Update from Lynzpower

Edit- just found my original thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=154934

Sorry to steal your thunder Scottish Spendaholic, but Ive been thinking about how I dont have one of these mini-blogs and it might help my motivation, which is well on the wane at the mo. As I have some time, Im going to start from the beginning as best as I can, and just use this as a blog as from now.

I came here in March, when my lightbulb was on full beam.

Since my arrival - I have:
cancelled my lovefilm subs & done some quidco tarting( saving 15 a month)
cancelled some ridiculous BT call package we never used ( 17 a month)
bought a digi box (21)
cancelled my mobile phone insurance (5 a month)
got a 0% card from egg & cleared remaining balances on 2 other cards & closed
Started the grocery challenge ( from 75 a week to 25 a week)
Started my claims for bank charges (157 back from one, about to claim for 1175 from Lloyds)
Got Primus 2 as my call carrier for free.
OPened a joint saving account ( currently with 100 in it)
Bought some premium bonds with OH from some money we got for our engagement (100)
Done a car boot sale ( raising 160)
Sold 3 books on green metropolis so far (11.50)
Madly started with quidco ( about a £100 tracking)
Carried on with my yougov surveys ( about £25 in there, slow though)
Sold loads of stuff on ebay ( circa £300)
Got a lodger again, bringing in 500 pcm.
Overpaying my remaining barclaycard at balance is about 300 now, not long to go..
Got OH to set up DD for the money he owes me at a fiver a week direct to my CC.
Cancelled the text plans off my mobile ( saving 15 a month)
Changed my electricity supplier to Ecotricity, which seems to be half what I paid with Npower :beer: and nice & green too!
Changing my bank to A&L
( any more suggestions of money saving greatly recieved, of course )

As some of you may have read yesterday, we have had some bad news about my health, thought a lot of stuff through, and we have decided to sell the flat and rent for a while. We will probably put the flat on the market in August. She says. If all the sums we've done stack up we should have 20k in the bank of equity, then save about 420 a month in mortgage payments/insurances/ assurance etc. We then will use our growing equity to put down a bigger deposit when we eventually choose to buy again. This seems like the best plan all round, and we are very keen on this. Now need to get the money together for the moving, my lodgers income should cover it...

Losing momentum recently like SS, and a few others, nipping to the shop and buying the loaf & spending £8. All going a bit wrong in that dept.

But the budget is holding up for now. I have been within my overdraft twice since March, which is unheard of for me, I am getting there!!!

I dont have a DFD, as I started to have one, based on the lodgers income, but as we dont know how long we will be living here nbow the date is moving right back. It could have been october, but Im thinking now its more likely to be march. But thats still OK. Ha! A few short weeks ago having a debt free date was something Id never even conceptualised- it all seemed so impossible. Everything apart from the last 300 on my b/card & my student loans is 0%... happy times.

Todays tasks:
Check bank accounts
Call bank & ask them to deliver my card to the flat as Im off work
See if I can list the 2 new things on ebay Ive photographed but cant get the camera to work
Do filing
Write cheque for the electricity bill.
Scrabble around to see if Ive got the cash for the moneyclaim on my 0% card. I hope I do
Call up everyone & tell them Ive changed my bank account as of the 20th of next month.
take to post office book sold on GM
Post on here idly all day ( most achievable )

Cheers for getting to the end of this, its really for me more than anyone else to keep track of my achievements, however small

Also to add, thanking each and everyone of you for your harsh but fair words, and your encouragement in tough times. Thanks to all for giving me my financial life back, and enabling me to take control YOU ARE ALL STARS :T

Lynz
x