Say No to Credit Cards Diary

NeverendingDMP

Just wanted to say hello and good luck.im a bit further down the line in that I no longer have access to credit even if I wanted it but I just wanted to say that I haven't used a credit card since last October, my debts are reducing (slowly) and I have the beginnings of an emergency fund. It isn't easy but you will do it and once your mimimum payments start to reduce it will feel so much nicer for you.

enthusiasticsaver

£223 is brilliant and will help keep your budget on track. You could either keep for Junes food kitty or use it to put towards one of the credit cards which has the 0% deal expiring first.

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

Hi

NEVERENDINGDMP - Thank you for dropping by. Well done on not using your credit cards since October especially over the Christmas period that is great. I know what you mean about those payments coming down, it would be nice but I have a long way to go before that happens. You keep up the good work.

enthusiasticsaver - Once again that you for your help and guidance I really do appreciate it. I have decided to keep the car boot sale as my food kitty for June because I actually have the cash in hand. When I get paid on the first of June I am going to make an over payment to CC1 to the value of the car boot sale cash.

I only started this last week putting stuff on ebay and sorting stuff out for a car boot sale but in one week I have made a profit of £290.92 that is amazing. I have set myself a budget of extra income being £200 per month which will go off the balance of the credit cards.

Today I was sorting out a draw in a unit in the living room and found $55. I dont know when I am next in the town centre to go and change it and pay that off one of the cards as well.

Every little helps as they say.

Take care everybody and enjoy what is left of the bank holiday.

pidge04

Wow!!!! You have made a lot of money this week!! Well done!
The most I have made at a boot fair was £30 once!

I have been reading your diary for the last few days.

There are some real positives on your side. You can do this. You seem determined. This is a challenge which you are facing head on!

You have come here and this will help a lot.

I have not been here long but seeing my debts go down every month has become addictive.
Selling things and making some cash and decluttering has helped a lot.

I do find it hard with my family - when I was alone, I could be super frugal when I needed to be. My husband does not know how much I owe but he knows I have debt and I now feel fine saying 'I cannot do X this month because I have not budgeted for it' etc.

I have found menu planning very helpful. Good to have some basics in the store cupboard so you can always whip up a meal. We are getting very disciplined about taking out picnics and packed lunches with us when we go out.

I will be following ... I wish you well!

All the very best.

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

Good Morning Everybody,

Another amazing day, you feel so much better when the sun is shining.

pidge04 - Thank you so much for dropping by. The car boot sale was very busy yesterday and I can honestly say I don't think I could have fitted another thing in the car when I left. We have lived in the same house now for 20 years so we have never had a really good clear out that usually happens when you move. So now is the time.
I did a menu plan last week which helped me cut down the amount I spent when I went food shopping. So I'm going to continue to do that because from the 1st June I have a tight food budget, something that I have never had before.
I have found talking to people on this forum helps. Everybody is no nice, do not judge, they are so helpful offering advice and sharing their experiences with others. It is great and has helped me become motivated and I don't feel like I am wadding in moody water getting nowhere now, which is amazing in itself.

So today paid £55 off CC4 and £200 off CC2 and I have £178.00 in my bank and it is payday on Friday. Plus I have the tub sat in the kitchen with £220 in it from the car boot sale. I am feeling more organised already.

Tea for tonight is leftovers from yesterday and any other odds and sods that is in the fridge. So as I would say a free food day as it would have gone into the bin in weeks gone by.

I have also put myself on the overtime list for June in work, which I never would have done so I hope I can pick up a few more hours next month as it all comes in handy.

Jobs for this week: This will keep me on tract.

Stick to food menu.
Reduce the running around in the car I do to reduce the amount of petrol I use.
Fleabay - list five items a day
Start to sort out more amazing stuff to try and do another car boot sale next week if the weather is ok.
2 No Spend Days

Once again thank you all for your help and advice and keep it coming, as I really do need it.

XXxxXX

enthusiasticsaver

You are doing brilliantly and yes your decision to use the cash for food and make an overpayment to the CC for the same amount makes sense. Sometimes using cash for food also concentrates the mind on what you are spending.

Can I suggest you break the credit card debts down in to the 4 individual cards and post them on here with interest rates and dates the deals expire? You can also do a signature with the figures coming down as you repay them. There are many diaries on here who do a really good job of recording their progress so check some of those out so you can see which is the best way to monitor how the debt is coming down.

Scott-Weiland

Good luck on your journey.

I have had a read of your diary just a few hints and tips from me, have you tried boosting your income??

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/make-money

Completing market research surveys online is another good way to bring extra funds in too.

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

Good Afternoon Everybody

enthusiasticsaver - Once again thank you so much for all your help and guidance. I think it is so nice of you to help people like you do. I have an image of me going into the supermarket with my car boot sale change tub and putting all the coins into the self scan till. If nothing else it will stop me from buying a lot of food due to the shame of paying in change:rotfl::rotfl: I have set up a spread sheet with the four credit cards on. This shows the outstanding balance each month, minimum payment, payment date, overpayments and the dates of the interest promotions end. I have found this really really useful. I just cannot wait to see the figures go down now that I am more organised.

Scott-Weiland - Thank you so much for dropping by. That is a great idea to try and boost my income. I am going to take a look at the link and see what it is all about. I don't seem to have much time at the moment as I am concentrating on sorting all stuff we don't need or use and either putting it on ebay, gumtree or putting it in the car boot sale boxes. I feel that is a full time job in itself, but it must be done. When I have finished with all of that sorting I am going to have to look for something else and I suspect that link will be really handy, so thank you so much.

Going to go and list my five things on ebay now, just hope lots of people want to buy my amazing stuff that nobody in the house wants anymore.

Take care everybody and enjoy the sun shine.

XXxxXX

lindez

Hi Say No to Credit Cards, well done on your car boot sale and ebay. Great news on creating a spreadsheet, I am hopeless with spread sheets, not at all good with the laptop, well its a chrome note book that I am using. So for me its just notes on what I owe and what I have paid so far. I have put it into my signature so I can keep (or try to) note my monthly payments so far. I have found the payment a day brilliant for keeping me accountable. I must now take some of your inspiration and de-clutter and sell some of my things I do not need. I am subscribed so I look forward to all the tips and motivation. x

Say_No_to_Credit_Cards

HI lindez

Thanks for dropping by. I have joined the payment a day challenge. It has forced me to think about the debt each day, which is not a bad thing. As a result has made me not want to use a credit card again.

Start a diary and we can both help each other along this journey. I wanted to do it for a few months and did not have the courage but having read lots of threads the people on here are so nice, very helpful and do not judge.

Decluttering is going on. We have some junk around this house. So another five items listing on ebay today so fingers crossed for them. I have found ebay a little slow since the bank holiday weekend, but I think that is for a number of reasons, incuding end of the month, kids off school and the warm weather. Lets hope it picks up from the 1st of the month.

Take care everybody

XXxxXX