Please help, I'm a Newbee and pulling my hair out!

chevalier

Here are some websites, on which you can earn a bit of money or points to put towards vouchers. Sorry if it is a bit long!

chev


www.lightspeedpanel.com - this is a survey site, where you get points that turn into vouchers (you choose). May not help with the cash flow, but the vouchers could be saved towards birthday/xmas or given as presents.

www.ciao.co.uk - survey site that gives money. A bit fits and starts i.e. no surveys for a couple of weeks, then three or four the same day.

www.yougov.com - again paid surveys. However takes a while to get to the minimum payout level

www.mytns.com - again this is a survey site, but it pays you in points that convert into Nectar points at Sainsbury’s.

www.pigsback.co.uk - this is a points site, i.e. they give you points for buying things via their site. BUT you also get points for signing up for news letters (some of which are even interesting!), and also for clicking on adverts with pink borders. I have spent NOTHING with them but got £40 vouchers through (been registered since January). There is also a thread in the freebies section, of https://www.moneysavingexpert.com that gives you all the daily answers to the competitions so you can have a better chance of winning on them. I won £20 of points recently on the daily quizzes so a nice boost to the Christmas fund.

www.mutualpoints.com - another points for clicks site. You can also buy things via their site and get points too. For a long time, I just clicked the links in the emails they send you, and that gets you 5 points. At 3000 points you get £20 I think. You can do searches via their site and that gets you points too.

www.quidco.com - this is a cash back site, so very good, for checking if any potential new insurers (i.e. if you have checked your contents insurance say and found a new provider), are offering cash back. E.g. Lloyds was offering £120 cash back on new policies at one point (the offers do change). You can also get small amounts of cash again for doing searches via their site. You can earn 52p a day by doing this. Every little helps.

www.greasypalm.co.uk - another cash back site, where you can do searches and get small amounts of money. But it all adds up. I think you can get about 50p a day on there for nothing. Minimum payout is £20 I think, but you can sign up to survey sites via there, and get extra money that way for nothing.

www.topcashback.co.uk - another site where you can do daily clicks to get money for nowt.

www.britishrewards.co.uk - same as topcashback, daily clicks to do searches for pennies a time.

MissEyre

Hi Becky, welcome!

You've already had some good advice-the Old Style boards are great, and I would recommend joining something like the Grocery Challenge there, to keeo your spending on track.

About your student loan-I don't actually count mine as debt, as the money goes before my salary hits my account, the interest rate is negligible and it is right at the bottom of any list as a priority for overpayments.

You are on a good salary, but it would def be worth looking at a shared house when your lease is up, as it will free up so much money to pay off your debts as fast as possible.

Incidentally, lots of people here have told their family about their debts, and found it a huge relief-I preferred not to, as I thought it was me that spent the money, so it is up to me to pay it back as soon as possible.

We are about the same age and on similar salaries-you can sort this out, just stick with these lovely people!

Beckyneedstosavecash

MissEyre wrote: »

Hi Becky, welcome!

Incidentally, lots of people here have told their family about their debts, and found it a huge relief-I preferred not to, as I thought it was me that spent the money, so it is up to me to pay it back as soon as possible.

We are about the same age and on similar salaries-you can sort this out, just stick with these lovely people!

Thanks Miss Eyre, I just don't feel I can tell my parents at the moment but having thought about it even more this morning I think I may speak to my sister when I next see her I know she had a lot of money problems after uni.

Beckyneedstosavecash

Thank you so much Chev, I'm going to do some clicking!

Becky

Gemmzie

Hi Becky, you've had some great advice already, useful this lot aren't they And any money you make with clicks etc. count it to the Olympic Challenge - it's amazing how it all adds up!
From your current SOA you have £400 to pay towards your debts.

Beckyneedstosavecash wrote: »

Debts:
Student Loan - £5622 Approx, I haven’t received a statement recently but know it was £6000 in April. I have since paid £594 through SAYE and the apr is 4.8% (approx £25 per month), leaving the above approximate amount. As MissEyre said, forget this, pay the minimum that goes out from your wages and don't worry about it for now
Credit Card - £1500.33 14.88% apr Overpay this one first if you can't move it.
Nationwide OD1 - £1460 (limit £1500) 9.9% EAR
Nationwide OD2 – £500 (limit £600) 9.9% EAR
Nationwide 3 - £0 Currently at £0 but due to expense of Xmas I will have to use this this month. (Limit £1700) 9.9% EAR What's the limit on this? Could you move the 14.88% card to it?
HSBC Grad OD - £399.33 (limit £1500) £500 of which 0% (until July 2008, then jumps to 14.8%) £1000 of which already 14.8% Is this meant to be £1399.33? It's a bit confusing
Car Loan - £6800 0% apr
Debt to family - £6000 0% apr

Total: £22281.66 :eek:

It's very do-able, and before 2014 for sure

christabell

Hello and a very big WELCOME. :A

Although my situation is different to yours ( I am on DWP Benefits due to long term ill health) I had credit card debt :eek:and through this website I not only paid off my debts, but through time now have a saving plan!!!:j

My words of wisdom to you are CONGRATULATIONS for looking at the problem, and setting goals to get rid of it. I really really wish I had taken a positive step toward my finances many years ago:o, however I did not, but when there was enough pain,I took my head out of the sand, I caught myself on worked out a budget and STUCK TO IT .

There are plenty of offers of advice here, and we are all pulling for you. Congratulate yourself, and Welcome Aboard.

Beckyneedstosavecash

Oh my god you guys, this is so nice to have people be so supportive, I think this could become quite fun, a personal challenge or something like that!!

Gemmzie - thank you for your post, re: the points below:
Nationwide 3 - £0 Currently at £0 but due to expense of Xmas I will have to use this this month. (Limit £1700) 9.9% EAR What's the limit on this? Could you move the 14.88% card to it? That's a really good idea, the only thing I worry about is, as this is my everyday account, will I just not continue to go to the credit limit and not use the £25 a month to pay it off? Will power I guess!
HSBC Grad OD - £399.33 (limit £1500) £500 of which 0% (until July 2008, then jumps to 14.8%) £1000 of which already 14.8% Is this meant to be £1399.33? It's a bit confusing Sorry, yes reading this back it is a bit confusing. Basically when I guaduated I had a £1500 interest free overdraft for a year following my degree, it then remained at a £1500 limit but the interest free went down to £1000 in the following year and now is £500 interest free in the third year (but still with £1500 limit charged at 14.8%), so I have managed to reduce this overdraft to £399.33 at the moment and therefore not getting charged any interest on it :rotfl: but I have to contribute something to it every month (hence the £20).

Beckyneedstosavecash

Today I have:

• Cancelled my gym membership - but arranged to go out running with a friend 3 times a week starting next week (social, keeping fit and saving money!)
• Reduced my mobile phone tariff from £35 a month to £25 a month
• Ordered a hippo water saving device
• Put a reminder in my phone to call the water company tomorrow (they were shut today) to move from set charge to water meter
• Joined the grocery challenge for January
• Sold my first item on Amazon! :T
• Done some piggy clicking
• Went to the supermarket with a fixed list and cash (not card in sight)

In_Search_Of_Me

Well done you - cracking start! The main thing is a shift in brain activity - instead of getting excited about shopping (still not managed this!) get excited about a bargain (do manage this!!)! Takes a while but the balance will shift!

Beckyneedstosavecash

I think it may take me a while to get used to not getting excited about shopping but I am determined!