A question about : Update from Lynzpower
Edit- just found my original thread 
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....html?t=154934
Sorry to steal your thunder Scottish Spendaholic, but Ive been thinking about how I dont have one of these mini-blogs and it might help my motivation, which is well on the wane at the mo. As I have some time, Im going to start from the beginning as best as I can, and just use this as a blog as from now.
I came here in March, when my lightbulb was on full beam.
Since my arrival - I have:
cancelled my lovefilm subs & done some quidco tarting( saving 15 a month)
cancelled some ridiculous BT call package we never used ( 17 a month)
bought a digi box (21)
cancelled my mobile phone insurance (5 a month)
got a 0% card from egg & cleared remaining balances on 2 other cards & closed
Started the grocery challenge ( from 75 a week to 25 a week)
Started my claims for bank charges (157 back from one, about to claim for 1175 from Lloyds)
Got Primus 2 as my call carrier for free.
OPened a joint saving account ( currently with 100 in it)
Bought some premium bonds with OH from some money we got for our engagement (100)
Done a car boot sale ( raising 160)
Sold 3 books on green metropolis so far (11.50)
Madly started with quidco ( about a £100 tracking)
Carried on with my yougov surveys ( about £25 in there, slow though)
Sold loads of stuff on ebay ( circa £300)
Got a lodger again, bringing in 500 pcm.
Overpaying my remaining barclaycard at balance is about 300 now, not long to go..
Got OH to set up DD for the money he owes me at a fiver a week direct to my CC.
Cancelled the text plans off my mobile ( saving 15 a month)
Changed my electricity supplier to Ecotricity, which seems to be half what I paid with Npower 
and nice & green too!
Changing my bank to A&L
( any more suggestions of money saving greatly recieved, of course 
)
As some of you may have read yesterday, we have had some bad news about my health, thought a lot of stuff through, and we have decided to sell the flat and rent for a while. We will probably put the flat on the market in August. She says. If all the sums we've done stack up we should have 20k in the bank of equity, then save about 420 a month in mortgage payments/insurances/ assurance etc. We then will use our growing equity to put down a bigger deposit when we eventually choose to buy again. This seems like the best plan all round, and we are very keen on this. Now need to get the money together for the moving, my lodgers income should cover it...
Losing momentum recently like SS, and a few others, nipping to the shop and buying the loaf & spending £8. All going a bit wrong in that dept.
But the budget is holding up for now. I have been within my overdraft twice since March, which is unheard of for me, I am getting there!!!
I dont have a DFD, as I started to have one, based on the lodgers income, but as we dont know how long we will be living here nbow the date is moving right back. It could have been october, but Im thinking now its more likely to be march. But thats still OK. Ha! A few short weeks ago having a debt free date was something Id never even conceptualised- it all seemed so impossible. Everything apart from the last 300 on my b/card & my student loans is 0%... happy times.
Todays tasks:
Check bank accounts
Call bank & ask them to deliver my card to the flat as Im off work
See if I can list the 2 new things on ebay Ive photographed but cant get the camera to work
Do filing
Write cheque for the electricity bill.
Scrabble around to see if Ive got the cash for the moneyclaim on my 0% card. I hope I do 
Call up everyone & tell them Ive changed my bank account as of the 20th of next month.
take to post office book sold on GM
Post on here idly all day ( most achievable )
Cheers for getting to the end of this, its really for me more than anyone else to keep track of my achievements, however small
Also to add, thanking each and everyone of you for your harsh but fair words, and your encouragement in tough times. Thanks to all for giving me my financial life back, and enabling me to take control YOU ARE ALL STARS 
Lynz
x
Best answers:
- Hey Lynzpower
Lynzpower you are making huge strides towards becoming debt free - you are amazing and such an inspiration. You always have buckets of good advice too - thanks for your pm's. AGAIN (I keep saying this at the moment) take stock, truly take in what you have achieved and give yourself a pat on the back!
A little heads up here. Have you opened a first direct account - they give you Ј50 if you sign up! https://www.firstdirect.com/bankaccou..._account.shtml
And don't forget your name 'Lynzpower' - that's P - O - W - E - R POWER!! (said teenage mutant ninja turtle stylee!)
You can do it!
Annie - Hi Lynzpower.
You are doing really well, especially if you have just received some bad news!! It does just go to show that you never know what's around the corner & being MS helps because it means that when something unexpected is thrown in your path, you CAN deal with it. Your health is more important - you will reach your DFD soon enough, but if its put back by just a few months what does it matter!!
You do give fab advice to everyone on here & I love reading your posts too!!
Take care of yourself - things will work out, just dont be too hard on yourself!! - Another great post Lynzpower!
I think that you are doing fantastically well - Yep we opened the first direct account for our savings, although we are not putting our salaries in it ( far too messy) so they wont give us the £50, although we did get £45 tracked from quidco for doing it so aint all bad news
"In a flat far far away, Lynzpower plots her revenge against the companies she was too dumb to realise have been exploiting her for so many years, raises her pen to the sky and proclaims "I shall take on this debt & wipe the floor with it mwahahahahaha"
Dont worry bout me I can still smile, I might be ill, but Im not dead, and while theres fight in me, I will fight!! - What's a mini blog?
- hi lynzpower,
wow, you have done loads!! Well done! I am sorry to hear about the bad news regarding your health, I hope you're ok.
A couple of things:
1. First Direct- do you have to pay your salary in? I have opened an account and I am going to pay my salary in there but I am sure that I saw on the T&Cs that to qualify you had to have £500 in your account on 31/05/06. FD messed my form up so I didn't have time to change my bank details with work so my salary isn't going in there this month. Maybe worth checking.
2. ecotricity- I have never heard of them, do they cover all areas? I am in SE London. I am trying to do my bit too! - Yep, ecotricity is nationwide.
I found out yesterday you can give £15 to the green party by going through this link https://www.greenparty.org.uk/services
Or directly if you didnt want to donate to the green party www.ecotricity.co.uk
AFAIK they cover all areas, Im in east london and it wasnt even questioned, so I guess it is.
TBH the 1st direct has been nothing but a naff around for us. And the amount of leaflets & pointless paperwork is a big for me. The interest rate is pants as well. We just wanted the free money, but we will be closing it fairly soon, there isnt much point to be honest.
At PP, blog , is like an online diary, I think i shgould take the word mini out, i expect this will be epic! - Just want to say well done Lynzpower. I always look out for your posts as they always make me smile. You are a very inspiring person and I wish you the best of luck x
- Where would I do a blog lynz?
- Start a new thread, or if you wanted you could look at blogspot ( do a google!)
Ok, todays update is
1) about to go out & post the book
2) do have enough cash on my egg card - so my debt will go up in my sig later today, to cover for the money claim - ah well, gotta be done! - Hey Lynz,
Don't worry, you didn't steal my thunder and thanks so much for your post on my thread.
I've been thinking a lot about your over the past 24 hours and am so glad that you have made a decision to sell up - it really sounds like the best idea there is. I hope that you are not feeling too rough - and don't push yourself too hard - how about having a couple of days just to recharge and not do any MSE or O/S stuff but stay in the mindset (can you tell this is how I am feeling too?)
Sorry - I didn't mean to make this post about me - I just wanted to give you my love and support. You really are a big help to this board and an inspiration.
Love
scottishspendaholic x - Cheers SS
Personally, Ive done my crying for now. Besides theres nothing cr==er than looking at yourself in the mirror after youve been crying, going not only do my clothes look like rags, but I look like a dog as well.
Cos Im not at work for a few days, i thought well I'll get what i need to do done, and then i wont feel like things are sliding. However, this weekend we are going to a wedding in a lovely place, rooms being paid for by my very generous parents, and the hotel is superposh and has a spa/sauna/ swim/ gym etc so dont you worry I'll make the most of that. So that will be gorgeous. We cant wait. And best of all were not paying for it - lynzpower
you are truly and inspiring poster. you've done amazingly wells since you've had your lightbulb moment. we all have our little slips, but seems even then you've gotten up from that rather quickly.
it's great to read your story. shows that becoming debt free is very achieveable once you're ready to put in some work.
sorry you've had bad health news, but you've got an indomitable spirit which is what matters the most. continue to be a shining light. - Heres a tip lol check your accounts regualrly. I havent been checking my rent & bills account as it just "ticks over" but of course this hasnt happened, as screenselect chose to charge me even though I cancelled in the free period, and thus my account went over drawn incurring 30.00 of charges. Of course I'll be asking for these back, but grr, it means Im going to have to find a further 30 quid from somewhere to top the account up in the interim.
Damn! - Really pleased to see that you have a lovely w/e planned (dead jealous of the spa bit...get some bubbles for me in a glass & the jacuzzi!)...look at how much you've achieved in such a short time and no wonder you feel so pooped, regardless of health issues on top! Just keep on plugging away at whats left & it will be done as soon as you know it, esp when you sell the flat! Big hugs & go easy/be gentle on yourself!
- just wanted to second all these posts - and say thanks for the great advice you've given me and others. And wow you've done a hell-of-a-lot of MSE stuff so far - excellent progress!!
- Hey lynz....you sound like you are in an "up and at 'em" frame of mind today. Good one.
I was reading through your "What I have done so far" (since March!) and it just kept going...and going....and going...
Superb.
I so pleased you are going away to a posh hotel with all those facilities. You'd just better make the most of it! Criminal if you don't.
L.A.x - Hi Lynz
I just want to say well done on what you have achieved and thanks for the advice and support
J
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