5,000 miles and even more pounds

ryanm8655

Smashingitnow said:

Brilliant. I took the excellent advice and used Skype to call my credit cards. That has stumped me for six months plus so I am so glad for the advice.
The Capital One card is at 12.55 GBP
Vanquis is at 830.13 GBP
So both will get paid off two weeks tomorrow on payday! There'll be some interest on Capital One (about a fiver). I'll keep an eye on them to make sure they are definitely paid off.
This means from the early October payday (just six weeks away) I will really be hammering my big balance plus I'll only be deadling with two CCs (one on 0%) and the loan (which I don't mind paying as it was for a second hand car that I used to explore the UK in the year before I moved) and Paypal rather than, in March - FIVE CCs as well as the rest.
I also just feel so much better knowing how to call the UK!!!! What a banana I am!

Great to have the clarity!

I know what you mean re: family having a heart attack knowing your debt levels ha. I actually told family for accountability and to force me into taking action but do regret it sometimes when the sly digs come out...

One-step-at-a-time

ryanm8655 said:

I know what you mean re: family having a heart attack knowing your debt levels ha. I actually told family for accountability and to force me into taking action but do regret it sometimes when the sly digs come out...

I've never told any of my family.  One parent in particular has been known to disparage people with debt and would have been utterly mortified, angry and panicked if I'd come clean about it, but then would also probably have offered to bail us out (which is a position I have never, ever wanted to be in). It would have made the last few years exceptionally awkward, and my parents certainly don't deserve to have to worry about a couple of grown adults.  It's actually the main reason I write about it on here - only myself and OH know the extent of it.

Smashingitnow

ryanm8655 said:

Smashingitnow said:

Brilliant. I took the excellent advice and used Skype to call my credit cards. That has stumped me for six months plus so I am so glad for the advice.
The Capital One card is at 12.55 GBP
Vanquis is at 830.13 GBP
So both will get paid off two weeks tomorrow on payday! There'll be some interest on Capital One (about a fiver). I'll keep an eye on them to make sure they are definitely paid off.
This means from the early October payday (just six weeks away) I will really be hammering my big balance plus I'll only be deadling with two CCs (one on 0%) and the loan (which I don't mind paying as it was for a second hand car that I used to explore the UK in the year before I moved) and Paypal rather than, in March - FIVE CCs as well as the rest.
I also just feel so much better knowing how to call the UK!!!! What a banana I am!

Great to have the clarity!

I know what you mean re: family having a heart attack knowing your debt levels ha. I actually told family for accountability and to force me into taking action but do regret it sometimes when the sly digs come out...

Sorry - only just saw this! Good for you....I think I would just then feel judged every time I casually mentioned having a coffee out or buying anything....or that they would nag......

Smashingitnow

Well quite a lot happening (even if some of it only in my head as I weigh options!)
Friday should be payday. Hilariously, the money that goes into my bank account is different every month - by up to 200 pounds or so! I can't figure it out at all...number of days in the month doesn't affect it. So I won't know for sure what I will get paid until Friday!
Nevertheless whatever happens I will be paying on Friday:

12.55 plus interest to Capital One - CARD WILL BE PAID OFF
830 to Vanquis - CARD PAID OFF EXCEPT FOR INTEREST OF I GUESS 70 which I will have to pay next month
146 to my loan 
400 to Barclaycard (145 pounds over the minimum payment)
33 to Marbles (minimum payment - iwhole balanxe is 0%)
60 to Paypal
Capital One have offered to increase my available balance - I might do this since if I could get a zero BT offer it would be good to move some of the massive Barclaycard balance on to it.

Vanquis keep offering me a free BT on a rate of 9.9%. It's only for six months and I the highest APR I have now is 19.9 (was 42 until last month! With 19.9 being my lowest rate!!) so I don't think it is worth the risk of say losing my job or having some unforseen that means I don't repay before the low rate expires and it goes up to 30%.

Smashingitnow

I have been thinking of a holiday in October in the country I am living in.

I have booked leave from work.
Part of me knows this isn't going to help with debt repayment!
But i have been in total isolation in an apartment in a very busy and noisy city for five months. My mental health would benefit from being somewhere quieter, where I can be in nature. I'm surprised I haven't cracked by now. I feel some sort of 'treat' would give me a boost.

So I could in October just pay the minimum payments on all debts (which totals 490!!!!!!) and then spend 1000 on a holiday.
The ideal would be to spend half that on the holiday! But travel in this country is very difficult...meaning I can only travel to certain parts of the country, and few hotel are open...the ones that are open are expensive (probably because they have had to pay large bribes to be allowed to open)! I am trying to find an option totalling only 600 (so an extra 400 to the Barclaycard) which is still nice....it's more difficult than it would be without Corona.

I am really in two minds....that would delay my debt-free debt by a month (possibly two). It would mean a month where my debt only decreased by 200....so basically static....

moneyonmymindsam

Hi Just thought I'd check in on you. 
  
Just a suggestion could you use part of the over payment to barclaycard to pay off the interest on Vanquis? That would mean you have "closed down/written off" two creditors. This could be a real motivator and feel good factor for your mental health. With regards to the holiday would a 2/3 night break away do the same rather than a week as this may help with costs?
Feel free to ignore me 😂😁
Sam

Smashingitnow

Hi Sam!

Never ignore you!!! I was wondering the same as to a shorter break...I'm really useless at thinking things through practically sometimes and only after posting yesterday I realised the obvious way to spend less would be to go for a shorter time. I need to check this re the rules on movement we still have here...at one stage you had to stay a week...that may change! Honestly I am going to lose my temper at work or something having not a holiday since last August....so something is needed! I was planning 8 nights so could deffo cut this to 5 without any hardship - brill suggestion! Thanks!

I could do as you suggest on the Vanquis. But Barclaycard is such a big debt and will be the last one i pay off...hoping to chip away so it is 4k or so by the time the others have 'disappeared'....rather than facing the long slog of paying down one card without any milestones. Overall I think given that I have had the Vanquis card pretty much at 4k from October 2015 to March 2020 (oh the idiocy) I'm gonna take it as a win even if there is a one of payment that is 'only' interest! Plus I pay Capital One off completely on Friday so that is ONE DOWN THIS MONTH!!!
Also just got the 'opportunity' to increase my health insurance from 1,000 cover to 50,000 cover for 65 pounds....in the circumstances, this would seem wise....this will NOT affect my debt repayments, and will have to come from my discretionary spend...it is my birthday in 10 days. Even though I am quite old it is POSSIBLE my Dad will give some small pennies so I can get something (posting things from the UK to here has a patchy rate of success!)

moneyonmymindsam

Yes absolutely do get yourself something or have a treat for your birthday!  I think we all feel too old for birthday gifts but when we get them it's always lovely just to celebrate the day.🎉
Yes I think if you can knock those couple of days off the break you still have "scratched the itch" but it has cost you less. We all need a break now and then and nothing to feel guilty about doing what is best for your health.👍
Hope work is going OK and you've seen some humans recently 😂

Smashingitnow

So my boss told me on Friday that he thinks I am useless and overpaid. So I am guessing that I will soon be let go. this was a surprise as I thought I was well regarded at work.
With the minimum monthly payments at 500 pounds still (was over 700 back in March!) this is obviously quite alarming. Off to the bank tomorrow to transfer funds to the UK to make all my debt payments. It is always a complete palaver - they have 20 times the number of staff of a UK bank but none of them seem to do much and it takes three of them to take my form from my each month. But not complaining! 
As is usual, I got a compeltely different salary payment this month from any of my previous 8 months...so I can definitely do the 1500GBP transfer. Another month of debt busting! 
I will not now be taking a holiday in October (especially as I don't even know if I'll still be in this country then!) but I will take a week off work as I haven't had a week off work for over a year and I am losing the plot!!
Not looking forward to Monday morning

moneyonmymindsam

Yes take the break off unless you hear otherwise about a departure as they may owe you holiday pay for untaken, not a great boss in my opinion as that's quite blunt and brutal.

Keep plugging away with the good work and we will be here for you what ever happens. You know your own worth so don't let the opinion of the boss knock your confidence.
When is your birthday! Do let us know. 
Sam