My new "debt free in 12 months" challenge

mrsspendalot

I am just going to wait until tomorrow to see if the normal payment goes in as I don't normally get WTC & CTC until a wednesday, and I didnt get my CTC today .... but you can bet because I need it, it will be just the £7.20 today!

My child benefit goes in on 1st October it seems, so if all goes wrong, I will have that to cover any minus figures, but that eats into next month's budget then so I will be down before I start. The only other option is to borrow £50 off my parents until next month, just to save the interest on the craptial one card so I can still pay it off in full.

Fingers crossed it is an extra payment of some sort and the proper full amount will go in tomorrow as normal .... not holding my breath though.

Re the head, I do feel good about it. Just got to wait for her to order it now, but she is chuffed to bits.

(Land_of)_Maz

any chance you can find a "head" on Ebay cheaper? That way the gesture is there but you aren't so out of pocket?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hairdressing-makeup-artists-styling-head-with-pro-holde_W0QQitemZ110171003206QQihZ001QQcategoryZ31788QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

All the others are Barbie/Bratz etc!

Maz

sharronloves2spend

Hi there mrsspendalot, regarding your sky, we cancelled ours at the begining of the year and we were dreading the backlash of no spongebob, so i recorded nick jnr on two vhs tapes and whenever they asked for nick jnr i popped on a tape. thankfully now they love tiny pop(freesat) so no more repeats!!! I did exactly the same thing for my sister a couple of weeks ago, she was starting hairdressing and needed to buy the overalls £80!!!! After dicussion with hubs we gave her the money and paid less of the credit card last month. My mum doesn't have any money and also lives off benefits. It was worth it for the smile on my sisters face. WELL DONE with clearing your debts. Love sharrron

mrsspendalot

thanks for that - not sure which head it is she needs but will check. Don't want to get her the wrong one!

good idea about taping nickelodeon!

mrsspendalot

:j panic over :j

Just checked internet banking and tomorrows payments are showing up on my balance, and there is either a bumper wage coming or the WTC is going in as normal tomorrow, as my balance is £498.53 :cool: as opposed to £27.80 this morning. £112.56 of that is CTC, and hubby normally only gets paid around £250. That means we will not be short this month and can pay everything off as planned :beer: . Phew!!!!

(Land_of)_Maz

Great news! Well done you!!

More to the point, you knew exactly how much should've been there and wern't just burying your head in the sand like so many of us have done at some time or another!! How MSE are you?!??!!

mrsspendalot

Maz3374 wrote: »

you knew exactly how much should've been there and wern't just burying your head in the sand like so many of us have done at some time or another!! How MSE are you?!??!!

:rotfl: Yep, sad or what?! My hubby laughs at me for knowing to the penny what is in our account, he hasn't got a clue :rolleyes: I have to do it to stay in control.

I have a daily routine of checking my banking and then updating my spreadsheet balance and remaining outgoings, so the totals shift everyday. Everyday I therefore know to the penny how much is spare and can be spent. I have been doing this since my lightbulb moment.

mrsspendalot

Woo Hoo!!!!

Just paid off the crapital one card .... that is the last of our credit cards gone now :dance:

Now all we have left is 0% debt, mainly held by DCAs from a few years back. No more interest payments now :j :j :j

(Land_of)_Maz

mrsspendalot wrote: »

Woo Hoo!!!!

Just paid off the crapital one card .... that is the last of our credit cards gone now :dance:

Now all we have left is 0% debt, mainly held by DCAs from a few years back. No more interest payments now :j :j :j

C'mon then Mrs S, update that signature then! You're doing yourself a disservice at the moment!!!!!

mrsspendalot

Income:
Monthly average: £1835
(from wages, WTC, CTC, housing benefit)


Outgoings:
Rent £400
Council Tax £85
Gas/Electric £75 (estimated)
Water Rates £27.20
TV £11.61
Sky £18 (if we reduce rather than cancel the whole thing)
Car insurance £45.40 (for hubby (23) and me on a provisional licence)
Petrol £40
Contents insurance £5.86
Life insurance £8.06
Contact lenses £10
BT £22.50
Mobile £35
Internet £19 (contract due to expire in Jan 08)
Food £150-200 (for 5)
Car budget £25 (tax, MOT, services)
Hairdressing £10
Clothes £50 (for 5)
Birthdays/Xmas £30
Ballet £20
Debt payments £450

£1587.73

This leaves £247.27 ‘spare’ to throw at debts on top of what I am already paying. I can therefore on paper at least throw £700 a month at debt payments. This doesn’t quite seem real to me somehow – so what have I missed of my SoA?