Another wet and wintry day in the UK and yet another visit to the library.... and behold lots of empty computers so I shell be able to get my 120 minute quote in full today. I have even brought a packed lunch to save some money!... well really it's because I totally blew my £5 a day budget on Monday when I had lunch with a friend (and of cause I paid), so now I am left with only two £5 notes and some copper to last me until Saturday.
Something good to note is that I have been able to clear my tax bill and so my next pay cheque and all from now on will be going to reduce my debt. Last year I got it down to under £8K which was great but now I need to get it below £7k before I can start to celebrate again.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
January Update
Yep, at the library again and my time is almost up so I will have to be very brief.
Tax Owing £1,828.95 To clear this by end of month
Credit Card 1 £4,155.95 minimum payment only /need to reduce the interest on this
Credit Card 2 £3,278.19 minimum payment only
Credit Card 3 £ 670.77 minimum payment only /plan to clear this in Feb
Flexiloan £1,386.74 minimum payment only /plan to pay half of this off in Feb
I didn't have the time to do an update for December and this one looks bad after last year's success at getting the debt down. Like some others who PF blog I find it hard to cancel my credit once I have cleared the account but really need to do this to get out of debt.
"Great news! As a valued customer of XXXXXXXXX, we are pleased to be able to double your credit limit ...... to help you make the most of your card."
Now I know we are in a credit crisis (aka a credit crunch) and here in the UK we are in recession, the banks aren't lending and so credit is tight etc, so how come little ol' me is still being offered credit? When I checked my online banking for another account, I found that I have a special deal loan offer available. It really is all quite mad. I am one of the lucky ones and not effected by the credit crunch (so far anyway). But there is credit around in small amounts I guess.
Tuesday, 6 January 2009
2009 Goals
The big goal is to get debt free and this is the year!!
My major for the month of January is to pay off my tax payment by the 31st January, so by avoiding any interest chargers. To do this I will only be able to pay minim payments on all my cards etc, but this will all change in February when I should be able to clear my smallest credit card balance and also clear at least half of my flexiloan account. (Yes I know that I had clear both of these last year - grrrr!).
By March I should be down to only two credit cards and probably wanting a holiday somewhere warm? I know myself so well! My job is currently seven days a week and although I am getting time off most days it is not the same as having weekends off each week. The ideal holiday would be ten days in Turkey, where I could complete my scuba diving course. Of cause I would have to take my godson as he also wants to complete his "open water" dive course also and I would be paying for his trip as well. Gosh it all costs money doesn't it.
I would like to be able to clear my debts by July as I have promised my Mums I would come home for a long visit, which is not going to happen if I am still paying off debt.
Having read a book about a women who lived a year on a pound a day - I have been looking at my own spending which I have decide to reduce to £5 a day. Where I am now living that is going to be interesting, everything is so expensive and lunch at a cafe costs a minim of £5 (unless I have fried chicken everyday at £2.85 - not really the healthy opinion) and it is way to cold to be buying lunch at Waitrose and eating it outside.
Well these are my goals for 2009 - need to flesh them out and all that but so far they are very "do able". Now will have to get on and make it happen.....
My major for the month of January is to pay off my tax payment by the 31st January, so by avoiding any interest chargers. To do this I will only be able to pay minim payments on all my cards etc, but this will all change in February when I should be able to clear my smallest credit card balance and also clear at least half of my flexiloan account. (Yes I know that I had clear both of these last year - grrrr!).
By March I should be down to only two credit cards and probably wanting a holiday somewhere warm? I know myself so well! My job is currently seven days a week and although I am getting time off most days it is not the same as having weekends off each week. The ideal holiday would be ten days in Turkey, where I could complete my scuba diving course. Of cause I would have to take my godson as he also wants to complete his "open water" dive course also and I would be paying for his trip as well. Gosh it all costs money doesn't it.
I would like to be able to clear my debts by July as I have promised my Mums I would come home for a long visit, which is not going to happen if I am still paying off debt.
Having read a book about a women who lived a year on a pound a day - I have been looking at my own spending which I have decide to reduce to £5 a day. Where I am now living that is going to be interesting, everything is so expensive and lunch at a cafe costs a minim of £5 (unless I have fried chicken everyday at £2.85 - not really the healthy opinion) and it is way to cold to be buying lunch at Waitrose and eating it outside.
Well these are my goals for 2009 - need to flesh them out and all that but so far they are very "do able". Now will have to get on and make it happen.....
Friday, 2 January 2009
January 31st
January is always overshadowed by the last day of the month - January 31st is one of the two dreaded dates for those of us self-employed souls, here in the UK. That big bill, which becomes due for the upcoming tax year is hanging there, waiting to pounce. And I am sure that the good folk at Her Majesty's revenues and customs are practicing their speed dialing techniques in readiness for the February 1st. As I have already had my taxes calculated by the IRD, I have thereby avoided the £100 fine for being late but I have a bill of £108 owing from the previous year and £1,720.95 due for the first half of 2009.
In total that will put my debts up to over £11k again but I plan to have it all cleared by the end of the month. Everything else will have to just have to make do with minimum payments.
I haven't had the time to read many post from all my favourite PF bloggers so I wonder how everyone else is doing.
I had a very cheap Christmas/New Year season and am really feeling the lack of internet, as I can't keep intouch with my friends etc. The library is ok but isn't open everyday and is no comparison to having online access at home.
Hope everyone is doing ok and really to face what ever the coming year has to throw at us all!
In total that will put my debts up to over £11k again but I plan to have it all cleared by the end of the month. Everything else will have to just have to make do with minimum payments.
I haven't had the time to read many post from all my favourite PF bloggers so I wonder how everyone else is doing.
I had a very cheap Christmas/New Year season and am really feeling the lack of internet, as I can't keep intouch with my friends etc. The library is ok but isn't open everyday and is no comparison to having online access at home.
Hope everyone is doing ok and really to face what ever the coming year has to throw at us all!
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