My DFW Diary!!! Surprisingly upbeat newbie!

iwanttobreakfree

Ok Sparkly thats fab - just one problem though - how do I know if my pension scheme is contracted out of S2P (what has now replaced SERPS)? Apparently according to pension website you can have employer pensions that are both contracted in and out of s2p CONFUSED? VERY!

I guess I could always work it out on the lowest figure I get back!

djmoe20001

iwanttobreakfree wrote: »

It's wierd isn't it how this site fills you with so much positivity! Well anyways here is what I have figured out so far:

Lightbulb moment: August 2007
Debt at LBM: £16,418.85
Debt now: unfortunately still the above figure
HSBC Managed Loan Balance (rate 10.15% p/a above base rate): £1553.54 ends Jan 2008!!!!
HSBC Personal Loan Balance (16.9%) £3574.08 34 months left
Capital One Card: £480.79 at 34.9% however just got a small transfer to another card for £120 at 7.9 for 6 months!
HSBC card: £372.49 at 0% July 2008 £120 7.9% 6 months
Halifax card: £497.05 at 25.9% (which I only discovered today!)
Choice catalogue: £200 BNPL July 2008 20 weeks int free
Littlewoods: £466 BNPL 20 weeks int free but account £372 in credit so £109 outstanding from Sept
Argos: £329.98 27.9% apr

My plan is to clear my cards first. I'm having trouble writing my incomings and outgoings as I am mid-way through change in job and am taking a 2k paycut (i know your probably all yelling stupid! but I had my reasons) so I dont actually know what my wage will be. I have a very hard few months coming up I can see it now but I'm determined I wont be beaten.

As I was only in previous job for 14 months I am entitled to a refund of pension I contributed so seen as it equates to roughly 600 quid I took the refund and intend to pay as much off my cards as I can.

So anybody got any thoughts?

I have taken on 2nd employment (freelance studio/aerobics instructor) and this has now meant I get my gym membership for £19 instead of £36 saving me £204 per year which is a start plus anything I teach earns me approx £20 per hour before tax is deducted (however the work is not guaranteed).

Ive changed my bank account to A&L with their 6% interest for one year offer.

I dont have an overdraft with my bank thank god so that's one thing I suppose - however I cannot for the life of me get credit anywhere (in order to get better credit card rates) anymore - not entirely sure what I did wrong. I made mistakes a number of years ago but have behaved since - however its made no difference

Sorry to be stating the obvious here but have you thought about getting an interest free credit card on balance transfers? RBS are pretty good, I got one with them and they've been efficient. I also got EGG and they gave me 2 credit cards back when I was a student, couple of years ago, both were interest free and they totaled to £9000 credit limit!! I don't know how they do their credit scoring! Don't apply for loads of cards at the same time though because it's bad for your credit rating.

Freelance work is good though because usually it spreads through recommendation...specially if you can make people thin!! lol There is this new site launching where you can register your freelance service and people find you https://www.skillance.com

iwanttobreakfree

hi there! i have applied for a few credit cards and been knocked back on every single one - so have given up now! I figured i'd "do the shuffle"! As best as I could anyway with limited credit available.

thanks for that site that will be a big help!!! - class number 2 Thursday night - spinning - these usually go down well from where I used to teach when i was a gym instructor (2nd job again! I seem to have a thing for 2nd jobs!) so hopefully i should build up a good reputation!

djmoe20001

I guess you have to get them committed and make them work their asses off and then say, "no one can make you work like this....only me, see you again next week!"

I just had a gym class today, instructor killed me with the rowing machine. Good luck with the classes.

iwanttobreakfree

Thanks! I get such a buzz from teaching that its not like work at all which is a bonus - I desperately need the money but its not such a hardship having to do it! Cant say that for the full time job I had (my last night in work tonight :j ) start my new job on Monday so hopefully I will enjoy that better!

BWZN93

RE the clean house thing. If your OH is equally annoyed with the mess as you then it may be worth getting him to say something along the lines of 'if it isnt kept cleaner than I willl move out' which means the flatmate is left to live on his own. If the housemate likes the current living situation then he may make more of an effort if he thinks your OH is contemplating leaving!

djmoe20001

Does OH stand for "other half" ?? If you guys have individual tenancy agreements then you can inform the landlord. If this guy's name is on the tenancy contract, then it is up to you to deal with him.

1. Make sure that you take photos of the mess that he should have cleaned so that for confrontation purposes, he has nothing to say to defend himself or deny it.


2. Write him a formal note to state that the kitchen hasn't been cleaned. Then everytime he leaves a mess, print out the same note but change the date and shove it under his door. Keep doing that for a couple of weeks until he gets the message.

3. If the above doesn't work, find somewhere else to go? Make sure you vet your housemates properly this time round.

sparklymessygirl

iwanttobreakfree wrote: »

Ok Sparkly thats fab - just one problem though - how do I know if my pension scheme is contracted out of S2P (what has now replaced SERPS)? Apparently according to pension website you can have employer pensions that are both contracted in and out of s2p CONFUSED? VERY!

I guess I could always work it out on the lowest figure I get back!

I didn't really know about mine initially although I must have been told when I started the pension - so I checked the website for my pension provider and found the info there. On my to do list is "learn about my pension"! because I find them really complicated (haven't done much yet - so dry!). You could ring them and find out? I'm always ringing people nowadays for even the silliest questions. Yesterday I phoned HR to find out what my salary would be after my next pay increment and I phone every month for my current mortgage balance.

Sparkly

iwanttobreakfree

I am still pushing with OH to speak to him - I wont give up!

My pension it turns out you have the option of contracting out but it doesn't say if you automatically are so I am assuming I'm opted in???

iwanttobreakfree

aaargh it wont let me save my snowball!!!! it took ages to input too!