Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!

elbree

I think motivation comes and goes and without going crazy it's good to loosen the reins a bit and relax for a while. Something will come along to inspire you again! 

missymoo81

Hey so nice to see you bacK. I love your posts.

Elisheba

I did my monthly food shop in L!dl on Monday, and the moral of that story is don't do your shopping on the last day of a Bank Holiday weekend! Almost all the basics stuff was gone and there were no free range (although currently in a barn) eggs at all. I very much did need food though, so had to pay a bit extra for the slightly more expensive brands they did have.

Have about 32 meals planned out for the month, and a fair amount in for lunches, so hopefully all I'll need for the month are milk and eggs, and maybe some salad stuff later on.

In great news, I'm due to finish paying off my Barclaycard this month. There is a bit of a hiccup due to a DD which was cancelled, but is showing as both being paid and not being paid. It doesn't actually matter either way, I just need the banks to sort out if there has been a payment or not so I can pay the final balance.

Once that card is paid off, I'll be in the position to do a balance transfer with another card on which I'm paying massive interest. I doubt I'll have that paid off in a year, so considering a 6.8% for life of the balance offer, rather than the 1 year interest free offer. I think that'll save me about £40 in interest a month in the current balance.

I think that's me back on the old MS wagon now. Thanks for the support everyone. I think sometimes you do just need to relax a bit and let your hair down, and then get right back on it. It's easier now it's a bit warmer, and I don't feel like a crazy decadent person every time I put the heating on.

It's due to rain here most of the day. I have some clothes washing that needs done, and is easily hung up inside. I've also got a bedding and towel wash which would be better hung outside, but I suppose I can hang them on doors etc if needed. Also need to do some dishes and a quick hoover, probably at lunch time.

Think I might spend my free time this evening going through posts on here. It's been ages since I caught up and it's good motivation.

Hope everyone has a great day 

Baileys_Babe

Elisheba said:

Once that card is paid off, I'll be in the position to do a balance transfer with another card on which I'm paying massive interest. I doubt I'll have that paid off in a year, so considering a 6.8% for life of the balance offer, rather than the 1 year interest free offer. I think that'll save me about £40 in interest a month in the current balance.

Read this article from the main site about balance transfers there are balance transfer cards which are longer than 12 months, most in the article are over 2 years. At the end of the period, it would be possible to do another balance transfer.

Do you plan to keep the payments to the balance transfer card as they currently are or increase them by adding the amount you are currently paying to the card you have just finished?

Have a read and a think and let us know your plan.

Elisheba

Thanks @Baileys_Babe The problem is in the past I have opened most of these credit cards to do balance transfers on, but up until my light bulb moment, failed to actually pay any of them off!  So I currently have about 6 credits cards.  Although my credit rating is probably good enough to get another one I likely wouldn't be offered much credit making it a pointless exercise, and most of the cards with good deals I likely have already.  Its been a frustration up until now as I know how much interest I have been paying as all my deals run out but there was nothing I could do about it.

Now my BC is clear and is offering me half decent balance transfer rates again I think I should be able to transfer 2 cards (one big balance, one small) onto it, and then look into deals the cards I have paid off are offering to see if its worth transferring any balance from other cards.  I've been really looking forward to this moment, as I'm intending to pay exactly what I currently pay but obviously that will cut into more of the balance as there is less interest.  This is the tipping point where things start getting smaller much more quickly I think, because I can manage the interest a bit better now 

Baileys_Babe

Sorry to hear you can't get these deals, hopefully, this time you can plough as much as possible into repayments to clear the cards quickly and save you interest.

Elisheba

Just a little update. My kettle went kerplunk a few weeks ago, but I hadn't had time to look at reviews to replace it.

Had a look now, and was able to find a kettle Which recommends as being eco, refurbished for £15.  It would have been over £30 new, so quite pleased with that.  I did seriously consider getting a hob kettle which would basically last forever even if not quite so energy efficient (I have a gas hob) but I'm going to stick with electric for now.  Knowing me I would forget the kettle was on and it could whistle to it hearts content if I was upstairs and I wouldn't hear it.  If this one dies at less than 5 years old then I will probably move to hob top, but will see how it goes.

Elisheba

Did really well in Waitrose this evening. I needed milk and had noticed one of the My Waitrose vouchers had 50p off a 4 pint carton, so I went my dog walk in that direction to get milk there.

While there I looked at the fresh reduced section and noticed a pizza reduced to £1.49. Not brilliant, but a good reduction from £4.10. I was hungry so popped it in my basket with some reduced hummous as well.

I had a vague memory of seeing a voucher for that exact type and flavour of pizza though, so I activated it - and it worked - £1.50 off a £1.49 pizza! I actually earned a penny buying it! That's like one of the deals you get in America! So I got another penny off my milk and hummous! 

WinterWarrior

That’s amazing, just like extreme couponing…I love those shows! 

elbree

Elisheba said:

Did really well in Waitrose this evening. I needed milk and had noticed one of the My Waitrose vouchers had 50p off a 4 pint carton, so I went my dog walk in that direction to get milk there.

While there I looked at the fresh reduced section and noticed a pizza reduced to £1.49. Not brilliant, but a good reduction from £4.10. I was hungry so popped it in my basket with some reduced hummous as well.

I had a vague memory of seeing a voucher for that exact type and flavour of pizza though, so I activated it - and it worked - £1.50 off a £1.49 pizza! I actually earned a penny buying it! That's like one of the deals you get in America! So I got another penny off my milk and hummous! 

Excellent work! I'm usually the one that goes home with my purchase and THEN finds the coupon, which expires the day 🤦