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What should I do here please?

8 replies

Lulola · 28/07/2021 12:50

I’m eventually wanting a mortgage. I’ve got a first time buyer ISA with £1400 in - I’m not using this to pay off my debts, I know it would make sense to but I like having it there for emergencies as I have no one in my life to borrow from in an emergency.

I have:
£250 overdraft, I will be at the max of that by payday.
£697 on a credit card
£117 on PayPal credit.

I’ve been trying to chip away at it all but for the last few months it’s stayed roughly the same so obviously isn’t working.

My options seem to be an £1100 loan for 12 months paying £103 a month. This would be affordable and it would then be my only debt and it would come out automatically, I could even over pay to clear it quicker. I would immediately close all the other accounts once paid.

Extend my overdraft to £1000, close the other two accounts and reduce it by £100 a month, I would pay interest each day that I am in it but it isn’t a new account and therefore damaging my credit.

I’ve got my debts down from £10,000 but just can’t shift this last bit.

OP posts:
StylishMummy · 28/07/2021 13:01

Do the loan and close the other accounts. How much are you saving per month towards a house deposit?

Lulola · 28/07/2021 13:15

£200 into the ISA. I can save more when everything is paid off, I pay off £150 from the credit card but then towards the end of the month I do something silly like put a chinese takeaway on it, or a dress that I don’t need and it is stopping me clearing it.

OP posts:
PrincessTilly · 28/07/2021 13:38

Do a budget, see what you can cut down, consider stopping the 200 to the ISA for a month or two, pay off PayPal and overdraft (small wins), concentrate on CC- is there any interest? Can you balance transfer to a zero percent interest card?

Mintjulia · 28/07/2021 13:51

Agree, do a budget.

Look at everything you buy and try to find a lower priced alternative. Be really disciplined for a month and see how much you can save.

Clear two accounts and close them. Keep the credit card but focus on paying it down.

QforCucumber · 28/07/2021 14:05

The 2 debts aren't the big problem (we got a mortgage of 3 x our joint income recently with much higher debts) Our broker said to make sure were stayed out of our overdrafts completely for 3 months before applying as not being able to afford to live within your means and borrowing for the overdraft each month is a bigger issue than having loan repayments.

MrsMoastyToasty · 28/07/2021 14:06

Put all 3 on a zero percent credit card. Don't spend on it. Set up a standing order to come out of your bank account on payday to repay it.

BarbaraofSeville · 28/07/2021 14:07

Avoid the overdraft at all costs. It will be very high interest. You really will be best using your savings to pay off your debts and then saving again as the amount of interest the savings will pay will be tiny compared with that charged on the debts. It really is a no brainer.

Treat topping up your savings like you would have paying off the loan with a regular monthly payment for the next year and you'll be in a better position in a year's time, doing it this way.

Also do a budget like others have said.

Dyrne · 28/07/2021 14:15

Do a budget and put as much spare cash as you can towards the debts.

Stop using your credit card (cut it up if necessary)

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