Milann's loan has got to go......

A question about : Milann's loan has got to go......

I have been following MSE boards for a few years now changed a lot of my ways and was virtually debt free - then I took a loan out a couple of years ago with every intention of getting rid of it quickly with my newly acquired money managing skills - but it just aint happened YET - but that is about to change.......

We were burgled in the summer and a good few years ago we just couldn't afford insurance - so we cancelled it -a decision that came back to bite me on the behind!!! Luckily we were asleep in bed and came to no harm and nothing in the house was ransacked or damaged but the expense and inconvenience of just the few small electrical items, my handbag purse and cards have been an eye opener to what it could have been like!!!! Anyway lessons have been learned - insurance bought and window locks used. Nuff said!!

Whilst having no access to MSE - I have realized how important these boards have been keeping me on track - bad habits are creeping back quickly and need nipping in the bud before they get any worse!!!!

The main things I have changed whilst on my financial journey
- I only use a cc to collect points and pay in full EVERY month
- Menu planning in my way to avoid unnecessary shop visits
- Aim for no spend days - need to aim higher though
- I no longer use my overdraft (before finding MSE my wages use to pay the overdraft then I'd be back at square 1)

So I am pleased with the way I am controlling my cash

BUT..............

I want to get rid of this loan......... I took it out 2 years ago for Ј10,000 and had EVERY intention of paying it off very quickly - but life got in the way - I know - excuses, excuses.........

I reckon I owe just under 6,000 but my yearly statement is due in February so I'll know for sure in a few weeks time. If I can get rid of that in around 18 months I will be 1 happy bunny - that will half the time left. I hoped it would have gone by now but no use crying over spilt milk.

So I am committing to this diary and plan to go back to basics - spending diary, setting myself challenges and any other ideas I can come up with in between - wish me luck

Best answers:

• My aims this week
  - 4/7 nsds - 2/7 so far (starting Monday)
  - store cupboard cooking except milk and fresh fruit
  - get to slimming world target so don't need to pay
  - browse the boards for inspiration
• Hi Milan
  Happy shiny new diary
  I'm with you on SW & getting back to target.
  Not actually sure I can afford to go this week.
  Anyway good to catch up again.
  Take care.
• Well not a good start I'm afraid
  - only managed 2/7 nsds - right need to be positive.......
  start again with positive head on
  - managed 2/7 nsds - I knew it was going to be a tricky week as already had plans which I enjoyed. I had originally intended my new frugal start to be tomorrow soooo I had brought it forward and 2 nsds makes a bonus
  - maintained at sw - so didn't actually move away from my target. 2 lb to go to not having to pay
  - looked at some diaries for inspiration
  Beanie - it horrid when you have put so much work into slimming club and can't afford to go- trouble is at sw if you miss a week and don't book it as a holiday you still have to cough up. I feel as if I'm just throwing a fiver a week away but I am so close again - I am going to crack this - and I really do get something out of staying to group. I still listen to the cd you sent me too which I'm sure has helped
  Things are decidedly glum at work - lots of staff are on temporary contracts, including moi and there is a lot of rumor mongering plus some official comments about lack of funding and staff having to go in next financial budget.........but it's the same everywhere I know - but a little worrying all the same.
  This is my inspiration to get rid of my loan as I suspect I might meet some of the criteria for not being renewed. I am one of the older ones but on a plus am experienced with some of the trickier children. And a tummy op is on the cards, although work do not know this yet, but it will need doing at some point soon - nothing major just a hernia the docs don't want to leave it and I've already stalled them. I am going back in April for doc to place me on list as I said I needed time to think about it last appointment - wishing I'd gone along with docs now
  So this coming week I am
  - aiming for 4/7 nsds
  - going to make a spending plan - something I have never actually done in advance on paper - I have recorded what I have spent once it's gone but not looked at in advance think I'm beginning to realize why I'm still where I am financially - need to know whats going where and why
  - do a store cupboard challenge - I am well stocked but food shopping is defo one of my downfalls
  - look at some of the dfw challenges too
  I used to do some of the Toluna surveys but got sick of being screened out - does anyone know if it has improved at all or is it more worthwhile putting time into other ventures.
  Can anyone remind me how to subscribe to a post on here.....I'm still a technophobe
  Milann
• Just go up to thread tools & you can subscribe from there
• Thanks Beanie - wanted to subscribe to a couple of diaries I was reading in the week and went through all the thingies on the top green line but knew I'd done it before but couldn't for the life of me figure it out. Hopefully I'll be able to find the diaries again.....
  Just been reading all the tributes to Taxi - I'm so mad I didn't have a reliable computer for so many months after having mine stolen - I never got to say how Taxi inspired me and give my condolences to her family.
• Yes, very sobering & sad news.
  Did you follow kissjenn's diary?
• No Beanie - read lots of kissjens posts but never actually followed the diary.
  Soooo today - I have been having an argument with my self and getting nowhere fast with the decision....a small hotel I pass on my way home from work has a small pool and gym -I'm not especially interested in the gym other than the treadmill but I do enjoy swimming. I need to do something to strengthen my tummy muscles but can't do anything too strenuous so swimming is ideal for me. There is a 3 month offer for Ј60 which is a fiver a week. I used to be really good when I was a member at a different place and I passed on my way home but once I'd changed jobs I struggled to get there. If I go to the local pool it works out Ј3 a go at least by the time you pay for parking and entrance fee. If I go twice a week it will pay for itself and I'm only committed for 3 months.
  Sooooo.........half of me says I need to strengthen my tummy ready for hernia op and other half says I want to pay loan off - I can tell I'm a Libran CAN'T make a decision to save my life lol
  Today 1/7 nsds - happy with that
  Tea was from store cupboard - pasta,and I used up some wilting spinach, mushrooms, onion and tomatoes and chopped some cooked chicken into it - delicious and very slimming world friendly too.
  Still haven't got around to making a budget but done lots of thinking about it - if thinking got the job done I'd be an expert.
  Milann
• Well I would say it would be Ј60 well spent.
  At the end of the day your health & wellbeing are every bit as important as debt busting(if not more).It is great that there is no tie in other than the 3 months.
• Just popped over to Kissken's diary - life can be so cruel.
  Think I've made my decision to give the swimming a go. I literally pass the door on my way home and its 10 minute drive (or if I'm particularly energetic a 40 minute walk) from home - I agree Beanie, health is so much more important.
• Good decision I think.
  yes,Kissjenn's son is same age as mine
  I think she is a superstar.
• Didn't realize you had a son Beanie - can't believe both my kids are in their 30's where does time go......
  Decided the swimming can be paid for by slimming world subs - my incentive to lose those last 2 lb........ the final 2 lb loss might actually happen as Christmas cake has finally been eaten - slimming world lady suggested throwing it out but the MSE in me couldn't do it - I paid good money for the ingredients and put love into making it - throw it out - NOT A CHANCE - but I have limited myself to tiny pieces - my halo is glowing as I type.
  I have emptied all the change from my purse into George my pottery cat money box and once George is full I will take change to bank to make an overpayment to loan - I plan an overpayment a week even if it's only tiny - plus I'm hoping to make a bigger one before each payday with any cash left in the account from previous month - told you I was thinking positive thoughts
• still 1/7 nsds - spent Ј3.50 on milk and frozen chips - had intended a nsd but dh asked for fish and chips for tea - just shuffled my nsd to later in week and have what we were going to have tonight another day - no damage done like to keep dh happy as he doesn't ask for much. Tea still ok on sw as I didn't eat batter and only had a few chips in a delicious chip butty - bread as my healthy b choice (just had to count spread)
  MSE things done - put change in George the cat money box and put milk back on shelf in Sainsburys (only went in cos it's round the corner from work) when I realized they wanted Ј1.40..... HOW MUCH - TOO MUCH me thinks........ when I can get it in Morris@ns for 97p - so I did just that - drove past Morris@ns on way home - walked blinkered up and down aisles to milk and bought ONLY milk - feeling rather smug ha ha
  All in all a good day
• - 3/7 nsds so pretty chuffed with that
  - not too chuffed with putting 1 1/2 lb ON at slimming world - now need to lose 3 1/2 before I can go for free again.. think that's going to be my motivation. I'm so close to packing it in and saving the cash but come so far I don't want to - MAD WITH MYSELF!!!
• Looking good for 4/7 nsds - no plans to go out but who knows - maybe I'll get a better offer
  I tried to get onto on line banking last night - since I'd had trouble with the old 'puter I was using after robbing whatnots took mine in the summer I haven't accessed banking on line - so now I have access to a better machine, I phoned sillysantander over a week ago to request new passwords and and asking to have everything set up afresh. I waited for my new codes to arrive in separate envelopes and tired last night - spent over an hour - kept saying codes not recognized so I got on the phone to customer support - and was asked to set up new passwords as my old one had been blocked at my request - ggggrrrrrrrrr - I explained this is what I thought I'd requested the week previously - apparently they had sent SOME new passwords but not the main one to open the account. SO I ranted a bit and threatened to change banks but in fairness the young girl on the phone was trying her best - it's the idiot I spoke to last time that didn't listen to what I'd asked for..........so now I'm waiting for about another week before I can try and access my account to do some number crunching and make overpayments - so annoying when I'm on a roll......... my enthusiasm doesn't usually last for long.
  If it doesn't work next time I will change accounts but have just taken out insurance with them with a discount because I have their account.
• I am the same weight wise.
  Such a bleeping waste of money that I don't have.
  But for me if I stop going it is the slippery slope...........
• Ooohh I know exactyl where you are coming from with that thought. I had been so on plan until yesterday - this was going to be IT lol......then.....there is quite a bit of agro and staff changes happening at work and I offered to stay (unpaid) to help a friend out and she got the chocolates out - healthy eating out of the window and I haven't been much better today so I suspect I'll have undone all my good work..... could kick myself. If I'd have come home I would have kept at it... but hey no good crying over spilt milk or eaten chocolate.
  I managed my 4/7 nsds last week so pretty pleased with that - I went shopping on Sunday and spent Ј65 which was more than I'd planned but I go lots of offers and some reductions -freezers and cupboards are full to overflowing and I haven't spent since so 3/7 so far this week Not sure if I should tempt fate and predict I won't need an big spends for a couple of weeks - this should easily save me enough cash for train tickets to London for granny cuddles during half term.
  Getting a bit frustrated waiting for my yearly statement for my loan and s@ntander to send me new passwords for t'internet - I'm desperate to number crunch.........
• 5/7 nsds this week - pretty pleased with that and 1 of them was for Valantine's Day - I forgotten to take something special out of the freezer so bought some nice goodies instead - but can fall back on freezer another time
  Ha done really well for 5 days with slimming world then life took over and I hit the chocolates at work - just because they were there and it had been a stressy few days. I'd maintained but am no closer to my target!!
  This week so far so good - hoping to go for a nice walk tomorrow if it stops raining.........
• Lost 1lb so I am getting there with slimming world. I am going to dds next week so by the following week I want to be at my target and can put my 4.95 a week toward my loan.
  Still waiting for my statement to arrive for my loan but it should definitely be here by this time next week.
  We went to cinema last night and had a meal at Wetherspoons first so I spent Ј30 but we had a lovely meal, desert, wine and coffee and had bogof at cinema so was a lovely treat and well worth it. It feels like ages since I went out with dh.
  It is half term next week and I have a couple of outings planned but will be taking picnic lunch for at least one of them so I can stay mse and slimming world friendly. I will be going to dds so have spent Ј60 on train tickets to London and back. I will try and keep spends as low as possible but not sure how things will pan out........... we shall see!!
• Trip to dds was lovely - although there was a massive delay on the train on the way home - so I have put in for a refund on my train ticket - just waiting t see what the outcome will be - but since there were no trains in or out of Euston that evening for a couple of hours I'm fairly hopeful
  I was chuffed to lose 31/2 lb at slimming world this week - pity I put 3 on last week though .......just 2 lb till I reach target and don't have to pay. I treated myself to a pair of new jeans from S@insbury's last week and they were the smallest size I have EVER bought. That has spurred me on better than anything. I'm not going to wear them until I get the last 2lb off - and then I'll go and spend some birthday vouchers I've been saving and spend my fiver a week from slimming world to replenish my clothes that are getting very tatty and forlorn - I need a boost...........
  I finally got my yearly loan statement and it was just over 6 grand - I have made another scheduled payment and an overpayment of Ј50 so am now Ј5900 ish not got the exact figure infront of me - but I'm through the 6 grand barrier.
  All is going in the right direction - so things are looking good