Got to get debt free!

sunshine81

So current decisions I have to make:

Before payday at the end of the month, I (we) have another £1013 to come in. We have £350 of bills left to come out, leaving £650 to 'play' with, so it's where to put that. The obvious is straight to the credit card, but I'm being pulled towards putting a bit more in the savings bit. What do you think? Urgh...

Also, I wondered about getting a 0% credit card to transfer some of the interest paying balance. I was thinking if I could get £1000 of Tesco transferred to a 0% card, then really focus on paying the remaining £2000ish for the interest free period. I'd do it with the Barclaycard, but I assume they'd pay off the bit that's not paying interest first?

This is, if I'd even be accepted. I did the MSE eligibility checker - there was one with Capital One for 6 months at 0% but when I go to the Capital One site it's not there and their own eligibility checker says I am not eligible. After that, there's some Halifax and Lloyds cards that it says I have a 60% chance of being accepted for. But when I go on the forums some people says it's inaccurate, someone got told they had zero chance of being accepted and got one? On the Halifax site it says I've a 50% chance of acceptance... should I just risk trying one? If it declines, I won't try any others. It doesn't leave a long term mark on your file does it?

What to do, what to do....

sunshine81

OK so today I upped the car fund by £100, the EF by £3.93 to £40.

But I also paid £100 off the Barclaycard, so that's all good. More money comes into my account tomorrow so there should be another payment heading in that direction tomorrow.

£31 came out my account today for overdraft charges, on a £1400 overdraft that works out worse than the credit cards! So want to start paying that off too. I'm not too sure though about reducing it at £50 per month or anything like that though, I'm worried if I start to reduce it they'll just cut it off completely.

Cheque to pay in this morning for OH's tax rebate, bread to buy, then a quiet day at home, I'm 39 weeks pregnant tomorrow and even going upstairs carrying my 15 month old son is akin to running a marathon to me!

abba1772

Just read your diary you're doing great.....not long now til ur baby boy is here tho how exciting xx

sunshine81

Just checked Noddle as a new report has been created. I know the score isn't the be all and end all, but it has risen from 517 to 543. Still poor, but at least going in the right direction.

Tax credits and an EOn overpayment arrived today. I love money going in my account! I've opened an eSaver linked to my current account that currently has a £1400 overdraft on. My idea is to save up the £1400 in the eSaver, then transfer it to the current account and cancel the overdraft. I've started it off by skimming my current account and putting £26.82 in there... a start.

Have also made another £100 payment to the credit card, definitely room to make more but with baby due any day I want to hang on a bit longer before making any more grand payments.

OK I think that will do for now. Does anyone have any thoughts on what I wrote on trying to get a 0% balance transfer card?

xx

sunshine81

Just joined Clearscore too. I want something else that will visually show the positive on the changes I'm making IYSWIM!

So my score on there is 363/700 and it's described as stable with 7 positives and 3 negatives. Sadly this one mentions my Open Uni debt defaulting can I do anything about this? When we moved house I totally forgot about it and the silly woman who moved in our house just disposed of my post. When she vacated, the landlord forwarded the few bits that were there including the solicitors letter - I'd had no other contact (telephone, email, anything) from Open Uni in that time.

abba1772

You've got nothing to lose when applying for a 0% card they can only say no xx

sunshine81

They did

I went for the one with the best chance on the MSE eligibility checker, which only had a 60% success rate. Ah well... maybe I'll get offers on my current cards once I've started paying them off.

Just means I'll have to work harder to get rid of this debt!

sunshine81

Paid another £10 off the overdraft today. Was sticking with moderate debt payments as baby is due any day.

But my mum and dad, bless them, have just deposited £253 in my account - which paid for my double pram and travel cot. They are legends. I'll sort it in the morning, but it'll go in my savings.

sunshine81

So, the £250 did go straight into savings as promised. Also paid more off the Barclaycard and overdraft.

I'm trying to make a payment a day, payday is next Monday but
there's very little left in the account, so just had to put £1 off my overdraft today. Every little helps I guess.

Doing a few surveys and stuff while LO is having his nap, trying to think of what else I could do. Having a read of matched betting, but think it'll be a long read before I dive in.