Jelly Babies' Squidgy Easter Diary

Jelly_Babies

Came here about a year ago, learnt a lot and then for reasons I won't go into had to leave the support on here. Am now back on here with a new username and a new determination to become debt free.

Live with OH, two children and too many pets. I'm not going to post my SOA as it hasn't changed much since I cringed and let you lot interrogate it last time and make suggestions, which I took on board and changed for the best

In essence my debts are as follows:-

Outstanding Monthly Payment
Northern Rock Loan - £24,313.56 £238.36
Northern Rock Loan - £3,525.08 £72.98
Mint C/C £4,211.21 £94.75 (min) 0% Nov 08
Virgin C/C £7,434.80 £25.00 (min) 0% Oct 08
Egg C/C £10,326.32 £206.53 (min) 0% Oct 08
MBNA C/C £5,346.53 £5.00 (min) 0% May 08
A&L C/C £1,890.55 £42.54 (min) 0% Nov 08
Tesco C/C £3,424.02 varies (see below)

Totals £60,472.07 £685.16

*phew* That's done then!

Every month without fail I do actually pay a minimum of £900 off the debts, therefore I overpay the credit cards by £214.84. At the moment I have been overpaying the MBNA as the 0% deal is up next month, hoping it will be just short of £5k when I have to see if I can BT it somewhere. Once I have moved this, I will focus on overpaying the Virgin and Egg C/C as they are due to finish their deals in October. We have a very good credit rating, have never missed a payment and we both earn reasonable salaries.

Our youngest is in nursery until Christmas, after which we will no longer have to bother with Busy Bee Vouchers which should give us an additional £150 a month which we can put towards the debt and pay them off at £1000 per month.

I have worked out my SOA and there is £170 per month left for us after putting money away for insurance, xmas, car costs, clothes etc. Thanks to this site in the last 12 months I have paid 12 months tax, MOT, insurance for house/car/pets in a lump sum rather than over 12 months direct debit and have made savings there. I have accounted for all of this in the money that I put away every month.

In relation to the Tescos Credit Card - this is complicated. DH works away a lot and is always paying for his flights upfront, sometimes he can have to pay £2,500 out per month :eek: and then has to claim it back. We also use this card to pay for shopping and petrol to collect as many vouchers as possible My shopping budget is £240 and we are usually able to keep to this. I am careful that every month I pay off what we have spent on shopping and petrol in full, then I have to wait for DH's expenses to come through, so I'm not really sure whether that should count in the whole debt figure?

My biggest obstacle has been to try and convert DH, he gets bored of being good after a few months, only last night he went out and spent £40 :mad: . He cannot understand why I go on as we meet the payments every month, but I want rid of it all sooner rather than later.

I have sat and worked out that there is no reason we cannot survive on £25 a week, DD and myself have packed lunches, I get the train to work and DH works from home. I am going to desperately try and have a no spend week this week to prove I can do it.

We have an expensive few months coming up. Although I am reluctant to post too many details on here, I'm sure I'm ok on this point, I'm due to run the London Marathon in a few weeks and we have to pay accomodation for that and we have a friend's wedding to attend which is in the middle of nowhere and we have no choice but to stay and they have chosen the most expensive hotel - have little choice but to go as DH is best man :rolleyes: On top of this is car tax and MOT, as well as the insurance. Right now, I have no idea how we're going to afford it and slight panic is setting in.

I did try match betting to increase my income and pay the debt off however I lost track of it a bit and may see if I can get back into it, the only problem I found was that it took quite a bit of time.

I think the only way I can do this is with the support of all you lot and posting more. So here I am.....................

hypno06

Hurrah :T

I will read through in a bit (only popped on while printing something else out ) and will post properly later x

Jelly_Babies

Thanks Hypno :beer: It is only down to you I decided to do a diary though!

Have to officially celebrate however that today was a no spend day :j

pania

hello hon hope you are ok, you know where i am anytime....

Jelly_Babies

pania wrote: »

hello hon hope you are ok, you know where i am anytime....

Thank you, will pm you x

pania

no problemo

Jelly_Babies

Morning!

With my new resolve, I am here first thing before I start work. Have come in without any cards today and have about £1 in my purse :rolleyes: Just putting my outstanding debts in spending diary so it is there as a constant reminder.

Have also brought in a packed lunch and plenty of snacks so I'm not tempted to go spending when hungry later.

Fingers crossed a NSD for me today

pania

Woo you go girl!!!! good for you!!!

Look forward to hearing of an NSD when i get home tonight!!!

findingmyownway

hello to the new diary, hope this one brings you more luck than the last

Jelly_Babies

Bum! No NSD for me :mad:

Couldn't be helped -
1) had to get bread or DD has no packed lunch (and accidentally picked a crunchie up too :rolleyes: )

2) forgot I had promised to meet friend for lunch, couldn't refuse when she turned up and I had forgotten. She is a very very dear friend who is in the middle of chemo and I would do anything for her

3) also forgotten my friend was bringing me some fabric which she made into a curtain to reduce a draught we have - she charged me a whole £1.50 for it :rotfl:

So total spends today= £14.72.

DH was also complaining about needing some new trousers and produced three pairs which he was complaining about, have duly took them off to the cheap alteration shop and will have to pick them up tomorrow, saved us a fortune.

Have got about £6.50 in the kitchen tin and DH seems as determined as me that we want it there on Friday. He thinks we should see if we can cope without doing a weekly shop this week and is going to do some resourceful cooking. Think it does make a difference withdrawing cash rather than using cards, as it makes it more real. Please DH is taking an interest, I just hope it lasts.

The other great piece of news is that we have just reached our fundraising target for the London Marathon, feeling a huge sense of achievement now!

pania

darn shucks to the lack of NSD hon. but fabbooooo on the LM target! good for you! (boo hiss to as i can't do it.)

you are really going strong and fab to see you and DH on target again also.

I love my sealed pot piggy, I know that there is money in there and i have a rough idea of how much, but as i have no wish to butcher the poor laddie there it stays.. Maybe papier mache piggy making is something to do with the children, then you can all have sealed pots (or piggies rather) and have an inter family competition for how much you can save up to between certain dates.
Love the idea of the trouser alterations... very DFW knowing how quickly children grow!

Welldone you. Just keep on keeping on and you'll be fine
(oh and part of that is sticking with us on here of course. )

Lots of hugs
P
xxx