I want to believe I can do this!

enthusiasticsaver wrote: »

Good news on the PPI payment and pay rise.

A few comments. Saying yes to things you cannot afford probably contributed to your current debt so don't be afraid to say no you cannot afford it to husband or people requesting sponsorship. There will always be calls on your money but once the debt is repaid and you are in a better situation that is your call.

Don't consolidate. It makes things worse and if your credit history is not good and you are over committed you won't get a good rate anyway. Targeting the Barclaycard and overdrafts should be your priority as I am sure that £9 per month barely covers charges. At some point when the debt is lower apply for a money transfer cards, pay them off then cancel the overdrafts.

Tell your husband you cannot spend weekends or maybe go out one weekend each month and do free things. Car boot sale to sell stuff maybe or spend time in the garden, local park or just go for a walk locally taking your own picnic from home.

Thank you for your comments. You are right - if I cannot afford to sponsor someone at the moment, then that is the fact of the matter and something I have to live with. This hopefully will not last forever and one day I may well be in a position when I can sponsor my friends again. You are absolutely right. That is a case of I just have to lump it. I cannot afford it at the moment.

I am going to try REALLY hard to avoid consolidating again. I really want to break that cycle for good. I have sent off an application tonight for extra work over the summer which could possibly bring in a thousand pounds which I would use to pay my Barclaycard with. I spent money I did not have and now I need to work to pay for it.

Unfortunately the Barclaycard has an APR of 25%. So high. My overdrafts cost £9 each a month. So £18. My plan is to tackle them with some freelance work I have in the pipeline.

My husband very much likes doing free outdoor things like walks in the woods, parks, time on the beach so I can suggest those things over expensive day trips. Every now and again, he likes to go to London but I do need to budget for such things.

Thank you for your comments and giving me food for thought.

Today is one of those days when I feel like I am doing nothing to reduce my debt.
I’m waiting for the PPI cheque to clear and then I will pay it off my Barclaycard.
Got an eBay auction ending in a couple of days.
Waiting for the application pack to come through the post for summer work.
Have booked my car service and contacted the car dealer to get quotes for a cheaper deal (5,000 miles rather than the 12,000 I’ve had for the past 3 years).
So I am moving forward hopefully.
Hope you’re all well.

I bought 2 sticker books for birthday presents - buy 1 get 1 free so I stuck to my budget of £5 each.

I found a purse full of 2p coins and 1p coins earlier.
Took them plus £8 I made from Facebook sales yesterday to the bank this morning.
Have paid £10 off credit card. Not a lot but better than nothing.