Lunars Debt Free Journy!!!

lunar

Ive just been looking at the snowball calculator, even with the over payments my debt free date hasnt gone down because of the increased interest rates on a couple of my credit cards. I was hoping that i would be able to take a month off and at least. I cant seem to get any more 0% cards and dont want to apply for a few months now so im going to have to work really hard to reduce my date. I dont stand a chance of reducing my DFD if they keep putting up the interest rate.

I really need to get stuck into these challenges if im going to make a real dent on my debts for 2008. I think i need to take a look at my SOA as i dont think ive been as strict the last month with my spending and i dont want to get into bad habits. Im really pleased with what i spent for christmas pressies, it was odd bits of food that really wernt necessary where i could have saved some money.

lunar

thanks chocaholic, i know im really lucky he is so supportive

lunar

Monthly Income around £1550 after deductions and pension comes out. Ive been paying the pension for over 6 years now, as i can cover the debts i decided to keep paying it. I dont want to be debt free now and end up with no money when im older. I know that if i cancel it now to make more overpayments i might not restart paying it again.

Outgoings

Egg

---

£190
Mint

---

£80
BC

---

£40
Nat West

---

£80
loan

---

£315
car

---

£250
Insurance

---

£80
Car Tax

---

£17.33
union

---

£17
NMC

---

£10
moblie phone--£30
Pressies

---

£20
hair

---

£10
Clothes

---

£15
Food

---

£100
Petrol

---

£30

Total in £1550
Total Out £1284.33

Left 265.67

The presents im going to try to get for free all year so this money should be able to be paid off the debts at the end of the year. will be using ebay, cashback sites, daily clicks, mystery shopping etc.

the other bills are paid by my OH, who is also saving for a deposit for our first house. We will wait until im debt free to buy, and then get it in joint names. It gives me a bit of time to repair my credit rating. He has offered to help with the debt but he is doing so much and this debt was from before we met i want to pay it myself.

Ive looked into selling the car before it contract im in is up but i would end up loosing quite a bit at the moment so it seems im stuck with it until at least october, and even then i could only get rid of it if i traded it at the same dealer! otherwise i have it till oct 09. I do love the car though so its not all bad!

lunar

OK now the christmas spending is passed i want to take a look at where i am and what challenges im signed up to, hopefully i can meet them all.

PANIAS 15K BY DECEMBER 2008

THIS WILL INCLUDE EVERYTHING THAT I PAY OFF MY DEBT TOTAL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR UNTIL 1ST DEC 2008

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS FOR FREE 2008

THIS WILL INCLUDE EVERYTHING I GET FROM DOING CLICKS, MONEY BACK SITES AND EBAY SALES.

OLYMPIC CHALLENGE 08/01/08-08/08/08 GOING FOR BRONZE. THIS WILL INCLUDE ANY MONEY I DONT SPEND FORM MY WEEKLY SHOPPING BUDGET, OVERTIME AT WORK, MYSTERY SHOPPING AND IF I EVER UNDERSTAND IT MATCHED BETTING!

I WONT INCLUDE MY BACKPAY IN CHALLENGE TOTALS (EXCEPT THE 15K CHALLENGE) AS TECHNICALLT I HAVE ALL READY EARNT IT.

Hopefully i will be able to pay off the remainder of my barclay card soon as the interest rate has gone up on it and my min paynent only reduces the balance by £5. I have £999 to go so if i stick with these challenges it should be gone and closed.

lunar

just made a £50 overpayment on my mint card that was left over from last months pay. the balance is coming down slowly. Im just trying to stop myself from applying for a new credit card, i know i wont get accecpted as i think ive had too many searches. Its just so tempting on the off chance. I really hate all the interest im having to pay. I think it works out at over £300 interest every month, i just keep imagining the difference to my debt total if that amount was going off the debt instead.

pandapaws

Hiya!

Haven't caught up with you since Christmas. What a truly fantastic present your OH got you. Would be the best thing ever if you get a good result this time, I really hope that you do and will keep everything crossed! Glad that you had a really lovely Christmas too - you got loads of lovely things! Hope you managed to find some bargains in the sales!

Your money plan sounds really promising as well - I always read your diary and wish I was as disciplined as you are. You seem to spend virtually nothing - I'd love to be able to do that.

We applied for a Goldfish card yesterday in DHs name, despite the fact that we've got dozens of searches in the past 6 months - will let you know how that goes. It's 4.9% for 3 years, and £41 Quidco if you get accepted, which would be nice!

Have a good weekend, hope you're not working too hard!

lunar

Thanks Panda. I am good in that i dont go out buying clothes, or out drinking etc, its the little things that i keep spending, like at vending machines and on lunch. That stuff has to all stop. Good luck with the goldfish card, sounds like a good offer. god knows how the credit scoring works, ive given up trying to work out their system.

Managed 2 no spend days, just need to get milk and bread today, so not too much today. Just a reminder MIT and Panda, the diet starts tomorrow!

chocaholic110

You sound like me - that's the sort of thing I spend on - that and magazines.

We only need bread, milk and potatoes today. We missed the weekly shop this week as we decided we could manage and the money saved would be a bonus.

Wish I could join you on the healthy start tomorrow but have far too much chocolate in the house still and it would be a waste not to eat it. Will join you all once it's all gone.

lunar

i have loads of chocolate left, im force feeding it to my OH! we never did the weekly shop either, far too much food left over. you will have to join us after DS is born. I managed to stop buying magazines, used to spend a fortune on them. there is usually some hanging around at work to read so i borrow those instead.

spud30

I'm hoping for a healthy start tomorrow too, but unfortunately I think there will still be naughtiness left in the house. I hate wasting food