Edinburgher's balancing act

edinburgher · 1 January 2010 at 2:44PM

A new year, another diary

2010 will hopefully be the year I get debt free and with a little luck move home to Scotland (my GF likes London too, but misses her family). I think I bit off more than I could chew with my last diary (it would have been about a million pages long if I'd kept it up for the originally intended 4 or so years

Old diary:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1318593&highlight=

Debts then = £4861
Debts now = £2516

51.75% paid off last year

Prevailing thought on debt repayments

I'm lucky in that my only remaining debt is in the hands of a DCA and interest is frozen. In that respect there's little point in me paying more than the minimum agreed monthly payment (currently £105). Making these payments will mean that I will still owe £1256 at the end of December 2010 unless I pay extra towards the debts. Which I will do – just on my own terms!

I have set up a new challenge:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2155725&highlight=

and hope to make a !!!!!! offer on the remaining credit card debt when the money in my challenge fund reaches 50% of the outstanding credit card balance.

Any pearls of wisdom or general coaxing towards my goal is appreciated as ever and I will use this diary to record my ramblings as I trudge down the road to financial freedom. This year will be all about balance - getting my debts paid down/off - while enjoying life with my GF and not living like a financial hermit crab.

Happy new year all :wave:

doodledo_2 · 1 January 2010 at 3:11PM

Happy New Year you two x

Subscribed

InaPickle · 1 January 2010 at 4:29PM

Happy New Year, Ed! Have a great, debt-free one!

P.S. Is GF Scottish as well?

edinburgher · 1 January 2010 at 5:00PM

P.S. Is GF Scottish as well?

Yup - we were both born in Glasgow (although I identify more with Edinburgh as I'm all gentrified

)

InaPickle · 1 January 2010 at 6:25PM

edinburgher wrote: »

Yup - we were both born in Glasgow (although I identify more with Edinburgh as I'm all gentrified )

:rotfl:You are probably too posh to talk to me in that case: I shall withdraw my subscription to your thread forthwith...:rotfl:

edinburgher · 1 January 2010 at 6:46PM

You are probably too posh to talk to me in that case

Not at all - I'm just uppity

Resolutions for 2010

Wellbeing

Try and control my temper!
Read one useful book a month (this can be hobby, food, or lifeskills related etc.)
Read two novels a month (I used to love reading and need to get back into it)
Exercise for an hour at least twice a week (even if it's a brisk walk)

Balance

Make sure the laptop is turned off by 8pm on work nights
Start a new hobby (as I'll have Fridays off work from now on)

Love

Minimum of two 'dates' a month with my GF - no more sitting around on our bums all the time!

Cookery and health

Cook one new recipe a week (Out of the comfort zone!)
Cook at least one vegetarian meal a week (no meat, fish or cheese)

doodledo_2 · 1 January 2010 at 8:46PM

Evening Ed I am loving your resolutions, really nice to see some which are going to improve your life/wellbeing. Things such as dates are so important I think, something I realise looking back at my marriage should have happened more. Shall definately be taking that to my next relationship

Laptop off early is another good one when you have a partner I think too

I am going the other way around, I am writing a list of jobs to do each night, may be something trivial like changing the bed up to writing an assignment, but the idea is that the laptop won't go on until whatever jobs I have written in my diary are completed

Now that sounds so anal I know but it's just how my little mind works. I have a fettish for crossing things out lol.

Ooooo 15 mins till 8pm will he be back or has he signed off early

Take care x

edinburgher · 2 January 2010 at 12:32PM

really nice to see some which are going to improve your life/wellbeing

Thanks Doodle! I think so many people on the MSE forums make resolutions/come up with challenges which force them to go cold turkey/give something up/punish themselves. I've been doing that for the last 5-6 years since I realised that I was a problem debtor and decided that it was time to stop beating myself up for the mistakes of youth! I am hoping to change some negative behaviours (like internet obsession and not challenging my boundaries enough), but hope to do so in a positive way which seems more affirmative than just saying 'I won't do this or that'....

Off for some sale shopping today, as I have a few vouchers left (about £15 worth of M&S once I exchange some PJs, £20 to spend in the lovely Lakeland and £40 to spend on clothes). Promise not to laugh, but this is the first time I've had a clothes budget in two years

A new pair of jeans and a pair of trainers are first on the list (I'm ok for tops as Santa and the GF were very kind to me this Christmas).

Looking forward to seeing all my savings DDs kick in tomorrow - 2010 will be the year when I stick to the budget!

doodledo_2 · 2 January 2010 at 3:30PM

I think you are so right its a tricky balance between debt busting and having some form of a life isn't it.

Have fun in the sales, I haven't braved them yet as don't feel its right to put my DD through it so will have a mooch when I am back at work.

edinburgher · 2 January 2010 at 5:05PM

OMG - I had fun in the sales! I hate shopping - 2010 must be a year of change :rotfl: GF devised a wonderful new system whereby she comes 'man shopping' with me, we do any joint shopping in shops we're both interested in and then I go home and she gets on with her 'girl shopping'...

Completed my exchanges at M&S and ended up with a new pair of PJs and some comfy washed out black jeans. Also managed to pick up a nice pair of skate shoes/trainers in Lillywhite's for the bargain price of £21.99. When I think of all the times I spent £65 on trainers in the past I feel a little

Funny story about the trainers - they're the same style as a pair that I lost one of while crowdsurfing at a Blink 182 concert as a hyperactive 16 year old :eek:

We popped into Lakeland as well and picked up a new Pyrex jug (GF does the best scrambled eggs ever), some silicone brushes and spatulas and a toffee making tray (for some reason the GF has decided that she wants to make caramel).

We finished off the shopping with a brief trip to Lush, where I got a cleanser thingy to help sort out my complexion post Christmas blowouts. God - I sound like such a 'new man'

Grabbed a quick coffee and bite to eat at Krispy Kreme and then I trudged home to feed my sealed jar a tenner or so of shrapnel.

Not a bad days shopping for less than £40 (all of which was budgeted for!)

doodledo_2 · 2 January 2010 at 5:18PM

Wow sounds like a fab trip and is it me or are you becoming a little Metrosexual

Awww loved Blink 182 and crowd surfing. Ahhh those were the days, although least you had an excuse at your age I would have been about 25 :rotfl:

Edinburgher's balancing act

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