Downgrade your car to become debt-free?
Discussion
te.Is the £1,700 debt "interest free"? If not, pay it off. It's expensive money.
My sole aim now, due to being a nob and living outside of my means, is to pay off debts ASAP. No debts gives you choice - to varying degrees - which to me, is the path to happiness and is slightly easier to achieve than having so much money that debts don't matter (if that makes sense).
What else would you do with the money? Or do you mean you'd just keep the Focus.
Would the purchase of the 306 leave you enough to maintain it?
My sole aim now, due to being a nob and living outside of my means, is to pay off debts ASAP. No debts gives you choice - to varying degrees - which to me, is the path to happiness and is slightly easier to achieve than having so much money that debts don't matter (if that makes sense).
What else would you do with the money? Or do you mean you'd just keep the Focus.
Would the purchase of the 306 leave you enough to maintain it?
Whilst not a large debt, the fact you're not keeping up and a baby will arrive soon would be of more concern.
Try to find or work your way towards a better paying job. Review contraception arrangements. Check if you are eligible for a council house or any benefits. Sell the car entirely, move to somewhere near to facilities/work, cancel everything optional.
Try to find or work your way towards a better paying job. Review contraception arrangements. Check if you are eligible for a council house or any benefits. Sell the car entirely, move to somewhere near to facilities/work, cancel everything optional.
The £1700 is...
£1000 credit card with my bank account. Had got this down to £800 last year but only been able to make minimum payments since and it's gone up again after a couple of purchases (bad ideas)
£350 overdraft
£300 on a store card (stupid, stupid thing)
Obviously the best answer is to be more disciplined with my income. Trouble is, I need every spare quid I can get my hands on right now, it would make life feel a lot easier without these debts hanging over me.
As it stands, here today, right now, I have no money on me whatsoever and that which is in my account is all spoken for. If something went wrong now I'd be phoning around my family asking for financial help. That's what scares me.
£1000 credit card with my bank account. Had got this down to £800 last year but only been able to make minimum payments since and it's gone up again after a couple of purchases (bad ideas)
£350 overdraft
£300 on a store card (stupid, stupid thing)
Obviously the best answer is to be more disciplined with my income. Trouble is, I need every spare quid I can get my hands on right now, it would make life feel a lot easier without these debts hanging over me.
As it stands, here today, right now, I have no money on me whatsoever and that which is in my account is all spoken for. If something went wrong now I'd be phoning around my family asking for financial help. That's what scares me.
I've tried putting a baby (my nephew) in the back of a 5-door and found it a hassle though. The doors are so tiny, you can't get in front of the seat, you're side-on. Reaching over the baby to strap them in was a mission!
Plus we have one of those rapid isofix bracket things, which means the seat clips in and out without involving the belt. Provided the car has isofix, it should be a doddle.
Plus we have one of those rapid isofix bracket things, which means the seat clips in and out without involving the belt. Provided the car has isofix, it should be a doddle.
Selling the Focus would make sound finacial sense to me. I have always had a car as a toy/project as its my hobby and a dirt cheap run about to crunch the miles and get from A to B. Most of these were less then £500 and if you buy sensibly you'll do fine.
I'd suggest looking for something from the likes of the VAG stable, BMW, SAAB, Volvo this kind of thing. You get a great deal of car for your cash and they take the years well and still feel great even now. Plenty of space for Baby and normally very reliable. Just remember its not the age of the car but the life its led.
I'd suggest looking for something from the likes of the VAG stable, BMW, SAAB, Volvo this kind of thing. You get a great deal of car for your cash and they take the years well and still feel great even now. Plenty of space for Baby and normally very reliable. Just remember its not the age of the car but the life its led.
C.A.R. said:
The £1700 is...
£1000 credit card with my bank account. Had got this down to £800 last year but only been able to make minimum payments since and it's gone up again after a couple of purchases (bad ideas)
£350 overdraft
£300 on a store card (stupid, stupid thing)
Obviously the best answer is to be more disciplined with my income. Trouble is, I need every spare quid I can get my hands on right now, it would make life feel a lot easier without these debts hanging over me.
As it stands, here today, right now, I have no money on me whatsoever and that which is in my account is all spoken for. If something went wrong now I'd be phoning around my family asking for financial help. That's what scares me.
All of those are going to be subject to interest (probably thumping interest too, seeing as they're "convenient" debts rather than fixed-term loans and such like). Paying the minimum on those cards means it's going to cost you a LOT more than £1,700 to pay it all back. I doubt the overdraft is much cheaper.£1000 credit card with my bank account. Had got this down to £800 last year but only been able to make minimum payments since and it's gone up again after a couple of purchases (bad ideas)
£350 overdraft
£300 on a store card (stupid, stupid thing)
Obviously the best answer is to be more disciplined with my income. Trouble is, I need every spare quid I can get my hands on right now, it would make life feel a lot easier without these debts hanging over me.
As it stands, here today, right now, I have no money on me whatsoever and that which is in my account is all spoken for. If something went wrong now I'd be phoning around my family asking for financial help. That's what scares me.
If you pay it off, presumably you'll get the minimum payments you're currently making "back". This could be disposable income for you - if you've managed to live with them being spoken for. Or, they could be savings - as a buffer or for when you want to make a purchase.
For the record - I'd LOVE my debts to be "only" £1,700. Mine are many, many multiples of that! (not moaning, my fault and all that, just sayin')
Clear your debts for the baby's sake. Whatever car you drive will have to take 2nd priority until you sort your finances out to a point where you can afford something nicer. Learn the lesson about living within your means and move on, there's plenty of time to own a car you want, for the meantime drive a car that will cost you as little as possible.
C.A.R. said:
I've tried putting a baby (my nephew) in the back of a 5-door and found it a hassle though. The doors are so tiny, you can't get in front of the seat, you're side-on. Reaching over the baby to strap them in was a mission!
Plus we have one of those rapid isofix bracket things, which means the seat clips in and out without involving the belt. Provided the car has isofix, it should be a doddle.
Fairynuff but I'm not sure and older 306 will have isofix?Plus we have one of those rapid isofix bracket things, which means the seat clips in and out without involving the belt. Provided the car has isofix, it should be a doddle.
I personally hate getting mine into our 3 door Focus and you need to clamber in behind the front seat to get them plugged in. I'm a lanky bugger though which doesn't help.
Good luck whatever you do anyway.
Someone raised a good point - an old car will invariably need more money spending on it.
At present the Focus is costing me nothing but fuel, tax and insurance to run. Nothing is wrong with it. An older car is more likely to have problems, but surely if I buy wisely then this won't be a concern? Plus, being old, it should be quite easy/cheap to maintain.
Sounds like I'm trying to convince myself again.
At present the Focus is costing me nothing but fuel, tax and insurance to run. Nothing is wrong with it. An older car is more likely to have problems, but surely if I buy wisely then this won't be a concern? Plus, being old, it should be quite easy/cheap to maintain.
Sounds like I'm trying to convince myself again.
Im in the same boat. Sell my £4k Astra and either use that money to buy a TT or Cooper S, or pay off the outstanding 2k loan and leave myself 2k to buy something cheap and cheerful to drive about in and be loan free.
Issue is I have turned 30, and the small fun cars i like are normally favoured by the youth of today, or very leggy. Only thing I liked was a Mk4 GTI
Issue is I have turned 30, and the small fun cars i like are normally favoured by the youth of today, or very leggy. Only thing I liked was a Mk4 GTI
Didn't realise things were so tight for you. You know where we are if you need anything (not very PH but hey ho)
306's are getting old now, as you know. Ours is starting to throw a few bigger bills at us now and we're weighing up moving it on. It doesn't have isofix and was maintained regardless of cost its entire life so isn't a "typical" example that's been abused and ruined. £1700 is not a huge amount but if the Focus really is worth what you reckon it is I'd be tempted to shift it and buy something like a 406 that's that bit newer for a couple of grand. Life is too short to be worrying about money especially with all the other life changes you've got happening and at the end of the day your baby is a million times more important than interesting cars. There will be plenty of time for that.
Four doors WILL make life a million times easier. Remember to put the child locks on though, no fun when the little darling works out how to open the door while you're driving through traffic
306's are getting old now, as you know. Ours is starting to throw a few bigger bills at us now and we're weighing up moving it on. It doesn't have isofix and was maintained regardless of cost its entire life so isn't a "typical" example that's been abused and ruined. £1700 is not a huge amount but if the Focus really is worth what you reckon it is I'd be tempted to shift it and buy something like a 406 that's that bit newer for a couple of grand. Life is too short to be worrying about money especially with all the other life changes you've got happening and at the end of the day your baby is a million times more important than interesting cars. There will be plenty of time for that.
Four doors WILL make life a million times easier. Remember to put the child locks on though, no fun when the little darling works out how to open the door while you're driving through traffic
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