Finally going to solve this debt once and for all

abaka

TBH, most of my spends have been from balance transfers over the years, at least ten years worth of debt on those 3 cards I currently carey. The last time I actually put serious spend on a card was back in 2017 for wedding expenses etc when I had a 0% on purchase card.

I couldn’t even tell you where half the physical cards are as I’ve never really done much day to day spending on them apart from one that was on my phone that is now deleted.

But as I’ve mentioned before, I’m now cancelling the cards as and when I clear them, and whilst doing this I will ensure my day to day spending is being funded from my pots and not from my planned debt repayments.

Makingabobor2

Oh my word...a wedding on credit! That's not good.

abaka

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82147136#Comment_82147136

Wedding expenses. The full wedding was not on credit.

Blackcats

I once financed a 3 week trip to Oz on my credit card - fares, accommodation, car hire, holiday clothes, spending and I also compounded my irresponsibility by drawing money out from the cash machine using my credit card 🥴

Sounds like you have come up with a good plan that gives you an end date to look forward to.

Makingabobor2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82147259#Comment_82147259

That's good to hear.

abaka

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82147366#Comment_82147366

I mean I’ve probably done a lot more wreckless purchases in Bipolar episodes!

abaka

Friday update.
Still anticipating payday on Monday. My pay award is due to be implemented and if my calculations are correct after tax/NIC/pension/student loans etc are accounted for, I should be £60 a month better off!

Then I should get backpay next month backdated to 1st April - which was more difficult to calculate as I was seconded to a higher paying post until 1st July! But I should get an extra £350 after all deductions are taken next month!

Car has been left to the mechanic for the check engine light issue. Had feared the worst and planning a few hundred quid but mechanic phoned to say that it’s roughly around £150 for part and fitting! Huge relief on that. However I do know I need at least 2 probably 3 new tyres so car expenses aren’t out of the woods just yet!

Finally doing something I’ve wanted to do for ages today, there is a fishmonger who sells fish from his van on a Friday near our house. Talked about buying some fresh fish from him for years and today I’m finally doing it.

Got lots of house jobs/chores to do this weekend also from things that didn’t happen last week after the toxic !!!!!!/fallout from my now estranged brother!

Makingabobor2

Can't beat proper fresh fish & also no harmful plastic packaging

abaka

Fish was delicious. And it was made in the way my grandmother and then dad used to make it back when I was a child. Probably the first time I’ve had fish like this in easily ten years!

Logged into my credit file with TU and as expected my score has dived badly! The new Santander card is showing, and the two searches for Santander and NatWest are showing (although the NatWest Card isn’t showing yet) and the impact of closing so many credit accounts has really affected my overall credit age and utilisation.

But that’s not an issue as I don’t need to worry about taking any credit and even worst case scenario in that I can’t clear all the credit card balances in the timeframe they’re 0%. I don’t need to worry about that scenario until March 2029 (but hopefully never at all!!!)

Got the car back at lunchtime and cost me £150, £75 of that will be returned to me when my wife gets back to work. I also need to get tyres sorted and hope I can get away with 2 rather than 3 new ones!

Payday is so close now! Need to replenish the birthday/gift pot and the car fund and the day out/everyday spending pot when I get paid!

abaka

So this is going to become a non debt related diary for me also. Going to unload some person stuff just to write it down and get it off my chest.

I mentioned about how a situation happened that means I am cutting off ties with my brother. My brother has been battling substance abuse and also alcohol abuse although he is in denial about the alcohol. His marriage broke down in August and since then, I’ve been on the receiving end of non stop verbal and emotional abuse from him, which on two occasions has led me to leaving work early.

Last week he escalated the situation and physically assaulted me. Which is classed as Domestic abuse. It’s engaging with relevant agencies that have made me realise that he was already emotionally and verbally abusing me but last week he attacked me and involved choking me and several punches to the head whilst he pinned me down. I didn’t even strike back in self defence cause I was so afraid of him. He did a number on me including two black eyes, and an eye that was swollen up until two days ago I couldn’t open it.

Whilst my mum did ring the police on him, she has made it clear that she doesn’t want me to press charges. I wish I could but I know my mum well enough to know she would then turn on me. As I said to one of the agencies I spoke with, I’ve lost my brother now, and also my father within the last 18 months. I don’t want to also lose my mum, even though it wouldn’t be my faults. That’s a battle and fight I don’t have the energy for.

And unfortunately my brother owed me over £500 which I have to say goodbye to now. For peace and security and cutting him out of my life it’s worth while.

But it unfortunately has caused a lot of trauma on me because I’m so frightened that he will show up and finish the job. He hasn’t even attempted to reach out to apologise, which maybe shows there’s no remorse. He’ll likely find some way to twist it back that it’s my fault he attacked me.