Teetering on the brink

mumtoomany

Hello, @EatingBeans. I have read your whole diary, you are doing great. Well done.

You mentioned playing games on your phone. I have been playing on free cash and also rewarded play for a few months. So far I've made around 260 US dollars, not sure how much that is in pounds, from the former and £75 in Tesco vouchers from the later and should have another £25 in the next week or so. Might be worth you having a look at them. Both are legitimate sites and easy to use, even for a technophobic 64 year old. 

Hope this helps you get a few more £5 to cross off, hugs, mumtoomany.xx

EatingBeans

Woke up this morning to the magnificent sight of an increased credit limit on MBNA! 🥳 Would I like to do a 0% balance transfer it asks? Er, funnily enough, yes I would! 🎉😁😍

I take back everything I said about responsible lending! 🤣 MBNA are clearly psychic and know that I am turning it all around and life is all peachy. I can totally afford the extra debt. 😬😅 OK, well we all know that’s not true if all my credit cards get maxed out and all revert to standard rates, but I don’t care, I am still just really grateful that they have given me that very much needed space. Now all I need is for Barclaycard to join the party and I can credit card shuffle my way out of the impending doom of interest charges getting closer by the day.  

So, plan is:
1, BT £1490 from Barclaycard to MBNA
2, Dedication for the rest of the month on trying to get the overdraft down as far as possible (and then splitting the remaining balance over next 12months)
3, Next month switch to eagerly paying down Barclaycard
4, Closing my eyes tight and hopefully wishing it is enough for Barclaycard to see sense! 

In the meantime, I am going to continue with the surveys (completed another one already today), reducing the food bill using Olio and TooGoodToGo (makes the meal planning more of a challenge but I basically halved my food shopping bill last week so the hassle is totally worth it imo), and last but not least, Ebaying! I might even have a go at Vinted for some of the used clothes. Oh, and to mix it up I will probably still play the odd game and enter a few competitions (I’m looking at you Coca-Cola!), and go through TopCashBack to purchase things/buy gift cards. 

I feel like I’m in a bit more control again now. Phew.

Now is ‘just’ patience and consistency. And staying strong in the battle against takeaways! 🤣

ellen_vannin

Yeah good news.
Sound plan you have.
Yes meal planning might be a challenge, but well worth while!
Maybe look on the good2go bags as the treats.

dawnybabes

Can you think of the good2go bags as your takeaway treat ?? 

EatingBeans

I’m not sure I could have looked at my last TooGoodToGo bag as a treat - 3 loaves of bread just doesn’t cut it for me🤣 - but maybe if I get on from Greggs I might feel differently? Something to try. 

What I cannot figure out is how anyone makes any money from Vinted? I’ve just listed two things and both had suggested values that were ridiculously low imo. One was a winter coat, pretty much as new condition, it suggested £3! More like £15+ in my head. The other was a school blazer, brand new still with tags, again it suggested £4! Nope, even £20 is still an absolute bargain. Maybe I need to have a rethink and only list genuinely low value items on Vinted and put anything that I think should go for more than £5 somewhere else? Despite my strong aversion to it, I may even venture onto FB Marketplace with the local school stuff. I shudder at the thought!

lashie

Delurking to say Vinted always suggest stupidly low prices, I completely ignore them and list at what I want for them - 99.9% of the time someone pays the asking price.  You can list it high and always lower it after a few days if you don’t get any interest. I list mostly mid range stuff, I have never sold anything for less than £15 despite what Vinted say! Hope this helps, 
you are doing amazingly, keep at it. 

MFWannabe

lashie said:

Delurking to say Vinted always suggest stupidly low prices, I completely ignore them and list at what I want for them - 99.9% of the time someone pays the asking price.  You can list it high and always lower it after a few days if you don’t get any interest. I list mostly mid range stuff, I have never sold anything for less than £15 despite what Vinted say! Hope this helps, 
you are doing amazingly, keep at it. 

This 👆
Sometimes you’ll get silly offers from people; just decline them 

EatingBeans

Thanks @lashie you have given me hope! I thought I would end up instantly priced out of any sales but now I know that there are people on there selling at more usual prices I will stick with it. 👍

DrunklMunkee

Awwww @EatingBeans,

I am absolutely delighted for ya 🎉🎉🎉

I'm soooo excited, I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control (sorry about that) and I think I like it. WOOHOO.
I bet you have been walking on air all day.

Loving your plan of action - sounds like the breathing space has really cleared some of the debt-fog for ya 😁

The only one thing I would say - is keep an eye on that Fluid account. At just 6 months on 0% - it probably reverts to interest bearing around the same time as the next wedge of Barclaycard. However, knowing Fluid - it will be at a much higher APR - so just something to bear in mind when committing your over-payments.

Other than that - I hope you get a chance for a small 'budget-friendly' celebration with the girls tonight.....did anyone mention blueberries?🤣 It'll be good to relax that little bit more over a nice weekend.

Yay BEANS.

Andyjflet

I list for what I want on Vinted, sometimes I get it too, but if you have no interest then reduce the price gradually. I bought a coat for £40 and sold it for £90 after a few weeks!