Becoming debt free within 18 months

Getridofdebt66

Hello,

Just an intro into me, i have tried many times but something happens as i give up. This time however i am not stopping. If i create a diary i will have to answer to myself.

I am mid 30s with a partner who is studying and working part time and i work full time and study. We have a dd who is 10. 

I am going to try and give myself smaller aims so that i dont feel overwhelmed and then stop.

Initially i want to contact all my creditors as i have found 2 on my credit file i forgot about. And set up minimal payments. 
I want to work out a budget and stick to it mainly for food. We spend so much on food, takeaways etc.
I also want to aim for 4 nsd a week. This week i have plenty in but need some bits. I am going to do a click and collect tonight for the minimal amount + £1 so i am hoping to get everything for £26, i need some bread, fruit, some potatoes and other bits but not much. I will try and get as much as i can and also use the cashback apps as i am only 50p away from being able to withdraw. I will pay this off my credit card.

Later or tomorrow i will try and write down each debt on here so i can see it all in one place i will look each day.

Getridofdebt66

So far so good today. I did my online shop, spent £33 but had to get some extra bits as dd is on a trip tomorrow and will be there longer.
Todays plan:
Set up dd for rent account.
Collect food shopping.
Do some work online for my course.
Nsd no 1 for the week hopefully.
Look to list some old furniture weve replaced recently, should hopefully get around £50 if not more. Will put that in a pot towards summer days out.
Write letter to all creditors and write down all my debts so i can see it in one place to keep me going.
All meals from stores.

Thats me done, going to keep plugging away each day 😀

Getridofdebt66

Today hasn't been a nsd but a lsd. I spend £1 on a raffle ticket for a local charity. £3.50 for after school club (childcare due to work) and £4.80 for dinners but i think this may have been a mistake as dd took sandwiches but it will be used at some point.

I have written down my debts for the first time in my life. I dont think 18 months is doable on my wages but i am going to try and cut down and get as much paid off as possible.

Natwest overdraft £2000
Zopa £128
Safety net £400
Capital One £184
Capital One £276
Aqua £1480
Loan £1690
Lowell £255
Lantern £685
Natwest loan £6000
Eon £1276
Total £14375

Egh it has made me feel sick with the amounts all written down with a total. I would like to say i don't know how i got here but i do know and i only have myself to blame. This is more than i earn in a year! If i could do it in 3 years i would be happy but the main start is not getting it any worse and getting on top of the debts then to start overpaying where i can. I am going to snowball and start with the smallest first to get some momentum.

This month is no council tax so i plan on paying off zopa and throw anything else to capital one. By the end of april i am hoping for zopa and a capital one card gone and gone forever.

Tomorrow i will need petrol for work i will put in £30 to last the month then i should be fine until payday.

On my lunch my new plan is to do at least 10 mins of surveys each day. 

Amber1980

Hi,well done for writing it down and seeing it for the first time and starting to work out a plan!
Good luck and I’m sure people will be along with some advice!😊😊

CMD79

Getridofdebt66 said:

Today hasn't been a nsd but a lsd. I spend £1 on a raffle ticket for a local charity. £3.50 for after school club (childcare due to work) and £4.80 for dinners but i think this may have been a mistake as dd took sandwiches but it will be used at some point.

I have written down my debts for the first time in my life. I dont think 18 months is doable on my wages but i am going to try and cut down and get as much paid off as possible.

Natwest overdraft £2000
Zopa £128
Safety net £400
Capital One £184
Capital One £276
Aqua £1480
Loan £1690
Lowell £255
Lantern £685
Natwest loan £6000
Eon £1276
Total £14375

Egh it has made me feel sick with the amounts all written down with a total. I would like to say i don't know how i got here but i do know and i only have myself to blame. This is more than i earn in a year! If i could do it in 3 years i would be happy but the main start is not getting it any worse and getting on top of the debts then to start overpaying where i can. I am going to snowball and start with the smallest first to get some momentum.

This month is no council tax so i plan on paying off zopa and throw anything else to capital one. By the end of april i am hoping for zopa and a capital one card gone and gone forever.

Tomorrow i will need petrol for work i will put in £30 to last the month then i should be fine until payday.

On my lunch my new plan is to do at least 10 mins of surveys each day. 

Hi, this is a great start and really important first steps to the road to freedom!! I am in a similar position. I just wrote it down, hated myself for a bit, now I'm starting to feel good because I'm doing something. And that is the important part - You've now started doing something! I'm paying mine by highest interest first because I have fewer on my list, but higher amounts. I think I'd be doing the same in your situation, because you've got some 'piddly' little annoying ones, and that would definitely help the see the length of that list suddenly so much smaller and less intimidating.

I have found Making a Payment a Day really motivating for me. I've got a 49.9% interest rate with Very, so every day, I'm calling them names, putting my fingers up and furiously banging the Make a Payment button on their App. I've had a contstant £1000 - £1500 (£1900 just a few weeks ago where they added their BNPL interest!) with them for the last 12, maybe 14 years. They've earned 1000s upon 1000s from me in interest alone.

I've been paying extra by having NSDs, Tillying my odd pennies and surveys and mystery shopping, every day they are going to get my fury, even if it's only a furious £2! I have set myself the task to pay off that one debt completely within 100 days. I made a quick dent with a tax rebate, and now have been managing between about £10 and £20 a day in extra earnings each day. (I have 91 days lefts and need to average £15.01, so it won't be easy, but if try hard, and it's 2/3 paid in 100 days, then I'll still be really happy and very much better off).

Good luck on the journey! I hope you find the support as valuable as I have, and remember you're not alone.

xxxx

Getridofdebt66

Hello,

Thank you both for your kind words of encouragement.

@CMD79 thank you, i would like to try a payment a day but things are a bit hard until i get paid. I was recently ill with covid, did everything but the council have refused my £500 payment so next month will be very tight, i will be approx £630 down but as soon as April come around i want to start focusing on things like this.

I think if i start on the smaller ones i will get my list down quickly of the actual quanof creditors then i can throw yhose payments towards the bigger debts one by one. I am already planning it out in my head. 

Today has not been great for me personally. Work issues i may start looking for a new job but i am poorly paid so if i do will hopefully be more money in the pot, its a shame as i really love my job its just the people and the money. I had a banging headache on the way home so didnt get petrol but will need to in the morning, also couldn't face eating so no tea for me just oh and dd. I am going to have a nice bath then sit down tonight and start looking for some jobs.
Have done some surveys but all had been a bust and not eligible for most.

Tomorrow's plans
Go to work...the way i am feeling it will be a hard one.
Get petrol
All food from stores.
Work out finances after lack of money this month due to covid.(I hate the councils even tho i did everything asked but no appeals allowed) 
Do some studying at home on the evening.

Thats all really nothing spectacular but for a Thursday not really bad.

Getridofdebt66

Been trying but failing in the background.
This weekend is payday weekend. We have plenty of meat in the freezer, dd is unwell so will be staying in this weekend whilst she is recovering, i will make the most of it, my plans are:

Click and collect shop £60 today for collection hopefully tomorrow  extra money is to stock up on cleaning products. My new budget is £50 a week and £10 for any extras in the week. I am transferring the shopping and petrol money over and not touching anything else in my bills account.
I have some birthdays in April, going to look through cards this weekend as i think i may only need 2 (put of 8 peoples birthdays)
Do studying at home.
Catch up.on some DIY, we already have the stuff.
Film evening tomorrow, will make cakes and buy popcorn. Already have the cake stuff in.
Beyond shopping i dont plan on buying anything this weekend.
Make a meal plan for the week (before i do the food shop) 
I have set up.payment plans with most of my debters only a couple more left, will try and sort out this weekend as i cant find the account numbers and the  calls wont let me go any further. ☆ DONE
Apply for some new jobs, one needs to be posted so i have some stamps will send that off tomorrow.
Clean the inside of my car, its bad it wont take long, keep my occupied and best of all doesnt cost anything! ☆ DONE
Collect a parcel, its 2 baby gifts in the sale £19 for the 2, i am trying to keep a £10 limit on gifts. Normally i wouldn't buy these anything but its their first babies and both have not had it the easiest!☆ DONE
If i keep myself occupied i wont spend anything its when i am bored i start looking online! 

SaverRate

Can you do an SOA we can then advise if you can save more towards paying your debts? 

Getridofdebt66

Thank you @SaverRate i will try and complete a soa next week, my main aim atm is to not go into debt and counting what i am spending rather than a free for all.

Done some jobs so far. Used a voucher on here for £15 off a £40 shop with Bother, i hsve stocked up on cleaning supplies and also sent a referral to my sister shes doing the same. Then i did my big shop came in at £78 which is obviously more than i intended but used a cashback app once its here i will claim £9.50 back and brought double the dog food so wont need any next week, it will all be coming from thesame account so taking both into account i am at my budget for this week but next week it will be down to £50 due to the dog food.
Right going to make some dinner, have a bath and settle down for the evening.
I have not spent anything today and it has been tough but i am trying to remain focused on the end goal!

Getridofdebt66

Spent £11 yesterday with a survey voucher (oh said he will pay me back) so some more decorating supplies brought for nothing cash wise once oh gives me the money bk.
Went for a walk yesterday nice 3 mile walk done.

Today i have been to work, looked for jobs (nothing new in my area) oh put my shopping of cleaning products away (a bit gutted i wanted to do it....nevermind) meals from stores and done homework with dd. Not spent a penny. Set up a creditor (was waiting for an email with the details) i am going to try and do that shortly.

Tomorrow's plans:
Work, will prepare uniforms and sandwiches this evening.
Need teabags, will take some from home as have plenty in and saves buying any.
Dd has a club so quick tea from stores, will take drinks with me.
Do a load of washing as my trainers need a wash. 
Have an early night (i seem to be going to bed later and later recently) will do the same tonight.
Need to sort clothes out and tidy bedroom.
Nsd tomorrow.

I am going to do my nsds from a Monday. I f I start counting them it may help with momentum.

Today=NSD 1

Getridofdebt66

Also forgot i need to print a job application and post it off tomorrow and also claim cashback from shopping yesterday the receipt did not print out correctly, need to redo this tonight