Becky's 2008 DFW diary

Lemon_Tree

from what i've read if you have credit available, even if you don't use it it makes other companies more reluctant to lend to you.
I've come to the conclusion it's best to get rid of things entirely that way there's never the temptation again. We all know the number of the company if we decide it's any 'emergency' and suddenly we've 'lost' our cards. That's probably just me though !?!?!?!?!?

Beckyneedstosavecash

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

from what i've read if you have credit available, even if you don't use it it makes other companies more reluctant to lend to you.
I've come to the conclusion it's best to get rid of things entirely that way there's never the temptation again. We all know the number of the company if we decide it's any 'emergency' and suddenly we've 'lost' our cards. That's probably just me though !?!?!?!?!?

That might explain something then - I was going through my paper work today and found a Post Office credit card I had AGES ago which I thought I'd shut - I called them and apparently it's still open with no balance on it! I have cut the card up and have written them a letter to close the account so no temptation there! Maybe having that card and another with no balance on it is why I have been refused credit?! Or maybe not....who knows but all I can do now is try and make it better!
Yep, i have been known to 'lose' my card before :rotfl:

Thanks!

Beckyneedstosavecash

Hey everyone - had some exciting news earlier - one of my best friends got engaged last night!! :happylove I am sooo excited!
No definite plans on dates etc yet and she's off on travels with work tomorrow so won't have any decisions until she's back but I may try and incorporate her wedding into my debt free challenge!! Maybe try and aim to be debt free by the time she gets married or something - I'll have to see what happens and when she's thinking of.
Anyway, spent a bit today - £3.75 on a lovely card and postage for my girl an her future husband(!) and booked some train tickets to go and see my sister in February on Trainline.com £17.80 - booked these through Money Making Madness so should get a bit of cashback on them - they were the Value Advance C tickets as well so the cheapest I could get (been watching the site for a while to see when the cheap ones were released and then pounced!!

The rest of todays update:

• Listed another 7 items on Amazon
• Out of the 9 items listed on ebay:
  • One has 1 bid and 0 watchers
  • One has 1 bid and 1 watchers
  • One has 1 bid and 2 watchers
  • One has 0 bid and 1 watcher
  • One has 0 bid and 3 watchers
  • One has 0 bid and 10 watchers(!)
  • three have 0 bids and 0 watchers
• Have a friend around for dinner tonight so won't be spending any money as bought all the ingredients yesterday.
• Still to do today:
  • Daily clicks
  • Cook dinner!

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend xx

Lemon_Tree

glad you're excited about your friends news, you can add to the challenge to get them a pressy in the most MSE way.

I spent some money today - got some christmas pressies in a half price closing down sale, but also got some pressies for those that are helping us out at the wedding. Even though it's money on very apt gifts (there has been lots of thought gone into them to reflect their characters etc) it's a drop in the ocean compared to what i'd have to pay someone to do the jobs so it's a money saving way in my mind. (ok i can't justify most things).
Enjoy your evening in and meal.

Beckyneedstosavecash

Hey everyone,

Another entry into the debt free diary of Becky!

Not much to report today, been a fairly quiet day which is good as I spent no money other than an automatic top up on my Oystercard as I fell below the £5 threshold when I was in London last week so its been topped up by £20.

I found a site on pigsback last night for recycling old mobile phone handsets for cash, I had two lurking in the back of my cupboard so am hoping to get a bit of cashback for them next week.

I am also toying with the idea of getting rid of my car, nothing definite yet as, although I live walking distance from work, I need it for travel as I'm often out and about at meetings etc so it needs to be reliable. I looked into the value of my car (Approx. £7300) and how much I have to pay on the loan and can see I could make about £500 by getting rid of it (as my current car payment is £6800) so could use that additional money to pay off some other debt. I would then maybe by a slightly older car, maybe a 53 or 04 reg Polo for about £5k and reduce my car loan amount.Not sure yet, I need to do the math and make sure its really worth it. Has anyone ever bough a car off ebay? (or know someone who has?) what was your / their experience?

Entered Piggyback comptitions today and made lunch from the store cupboard so no spend there.

I have decided I would really really like to move up to London but I'm not prepared to do so until I'm in a better financial situation - By moving up there I would get rid of my car altogether (whatever it is!) so would be rid of my car loan. My debt to family I have made an agreement with my dad of £50 a month until it is clear or until I want to throw more at it, no pressure to get rid of it at all so I could move to London with this. However, I am not prepared to move with my CC or ODs so I am making it my mission to get rid of these with the move as my motivation....now to work out how to achieve this target!!

Becky

Beckyneedstosavecash

Lemon_Tree wrote: »

got some pressies for those that are helping us out at the wedding. Even though it's money on very apt gifts (there has been lots of thought gone into them to reflect their characters etc) it's a drop in the ocean compared to what i'd have to pay someone to do the jobs so it's a money saving way in my mind. (ok i can't justify most things).
Enjoy your evening in and meal.

Definitely a good idea to get friends and family to help with these things - one of the girls in my village got married recently and got help from friends of friends etc, saved her a fortune!! and then you can get away with buying them some nice gifts to say thank you

MoneyGypsy

Hi Becky,

glad it is all going well.

You could just sell your car and get a cheaper one if it is worth over £7000 on resale, defo. How about something for about £2,500 rather than £5,000. Paid that in cash for mine 3 1/2 years ago and it is still going.

Lol.

Beckyneedstosavecash

Had a pretty good day today, only spent 70p and that was on postage for my Amazon sale so, as long as I don't sneak out to Tesco this evening I should have a nice and cheap day!!
Have got some Lasagna left over from the weekend for dinner tonight (no more money on food this week = £5.17 for the whole week!!), I'll make that up with a nice salad or something and then settle down with the new study books - starting studying towards my second financial planning exam (slightly ironic really?!?!), don't like studying whilst working full time though, it's so tiring!

Well, my friend emailed late last night to say she was having engagement celebration drinks in London on 19th so had to buy some train tickets for that late last night which unfortunately took my £20 Oyster top up day yesterday up to £34.20 instead, however I book them through Pigsback on South West trains and got 700 piggy points, so nearly 1/2 my money back when I trade them in, brilliant! Also, I'm having a no drinking January so the night shouldn't be TOO expensive given I won't be drinking v expensive London alcoholic drinks.

Sold one of my ebay items, didn't go for much but it all helps.
Got a few more finishing tomorrow which, so far have made £25.20 before postage, then another finishing later in the week with a bid on and some further finishing later in the week with no bids on yet but will hopefully as time goes on - fingers crossed.

Have also started to look at some cars, I have decided that is the way forward now to get rid of a chunk of debt - thinking either a Polo or a Fiesta, going to keep investigating!

How has everyone else got on today?

Becky xxxx

MoneyGypsy

Hi,

glad you are well. Financial planning? I thought you were doing history but must be mixing you up with someone else.

I spent the day in my new 'office' - i.e. my bedroom. Got new duvet cover and since then I actually can't leave - just bring in my papers and laptop! The irony is I have a real office at work and a study here. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Beckyneedstosavecash

MoneyGypsy wrote: »

I spent the day in my new 'office' - i.e. my bedroom. Got new duvet cover and since then I actually can't leave - just bring in my papers and laptop! The irony is I have a real office at work and a study here. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

That sounds good - working whilst sitting in bed, think I could get use to that, instead I'm in an office all day! Moving to nice new building on Friday though, quite exciting but also a little strange as in small offices at the moment and going into open plan - should be interesting!!

What do you do?