MSE reputation and went for it, and can promise that it is definitely not a con! What a bloke!

pandapaws

SS has done it again - another £115 for my OH. Absolutely unbelievable!!!

lunar

SS is an absolute star isnt he, he must have made a fortune for us all on here. Ive just seen your new sig, well done on paying off so much of your debt so soon. money saving is so addictive.

chocaholic110

pandapaws wrote: »

SS has done it again - another £115 for my OH. Absolutely unbelievable!!!

Well Done, you! :T

Think I missed out on this offer. Don't know what I was doing but only noticed it as he stopped taking on new people. Oh well, if it's not to be!

pandapaws

The SS money has cleared back into the bank accounts which is great! Quidco have also started to pay out some of the phenomenal amount they're giving me - think there's about £130 pending in the BACS system at the moment. No luck yet with house or car sale but fingers crossed. If we can, I'm going to try and put it straight to the Mint card so I feel as if I've achieved something.

Got the parents coming to stay tomorrow for a week, which means I'll have to do a big shop tonight or tomorrow, but they're always so generous and I know they'll spend a fortune on taking us all out and buying things for the little one that I can't complain about that.

It's that time of the month when all the bank accounts are very overdrawn again and I can't wait for payday on the 15th when we can start again for the new month! I know that it won't seem as positive this month as we have overspent (on what?! I need to keep that spending diary but never seem to get around to it) but there will still be the £1500 that gets paid off from our direct debits and minumum payments. Hoping I can get the total down to a number that starts with £76--- rather than £77k even with the increased overdrafts - that'll seem like more of a result!

DH still going strong with the matched betting although we haven't had much spare to make the stakes with so not making any new bets at the moment, but tying up all the loose ends. He hasn't given me a profit total lately but there's about £500 in Betfair so going to see if I can talk him into withdrawing any of it!

Hope everyone had a good weekend and enjoyed the nice weather! Wish me luck with the parents - I MUST try to be nicer to them, because when they're driving me mad it is only because they mean well!