The Long & bumpy road - Natlou's 'I will be debt free diary'

Natlou_2

Well my e-bay listings have ended for today, and I reckon I will be about £70 up. The most profitable item I was selling for my MIL, I have paid my ebay fees straight out of paypal so the profit is a true picture, and once I've took out MIL's share, Im left with £88 - so I reckon after postage I should have cleared £70. I have three more things ending tomorrow, one ending Tuesday and It has spurred me on to list some more stuff, so 5 more bits have just been added, to end Next Saturday.

My original goal for the 'stop faffing' challenge was to make £120 per month from Ebay which would contribute £1440 over the year, so I am well on the way to reaching January's total to say it is only the 5th!

Natlou x

Natlou_2

Hi Panda

That is interesting re the Virgin repayments, but could be dangerous, I don't want to get to the end of the 0% deal and find I haven't paid anything off - still I could still pay them half of what I was expecting and pay the other half to my only remaining card that isn't interest free, thereby trebling the min payment on that one - mmm worth thinking about.

Re; the other house, I could have heard from them again, but as I don't live there, I only get the post when my mum checks and sends it on - having said that DH is due to make a trip there soon, to bring all out furniture back so Im sure I will know soon how things lie.

Great news re the offer on your place, it couldn't be a better start to the New Year for you really, I hope they let you move in slowly as you suggested - much less stressful! - We moved when DD was just 5 weeks old - not good really when you have just lost about 3 pints of blood in labour!

Natlou_2

Well quite a productive day today, I have a couple more e bay auctions ending in about an hour, but I don't think they will net much maybe a fiver or so, but it all counts!
Have just hoovered through the house and its looking pretty clear and tidy now all the christmas decs are back up in the loft etc.
Had quite an MSE lunch, even if it was unintentional - sent the DS's off to get fish and chips, but when they got there, there was a sign on the door saying "shut - sold out of fish' - So they came home and we made do with beans on toast instead. I really enjoyed it too, even more so thinking I had saved £12!

Did my Tesco online shop this morning to be delivered tomorrow, and can't believe i managed to sort all next weeks lunches and Dinners for less than £60. Admittedly I am relying on quite a lot of stuff in the freezer, but even so, I usually spend £90-£100 - I hope to do the same for the rest of january too.

What's everyone else up to?

Natlou x

pandapaws

Just thought I'd look you up and say hello. Hello!

I need to make more effort to shop properly and get enough food in for proper dinners rather than relying on pasta or takeaways. I just can't be bothered at the moment - more effort required! I'm also using the excuse that we need to run down stocks in freezer (that'll be the ice lollies!) and cupboards before we move.

You've made a good start with the Olympic Challenge - keep ebaying and I'm sure you'll do it. Have you done the free bingo thing yet? Can't remember if you had or not. I'm up about £140 for nothing, although actually playing the bingo was pretty painful! Give us a shout if you want a copy of the list I've been using.

No news is good news from the bank - at least they haven't been ringing you all the time. Don't suppose there's been any interest at all in the house? Everyone round here has said that things are really starting to pick up, look how long it took us, and then we ended up with 2 bidders!

I'll be off to make some ice-lollies for dinner! See ya! x

Natlou_2

Well, its a while since I posted so just touching base really.

Was on a real downer yesterday, it occurred to me that of all the people we know who have debt problems (and there's a few) OH and I are the only ones who seem to be taking a responsible attitude towards our situation and want to pay our debts back. All the others have entered into these agreements where they pay very little (despite being able to afford more) and the rest gets written off. Just got me thinking that we never seem to get a break. I've worked really hard this month ebaying everything in sight, but by the end of the month the total won't have decreased at all due to balance transfer fees and the like - Ever feel like its one step forward and once back?

I know its just a whine, but I really felt like I was losing motivation yesterday - I should be grateful that we aren't getting deeper into debt - its just static, but you at least like to feel like you're moving in the right direction!

Have been really good with the meal planning this week and have not spent anything like what I was on lunches, today I took a homemade salmon salad and it was yummy. Have managed to keep my weekly shop to about £60 which is great considering it was £90-£100.

Have tried to claim back some PPI from the Alliance & Leicester (should be about £800) and have had a letter back saying they are 'looking into my complaint' - so fingers crossed that they will pay up - that would be a huge boost - just what I need at the moment.

Our house is also starting to get me down - it has great potential but we have no money to sort it out - we have made a start by decorating a few rooms but the biggies (bathroom and kitchen) are hideous - Can't wait until we're debt free so I can save up and get them done.

Anyway, thanks for listening - sorry it was a whiny post, hope you're not all off to end it all now!

Natloux

pandapaws

Aw bless! It is lousy when you feel as though you're not getting anywhere, but even by keeping your debt at the level it was rather than increasing it, you're doing far better than you were last year! And well done on the shopping. I've still got to master the art of cooking lots of stuff properly and freezing it.

Hope you get the PPI money back - that would be a huge boost.

Anyways, give us a shout if it's all getting too much and you feel the temptation to shop! (and I'll come with you!:D )

Natlou_2

OOh you're wicked!

About to order a chinese (OH cocked up meal plan by going to the chippy at lunchtime - we were supposed to be having homemade fish n chips for tea) still Im not complaining - at least I wont have to cook and FIL has been stopping here for a few days, helping out OH with some fitting jobs, and he's pretty good at washing up, so no pots either!

On your suggestion, I've organised an open day for the other house next weekend. its in 2 papers, on rightmove and one of the papers is going to do an editorial on it, so fingers crossed. We are taking a van there though and emptying it of furniture after the weekend, cos we've been without it since last July. I've asked them to make a big thing of it being drastically reduced in the hope that someone realises they are getting a bargain.

Hows the pregnancy/Ebaying/getting sorted for house move going?

Natlou x

pandapaws

That would be brilliant if you got something out of it. Are you going to do the viewings yourself or leave it to the agents? After nearly a year of nothing we ended up with loads of interest from ours, although neither of the couples who were bidding in the end had seen the newspaper! I've got a couple of large printed signs I made up as well, which we put at the drive and a few people did call in after seeing those. If you're passing this way or going to be in Donny, you're welcome to borrow them!

I'm quite jealous about the Chinese - we haven't had one this year! I'm almost tempted, but will try to resist.

We're all doing fine - getting fatter by the minute (not helped by the chocolate) and not enjoying the stairs at work, but otherwise fine. We've started some very basic packing - the easy obvious stuff, like boxes of glasses and crockery. Absolutely dreading trying to clear out DS's room though.

Really hope that you get some luck with the house next weekend - you're certainly doing all that you can. These things always seem to work out at the very last possible minute - ours did this time, and last time as well. Maybe you need to get pregnant again to secure a sale?!

On that note....!

Natlou_2

WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!

Just had to share that I received a letter from the A & L today offering a full refund of all the insurance premiums we paid on our loan that ended over a year ago - they are repaying us £1175! - I had thought is was around £800 and that they would have offered us £400 which I'd already decided to accept, so this is great! - It seems like so long since we had a break, I can't tell you how excited I am

Natlou x

Little_Pickle

That's fantastic news!!! well done you!
hat are you going to throw it at???? OOOHHHH! watch those debts fall!

Yay!
LP
xox