Pollgarter's plans to clear up her garden

Pollygarter

Thanks Bob, will do my best. What are your current financial plans?

Got in a payment for some extra work last month and put it straight to the debt.

Debt now stands at £3575. Yes!

I wonder what it will feel like to get in a small bonus and genuinely be able to think cool that's extra, what will I do with this?

Have been making some useful progress though on making extra pension contributions. It's only a few small steps but I have a five year plan which, if I can keep it up, will mean the difference between me having a whole tin of sardines to myself rather than having to share it with the cat in my old age. Would love to get my debt under £3k next month. Hmmm, not sure I can but maybe eBay...

Bobarella

Hi Polly

My current plans are to try and stabilise my situation with regards to the business. I am still living hand to mouth which is very difficult and stressful. So that's the hope. I keep toying with the idea of getting a paid job on the side but it's not the easiest to figure out as I have to be available to do all the running around for my own business. So it's remained a thought rather than an action. More of that I think!

Bob

Pollygarter

Hi Bob and all.. living from hand to mouth you say. Yep, am with you on that.

It's been a difficult month. Car failed MOT and cost £750 to get through. Now the exhaust is sounding very noisy so I think that's next. I'm limping along to payday on Friday with £75 in the bank and the car repairs on the day to day credit card. I will pay that when I get paid so as not to incur interest but of course I'm never going to get to the end of the month without using it again when I'm starting out £750 down.

When I made my get out of debt plan I set up a few accounts and projects. One was an account to put £200 a month in to build up a "one off" pool of cash to cover car repairs, driving lessons for a teen child, boiler fixes etc. I have had to raid that time and time again just to get through. So it's got £200 in it and my last to need to learn to drive turns 17 in two months so that's earmarked for that.

I also set up a rainy day fund with a view that money only goes one way. In. Only for absolute dire need and hoping to retain this for retirement funds in an ISA. I haven't raided this. Partly because it is an old fashioned passbook account and I can't find the book! Am deliberately not looking for it as although I'm only saving £100 a month, it's got close to £2k in it now. I know this is tiny but it's more than I had. Which was nothing.

Am also making extra payments into my works pension as that's v tax efficient. Been doing that for two years now and have added a bit to what I can expect years down the line. Who knows but preparations in hand. I don't have a big home but if I don't save extra I will not be able to afford to stay in it in retirement and I want the option.

So I'm pleased with these plans. I had nothing when my marriage imploded.

Which leaves this debt on Barclaycard. I don't use this card at all, it's just got interest free debt on it from wayback. Still not paying interest on it but it is so so difficult to shift.

I need to find £375 a month to pay off a chunk of the debt before Dec 1 when it will start to incur interest. That's going to take some doing.

Cars. Bills. Debts. Meh!

Pollygarter

Well the exhaust blew! Just as I got up to Derbyshire on a visit up north to see family. Came off the motorway at Chesterfield and thought oooh this town has boy racers in it as I sat at a roundabout listening to noisy exhausts. As I pootled out into the countryside alone I noticed the noise followed me. Back box sheered off and hanging off. Doh. Fortunately the garage in the town I stayed in Whaley Bridge was able to sort it for me and did so for £96 which I think would be considerably more expensive down south. Got charged for 30 mins labour at £50 pH. I know I pay £90 in the south east and they round up up up!

So I stagger on. Making payments to the Barclaycard as I can. I have a chunk of cash coming next week and will do my reconciliation then when I can look see what I've got to take me through to August. Got a family holidayin cornwall to do. But the main cost is already paid and I don't spend a lot really there that I wouldn't spend at home. Surfboard hire for a few days and maybe one meal out if finances are looking perky. Can live in hope!.

Pollygarter

Just inched the debt down slightly this month, by £100. I'm quite pleased as I had the rest of the £750 debt for the MOT to settle and then an unexpected exhaust bill on top of that. With a bit of luck I should make more inroads next month. See how I go.

Pollygarter

Put some of my old festival type 70s gear up on eBay when they offered a 1p final listing fee deal and was delighted to make £120 overall. With no fee. Put that straight on the Barclaycard. Just about to go off on holiday with kids and the bank balance is low. That's a good thing as I am pretty good now about never dipping in to overdraft before payday. You're always playing catch-up then. I've made a small budget for holiday spends and it will be enough. So long as there are no disasters!

Pollygarter

Just wrote a long post and it got eaten.

A good month with no exceptional expenses or problems.

Paid off £820 and debt is now £2650. Really pleased. Here's to another good month next month. Might get in the 1s!!!!

Pollygarter

Another month without too many issues and I have brought the debt into the 1s! Oh, excitement. Ok, it's £1950 but I am in the 1s.

I have lots of additional expenses for children this month. And looking ahead I have aga service, oil, wood to pay for as well as the usual food and bills. So I don't expect to be able to do much debt reduction. Have had a careful look at my interest free periods and worked out that so long as I meet or exceed £300 pcm from now on I will clear the debt within the interest free period. I had hoped to do so by year end but unless I get more cash in unexpectedly that isn't going to happen. The brakes on the car sound dodgy again though I only had them redone in May. I do a lot of driving in an old car.