Tidying up the mess

BabyStepper

Also, anyone know how to edit a post? Just noticed my 'jumping for joy' emojis are not working, went to delete but can't find a way. 

BabyStepper

Found it! Top right hand corner. Maybe I just need to spend more time here to figure out how it all works. 

DancingInTheRain

Hi @BabyStepper so close now!
Sorry to hear about the work situation, hopefully something new will turn up soon. As you say it must be a relief that you've put in all the hard work on the debt paydown, it will take a bit of pressure off you. 
Wishing you the best of luck in finding new work and clearing the final few hundred pounds 🙂

enthusiasticsaver

Sorry about you losing some work and yes as you say it is great you are almost debt free so you can weather it but disappointing too. Hopefully things will pick up soon. Everything seems a bit dull and dreary at the moment.

I can't find out how to change font colour too so if anyone knows how to do it hopefully they will post instructions. 

savingholmes

I don't know how to do font colour changes. 
Well done on how far you've come - I am hoping to be at a similar debt level by the end of the year if not before. 
Hope you get some new clients soon. As you say - great that you are in a better financial position to weather any storm

[Deleted User]

I'm sorry about the work going - that really sucks, but I've got absolutely no doubt things will pick up again for you, you're so determined and obviously a hard worker  

Focusing on the positives though....
Woohoo - down to three figures! And over 95% gone - that's amazing. Really on the home straight now, chasing down Usain Bolt!   

BabyStepper

Good morning everyone
I'm up bright and early today so thinking about having a good look at the numbers. I've been avoiding doing this as despite being almost debt free (and with the car fund and emergency fund, almost debt neutral right now) my recent loss of work has left me deflated. I was getting prepared to go hard at planning, saving and beginning a whole new stage of money management, with some resources to actually do it. Now that will all slow down...
However, today is a new day and hiding from the figures won't help anything. At a guess, my wage will be reduced by around 35%. I will also have fewer expenses but only slightly. I will work out the figures and report back later today. 
In better news, I have been inundated with credit card offers of 0% transfers with £0 fees and goodness knows what else. They are all 'here, have up to £10,000! No wonder we get in the mess we do. I have been phoning each one up and asking to be removed from their marketing list.  Love it. My credit score is likely going to reduce to 0 some time, and I'm not sure what I think about that yet (surely it will effect mortgage renewals? And more importantly, will I ever truly stop panicking about my mortgage??) but on the whole I'm confident we will manage. Only a tiny voice in the back of my head says 'what if you need a car loan?' Old habits die hard. 
Given the work situation I have decided to revive matched betting. I gave this up after I paid for the wedding, and the smaller, less risky bets had been done. (None of it is risky if you do it right, btw, just feels risky when the amounts are larger.) So I'll attempt to make up the shortfall. Reduced wage won't hit until the end of April, but that will come soon enough. 
I've also been hanging around the mfw boards, trying to decide whether or start a diary there. I would never have achieved what I have done without the help of all of you on here, it would seem silly not to keep it going. Part of the reason I stopped posting on here so much was that really, everything had been done, debt on 0%, cheapest renewals on everything, budget trimmed to the last penny, then there was nothing left to do but plod on until the debt was gone. I did come back when we got the car and as always was given excellent advice. Maybe mfw will be the next challenge to throw up a load of confusion and discussion? I also do want to stay accountable. I just don't know yet.  
Anyway, hope everyone has a great mse day. 

warby68

Look at you Babystepper, taking the knocks with just a bit of a sigh and 'what can I do in the meantime' approach and no big panic compared to a year or so ago. As well as the debt being virtually gone, this is the big achievement. You (and probably a lot of people right now) are feeling deflated but by no means down and out. 
If worst comes to worst and a car is needed, you could take one of those lease deals for a cheap car at a low monthly cost - not very robust credit requirements for these. I KNOW this isn't the favoured money saving option but I am looking at an emergency situation where you need a reliable car and you need it now and can't raise lump sums or finance. My OH found some 12m/18m deals (actually for a very flashy car when he was thinking of treating himself for a big birthday but didn't). As a stopgap they would have been fine. 
I have a feeling that even with 35% less income temporarily you will STILL have some money to play with as well.

enthusiasticsaver

Hopefully you will find some more work to cover the gap but in the meantime matched betting, if done without risk of losing money sounds like it may work for you given you have done it before successfully. Good luck.
If your diary motivates you to carry on paying the mortgage down then you can carry it on. Many on here are debt free now but keeping their diaries going to keep them accountable rather than slip back into old ways. As you say you have a mortgage and a car which may need replacing so even if you don't have debt any more keeping your savings plans in the back of your mind when budgeting still means you will need to be careful especially if your income is dropping. You are in a good place though. Well done.

savingholmes

The MFW board are a friendly bunch too. I have a DFW diary but also visit the MFW board. Have you tried writing a list of what your ideal client looks like including what your ideal client will pay? If you gave that a go - it may help you clarify where you need to look / advertise to get them.