Reflection and Regret

Balance transfers aka card tarting, stoozing. I've done it once, that's what gave birth to my Marbles card. I really don't think I understood what a silly girl I was. If I'd have been financially astute I'd have BT'd my way out of this debt years ago.

Instead I have a history of consolidation and re-spending. I haven't applied for any credit for over a year, last time I spent on my credit cards was Christmas.

All part of my financial retraining. There was a time I've paid for groceries on credit cards and even taken cash out on the horrendous things. Head in the sand.

Time is coming to detail this debt in excel and get myself some more progress bars come clean on my blog. Like so many others I find this therapeutic. I'm pants at budgeting and seeing it in B & W will help. No More Spending has some amazing self control and discipline, now if you could bottle that and sell it...

Anyway no point in wallowing in self pity, can't press the back button in this case (another thing I'd like to sell... ) 9 days til payday,£34.62, one late credit card payment due, a bathroom that looks like an unidentified lifeform has been raving in there for two days and a mountain of ironing.

On the plus side it's Saturday, don't have to be anywhere at anytime today, The Pursuit Of Happyness [2006]- courtesy of LoveFilm- to watch on DVD whilst ironing, kids are happy, hubby be home soon which all makes for a spend free day :)

GSOH

Home early 'cos it's poets day, had an hour blog reading. Just found a blog that has made me 'titter' in true British Frankie Howard style.

Debt Daddy is doing his best to be green aswell as fighting his debt with a diamond encrusted sword, loads of humour and a fighting spirit. Even talk of him giving away a 'fugly' T-Shirt. That's my new word of the day - Fugly. I like that.

Nasty Piece of Plastic

In the mail yesterday I was the recipient of my replacement credit card, shimmering gold rectangle with the MasterCard logo, expires sometime next decade, plastered across the front on a white sticker 'You need your pin number to use this card.'

Well that's a relief then as I have absolutely no idea what my pin number is. I know what the interest rate is on the nasty thing, I loathe this card, I've had the account for 21 years !

When I first applied I was 18 with a freshly aquired mortgage. For opening the account I got a tacky blue holdall and a bucket load of airmiles. Paid it off many times consolidating and obviously reloading it. The holdall, airmiles and consolidating loans are long gone. But this nasty pice of plastic has endlessly refreshed itself, well this time it's off to the shredder, I may have a little shredding party.

The Things Money Can't Buy

During the morning routine I caught the headlines on GMTV this morning. A 30 second clip of David Beckham arriving at an airport to fly home to the UK because his Dad is seriously ill in hospital. I get cross at stuff like this. The news reporter commented on the Beckham' was wearing sunglasses' along with the suggestion he'd been crying as the camera followed him on the airport concourse. What on earth to these reporters want from this man ? Leave him alone, this is private it has absolutely nothing to do with you or me.

The fact Beckham can kick a football with precision from the halfway line to the the back of the net doesn't mean you own him. Sometimes I wonder how those in the spotlight (I'm not keen to use the word celebrity) actually keep it together. The constant invasion of privacy, I realise that's the price they pay for doing what they do, but what a way to live.

Off my soapbox.

Wednesday Witterings

I'm jealous ! Jealous of Ugly Debty 's blog name ! I can never think of clever things like that, a play on words. Aside from that it's a great blog about how she's going to beat the debt.

Diggin' Out is stopping smoking. In my first post on this blog I declared I had to do this. Six months on and the only progress I've made is switching to roll ups. Although cheaper the fuss nonsense and paraphernalia that goes with it is so tiresome I 'm on my way to ditching it. Add to this someone mentioned at work yesterday that I looked pale (the fact my new blogging addiction keeps me up all hours has nothing to do with it !) she went on to say 'not that I ever had much colour anyway'. What must I look like ? Clearly my self perception is very wrong !

Sold a few things on ebay last night - £8 in total, not much but it all helps. Have made a total excess income of £56.52 this month, and to be honest I haven't tried very hard. Got a day off tomorrow and will list more. Also on the to do list is beat that car insurance quote.

Last year I read Positively Happy: Cosmic Ways to Change Your Life a good read/autobiography and introduction to positive thinking, confirms my belief that what goes around comes around. However I want to delve a little deeper into this cosmic ordering. I know it's not the answer to my debt problems but I guess it's a great attitude. Any book suggestions for me ?

The Cost of Driving

In the post yesterday I received my car insurance quote and was stunned. I got a good deal last year, £197 fully comp, no claims protected etc, etc. The same company cannot offer such a good deal this year, in fact the best the broker can find was £270 ! I don't think so. A lot of cash back sites offer amazing deals like £130 cash back with large household names such as the Pru. But whenever I've tried to buy insurance like this I've always had to revert to the phone to go through the quote, which means the cash back doesn't track.

Anyway on the positive side I tried a comparison site last week and ended up with a quote of £189.99, received it in the post days later, maybe a little more digging I can get it lower. Add the cost of car tax £97 ? And Breakdown cover £108 ! That's over £400 to spend in the next 6 weeks on driving alone.

Yesterday afternoon I spent blog reading, my hour of peace before the troops came home wanting food, water and attention. I know there are hundreds of UK Debt Free Wannabees, mostly hanging out on the Money Saving Expert Forum but not many UK blogs. Our American and Australian friends are quite open about Debt blogging. Is it a case of the stiff upper lip, feeling safe in the anonymity and numbers on the MSE forum ?

Musings for Monday

Got my self a pretty little percentage progress bar, a new header and some sweet little widgets, had fun playing with blog in spare moments this weekend.

Been dropping by a few PF Blogs too and it strikes me that those on the journey to be debt free will come out with more than a healthy financial attitude, to go through the highs and lows of it surely makes you a much better person. Taking control and boosting your self esteem, proving something to yourself.

Cashed in my mutualpoints 3000 points £20 cheque on it's way.

I've just made the phonecall to the CC company, advising I'd be late with this months payment. To be honest there was no concern on their part, I asked them to make a note on the account that I had phoned to advise I would be 4 days late, to which the response was that's okay you will be charged a £12 late fee. End of conversation. I'm not happy with the outcome as I'm not sure they recorded the content of my call, however by the same token I didn't want them to start putting pressure on me to pay by due date.

At the moment I just want it to level out so I am on top of payments and can start snowballing properly.

Ah well off to start another working week....

Pick Yourself Up, Dust Yourself Down...

phoning CC card co Monday to advise of late partial payment, this is isn't the first time and I'm not sure they will too lenient with me, probably pass me to their collections department. Paying half required minimum payment, so I can fill car up with £20, and have £50 to last the next two weeks.

On the plus side, I had just over £7 cash in my purse, after paying parking and buying fresh supplies from the butcher for the weekend that left me with a £1, my workplace is linked to a charity shop, I was browsing and chatting to sales staff, they caught my eye - a pair of jeans brand new with tag my size - £1 ! Cannot resist and can justify ! No new clothes for months and then they were from the Next catalogue last Christmas, which I'm still paying off at 26.9 %.

My first standing order of £10 goes into my emergency fund on Monday, given things are so tight it's probably the wrong thing to do, but I need to get some momentum going to pick myself up - a psycological boost ? Saving instead of spending ..mmm now there's a turnaround.

I do have a partner in all this, he knows I have debts but not exact details. This man is wonderful. He pays all the essential bills - like council tax, electric, gas , phone bill etc. I buy groceries, clothes, pay for the running of the car. We are in the lucky position of having paid our mortgage off when we moved three years ago. Maybe I don't count my blessings enough ?

Feeling a little more up today, loads of things to list on ebay, but a bit more inspiration needed from my fellow PF'ers. I like the little progress bars they all have so I'm off to find one :)

Struggling

I don't think I'm doing very well this month. I've overlooked the fact I am low on petrol, and I'm struggling to find CC payment due early October. I can pay it, but it will be four days late. Think the best route is to phone them. Trouble is with car tax, insurance and assistance all due next month it's going to be very tight.

Did list on ebay, few of the kids coats that they have grown out of. Did a menu plan for the next two weeks, spent £60.96 at Morrisons and kept to the list. My target for the groceries this month was £160, I'm already £2 over and have just over 2 weeks to go, £32 left no petrol and a CC bill to pay. Just haven't done my maths right have I ?

Closed old savings account, couldn't put the £11.51 in my emergency fund because I needed batteries for camera to list items on ebay.

I guess this one of those low points, I'm just going have to get a grip.

Postives and Negatives

Our youngest has declared he wishes to cycle to school every morning, we're happy with that. Trust and independence for him, saves on petrol, wear and tear on the car. However it has cost £30 for a new lock and helmet, but those things can prove to be priceless.

Got accepted for an Esavings account with Natwest, I now have an emergency fund of ..wait for it....£1 ! It's a positive step.

Found an old savings account passbook I hadn't touched for 7 years, went in to local branch, updated account I had earned a whole 8p interest, minus 2p 20% gross tax, well that's 6p more than I had last week . Think I'll close the account and put the princely sum of £11.51 into my emergency fund.

Like reformed spendaholic, I have been suffering from procrastination on the mundane things in life. House is in need of TLC, the evergrowing pile of unmatched socks seems to be having some sort of baby boom. I have still to list a pile of unwanted items on ebay, karate suits, nearly new football boots.

I have been grocery shopping, but wrong frame of mind shopping. Lack of a menu plan is the cause. I have approx £92 for the next three weeks of food, can do it, after all compared to last month it feels like a fortune. So this week I have to sit down and work it out.

£87 sitting in topcashback.co.uk account, hopefully to be credited next month which will pay the most of the car tax.

Things are heading in the right way, slowly, but surely.

Savings

Not successful ! Can't find a quidco or cashback offer for a savings account. So gone with a simple Natwest E-Savings account, only because it's instant access, nice interest rate and they've been consistent with with me since 1985, worst thing that can happen is they refuse due to my horrendous financial history, but would they do that on a savings account ?

Personal Finance Blogs

I have a new addiction, thanks to No More Spending. Found via the wonderful MSE forums I've spent the last hour reading other peoples experiences and journeys of the DFW lifestyle. Very inspirational.

One of the many things learnt is the need for an emergency fund. Given our chequered history of all things domestic, electrical or essential to daily life breaking down, usually within 2 - 3 weeks of each other, this seems like a good idea. Mainly because any repairs, new parts or - worst case scenario - new appliances get put on the plastic because they haven't been budgeted for. So new goal by the end of March 2008 emergency fund of £500+ to be sorted.

Payday is 48 hours away, I am actually going to set a budget for groceries. I've been flailing around spending £30 here, £20 there with no real plan. £160 is my target. £100 on Tesco online, £60 hard cash for top ups, no debit cards . The purse strings have to remain tight this month, car tax, insurance all due October. So with emergency plan fund, only paying minimum off debts and car expenses no spend days will be a plenty !

Off to find a decent emergency fund account via Topcashback.