5,000 miles and even more pounds

Smashingitnow

Thanks so much Sam. I've been in tears all weekend. Yes you are right I would be owed some holiday pay. At least I have used the last few months to make inroads into the debt...and I might get one more month's pay, which I could use to cover three months of minimum payments....so at least it is not desperate. It's weird, it was so out of the blue to me (and normally I am very senstivie to other peoples' opinions of me) and yet he spoke saying that my last boss had also thought this of me...there are some reasons why I think this might not be quite the full truth but in any case if you are not wanted I can come BACK TO BRITAIN!!! And have a hug, and sit in a beer garden and go for a walk by the river and all the things I haven't been able to while locked up for six months!!
xxx

moneyonmymindsam

You have made massive in roads into the debt so that's all good you should be proud and there is always some comfort in coming home. 🍺🍺
 Stay strong and run with it for now. What will be, will be so I think keep calm and carry on (isn't that a mug slogan - shall we call that virtual early birthday gift one? lol) ☕
🤔😂
P. S I was going to wave to your boss but then I thought one finger will do. 
(how rude of me) x

Smashingitnow

Hahaha. Yes!

Smashingitnow

I do wish everyone knew how SUPER it feels paying off debt. MUCH better than spending money...especially fake, imaginary money you don't have!!
I've been to the bank at lunch, transferred money to the UK.....the hours it takes to actually appear in my UK account after leaving the account in this country is always a bit nervewracking! 
Just counting down the minutes to make those all important payments!!

moneyonmymindsam

Yes and once paid off all the things you can do with all that lovely "spare" money. 
Have a good day hope all goes sound with the payments. 
👍

astrocytic_kitten

Popped over to check out your diary, you’re doing amazingly well! It can be so tough being alone in a country far away, even without a global pandemic and being stuck in isolation. I’m sorry you have such an unprofessional manager, hopefully it works out (either by you staying or by getting to come home!). 

Smashingitnow

astrocytic_kitten said:

Popped over to check out your diary, you’re doing amazingly well! It can be so tough being alone in a country far away, even without a global pandemic and being stuck in isolation. I’m sorry you have such an unprofessional manager, hopefully it works out (either by you staying or by getting to come home!). 

Awww...thanks!

Smashingitnow

Right - aqua card cancelled!!! 
It was actually paid off in early May but due to my difficulties in contacting the UK before the fab people here suggested Skype I couldn't contact them.
And...Capital One cancelled!
All done with automated call....which rather underminded my fantasies of delightedly telling them I was closing it. Still. It is done. Means my available credit will drop my 5.75k on my credit report, and my utilisation will go back up to around 80% but I don't care...living abroad I don't want new cards being sent somewhere and potentially falling in the wrong hands and I love seeing my portfolio slim and get fewer emails from these people (all my cards except Barcalycard are 'bad credit' cards so even seeing the names is a reminder of the mess I got into).
I feel great...Aqua did say they wouldn't report to the CRAs until 90 days had passed...slightly disappointing.
My next plan is to get a 0% BT card...shifting any of that humungous Barclaycard debt (at 22%) onto a 0% card is going to save me money. 
Also did a snowball calculator for the first time (again thanks to fab people here). It was SO interesting!!!! IF slightly confusing at first! As suspected the last debt to be paid off will be PayPal. It's showing a debt free date of September 2021 based on me slightly dropping my repayments from 1500 pounds a month to 1300 a month....I think the stress and sense of deprivation on living on 400 a month to cover food, bills, entertainment and furnishing my empty expat house is not a good idea to live with too much longer.
Not sure what will happen at work - but don't think I will be sacked this week so have decided to just keep going and worry about that if and when it happens...the lower the debt the better position I will be in if it happens so MY actions don't need to change.

Smashingitnow

Debts remaining:
Marbles (0%) 3k
Loan 1300
Barclaycard 8150
Paypal 1750
(Plus a tiny bit of interest of Vanquis about 20 quid I think)
New debt total: 14,000
Monthly interest payments: 175 pounds
Monthly minimum payments: 480
SUCH a long way to go........

astrocytic_kitten

You’re doing really well! It’s a bit of a slog in the middle, but to be debt free in a year would be amazing. Are there some milestones you can set to hit along the way as you pay things off? I like percentages of the original debt.