Sing a song of Sixpence

threellamas

Hello Everyone!!

I have been in my DMP for 11 months, and during that time I have paid off a loan to Santander and approximately 24% of my overall debt. Now I have written it down, it makes me feel wonderful. This time last year, I didn’t have any idea what to do; was hardly sleeping and constantly scared to use my card and check my bank balance.

But I have a little confession to make; I don’t think I have tried as hard as I could have to clear this debt quicker. When I started, I went in all guns blazing and was determined to pay it off twice as quick as Stepchange had calculated, but real paid work got in the way and I got lazy. Following a few big spends this month and a healthy cheque from the taxman it has spurred on my want and need to pay this all of sooner.

I know I will have defaults against me for another 5 years, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pay it off sooner. I want to start living my life again. I often read other peoples diaries and see how they provided the kick up the *** they needed and how its helped spur them on to tackle the debt quicker.

Now its my turn to speed up my repayments. Please feel free to come and read my journey and say hello if you can- we are in this together. £17 000 to go!

threellamas

Well the last few days I have been spend recalculating my debts and trying to work out ways to spend up the debt payment process.

LBM was Oct 2014, but took me until Dec 2015 to get a plan of action together, and started a DMP in Jan 2015.

Debt at LBM - £22 728.61 Current Debt stands at £17 023.06

MBNA CC [STRIKE]Jan 15 £8525.13[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]Oct 15 £6827.38[/STRIKE]Nov 15 £6424.67
Tesco CC [STRIKE]Jan 15 £6508.00[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]Oct 15 £5208.17[/STRIKE] Nov 15 £5058.17
Barclaycard CC [STRIKE]Jan 15 £3408[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]Oct 15 £2.724.91[/STRIKE] Nov £3021.51
Halifax OD [STRIKE]Jan 15 £2750 [/STRIKE][STRIKE]Oct 15 £2262.60[/STRIKE] Nov 15 £2233.60
Santander L [STRIKE]Jan 15 £ 1537.48[/STRIKE] Oct 15 £0.00

Moorcroft [STRIKE]Oct 15 £88[/STRIKE] Nov £0.00
I will keep editing this post so that I can keep track of any extra payments and how quickly I am paying the debts down. I don’t like having this information in my signature because although I am proud of the progress I am making I don’t like the idea of people in other forums reading my signature and judging me. Maybe I am just not ready for that.

Now off to track down my old log in details for all the survey sites and other fun stuff I am registered with but forget to use. I am going to make another post in the next few days of all that info and how my point building stands at. I will edit that one as points build up. It will also make it easier to find the info and make sure I am using all the sites I can.

And I have joined the sealed pot challenge this year. I don’t know how much I will gain as I don’t often spend in cash as I do most shopping online. I am number 524

threellamas

Keeping free so I can add all the sites I am a member of and collecting points at

threellamas

Well its 2 days until payday and I still have £300'ish in my account!! This has NEVER happened before, and I have also had an expensive month with panto tickets and important peoples big birthdays this month. As soon as I get paid this week I will be transferring the excess money across to by barclaycard cc. I am on a DMP but I assume its still okay to do that, like a top up pay, or is there some DMP etiquette. Need to look that up. The overdraft would be easier to pay off, but the BC is the only one still charging interest.

threellamas

Just realised I had a debt with moorcroft (only remembered when a DD was rejected last week, so have just paid that off in full!! Just worth it for the feeling of having another one ticket off!!

Bad news is that I found my log ins for Barclaycard and my debt was about £300 more than I thought due to interest and late payment charges added at the end of last year, so that has made me much more determined to pay it off with any extra cash I get.

In 2 weeks time I will find out if I am getting a christmas bonus. No idea how much it will be as I have never had a bonus before, and have only been in this role for a year, anything under £1000 goes straight off the debt (in almost equal amounts). Anything more than £1000 and I will buy a small treat for myself.

beanielou

Happy shiny new diary
Keep posting!

Pippilongstocking

goodluck with the bonus and happy new diary!

EssexHebridean

£300 left in your account / £300 more on that debt than you thought - happy coincidence? Well done on the progress so far - you're doing brilliantly!

threellamas

Its feels like a never ending battle!! Just checked my T*sco card and that seems to have risen up as well. I just dont understand it, and the online statements are not very easy to play with.

Need to pay for my allotment this week £82. Its worth it though. Not been up much this month as been procrastinating far too well. Last time I visited my polytunnel had blown over and broken so need to find a way to fix it rather than forking out for a new one. Will try convince the OH to come and help me up there in a few weekends time.

threellamas

Some good news and some bad news.

Bad news - The OH owed me £250, which I budgeted for arriving in my account this month. Unfortunately he sent it to an old bank account which I no longer have access to (I have a big OD with them and one of the stipulations in cancelling fees was no more access- which is fair and very good for me). I guess a good thing is that I have bad off an extra £250 of the overdraft - the bad news is I only have £25 in my account for 2 weeks until payday!!!! We have done NO christmas shopping yet!! Luckily we are not doing presents this year but I mean food wise! Christmas is going to be an ours for 6 people and so far we have cranberry sauce... A very boring christmas meal. I have transferred £23.00 from Topcashback to create a bit of a buffer but will just have to lock myself indoors for two weeks and rush around like crazy on christmas eve to get food and wine. Last night I was in tears but this morning I have just come to terms with it. These things happen, at least we have a roof over our heads and food in the cupboards, AND I have paid off an extra £250 of debt unplanned!!

There are some yummy pigs in blankets at waitrose (2 for £5) and some delicious quiches from M&S (3 for £6) which I might pick up this week out of budget. Oh and Ive also got to go to an xmas market with a lot of old uni friends on sunday. Will buy 1 x mulled wine!!

Now for the Good News!!

I had my meeting with management- Bonus of £1500 pretax!!! Thank goodness I am in the lower tax band as that sum will be a nice knock off the debt. Originally I told myself anything over £800/£1000 and I will treat myself, but now I want it all off debt!!! Will wait to see what arrives after the taxman takes his cut.

AND I have also got a 14% pay increase! Which I do deserve as I was massively underpaid this year! So an extra £200 off the debt a month!!

At the moment I am not really living anywhere or paying strict rent but come Jan I will be so I need to put together an SOA after christmas!!

I still owe a fortune but would love to be able to pay it off before Christmas next year so that I can start 2017 clean- buy a house, get married, have kids!! I keep mentioning to my OH that I will get a second job (seen the dominoes delivery driver thread), as we live apart atm due to work locations why not work a few extra hours.... Need to put alot of thought into this. I dont mind working weekends but I know he would miss me and I would start to miss friends.

angela110660

Just had a read of your progress so far and very impressed. well done.
Re Xmas food - take a look at Delia online as I subscribe to her emails and the other day there was a link for You Won't Believe How Little it costs - where she has costed out a meal for 6 done on a budget (rather than standard costings). Might at least give you some ideas even if you don't use them all? I always find Delia's recipes so easy to follow and her website has great videos on how to do things too. Good luck and happy Christmas when we get there!