Debt free by 40

sashybo

Sorry to hear that jokono, it is upsetting when you have to use the CC again/the debt goes up. 😕 It has happened to me so many times in the last few years!

Having paid off what you have still means you’re in a better position than you would have been though.

You’re right to take the kids to see your grandma, it’s worth the extra expense.

jokono

I spent some time reflecting on why it affected me so much. I grew up with a fixed, black and white mindset where failures are not opportunities to learn but something to be ashamed of. I've changed a lot in the last 10-15 years but I guess money/debt managing is still a new skill for me and I went back to my default behaviour. I'm still not happy about it but I beginning to accept it. Last night I had two glasses of wine in an effort to speed up the accepting. 🤣 I rarely drink but it helped and luckily I did not wake up with a headache.

I crunched the numbers and if I pay the minimum on everything else I can cover the credit in the next two pay days + recycling the spending money through that same card so I wouldn't have to pay any interest. However, this would have me stressing all summer so I have applied for:
1. a Chase current account to start doing my daily spends through that for 1% cashback. The cc I use now has 1% for groceries and 0.25% for everything else. There's a waiting list with chase but hopefully I will get it in a month or so.
2. a Sainsbobs cc with 0 or 1% fee. I got an email saying they are doing some checks and will get back to me by post(!!) in 3-5 working days. I was going to apply for a BT card in a few months anyway.

If both go through I will close the cashback CC and get my cashback from chase. Of course, now I worry that Sainsbobs will not give me a credit card but I'm trying to put that thought on hold as their eligibility checker said I had 90% chance.

For June I have reduced my debt by £1,134 but next month it will be a couple of hundreds, if any. It won't go up at least and it will give me peace of mind.

MissRikkiC

You seem to be doing everything right, be kind to yourself. If it doesn’t help, drink a little more wine 😌 

I can’t get the sainsburys one, I’d like it for the 0% bit but a low chance apparently! I hate the whole ‘we will contact you in a few days but’; gives me anxiety! 

jokono

Thanks, no more wine was needed so far. 😊
I am worried about it and we're away next week so if they only send a reply in the post it will be next Monday I find out. But it is what it is, it will all be ok in the end. 

MissRikkiC

Excellent mindset. I’m taking pointers 

jokono

Ending the week with £4 left, I've been very frugal and managed to buy a suitcase out of this week's budget. I'm starting the last week of the month tomorrow with £135 which will be used while away, I don't plan to spend a lot more than that. We're leaving on Sunday and we don't really need to buy  anything else.

jokono

Hello from cloudy Derry Lanzarote! The island is packed with Irish pubs and the complex we're staying in seems to have predominantly Irish guests. Now I don't know which part of the Irish islands they are, but my only reference point is The Derry Girls, maybe one of the reasons I'm loving it so much 😃


We've been here for about 4 days and every day started cloudy and windy with the sun coming out around midday. At least it's not raining!

 Budget wise on track - started the week with €300 and spent just over 100 so far, I'd love to take some back home.

WinterWarrior

Ah, it sounds fun. My reference would be the Derry girls too. I went to Gran Canaria many years ago and the weather was the same. Cloudy, windy and a touch cold every morning and then glorious every afternoon. I’d only taken one jacket and one pair of jeans to travel in and ended up wearing them every morning 😬 You are doing well with the spends. Have a lovely holiday. 

EssexHebridean

Have a wonderful holiday - and for my money your decision on putting the extra cost of the flights that you were messed about with on the CC was the right one - family is important and it will be priceless for yours to spend time with your Gran. 

jokono

Back to regular life and back to work. 😏

I got back with about £50 which I sent to the summer flights CC.
I think I will pause payments to that one as I got approved for the Sainbobs BT card, but for only 14 months with 1% fee. AND they sent me documents in the post and I had to sign and send them back! Someone should tell them about secure electronic signatures, I can't remember the last time I had to post a contract of any kind.

I've claimed the cost of the first/cancelled flights via my bank as it's been two weeks and I haven't heard back from the company, hopefully that will be resolved soon. In the meantime I have to wait for Sainsbobs bank to receive my papers and only after that they will proceed with setting up the actual card. I will BT the cost for both flights and once the refund comes in on the CC I will transfer that to the loan. I've never had a positive balance on a CC but according to @MissRikkiC I should be able to transfer it to my current account. 🤞 The 1% fee should then be covered by the interest saved on the loan and I won't be stressed about not being able to pay the CC in full before the interest kicks in. The main issue being I don't know when the refund will be processed and there's no way I can cover both flights costs in time so better get rid of it while I can. I will also BT the remaining C4pit4l1 that ends in Nov, I don't think I'll get a better card by then.

An excellent news is that this morning I emailed Ald! about the charge penalty notice I got when staying too long in one of their stores car park and a few hours later the charge was cancelled! Well done Ald!! 💪

While on holiday I have also finished setting up the Chase account and used it today for the first time. Only four days this week for my weekly budget, whatever is left on Friday will go to the small CC that has been at £228 for a while but I'm back to attacking it.