Feel stuck

doodledo_2

Well I have been on here for a few weeks now and I have reduced my outgoings using everyones advice, have got £140 in quidco waiting to come and have £20 of pigsback vouchers but I feel like I am getting no where.

My first target is to clear our MBNA card as its the highest debt and the worse APR but so far its not really going anywhere.

We had an awful two months, hubbies car died and cost us over £1k to fix and then we went to Disneyland Paris which was books way before my LBM so we haven't yet thrown any real cash at it. I was careful in Disney and could have spent shed loads more but none the less we still had to spend.

Now its Xmas and although I am being sensible with presents I feel like another couple of months is going to pass with no real inroads made.

Does anyone have a similar amount they want to clear (in my sig about £1300) and fancy a challenge, maybe setting ourselves a date to clear it.

I found everyone on here so inspirational but I sit here seeing people paying debts off so quickly and mine aren't moving.

Ok rant over lol

CAFCGirl

Hey DoodleDo,

Im in much the same position to you. After clearing my credit card (MBNA as well, how spooky!) with my loan from my mum, one thing after another happened and I ended up just sayin "What the hell" and spending on it again!

Stupid of me and another lesson learnt!

I'm going to be going to New York in March and would LOVE to have cleared it by then, although I'm not sure how achievable that is exactly....
Mine is currently at £1,556...... and I couldnt even begin to tell you exactly what I spent it on, which makes me feel even worse!
I know £450 of it was on a credit card cheque (at 0% for 9 months) to use as my deposit for new flatshare, so thats some of it I guess.... Now where did I spend the other £1k!!!

I'd be really up for a challenge on that one, if the offer is still going?

doodledo_2

Thanks for the reply and definately up for the challenge.

End of March sounds stretching but lets go for it. I have had it so many years and just want shot of it.

Luckily we haven't been spending on it as cut the cards up but haven't been getting to move in the right direction either.

hopeless_case_2

Hi doodledoo you posted on my thread and i was grateful.I am with you asany exra income is good for me. My trouble is i spend alot of time on here promising myself i will ebay things do amtched bets etc but never get round to them as for quid co i joined but never did anything with it, i am hopeless.I could do with a bit of money for xmas even.

Squirrel29

£140 on quidco and the Pigsbag vouchers are really good achievement!! Don't put yourself down, I bet you didn't know about them before you joined MSE! I know how you feel though, I am wishing my life away for each payday to come round so I can throw some more at the debt.. it's such a long process but I honestly think you are doing really well in just a few weeks. xx

CAFCGirl

I too have cut mine up, although temptation seems to be coming at me from all angles!

How about we say by April 1st (New financial year and all that!)?

I've been re-doing my monthly budget, practically daily! to see where I can save money from etc. This month (next monday) I'm hoping to pay £200 off it from my wages.
My rent should only be £400 next month as opposed to £450 since I lent my flatmate £50, gna see if I've still got £50 extra in my account by mid month, as I dont wanna go over paying and finding that I'm then broke by the 12th (again!)

Unfortunately, since I moved, only 5 weeks ago, from a studio flat into a room in someone else's flat, I actually got rid of soooo much stuff, so ebay is a non started for me.

So I think my point of focus will actually just be reducing what I spend, from my wages, so no more takeaways with the bf, no more snack bits, must get better at taking lunch to work, esp sicne I work in retail and dont wanna waste my breaks in queues to buy a sandwich while everyone else is doing their xmas shopping...and then hopefully I'll have some extras left at the end of the month to throw at it too!

doodledo_2

Thanks for the posts much appreciated.

Ok lets say 1st April. I'll PM you my email address so we can keep in touch along the way and not block the board up lol.

I have stuff I can ebay and I am going to take a look at the bingo sites if only to get the cashback from Quidco and you never know I may also win lol

I need to get back to doing my spreadsheet with spends too as I am just living payday to payday and we get skint about week 3.

Taking lunch in is a big problem for me too I am so bloody lazy, this WILL stop.

CAFCGirl

Emails sound a brilliant way to go... I always feel guilty with lots of posts about my dailt durge, since nothing interesting ever happens with me! LOL

Time to get focused with a challenge now then!

My quidco money is currently only at £35, and my paypal balance is at £25.30... not much but its a good start....

Snaggles

You're not 'blocking the board up', don't worry - it's nice sometimes to take inspiration from what others on here are doing, even if you're not actually joining in with that particular challenge. Like Gemmzie's Olympic Challenge - I haven't joined because I'm not in a position to do much debt clearing at the moment, but I do nick all their ideas....:D :rotfl:

Good luck with the challenge, it's easy to feel a bit disheartened after the initial burst of enthusiasm has worn off, but stick with us and it will pass.

Squirrel29

Hi doodeldo, I am lazy too and can't seem to get myself motivated to either get up early to make packed lunch or do it evening before. So I have started to make up big batch of sarnies (just basic ones with ham etc in) and divide them up into freezer bags. I then stick them in freezer and pull a bag out before I leave for work. They are defrosted by lunchtime.

Little_Pickle

Hi doodledo & co!

I have £1,800.00 left to clear (mostly to my folks) and I’d be well up for trying to clear it by 1st of April!!!

It’s a long shot, but much like you, doodledo, I’ve slowed to an almost standstill and I can’t seem to get anywhere with clearing my debt at the mo… might be REALLY tough for me though as I’m going away for 2-3 weeks on a BIG trip in Feb… but I’ll still have a good blinkin’ go if that’s okay???

I’ll add to my sig… something like this:

Doodledo’s clear a debt by 1st April 08 challenge….
£1,800.00 / £0.00 so far