Tips to save money to pay debt off quicker

Tink_04 · 1 July 2018 at 9:44PM

Really good thread! You have inspired me to get more focused! I'm chucking it all at one bill for now as need to get that down - all my debt is 0% but I need to get rid of it this year as we need the extra money each month as things are getting tighter! I'm looking at my food budget and what money I can squirrel away - I can make overpayments online so aiming to do that every chance I get and then do the same big payments each month - then once that is gone I can do the same with the next one but increasing the monthly payments.

Keep posting it's great to see your progress!

B17c · 2 July 2018 at 4:43PM

Hi monnagran! No there was nothing left over last month unfortunately, I have the £200 in cash still but that's my euro money for October.. I was told yesterday that there's probably going to be an overtime ban for 8 weeks! Summer is slow for us, they'll need more manpower for autumn/winter... I was given the option of being contracted another shift but that ties me in and I'll struggle with the side gig in August (which would earn me a LOT more money than an extra shift would) though it hasn't been confirmed yet! Arrrgggghhhh! Frustrating!
That's amazing about your son and his carboot! He must have the gift of the gab! I'm not much of a people person in all honesty, I can come across a bit prickly sometimes... not with friends/family/colleagues but with the general public! I have done carboot sales before and to be honest I don't really enjoy them but it's a good way to make a lump sum...
My friend messaged me last night (finally) and said she's planning on doing one this Sunday coming, I'll be working Saturday night and will get home at 6:30am so I'm not sure if it's feasible, though needs must and all that... maybe I should see if she wants to wait until September if people aren't interested right now...
Thanks Tink! Glad you like it! Sometimes it feels like it's just me and monnagran on here! Some things I've been doing are:
Overtime at work
Selling stuff on eBay/marketplace
Switched from weekly shopping at Ocado to monthly shopping at Asda, with a budget of £50 a month (it's just me) mainly storecupboard stuff and stuff I can freeze
Batchcooking and mealprepping so I'm not picking up random things for lunch.
Not spend anything on a daily basis
Walk to work to save topping up my Oyster card. I've put £20 on it which will probably last a week!
Ive started doing surveys but I'm not getting very far!

Any other tips/side hustle ideas anyone has are gratefully received!

[Deleted User] · 2 July 2018 at 7:02PM

The thing with car boots is they are OK if you really want to get shot of stuff and once you have made your 'pitch ' money back then every penny is profit No good going home with stuff even if it means you are getting less for it than you hoped Every time some one stops and looks ask them how much they are willing to offer I did some a good few years ago now and was quite happy to come home with most stuff sold off towards the end for 50p-£1.00 rather than have to pack it all up and bring it home

after all even if you make a tenner on the last few odds and ends its a tenner off your cc.

I try to see the best way to streetch food out, and if possible will make two meals from one with the addition of extra veg or a pudding. Easier if, like me, you are just feeding yourself as you can please yourself what you eat

. Try to imagine how you would cope if suddenly the shops were shut and what you could make out of what you have You may be surprised at the results. Even the humble cheese on toast with beans on top will fill you up with a bit of fruit chopped up in some basic plain yogurt.

Omelettes are brilliant filler uppers as well, grated cheese and a little bit of diced onion or a few dried herbs scattered on top will turn a couple of eggs into a meal with a bit of bread and butter on the side I myself don't eat bread but I do eat crackers (don't go stale either )and pile some cream cheese on top (basic can be bought for about 60p a tub) a bit of slice cucumber and sliced tomato on top soon becomes another cheap and quick filler upper.Eggs,cheese, (grated of course) baked beans etc will give you protien ,I use UHT milk as I only have it with cereal on in my tea and don't use a great deal of milk and find its cheap and dosn't go of so easily.Aldis do a semi skimmed UHT for 49p that lasts me a week.If I buy fresh milk it goes off before I have finished it

B17c · 3 July 2018 at 6:59PM

Cor JackieO I'm ravenous now! Thank you for the tips... I'd forgotton about cheese on toast! And I love an omelette!

2 things sold on eBay, yay! Will list more tomorrow as I'm off to get ready for work now!

Tink_04 · 4 July 2018 at 11:18PM

I've done all my selling when we moved last year so don't have anything else to go now.

Made £100 payment - £50 & £10.40 additional payments so far - hopefully should be label to do a £200 next week and take a chunk out!

Really annoyed as elec company have taken £106 out this month rather than the £85 they were supposed to - will go back to normal next month but it's not a good time for the bills to increase!
Find the gas bit so bad but since we moved the electric is huge! All actual readings too

Anyway it's shopping day tomorrow but I'm hoping to leave it until Sunday as we have stuff in still and I'll just get stuff for baits and milk and fruit on Sunday for next week!

It's so hot here! My garden is coming along nicely but still no veg or fruit yet - hopefully soon tho!

Making the most of the garden and taking time to read as I had 3 books to read (read one) so two to go and when I'm gmdonw I pass them on!

Keep going - your doing really well!

Tink

monnagran · 5 July 2018 at 8:06PM

It's OK B17c, you've only just started. If you do find you have something left just pay that bit off at once, even if its only a couple of £s or so. Even tiny amounts add up over time. I know you are saving up for a trip in the autumn but hopefully your sales will cover that.

I'm finding that I'm not eating much in this hot weather so am hopeful of a small grocery bill this month. I'm off to my brother's for a week in August to celebrate their Golden Wedding. They have stipulated "no presents," but he is my only sibling and will always be my baby brother, and I love both him and my sister-in-law so I'm hoping to get them a rose bush called Golden Wedding. It probably won't fit the colour scheme in their garden but I can't do much about that.

Cherryfudge · 6 July 2018 at 12:29AM

monnagran wrote: »

I'm off to my brother's for a week in August to celebrate their Golden Wedding. They have stipulated "no presents," but he is my only sibling and will always be my baby brother, and I love both him and my sister-in-law so I'm hoping to get them a rose bush called Golden Wedding. It probably won't fit the colour scheme in their garden but I can't do much about that.

There's a pink one called 'Happy Anniversary' if that would suit the colour scheme any better?

monnagran · 6 July 2018 at 11:15AM

Actually cherryfudge, I don't even know if they have a colour scheme. When I was there last they were in the middle of re-doing their garden. Their grandsons are now 17 and 15 so they can give up the football and cricket pitch!

Thanks for the information though. I'll have a look at it.

B17c · 6 July 2018 at 11:51AM

Wow... had a nice tax rebate this morning...£740!! :j

I suspected I might get one, I had 3 jobs at one point and was doing 70 hrs a week, when I dropped down to one job (my current one) my tax code was wrong for a good couple of months!

I've set myself a challenge, make £1000 a month by doing extra work, overtime, eBay, carboot sales etc etc and this actually takes me up to a grand of extra money this month, though I know it's a cheeky effortless one... maybe I shouldn't include it in the challenge??
I feel like I should be grafting blood sweat and tears for this extra £1000 a month although I did for the last year which is why I've got a rebate!!
Anyway, I'm very thankful for it! :T

300 will probably go to euros then that's done and dusted and the rest will go off Aqua as that's the one with the highest minimum payment.

A friend from work is going home to the Philippines for 8 weeks and when I mentioned I was selling things on eBay/carboot she asked me to send her some photos of what I was getting rid of as she needs some things! So I've messaged her

Monnagran a rose bush is a lovely thoughtful gift and if it doesn't match their colour scheme even better, as it will stand out to them and they'll think of you every time!

JackieO you inspired my lovely tea last night, mushroom and pea omelette with Greek salad! It was yummy and I made enough for today and tomorrow too!

Tink that's good you've made extra payments!! I'm looking forward to my debt going down just that little bit so I'll have more wriggle room in my budget for regular extra payments! Soon I'll run out of stuff to sell!!
And a bloody pain about the gas bill, that would annoy me so much! If you've set a strict budget that extra money gone could've really fudged things up!!

I had 4 things listed on eBay and all 4 sold and paid so I'm off to the post office now... :beer:

monnagran · 6 July 2018 at 7:41PM

B17c WOW, that's a sizeable chunk off the Aqua card and now that you have enough euros for the trip, anything else that comes in from selling stuff can knock a bit off as well. At this rate you will have that Aqua card paid off before Christmas. That is amazing.

Think, How come the electric bill is so much in a heatwave? I could understand it if it was really cold and the heating was on, but it seems weird to have such a high bill in this weather. Did they give you any idea of why it was suddenly so much more?

Sorry about the unscheduled change to your user name T I n k . My tablet is a law unto itself.

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Tips to save money to pay debt off quicker

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