A welcome wake up call

Lemon_Tree

I'm not surprised it's scary but we'll done for finding some positives, you've certainly made some good progress in the time you've been on the boards

Iwantanewlife

Keep looking at the positives, you are doing so well x

clearmydebts

Well done for seeing the positives. You really are doing great since your LBM!

CoffeeCakeYarn

You're doing great, and you're also really adapting to all these changes so well, I need to learn how to do that!

twiggy86

So disaster averted but thanks for the kind words! Sorry for the false alarm! Turns out it was just a bad back and a bad mood! However, we have discussed this and know that this is something that will continue to crop up as he just doesn't suit his job at the moment. So I've told him I will have no sympathy if he doesn't put steps in now to change career in the future.

So I've got even more focus to get the debt sorted out as that will take so much pressure off if we have a drop in income. I haven't made any CC payments yet this month as I'm waiting for the statements to hit and then I'll pay off all the minimums. Then overpay the Vcard to get that one gone this month! I'm going to try really hard to get extra this month through surveys, receipts etc. My job doesn't allow for overtime or bonuses, so nothing I can do there but the little bits really add up so that's what I'll aim for. Nearly at a cashout on PA, getting there with Shoppix and also earned £1 on Field Agent. So they're adding up!

twiggy86

A quick post to keep me accountable, as I haven't totally disappeared! I can't say this week hasn't been rocky! Some more serious chats with OH and identifying a few more areas which can give me breathing space if needed.

My car tax is due at the beginning of Dec which I have all saved to renew for 12 months. However, I realised that if needed I could purchase 6 months instead - yes it would costs slightly more in the long run but would give me an extra £65 now. (Slightly obvious but I am relatively new around here!)

The other is cutting my parking costs. It costs me £80 a month for my car park permit. Having been desperately looking into alternatives the other night in amongst the panic I have discounted train (costs more than parking!), considered cycling (6ish miles each way but I'm not technically meant to be cycling too much at the mo). What I have decided is, as my permit expires this weekend, to park for free and walk the rest. I suspect this will result in about 15min - 20min walk to and from my car, but I shall see next week. (Although I haven't really picked the best time of year to start this!) There will be the odd day when I need to park closer to work, so those days will cost me £5, but shouldn't be too many and certainly a lot less than £80! But as I said, I'm going to give myself a week to see how I get on.

Well that was a lot of waffle for a quick update!

enthusiasticsaver

You seem to have made good progress since I last read your diary in getting rid of Barclaycard and Next and moving the rest to 0% and low interest. Hopefully the budget is all working out too except it is a shame you lost your lodger and your DH seems less than reliable when it comes to work.

I would suggest emergency savings take some priority as well as reducing the debts. The savings pots are a great idea but in view of the fact your DH has quit his job twice having some savings in place to cover that sounds like a good idea. Maybe with the 0% cards divide the balance by the number of months left on the deal so you can clear within the period or from your savings?

I also would close the cards as you go to remove the temptation to spend.

clearmydebts

Happy Friday Twiggy!

The car parking idea sounds like a good one, and a bonus for getting a bit of exercise in as well!

twiggy86

Thanks for your comments. Savings is a must! However, I would say equally important is getting OH to put his own steps in place to allow a career change - which is what I've told him I will be pushing him on! Like sorting out his bank account - which despite some "can't we do it next Saturday" comments, was started on Saturday! Despite what he says in that he's "quitting", this time around, OH has actually gone to work every day and I don't think he's said it to his business partner (except the few weeks he had off back in July). Having said that, for reasons that aren't totally his fault, he didn't get paid for much of last week! They made a mistake on a job (one which he said he'll never make again!) which resulted in them having to take it down and re-build! Silly sods!

Weekend was relatively frugal. OH wanted a rather expensive pizza takeaway on Saturday - instead I walked to Mr T, bought some bits and cooked at home! Which he said was such a good idea and really nice! I did buy some "possibly not entirely necessary now" wool - but I will use it in a future project and will save me a future trip as I was there buying something I needed for my current project.

Speaking of walking, I started my trial week of parking further away from work for free and walking in! This morning it was lovely as it was beautiful and sunny, however walking back will be in the dark! I suspect I won't be so keen when it's raining either! But at a cost of £960 a year, I'd be silly to work so hard in other areas and not try to cut down here!

All CC statements have come in and all CC minimums have been paid! So any further payments will be overpayments - I have a cash out on Prolific and nearly there on Shoppix too! Total interest for the month was £50 - down from £200 a few months ago! This will go down again this month once Vcard is cleared!

Right enough waffle - best get on with some work!

Lemon_Tree

Hope the walk back is not too bad, can't believe how much you'd been paying over the space of the year