My SOA

newleaf

msmicawber wrote: »

I've just seen your latest post - how very dare you! I may be poor, but I assure you I'm not hirsute :eek:

Why don't you invest in a pair of tweezers and an epilator and do it yourself for free? (That's what we povs do)

Or get down to your local college and have it done by students. They are well supervised and if you get a second year student they are almost qualified anyway
TBH, you do sound (dare I say this?) high maintenance! Cabs home? £50 on a meal out? What's up with public transport and Pizza Hut? :rotfl:

msmicawber

Nah - you're all right: I was having a laugh too. But these little things do make a difference. If you at least get an epilator for the non-eyebrow areas, then that's a saving.

Jacks_xxx

Hiya sweetie,

I totally get why you don't want to throw your savings at the debt. You worked so hard to build it up and it'll be gone in a second.

But it's not your money babe.

You already owe it to somebody else.

If you're in horrible debt with a dodgy credit rating when the time comes to get a mortgage you'll wish you paid off the debts I promise.

So throw the savings at a debt and just know that you're doing the right thing.

If the Morgan Stanley CC is about to go up to a high interest rate then I would suggest chucking your savings at that one, clearing the last few hundred as fast as you can and closing it down.

Then hit the HSBC for a month or two with what you would have been saving and close it down as well.

Then hopefully you'll be able to get a 0% deal to use to juggle the rest of the debt and the light will be glimmering at the end of the tunnel.

If your beauty treatments are on your essentials list then that's fine, (my haircuts and colour are on mine! ) Nobody's telling you you have to be hairy, but if you could DIY or suspend them altigether for a couple of months you'd be able to pay off more debt faster - that's just the way it is.

If you use the snowball calculator it'll give you an idea of how long things are going to be tough for based on how much you can manage to throw at the debt. It's very motivating!

I hope I've been a little help cherub, and I'm sure more expert posters will be a long in a minute!

Love Jacks xxx

redsquirrel80

winkle1 wrote: »

even things like getting my eye brows waxed is £9.50, electrolysis which is £13, getting my clothes dry cleaned for work etc etc

or are these classed as luxuries? is being poor also equal hairy?!

It depends how serious you are about cutting back and getting debts paid off quickly. If you want to spend less then some of the luxuries will have to go - personally, I've never had any sort of hair removal done professionally, couldn't justify the cost, it's either shaving or cream (I don't get on with waxing, skin's too sensitive) and plucking my eyebrows (though to be honest I don't do that very often cos I'm a wimp, and I don't think I look too horrendous as a result :rotfl:). I also rarely buy clothes that need dry cleaned - and I do wear suits etc to work but buy machine washable ones. I have also washed some supposed 'dry clean only' stuff and it's been fine, but that'd be your own choice if you want to risk it!

Personally, I would use the savings to pay as much debt as possible, then get it all cleared in the next few months. You'll then have however much you've been paying towards the debts per month PLUS the £600 you've been managing to save per month, to save/ spend as you want.

winkle1

LOL @newleaf

my boyf always says I'm high maintenance, but i always disagree! Maybe I am? thats where you guys come in to show me how to do things differently!

regarding the cab home situation, that's only when I visit my friend and it's only twice a month, but going to get her to come round to mine one of those times, thus saving a tenner and try and leave hers a bit earlier so I can get the train and its safe, rather than leaving at midnight.

thanks for making me think about this.

winkle1

Hi Jacks, thanks for your answer. I’ve just BT’d the Morgan Stanley debt on to 2 cards: £1900 at 3.9% and £704 at 5.9%. my HSBC overdraft looks like its 15% and is currently on £500, so which do you suggest paying off first?

You’ve now got me thinking about the beauty treatments: I could go and see a friend or check out somewhere local that I could walk to and have this done.

winkle1

Thanks for your input redsquirrel.

The stuff I have dry cleaned is the stuff I have had for years, it’s because I’ve dry cleaned them that they have lasted so long. So I think I will keep that but not get them done as often. The hair removal thing has def got me thinking. I could find it cheaper locally at a college or something – I will check this out.

Thanks for the input everyone, all tips gratefully received.

msmicawber

What about your old housemate - where is she now? Could you get her to come over and do your eyebrows and you pay for the wine (anaesthetic for you & treat for her) - it'd be cheaper than paying a salon.

As for the debts: always pay the highest interest first. Have you seen the snowballing calculator? Here's a link: http://www.whatsthecost.com/creditcard.aspx

Why not tinker with the figures a bit and see how long it would take you to pay off all your debts depending on how much you pay each month. It may help you decide whether to use your savings and, if so, how much.

winkle1

thanks ms m, I'll do that now.

you know what, sometimes the best things in life dont cost anything. i'm sitting here, got the house to myself with some chese on toast and a glass of wine and i couldnt be happier! sometimes wish i could bottle that feeling and use it when i feel the urge to spend!

lynzpower

winkle1 wrote: »

lynz things like seeing a friend costs near on £15 - cab home and a bottle of wine, birthday lunches/dinners at work at least a tenner, maybe a night out for a mate's bday can cost nearly £50, dinner out with OH...

or should I just learn to say no?

why are you buying lunches, there isnt any need for that! altohugh if you have to, shop around, you can get some great deals on lunch even in central - I work in Soho, and do buy lunch now and then.

Do you need a cab home? cant you get nightbuses? with the transport situ in london you neednt bother with cabs, theres always an alternative cheap/free option ( if you have TC, if not get an oyster etc)

Do you usually go out for dinner and mates birthdays? When its a birthday we usually drink at home first or we go to one of the latenightlondon.co.uk venues ( digress/ tiger tiger/) they arent the sort of places where we go for long, but they have really good happy hours, and they last till 7/8/9 dependsing what day etc.

How often do you go out for dinner with OH - can you try mystery shopping? Me & another MSE went for lunch at bertorellis, with a spend up to 70 quid! all refunded of course. Mysey shopping doesnt all have to be KFC

In terms of getting your eyebrows waxed , im the same, it KILLS, so i have 2 options.
1) look locally. A few near where I used to live in Bow/ bethnal green do them for a fiver. it does seem to be the going rate outside zone 1.
2) if you MUST while you are in town, I found one cucumba.co.uk based off TC rd/ soho that does a wax & shape for 7.50.