2013 - Wishing & Hoping

...that I don't get blown off course next year.  By the end of 2013 in theory I should be only a month away from being debt free (due in January 2014) but there are various things that could mess this schedule right up.  They are:

• Mileage claims for job 1 changing - they want to change my expenses base (and that of others too) to a central base I never go to, meaning that instead of having a personal mileage to my existing office (due to shut) of 1 mile each way, and being able to claim for every journey on top of that, I may have a personal mileage of about 30 miles each way.  If this happens it will totally screw me over as I regularly drive journeys around 25-28 miles, which will then come completely out of my pocket.  Add to that 4 years of no cost of living pay increase and it works out as a massive pay cut.  If this happens I would have to pay about £200 a month less on paying off my debts to cover the cost of petrol.  We're fighting this but it could well be imposed anyway.  :(

• Moving house - I mentioned earlier this year that my landlady (and friend) was thinking of selling, but this didn't happen in the end.  However, she is very stressed at work and seeking a new job that would be a demotion, meaning that she will have less money to cover the extra expense of her flat I live in (because of maintenance charges she has to top this up by about £200 a month).  What this means is that I would not only have the stress of moving (and trying to find somewhere that would take me with a cat), but also have to find deposit money for a new place (as she is my friend I never gave her a deposit), and also pay associated costs around hiring a van, etc.

• Redundancy in job 2 - both our nearest stores have recently shut and I fear we may not be too far behind.  They have shut though because either their leases were due for renewal, or they were regularly making a loss.  Our store doesn't make losses, and I don't think our lease is up for renewal soon so fingers crossed...  If I lost this job I would have to cut back on debt payments in order to be able to eat, as my job 1 wage only covers bills and debt payments.

Fingers crossed for a good year 2013 then!  2011 and 2012 were bleak for many reasons; I'm hoping I'm owed a little luck! :)