I am the obstacle and I am the path (to debt free...again)

DrCarrie

Gosh my dyslexic writing shows so much when I am tired. 
Not really anything wonderous to report at all. I have a haircut later, so that is a spend for sure! I am glad I had it booked though, what with lockdown 2.0.  Why is ir 2.0, and not just '2'?  feels ominous! I certainly don't think it will only be 4 weeks. They said 3 weeks first time around and it was 3 months, so I am making the assumption it may well be 4 months, and even longer working from home. Certainly saves on the commute. 

I am so looking forward to being paid tomorrow, and paying paying some debt off. Then the gas and electric refund should be in at somepoint. I am hoping I can pay at least 7% off this month, maybe an inch more up to 8%. But with Christmas looming....I need to make sure I budget for it. And really make it workable. 

Went to meditation last night and yoga this morning. Feeling much more settled again and more motivated. Thank goodness. Awake at about 4am though. My sleep has been quite diffiult for a abiut 8 years now, following a very diffiult period in my life. I try to embrace the early wake, but it is tough sometimes! 

I really need to get out into the freshair a bit more. 

DrCarrie

Well, its pay day. It won't come into my account until this afternoon. I literally have 34p in my spending account. 
Had a lovely hiarcut, a lot chopped off, because I don't really think the salon will be open when I am due the next, I booked it but who knows! 
It was so sunny and lovely yesterday, I went to the beach for a bit and really wanted to go for a lovely glass of wine and a nice bite, but I didn't. Well done DrCarrie, well done. 

So I am going to take a fairly large chunk off what would go to debt, for the christmas budget. As I haven't been saving over the year for it. And often times it would go on the CC so this is good news, even though not so much off the debt. It is not going on the debt though. So frankly that is brilliant in the round. 

DrCarrie

Gosh, I can't belive it has been so long since I worte in my debt free diary.
SO...I have not been able to do any overpayments on the debt. I put aside some for Christams, and gave a fair bit to my daughter as she was between jobs as Lockdown came in and so not furloughed due to shielding. All fingers crossed for lockdown to be lifted...but the figures are really scary!

Waiting to recieve the over payment on my gas and electric to come though, and I will pay half of that to overpayment on the CC's. I will keep the other half, for now at least in case my daughter needs some more cash. 

I have been doing soem organising and tidying, and had very cheap weekends due to current restrictions, no cheeky pint and a bowl of Raman with my girlfriend. But all is good really. All my loved ones are safe and sound. 

DrCarrie

My goodness....still waiting for Gas and Electric money to be refunded. Am struggling wiht cashflow at Christmas, but dertermined that I will not use the CC. 

Got a new job....stable income can plan a little more. 
phew. 

foxgloves

Hope that energy bill refund arrives soon, DrCarrie. That's a decent wodge of money they've been earning interest on, & it'll be a lot better in your account than their's!
I too failed to discover budgeting until later in life. I was 46 when we paid off the last of our debt, but thankfully it was the culmination of a truly bright LBM & I know I will never revert back to the irresponsible, wasteful habits of my spendy decades.
Keep up the good work!
F

DrCarrie

Oh Goodness, its been a while. So Christmas was a bit tough, and my budgets weren't great. But I didn't use my Credit card, which is really quite something and I am really quite proud of myself - I robbed Peter to pay Paul all over the place, but I did not use my credit card. I seriously cannot remember the last time I didn't use a credit card for Christmas. 

Energy refund still not sorted. I am going in again next week, for that around about 1K. 
Debt currently standing at £19,793.90, it was £21,170, and I just paid £900 off so that is - £2,276.10  just over 10% off. Not too bad. I needed to help my duaghter out with some cashflow, and had no savings for Christmas, so, yo know, not as much as I would like off but, its way better off than on!
I have set my DD on both cards to over pay a little - my credit score has already imporved. They are chunky outgoings though over £500 a month. But hopefully the snowball will start to roll more!

WinterWarrior

Well done on your progress. Very annoying about the energy refund...kick up a stink! 

DrCarrie

Dear diary. Long time no see!

So things I have been doing: 
- extreme battle with the energy company. I raised a complaint in writing yesterday. I am over it, I need that money so that I can put a 1K off the CC. Obviously haven't heard a thing though!
- Not touched some of my spending pots at all, no robbing Peter to pay Paul at all. This and not using a CC is a huge thing. 
- Wrote assigment for Uni - this would usually be a trigger to a deliveroo or 2...or more, but nope. No Deliveroos. 
- I was tracked and traced and isolated for a while - thankfully seem to be all clear, no intenet shopping, not one thing. 
- been reworking the budgets, and addedd a tiny bit more spending money, and a couple of pots to fill. 
- thinking about starting an emergency fund, and how to fund a move of home, but I am goung to review that in April. 
- for now, it is at least £850 spent on debt per month - via DDs, and hopefully a bit more, if I underspend on food etc.

One of my CC companies just infomed me that I can have an increase in credit! Oh Em Gee! 17K in total. Look at that a little bit of overpaying, and your credit rating goes up. 

Sarahwithlove

At least it means your utilisation levels go down which helps the credit score. 

DrCarrie

Hiya...diary, I am sorry you are neglected. 
- So I have been doing lots of research, and have decided to go with the working towrds £1000 E/F and properly snowball with the 7 baby steps (almost) malarky. 
- I have £905 in the EF
- I am overpaying CC1 by £354, minimum payment on CC2
- Massive battle continues with the power company. I have over £1200 owed to me. I am emailing and phoning every week now (this is week 2). And after that if it is not resolved  in 6 weeks I am going to the Ombudsman. However, next week I will also write a letter. I am over it, and I want that money off my CC1.