Debt Free 2007?

[Flamesparrow]

Keep thinking about this since yesterday...

Am thinking that my aim for 2007 is to be in a decent(ish) money situation next Christmas BUT I don't wanna take the swing out of the budgie's cage completely...

I need to work out how to save money, pay all the bills, but still be able to have the odd treat here and there.

I thinking:

• Decent food budgetting/planning
• uswitch (I think I am on the cheapest anyway)
• s/o for savings AND a s/o for treats
• Work out the birthdays that will be coming across the year and make sure I put aside enough each month to cover the hell months.

What else should I be doing?

I used my Nat trust membership in Wales but my Mam tried to use her eng heritage at Conwy castle and still had to pay.Have ordered both now anyway .(think was £12 in vouchers for eng heritage and similar for cadw)

thanks Charliecat you are a star

DP has been making a major effort to cut back on his own spending, and as a result, I am feeing quite optomistic that we will reduce rather than incease our total debt this year.
Definitely off to a good start.

Ours isn't looking good - NTL was £20 more than normal (for some reaosn they seemed to have saved various films we bought in October/Nov to charge us for NOW ), benefit was down on what I was expecting (not sure why), so we are already £40 short our normal budget this month

Did anyone get the Guardian today?
Guardian guide to freestuff worth looking at .I'm working my wa ythrough the websites atm.

On the negative side gas fire is being tempremental and if it goes completely (and is unfixable-it is around 10+ yo) I will end up replacing the surround as well, and therfore the carpet (was supposed to be next years job when my loan is paid off )

Also got charged £115 for BT fixing my phone line (2 months ago!) on my phone bill so have disputed it anyway

Thanks Nikkie, I've just asked my mum to save me her Guardian....

Have heard about thsi thread and been keeping an eye out for it.

Have added it to my watch list to read more comprehensively later.

But one of my tips - also an enjoyable hobby is e-bay.

I sell DC's clothes and stuff they ave outgrown and replace what I can with from e-bay as well - making free shopping. When DD goes to school and realised what I do she my complain. But while both under 5 I think it's an excellent way to save!

The guardian thing was a little booklet (like the guide IYKWIM) so check she saves it!

Baileys-mine are 5 and &and neither object to second hand clothes atm though dd2s never last to sell

I have just filled in the budget thingy on moneysaving expert and it was crap.

According to that I will be left with £25 a week after paying everything but I didn't include clothes for me or the kids and I wanted one driving lessons a week too

It's my bloody debt repayments that are doing it.

guardian free stuff

I am with self as I've just been to check bank account and where I thought there was £300+ there is £5 overdrawn. This is not silly season spending this is simply me miscalculating bills! How can I be so crap? I am joining this thread and wondering how the hell I can recoup (sp?)that £300 as quickly as possible

flame my angel could you email me your spreadsheet thingy from cappuchino? Ta!

Lovelymarslady at aol dot com

Will do that now Marsy

Winnie - hope you manage to get it sorted. We're still a bit of a mess this month from going over a lot in the xmas/ny gap.

thanks flamesparrow. I am on a money diet now. I am also writing down everything I spend which is enlightening The challenge this week is not to spend money other than on bus fares to work. The bills are direct debit, the grocery shop has been done on line so I don't actually need to spend any money. Can it be done?

I got my morgage statemnet today(repayment) and its gone down by £2K in 2 years , its so exciting!

Does anyone know anything about unemployment/sickness/etc cover?Its on my statemnt ut is £270 a year and don't know if I actually need it?

It is to cover payments in the listed circumstances, so if you are self employed or not working, you couldn't claim on it even if you were ill, and it's not necessary.

I was thinking more like I am already covered (as in I get sick pay/very unlikely to be made redundant )Just seen lot of articles about these policiesnot been worth it.

I'd cancel it if it were me, but what would you do if you were very ill/off fr longer than your sick pay lasts?
It's a risk I happily take (we don't have this insurance as dp is self employed and I'm not working) and we always find the money for the payments.

Friggin great start ot the year....dps just had a £1800 bill from the csa for arrears build up years ago.
Havent got a penny to pay it and they are going to send it to debt collectors if he doesnt pay 180 in the next 7 days.

CC - is this the first notice too?

Jelley- I'm paid for 6 months full pay then 6 months 1/2 pay.

Yes, his assessment for actual csa was reduced from £90 a week to £0 when he was made redundant, £10 of the £90 was arrears....no mention of paying them, no payslips to pay them, no letters, we just assumed when he got a full time job they would start taking the money again.
Hes paid 24 grand in CSA, this lot of arrears was when he first split up from her and was paying her cash in hand while she was on income support.
Arrgghhh.

So has he paid but its not on record 'cos of income support?