Say No to Credit Cards Diary

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

So spring cleaning my life is not just me then. If I am honest it is a really good feeling, knowing that everything is getting sorted out so it will be so much better in times to come.

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

Morning everybody,

House insurance all sorted and paid for for another years. I got it £12 less than I paid last year so I was happy with that. Also paid for it with my debit card for the first time in years. So weekly tin now set up for next years amount. I am loving these tins, it is making me feel more secure and ready for all the annual bills next years.

The next one is car insurance that is due the middle of next month. So any extra income made this month can go towards the car insurance as I am not going to be putting that on a credit card. This is the last annual bill that will need paying. So after this all the extra income can be paid on the credit cards.

Jobs for the weekend:

Finish the front garden,
Paint the small little bit at the front of the house,
Carry on with sorting the loft out,
Get up to date with the washing and ironing.

Because all I seem to be dong lately is either sorting stuff out or doing house maintenance jobs that we have already got the stuff for I feel like I would like to do something nice for a change. It does not need to cost any money so I have been trying to think of a few ideas of things that I could do. I usually take my dogs on long walks but because of the weather being so hot I have not been doing this and think I am missing it. So I need to come up with some ideas.

I have got some overtime in work next week which is great and the extra income will be appreciated.

Also I have got one more birthday towards the end of the month. When I was sorting out the loft I came across a present that had been given to my daughter that she did not want that would be perfect for this person. So I have put that to one side and another £20 - £25 has been saved / not put onto a card.

All I keep asking myself is Why did I not do this before now?

Right I must dash, so everybody have a great day.

Gemsy81

As you know SNTCC, I totally agree with you on the 'life decluttering' - it feels so good mentally, I have to say.

I'm very envious of your stash of gifts.....I don't seem to have that much lying around here (well not anything of much use anyway!).

Regarding your yearly tins - are they actual, physical tins that you keep in the house, or virtual pots?

lindez

Morning Say No to Credit Cards, this is great news on your credit cards coming down in the right direction well done to you. xx

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

Hi Everybody,

Sorry I have been posting the past few days but I have been away with work, and it seemed every second was taken up with work related stuff. Any way back home now and everything can get back to normal once again.

I have still been making a PAD whilst away as I did not want to brake the habit of doing that. I actually like rounding down my bank account each day and paying a small amount from one of the credit cards, it really does help me to refocus.

I really have not done much this week with being away until today with work. So I think I am going to have a night off and get back on the wagon again in the morning.

Gemsy81 - I have about three big boxes of gift stuff in the loft so I do have quite a lot to go at which at the moment is saving me quite a bit when birthdays are coming around. I have another birthday next week so I have sorted out a gift for the person so I must have saved another £20.

As for my annual tins. Yes they are actual tins. They really were very cheap when I bought them. They are sealed and you cannot open them unless you use a tin opener which is great for me as you cannot get at the cash. Each week I am putting the allocated money in each so next years annual bills will all be sorted.

lindez - Thank you for dropping by. I am made up with my progress up to now. When I have looked back on my credit report my balance was going up each month, and had been for about 2 years. So the habit has been broken and I am not using the credit cards at all and the balance is coming down each month now. I really am in a far happy place than I was being starting this diary.

Right I am off to catch up with what has been going on in my house whilst I have been away.

Take care everybody

Gemsy81

Hi SNTCC - just dropping in on return from my holiday and noticed you'd not posted in a while. Hope you're ok xx

Kitten868

Hello Say No,

Brilliant diary. You remind me so much of how I started this journey - you're doing brilliantly. You start by selling the clutter then by selling the big furniture you had to buy to store the clutter. And eventually you get to a point where you run out. Well not so much for me with little kids running around but in terms of my stuff I have. I love that I haven't replaced it all either. I am just a less stiff person. Something else it made me realise was don't just make your stuff nice for when you sell it. Make it nice for yourself while you're using it. Work out how to take it apart and wash it now rather than being jealous of who buys it lol.
The momentum is harder once the stuff has gone but your debt is reduced so significantly it does really spur you on to keep going in my experience. And I felt so liberated having my home back. Being able to clean and have everything go.somewhere. I'm still trying to find my funk and where things go in my new home though (nearly 2 years later).
Hope you come back soon and carrying on winning at eBay and fighting the debt beast. I love that your family hasn't noticed. Xxx

lindez

Hi say no to credit cards, hope you are ok xx

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

Good morning everybody,

I am really sorry that I have not posted in a few weeks, but I have had a really really hard few weeks. My elderly father fell and broke his knee. So for the last few weeks I have had to stay with him and just take care of him and take him to hospital appointments. He was not able to move and getting him out of bed in a morning into the chair was a task and a half, so all my time has literally been taken up helping my dad Anyway forwarding a few weeks and things are looking great and he is a lot more mobile so I am between my house and my dads at the moment. Each day he is improving now which is great to see and also it releases my time as well.

So what have I done in the last month, not as much as I wanted to be that could not be helped. But, on a more positive note I have:

Ebay profit in July £145.61. I worked out this morning since I started this diary I have made an extra £934.53. So in August I want this figure to be smashed through the thousand pound mark.

Petrol - I stayed within the budget for petrol again this morning so it just shows what you can do. However, my poor car does need some fuel in its tank today.

Annual Bills - All these have been paid for the year now so I am home and free from this years annual amounts, which is a great feeling. I have done tins for all the annual bills for next year and have been putting the amounts in each week.

Food - Because I have not been home much nobody went shopping ( I know ), I don't even think anybody cooked if I am honest which is crazy. However, the positive side of this is I still have £95.65 in my food kitty from last month. There is always a silver lining in everything if you look hard enough.

Credit Cards - The only thing I have been doing whilst at my dads is doing a PAD which I really did not want to give up, as it keeps me so focused. This morning I have made all my minimum payments on the four cards for the month of August so all the payments that I make throughout August will be extra payments, which feels so good. I have not worked out my total as yet but will do in the next few days, I cannot wait to see what it is now.

Boot sales - I am going to try and do a car boot sale this weekend. However, this depends on the weather and of course my dad. I am going to wait until Saturday to decide what to do, but I would love to go and get rid of another load of stuff and hopefully start my August extra income with a great figure.

Gemsy81 and lindez - Thank you so much for dropping by and checking up on me, it was so nice of you both. How are you both? When I get a minute I will drop by on your diaries to see where you are both up too.

Kitten868 - Thank you for dropping in and reading all my waffle. I can relate to every word you said. I am loving clearing all the stuff that nobody really wants to take ownership of because nobody really wants it or needs it. I still have a long way to go but I can feel my house becoming less cluttered which is such a nice feeling. It is a great by product of debt reduction. My family have still not noticed what I am doing which is crazy but true. It just goes to show you can have a similar life style but a lot cheaper if you just put the work in.

Also over the past few weeks I have had a talk with my DH about the amount of bills that I am paying and told him that it does not seem fair. So he has set up a DD and is paying £175 into my bank account each month to help cover the cost of the bills I pay. So I am going to try and pay this as an extra payment off one of the CC, which is great news.

Any way I have gone on way to much this morning. I am back and ready to continue on this debt free journey.

Take care everybody

wishingthemortgaheaway

Pleased to see you back, and sorry to hear about your dad. Parents are such a worry to us all these days.

Great news with the continued debt busting. I can not believe your family haven't noticed ... how long can this continue for??