A trilogy in seven parts.....hypno's latest efforts

After 4000 ish posts on my latest diary, it seems right to start the next chapter in the diary of a debt free wannabe "lifer".......well, it feels like a prison sentence sometimes! We have been in debt for soooo long now, shackled by it somewhat......but debt freedom is knocking at our door (well, it might not be THAT close, but it is certainly turning into our road and heading in the right general direction!).

For anyone remotely interested, or who has been instructed by their GP to take several days' bed rest with their only entertainment to be the reading of mind numbing online diaries of a skint person.......the story of my quest for debt freedom is chronicled thus:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

And here we are on chapter 7..........:eek:

In a nutshell then......I'm skint, have been for a long time, will be for some time to come. I have two teenagers with very expensive sporting pastimes that I somehow manage to work into my budgets.......I have a long suffering OH who works double shifts most days of the week without complaint, but who generally leaves the money side of the household to me entirely. I work full time as a stockbroker, but contrary to popular belief do not earn a six figure salary, do not get big bonuses, do not drive a porsche, own a holiday home or send my children to private school.

We live in an ordinary house in an ordinary village, sending the children to an ordinary (but very good) village high school, and we earn a very ordinary salary, despite the good jobs and the double shifts.....

The debt started out at over £100k, and is now about £33k, so we are well on the way to leading a "normal" life again!

We have done this by hard work, determination, and making the necessary adjustments in our lifestyles.......we have rented out our spare room for the last 5 years, we have worked extra jobs for as long as I can remember, we don't have family holidays (although we have booked one for this summer ), we don't have sky, have sold the second car, we eat basic food - lots of pasta because it is filling and cheap, I use quidco, do scratchcards, and have had my fill of ebay, car boots and the like. I have been both the beneficiary and the donor of "hand me down" clothes with other DFWers, and am thoroughly grateful for all the help and support that these forums have given me over the last few years.

But, there is still some way to go, and I lack motivation frequently - I need those kicks up the backside, I need the challenges, and I need to revisit some of the basic MSE/DFW stuff.....

So.....the plan of action for the next few months is to go back to basics a bit. I need to get back into the habit of meal planning and shopping old style. I need to get my budgets into a realistic order. I need to know exactly what I am spending and what I should be spending. All the stuff that I did without a thought before, and that has either slipped or is in danger of slipping.

Oh, and I am running a marathon at the weekend.........well, it gets me out of the housework again:rotfl:

So, the kettle is on.......I can't promise biscuits, but you are welcome to bring your own