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How have things changed for you since you first joined?
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immoral_angeluk
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Thought this would be a nice uplifting thread about how far we've all come since we first joined MSE and the DFW forum.
I joined this time last month stressed and struggling to leep tabs on all our debts etc as we were finding that we were always struggling for money at the end of month after all the bills were paid. I knew what was going in and out of our account but it was so stressful watching all of your money disappear into thin air with nothing to show for it.
Anyway, after we had our lightbulb moment we organised all our debts and got up to date balances and rough settlement figures. We also cut a lot of our spending.
Cancelled Sky Was £34 - Now £0
Change house insurance provider Was £8.91 - Now £4.47
Negotiated deals on both our mobile contracts Was around £70 - Now £0 (Were given free credit on our phones as well as reduced line rental)
Negotiated a cheaper deal on his rental tv which we can't cancel til March Was £45 - Now £27.99
Taken our daughter out of nursery while I'm on maternity leave Was £402 Now £0
Managed to do reduce our food shop Was £80ish This Month's £64
Made £400 just through selling stuff on ebay
Paid off debt to Rockwell DCA with Ebay Money - Was £165.10/£20 per month - Now £0 :T
.Waiting for money in Bank to clear to pay Dell Financial Loan off £317/£21 a month :T
Will have the money to pay off Capital One Credit Card by end of month £438/£22 per month :T
Have applied for Sure Start Maternity Grant (£500) even though the stuff we need for the new baby will only come to around £100 (Got loads off freecycle!) so could potential have another debt paid off by middle of december all being well. :j
It's amazing how much you can achieve in a month and we're already feeling the rope around our necks loosen and the stress ease. It feels so good! Can't believe this month alone we've saved £563.44 off our bills (The £402 nursery bill was a killer!) plus as soon as Dell and Capital One are cleared that'll be an extra £41 a month off our bills! :eek:
We've come a long way baby!!! What about everyone else??
I joined this time last month stressed and struggling to leep tabs on all our debts etc as we were finding that we were always struggling for money at the end of month after all the bills were paid. I knew what was going in and out of our account but it was so stressful watching all of your money disappear into thin air with nothing to show for it.
Anyway, after we had our lightbulb moment we organised all our debts and got up to date balances and rough settlement figures. We also cut a lot of our spending.
Cancelled Sky Was £34 - Now £0
Change house insurance provider Was £8.91 - Now £4.47
Negotiated deals on both our mobile contracts Was around £70 - Now £0 (Were given free credit on our phones as well as reduced line rental)
Negotiated a cheaper deal on his rental tv which we can't cancel til March Was £45 - Now £27.99
Taken our daughter out of nursery while I'm on maternity leave Was £402 Now £0
Managed to do reduce our food shop Was £80ish This Month's £64
Made £400 just through selling stuff on ebay
Paid off debt to Rockwell DCA with Ebay Money - Was £165.10/£20 per month - Now £0 :T
.Waiting for money in Bank to clear to pay Dell Financial Loan off £317/£21 a month :T
Will have the money to pay off Capital One Credit Card by end of month £438/£22 per month :T
Have applied for Sure Start Maternity Grant (£500) even though the stuff we need for the new baby will only come to around £100 (Got loads off freecycle!) so could potential have another debt paid off by middle of december all being well. :j
It's amazing how much you can achieve in a month and we're already feeling the rope around our necks loosen and the stress ease. It feels so good! Can't believe this month alone we've saved £563.44 off our bills (The £402 nursery bill was a killer!) plus as soon as Dell and Capital One are cleared that'll be an extra £41 a month off our bills! :eek:
We've come a long way baby!!! What about everyone else??
Total 'Failed Business' Debt £29,043
Que sera, sera.
Que sera, sera.
0
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Replies
For me it's been more about my regular spending habits rather than outgoings - I've cleared 3 debts completely (my mum, next & an overdraft) which makes me feel so much better, now I've just got 2 big ones to go.
I'm moving at the end of this month and for the first time ever I'm looking into all the supplier for utilities/phone/broadband etc so I can try and get the best deal from the start.
For me it's more about attitude than anything else - I only spend in cash now (apart from payments to bills) and I'm not paying out for things like expensive takeaway coffees any more.
O/D 1 [strike]£1250 [/strike]O/D 2 [strike]£100[/strike] Next a/c [strike]£313.55[/strike]@ 26.49% Mum [strike]£130[/strike] HSBC [strike]£4446.51[/strike]@15.75%[STRIKE]M&S £[email protected] 4.9%[/STRIKE]
Total Debt 30th April 2008: £0 100% paid off!
PROUD TO [STRIKE]BE DEALING [/STRIKE] HAVE DEALT WITH MY DEBT
Oooh good luck with the house move! I hated moving house.. it was a right stress! lol!
Que sera, sera.
And when no hope was left inside on that starry starry night.
:A Level 42- the reason I exist. :A
but I now pay all my bills direct debit so I don't miss them,
My monthly shop has gone from £400 to £200,
I constantly look out for bargains!
I know how to cook old style!:D
I am signed up with yougov/ipoints/pigsback/pureprofile/quidco....e.t.c.
I have not taken any more credit out! (which I would of by now!)
oh has found himself a job! phew!:j :T
I love this sight it is so helpful and...addictive!;)
And along with anniestar think the help is amazing and have found new friends
Proud to be dealing with my debts!;)
Why is a person that handles your money called a broker?!
I feel sooo much better and much more positive, And both hubby and I are sleeping really well now.
(apart form when I wake up, in the middle of the night, thinking ooohh I know how I could make some more money :rotfl: )
I do think once you have faced up to your debt it suddenly doesnt feel so bad - its the unknown that is frightening.:eek:
Thanks to everyone on here for their support and advice LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER.:T
pudds
no point in doing grocery challenges, have no money left over to eat :0/
signed up for pigsback and have now £20 in vouchers to come
signed up for quidco, in process of switching utilities,
done 2 Mystery shops £20 extra income
reduced housekeeping by £450 this month!!!!! and sticking to it
signed up for 4 MS companies and got jobs lined up for dec.
doing a storecupboard challenge
done excel spreadsheets for debt tracking
for household expenditure
have all meals planned for the rest of the month - though I'm a bit behind cos I keep having leftovers I want to use up!!!!!
I've all family members on board and money saving where poss.
Ive applied for an allotment, to eventually grow my own.
I've started asking for contributions to my petrol when I give lifts to work, so my petrol is more or less covered ( if not more!!!):rotfl:
[email protected] sure theres more:o just brain gone dead.
phew, need a lie down now.:D
pudds
no point in doing grocery challenges, have no money left over to eat :0/
been in 'life changing' situation for about 6 weeks
I have started shopping at Lidl instead of Sainsbury
Been more selective with FIENDS or should that be friends !
It's amazing how different people deal with your situation if you mention cash worries. Big learning curve
It's strange how they are in worse trouble than you and then you see them coming out of mcdonalds/pizzaland
Now I listen a lot more than thinking that I know it all/am right
A BIG thanx to all for info/advice/support
(also I'm getting better at typing.....)
Change for the better
I've had a whole change of outlook on my finances, paid over £5k off my debts, joined all the cashback sites, switched mortgages, saved money on insurances, bills etc, shop at aldi instead of sainsburys and been able to afford a nice holiday with all the savings.
But for me the most important thing is that it got rid of my more urgent debts allowing me to be able to save a 'rainy day fund' which is going to be a lifesaver now that I am being made redundant.
This means that this change in situation wont throw me into a complete hysterical panic but I can see it as a positive change in my career.
The people on here and Martin have helped me change my outlook and my wallet.
Excellent thread. :T For me it's about change of mindset. I've done the obvious; pigsback, quidco, swapped electricity, internet etc. I no longer spend £5+ per day on lunch, plus ??? having a wander around town at lunchtimes, every penny is accounted for - spending diary really makes me think twice about spending any money. Basically I now know I don't have a money tree in my garden and the chances of me winning the lottery really are very slim, so there's only me going to get myself out of this hole. I've a long way to go but I now at least feel like I am on the right road!!!
Jx
Snowball says DFD [strike]March[/strike] Feb 2010
Official DFW Nerd No: 218
Proud to be dealing with my debts
It's working though because we have paid off £11,000 in 8 months!
Debt in July 2017 = £58,766 😱 DEBT FREE 31 OCTOBER 2017 :T 🎉
EMERGENCY FUND 1 = £500/£5,000. EMERGENCY FUND 2 = £10/£5,000.
CHRISTMAS SAVINGS = £144.37/£500. SEF = £1,000/£10,000
PREMIUM BONDS ME = £300. PREMIUM BONDS DH = £300. HOLIDAY MONEY £800