Three years to get debt free

Willowtree222

Evening all, 

It feels so late but is only tea time!

Got lots happening at the minute. DD is currently fast asleep. She has fallen asleep every night this week straight from school. She will adapt to the routine again but it just takes time. 

Been decluttering a lot and will continue this. I struggle with just putting things in the bin so have found ways to ensure I declutter but in a way that means items get reused. 

The spare room is being re-purposed again. Changes in circumstances means it has to, but it will work out fine and DD is happy now she has her own plan for how she is going to use it.

Tonight I have just prepped salt and pepper chicken. DD loves this dish so just waiting for her to wake up and make it. 

I have been so cold today but put the fire on and managed to get DD's uniform washed and dried. Feels better when things are productive. I also got rid of a couple of frogs. I have some paperwork to complete tomorrow and then starting to move the current office round for its new purpose. I will hopefully have the time tomorrow to make progress with this.

Car had its service and MOT yesterday. I wasn't worried as two new tyres were fitted in December, but the back two came as an advisory. I have booked it in for Monday. I won't risk tyres, especially not in winter. It is more money I don't have, but the car gets DD and I to a lot of places and I would rather be skint and safe. I can always borrow from my savings if needed. 

Hoping for a lot of progress in January, but we will see how the weeks pan out. 
X

joedenise

Agree with you about tyres especially at this time of year.  Not worth the risk of not changing them.

Willowtree222

joedenise said:

Agree with you about tyres especially at this time of year.  Not worth the risk of not changing them.

I know. They said they would be fine for a few months, but I would rather they be their best during winter. 

Just with DD at one of her clubs, will drop her at her dad's and then get on with trying to organise the spare room. 

Willowtree222

Almost February. January always feels like such a long month.

Things have been okay. Feels strange not going to work everyday, but I have been applying and looking and hoping to secure something soon.

I have made a lot of cutbacks. DD still has all of her clubs. She hasn't noticed any difference and I will keep it that way for as long as I can.

Lots of decluttering happening and I have transformed the office into an office and bedroom now. I love it and I am spending a lot of time in there.

Hope everyone else is ok and has survived January.

Humdinger1

Congratulations @Willowtree222 . Achieving normality is a big when things are changing. Love Humdinger xx

Willowtree222

Hope everyone is enjoying February. Half term week here.

DD and I visited my parents in Wales and had a few days away. It is always nice to be able to get away from everything. We came home today and we are relaxing now. It is like home from home when we go and we both have our own bedroom there. Lots were open for the half term week. Normally it is closed up for the winter season.

Work is slow growing. It is growing though and that is all I can ask for at the minute. I am hopeful that by April, I will have managed to grow my income enough to pay all bills. Currently, my savings are making up the deficit.

I managed to pay off two debts prior to finishing work that cut down my bills by £210 a month. I plan on overpaying again when I am in a financially stronger position.

I also passed my uni progression. It means I can finish my doctorate now. That was a huge weight off my mind.

Decluttering has slowed slightly, but will pick up again soon.

I fixed the leak in the shed as well.

Hope everyone is ok.x

Willowtree222

Spring is absolutely in the air here.

I have been busy doing some spring jobs. The usual things that you can't do in winter. Grass seed has just gone down and I have started spring cleaning.

I am not sure about anyone else, but I always have a sense of satisfaction if I can get to this time of year and still be in credit with my gas and electricity. I am, by £25, but I will take 1p credit. Then I spend the next 6 months building it up again!

I have been lucky to be able to pay off some more of my debts. Wages aren't where I need just yet, but they will be hopefully in April. The intent is in the pipeline, just need it to come in now. I have done all of my bit.

Hope everyone is ok.

X

Willowtree222

I just want to warn everyone of a scam that happened to me this week. I am very cautious and usually really switched on so the fact it almost got me, is unusual and shows the new sophistication.

I got a call from my apparent bank to say that someone had tried to use my card at argos for £329 and it had been declined. They gave me the last 4 digits of my card number and even had my banks spiel down perfectly (having had to replace my card a few weeks ago). Everything they said was everything I was asked when I had legitimately phoned the bank.

They told me I would get a text from my bank to tell me about this and to prevent it in future, they could set up a text message service to alert me to high transaction purchases. I agreed this would be a good idea and they said I would get a separate text that I just needed to reply Y back to to confirm that I wanted to set it up for my transactions. I hadn't seen the text at that point and assumed it was a confirm text.

He kept asking me did I have the texts and when I did I told him I did and this is the scary part. Those texts were legitimate texts from my bank sent from them at the time he said they would be. My bank have confirmed they are legitimate. He knew when he tried to submit the transaction how long my bank would take to message me legitimately and as it was part of my bank text thread, I had no reason to doubt them.

Thankfully, when I read the messages they told me they would never phone me to say what answer to give and the second text that he wanted me to reply Y to was to authorise the transaction he was trying to make. If I would have replied Y back to my bank, I would have lost that money. At this point I told him I wouldn't reply Y because that was authorising that transaction and he continued to try and get me to do it saying it was just setting up this new system. I refused and told him I was hanging up and ringing my bank through my app. He got aggressive with me at that point. I told him if he did work for the bank, he would be happy for me to do this and hung up. He tried several times to phone me again.

He asked me for no personal details, gave me personal details and used the banks anti fraud legitimate system to support his call.

I would advise anyone if they get any calls like this to advise the caller you are going to hang up and phone the bank via the number on their card or through their app.

Sun_Addict

Gosh that’s so scary how these scams seem to be getting more plausible. Thank goodness you thwarted it. Thank you for highlighting this for awareness.

Willowtree222

He even had the cheek, when I told him that I was very careful, to tell me that it wasn't my fault and scammers are using new sophisticated techniques.

I bet he was laughing to himself at that point thinking he had me hooked and would get his argos item.