Oh look, another new start!

OhLookAnotherNewStart

I really need to get serious about my debt. I'm an adult, time to be an adult. 

I'm 35, married, 1 child (with my ex so share 50/50 custody), 1 dog, 1 cat. I also have a partner in Ireland (polyamory is a thing, let's not make a big deal out of it) so I do have to encompass some travel in my plans. I don't have to, I suppose, but I very much want to. 

I decided at the start of the month this is the time to get sensible, so I have a spreadsheet. I also have some plans to up my income. But here's the details to begin with. 

Debts

Car Finance - 17.8% - £6,580.50 outstanding (£189.75/month)
Loan - 21.9% - £12,726.99 outstanding (£240.20/month)
Monzo CC - 29% - £3,326.93 outstanding (£253.07/month)
Vanquis CC - 30.45% - £1,683.90 outstanding (£55.98/month)
MBNA CC - 26.28% - £430.77 outstanding (£25/month)
Very - 54.9% - £489.73 outstanding (£24.95/month)

The outstanding figures include the total interest, which would be reduced if I paid early, obviously. 
The monthly figures for the credit cards were this months' minimum payment. 

As you can probably tell by the APRs, my credit isn't great. I've been in this mess before. You think I'd learn? 

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The plan. 
I have a good income, thankfully. I just have terrible spending habits. Everything can, and does, get paid on time and I plan to keep it that way. 

I have a spreadsheet (I'm proud of it, that's why this is the second time I've mentioned it) and I'm taking my disposable income, splitting it into weeks and then moving that week's allowance into a separate bank account.

We're on week 2 of the month now so yesterday I took the balance in my main account, took off any debt payments left to be paid, and split that into 4 (the number of weeks left). This gave me my maximum 'allowance' money. About £150 I think off hand. I transferred £100 into my spending account. This is to encompass lunches, take aways, any frivolous spending. 

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The loan. 
I'm also very lucky in that my boss has offered me a low interest loan. Not for the full amount, but it'll cover everything except the loan and car finance, at 5% and this will massively reduce my monthly payment. I don't know exact numbers yet, but I'll update with them. 

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I also have a call after 1ish today to talk about doing some freelance work which I have a plan for. 

Firstly - pay off a car bill I'm about to get of around £1k
Secondly - pay off a dentist bill I'm about to get of around £1k
Thirdly - book some summer activities for the fam
Fourthly (horrible word) - 50% of all income is to go to the updraft loan, 50% to my husband to pay off whatever he has going on. 

Phew, that's a lot.

OhLookAnotherNewStart

First piece of good news - the car bill is either £450 or £550 and will be ready on Monday. I've been without it and car sharing with my husband for around a month now. He'll be very glad to get rid of me! 

Still waiting for the call about the freelance work but the poor woman did sound very stressed (hence needing a freelancer!) so I'll let her get back to me. She does sound keen, though. 

In the meantime I've signed up for as many survey/testing websites as I can find. Haven't made a lot of money but made a bit.
I've around $120 on DataAnnotation but they've now stopped giving me tasks (I think because I logged in from Dublin, which is a bit annoying)
I've around £100 withdrawable in Quidco and £27 in TopCashBack but I'm hoping to save them towards Christmas. I might change my plan, though, as we go along.

Spending today

£55 to the carpet cleaner (entirely worthwhile, would pay again)
£2.95 in Tesco (breakfast)
£9.19 in One-o-One (juice & snacks for the office)

OhLookAnotherNewStart

Bit of a setback already, and entirely my own fault. I didn't book my Dublin hotel yesterday and it's jumped from £370 to £475. Rather than try to style it out (or stick it on a credit card) like I normally would I'm going to consciously make up the funds. 

£94 from data annotation 
£98 from quidco
£10.50 from a printing job 

TOTAL £202.50

Still a good bit to make up before Wednesday but I'm working on it! I've got some stuff to list on Vinted and should make maybe £30-£40 at the football tomorrow so that'll go towards it. 

thepurplepixie

Hi thought I'd come and see your diary.  Great getting that loan from your boss, 5% is a big help.

Ouch at the hotel that must have stung but at least good news on the car to sort of balance things out.

I do prolific surveys, top cash back and jam donut and it all adds up.

Good luck, we've made a start which is the main thing.

OhLookAnotherNewStart

Thanks @thepurplepixie!

The loan will be really helpful, and I'm trying not to push too hard but I just want it sorted now! It's a very relaxed relationship I have with my boss so I sent him a loan agreement on Friday, he sent me one back today with amendments and I said yeah sure thing so hopefully I'll get it this week. 

Otherwise my unplanned spending this weekend was £55.64 in Tesco for essentials and snacks/packed lunch for my daughter's school trip to London tomorrow. I also spent £2 for my daughter's ticket for the Celtic Women's game yesterday (I got mine free, which was nice) and spent £12 when we were there but I had that in cash so I'm not counting that. 

The freelance job opportunity didn't get back to me on Friday as she said she would, I'll maybe drop her a message tonight saying I hope she enjoyed her bank holiday and if she wants to catch up tomorrow then I'm free. 

OhLookAnotherNewStart

So good news, I got a call today about the freelance stuff and I'm going to meet her tonight. Sounds like we'll get on well so there should be a good amount of work coming my way through that. 

I'm off to Dublin tomorrow night so trying to tie a few loose ends up at work today as well but I was up at 5am to drop my daughter for her school trip so I could really do with a nap!

OhLookAnotherNewStart

For all my grand plans and good ideas, my bank account was hacked and I'm out £4.5k. So that's FUN. 

I'm not abandoning this project, just a bit in the weeds!

dawnybabes

Oh no, surely the bank will give it back ?

OhLookAnotherNewStart

I'm hoping so! 
I'm going through their complaints procedure now so keeping everything crossed. I probably sound quite flippant about it but it's more that if I stress, I'll just spiral so I'm trying to control what I can control!

OhLookAnotherNewStart

I suppose, though, I'm in a bit of an 'I am where I am' situation so I better deal with it instead of burying my head in the sand. 

Unfortunately, the £4.5k was a big part of the loan from my boss, so only some of the things I wanted to pay off got paid off and I'm back in my bastarding overdraft. 

I have just over £250 until payday but luckily all monthly bills are paid so this is food/petrol/general spending money. Also about £100 in cash, which is a good buffer. In terms of plans for the month I've got
- Football tomorrow night in Edinburgh (no ticket cost but about £30 of petrol, roughly)
- Football on Saturday & Sunday in Glasgow (again, tickets both paid for, negligible petrol costs)

And no other commitments because that's basically what my life revolves around I guess! Now, the game on Sunday should make me some money. I do some merchandise for Celtic women (unofficial but the club let me set up at games) so hopefully bring in a couple of hundred quid. Nothing massive, but at least it'll be a net gain. 

In good news, I got my car back and it only cost £250 (original quote £950, then £450 so I'm not sure why it was low but I'm taking it) and I got the freelance work so I've got between £2k and £4k of work to complete now, hopefully get that done this week. 

In bad news, I was at the dentist this morning and she's referred me to a gum specialist which will cost me £500 before I even blink (her words, not mine) so there's that, but I'd rather not lose my teeth so of things I have to pay for that's quite high on the list. 

I'm doing okay, I think. Obviously this wasn't what I was planning at the start of the month but I think I just have to get through 'till payday and regroup. Monzo are due to get back to me before the 22nd with their 'decision'. 

Disclaimer: I am a functioning depressive. I take multiple antidepressants every day, so I know this isn't how everyone would deal with what I'm going through or is maybe not the 'right' way to deal with it, but it's what I've got right now so I'm going with it. 

OhLookAnotherNewStart

Today didn't quite go to plan. After being all 'yay let's get back to this' I was hit with a headlight bulb out (£16.99) and aircon went (£165) in the car I JUST got back from the garage. It's becoming very clear I need some car savings!