In pursuit of happiness...for real this time! Donner_kebab's debt diary!

skint_spice

sounds familiar! lots of crisp packets too and they aren't coming from my DS cos they aren't shops own brand! Did look so much better for ten minutes work!

donner_kebab

Hello all, hope you are all ok! I have been mega busy today, running around like a crazy woman as everything at work seemed to break following the work I did at the weekend, so I was soooooo glad when it got to 5pm and I could finally escape! Had a right mare with Emily this evening...she is 11 and going through the whole puberty phase mega early and she is finding this whole 'no to wasting money' lifestyle quite hard to get her head around! She really wants to have a superstar account on this Stardolls game and for this you have to pay. I think it is mega cheeky of them to want money for a better account but Emily wants this so bad and it seems the only way really payment wise is using a credit card which I won't do! I have told her no more spending on the cards full stop but she started balling her eyes out. Then she got upset 'cause there was no MTV to watch and she got in a right state. I hope this will wear off after a few days??? It must be hard for her I suppose but I am so dead set on sorting this mess out, she will have to get over it! I never had this kinda stuff when I was younger...I was brought up by my dad as he was a single parent as my mum did a bunk when I was 6 years old...and we had nowt growing up so she really doesn't know how easy she has it! Anyway.....rant over!

Posted two of the ebay parcels today and am still waiting for payment for the other two. I have been working out what card to pay off with the money, gonna try and pay some off of my Barclaycard as that was one of the ones Martin mentioned would be good to transfer too. Hopefully this should be at least £50! Along with the standard payment of £20 and then I will also use the £83 I would normally pay in Council Tax towards it too. March will be a good month as will use the Council tax money again and the Water Bill money of £35 as that is only 10 months per year so I will get my two month break. I was also told when I cancelled the cable TV, as they have just sent my bill through today, I would get a credit of £33.50 to my account, so that will cover the monthly payment, so I intend to use the £50 I usually cough up to them each month and pay this towards the card too! With all this and the regular payments etc, this will half the card balance on it's own! I am going to be listing loads more on ebay too and the money will go towards the card! Phew!

I have handed all the relevant info to Emily's after school club regarding the childcare vouchers so have to wait and see there...hopefully that will be good news! I have also managed to pretty much clear my Egg card! I didn't have much on that card as it is the smallest amount of credit on it. I had some Birthday and Xmas money put in a jar and it was just sitting there...I had already really spent it several times over on other cards so decided to use the cash to pay off the Egg card and then I can use the usual minumum payment towards the Barclaycard. Basically, I was going to use the money to buy a Dyson when my previous one broke and then spend the rest on running gear and a juicer! I then brought this online using the Credit card and never used the cash to pay towards the card...very naughty. So decided to finally use it and pay off those bits and clear the card. Easy to think sometimes that a few extra quid here and there won't make much difference but it does! I am sooooo glad to have paid that off! Gets it out of the way!

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense but I am all over the shop today, felling a little poorly and generally rubbish! I will be off to bed soon I think! I have a driving lesson tomorrow so need to be focused! Mega glad I used that cash to sort out that card...that's one down and six cards to go! :j Seems silly being sat in the money box when I did actually spend it, but it is easy to think that I still have to spend as the items went onto a card...but have to think properly and pay the dam card off! Least there is no more 21.9% interest!

I am gonna spend tomorrow evening going through the budget calculator and other nuggets of advice I have been informed about by Martin's researcher, so I will keep you all updated!

Sorry, rambling now due to much needed sleep! Right off to get ready for bed! Take care, love Donna xxx

Gemmzie

How much is the subscription to the website? I wonder if you could make the money as extra (surveys etc) and then say she can have it month to month, but she has to earn it. Keeping her room tidy, doing homework, that kinda stuff?

donner_kebab

It is only £4.49 per month...or £13.99 for 3 months....mmmmm think their maths don't work too well there! She said she would use up all her pocket money each month just to have an account. Can't believe they only take Credit Cards and not a Switch card payment. Suppose it would be ok if I pais it off every month in full...hate seeing her so upset and crying over a silly website. She gets hysterical due to ranging hormones etc and that it turn upsets me!

Gemmzie

If you can do it monthly then that might be a way around it, did you say you have an empty card now?
Do it so that she puts the money in first, then the amount comes out after. Egg are fine with you putting your account into credit. That way, if she doesn't pay, you have time to cancel it.

donner_kebab

Ah ha...that's an idea. If I use the empty card then and put her £4.49 onto it, then pay for it straight away from my account, that would put the card into credit and then when the time was right, it would take that amount from the card and if she doesn't cough up I could cancel it...Just gets me a bit that she is getting into such a state over a website and they are so cheeky to charge people for an account! Wish I had thought of it first! She is os hormonal it's unreal! At least doing it that way, would mean they couldn't charge any interest on it as the card would be that exact amount in credit...

sallyx

Donna
You are doing so well, chopping, changing and sorting all your finances out. Thanks for the running guide you emailed...I will get around to using once I can get rid of this awful cold. Poor old Emily, its so hard for them to adjust..especially if she is hormonal! Have a good rest and clear your head for the night. Have you had a look to see if this website she wants to join is on quidco or pigsback? You might be able to get some money back for joining?? Just a thought

donner_kebab

Hi Sallyx, sorry to hear you are unwell...there is a lot of it going about. Hope you get well soon...It is hard for the kiddies and boy is she hormonal! Balls her eyes out at the slightest thing at the mo...up one minute and down the next...didn't think I would be dealing with this for a couple of years yet! Oh well! I do Quidco when I can remember and really need to look into more ways of making it work for me. Haven't tried Pigsback...will take a look!

donner_kebab

Just posting a short one tonight as am feeling absolutely shattered out today and am gonna get myself off to bed! Had another NSD today...have had loads now which feels great! Nothing better than walking past the Spar or the Co-Op and thinking, phew I didn't go in as there would be many a time (ok pretty much every weekday!) when I would pop in for one thing and come out with junk totally at least a tenner a time! The after school club are looking at the vouchers for me so should hear back very soon. Must call Broadband peeps tomorrow as they are charging me way more than everyone else would so muct look into that! Also need to get on with that budget! That will be done this week! Just remembered I have spent some money today £20 towards Emily's school camping holiday. She is off in June camping in Exmouth...so that will be the childcare money for the week saved there! Will be very odd not having her around but only for a week. I try and pay on a regular basis as before you know it, it will be time to pay!
Right really must get some sleep...before I fall asleep here on the keyboard....no thanks! xxx

Gemmzie

Scarily, 11 isn't even considered early, apparently 8 - 12 is normal now. Scary stuff, they are just kids at 8 and I can say that because I remember that age (just).