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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
Happy New Year to readers old & new! Well, it's time for a new chapter. My old diary ("Put away your purse & become debt averse") achieved pretty much what I intended. I shared the story of how I got into debt at the age of 19 & stayed that way until a pretty enormous lightbulb pinged on during my early 40s, I've shared…
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2020++ - smiling and waving and looking so fine
Hello welcome to my shiny new 5 years (I hope) diary. The title is based on my favourite lyric from the Bowie song 5 years - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bcnO3VQ_fc - I commend you to go and have a listen - its the live Old Grey Whistle Test version and is hauntingly beautiful. Why a 5 year diary - well its is…
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2025 - A Year of Saying NO
I am £10,000.00 in debt and 33 pounds overweight and it stops right now!!!! No more, enough is enough. The tide has turned and money is going to start flowing back to me and fat will gently slide off my body, leaving the healthy, wealthy and wise woman that I am destined to be to emerge ...... the phoenix soars in 2025. It…
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Must try harder!
To echo the words of many a school report, I must try harder! My dad often quoted ‘a fool and his money are soon parted’ and it’s taken many years and losing my dear dad before I really took it to heart that I am that fool. My position isn’t terrible, but I’m terrible with money. I often get to the middle of the month with…
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Debt free by 30!?
I’ve been frantically reading lots of diaries over the past few days (and years!!!) and decided it’s time to start my own. I’m staring into the future and realising I’ve got 15 months until I turn 30 and need to get my !!!!!! together! Background: I’m a mum of 2 (4 and 10 months) and I’ve got a few weeks until I go back to…
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misstara's debt diary 2024
I've decided it's time to start a new diary as the old one has been on the go for a number of years and I feel a fresh start would be good especially since I have less than £600 left to pay off the credit card. I'm hoping to stay debt free this time and hoping a new diary will keep me focused on this. My first diary was…
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The Three C's - Coffee, Clothes & Credit Cards
I'm back again and I thought I would start a new fresh diary. Life has been hectic for me in the last 6 months with some unexpected expenses that have sadly led to me getting into some more debt. Fortunately it is all on 0% credit cards and I plan to tackle it £1 at a time. Technically I do have enough in savings to cover…
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Need to stop spending and chasing dopamine!
Hello! I’m creating this diary to hold me accountable, as I’ve been trying to pay this debt off for 3 years now and I just keep kicking the can down the road so to speak. The good news is it’s all on 0% interest. The bad news is I need to have the most boring year next year (aside from a holiday) to be able to pay it all…
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Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations
Time, I think, to start a new diary. My first was about removing our debts, paying off our mortgage and working towards, and through, the first few years of not working. I don't call it retirement at that point, because a wealth of volunteer activities were taken on or continued, and a number of hobbies aspired to or taken…
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Flying solo
I previously had a diary (well actually I've a few) but in June I had a big life shift which meant I disappeared for a while! I've had a few attempts at trying to pay off debt, made great progress and then progress stopped and the debt increased again. But this time I seriously mean business and I am determined to get this…
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2025 WILL be the year
Hi all I've started so many diaries over many years, and have managed to get myself out of debt and back in so many times that I am fed up with it now. So, 2025 WILL be the year I crack this - starting now! About me - homeowner (mortgage free, at least I cracked that one!), live with DH and DS. Work full time with an…
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The Mental Debt Struggle...
I've known that this diary needed to be started... But I've run away from the idea as the accountability made me nervous and I didn't think anyone would want to read it. But then I realised it would be financially and mentally therapeutic for me, and that's the whole point after all. I've read other diaries and gained so…
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When it's good, it's fun. When it's bad, it's funny.
Aaaand herein begins my new diary, where I hope to capture the ups and downs of the journey. In other areas, it's been fun to read things back several years later and experience those "oh, yeah!" moments, so hopefully that will be the case here. As of 01/11/24 I have cleared a 0% balance transfer card within the 3 month…
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Weight loss and healthy eating for a debt free life
I've been thinking about this for a while and I've seen a few other people mention weight loss so I wondered if we should have a thread. There's a giving up alcohol one but obviously we can't give up food. I also realise that not everyone with a food buying problem is overweight. I overbuy and some of the overbuying was…
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First timer seeking accountability
Hi all! 👋 Firstly I am a long time lurker 👀 first time poster. Little obligational background for context: 32 year old married mum of 3 aged almost 18, 8 and almost 3! Was in an abusive relationship from age 13 until I managed to flee with my son in 2010. Met my now husband late 2011 and the rest is history. We have two…
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A whole new world, for now
So, here’s the new thread I’ve been promising myself for a few months. My old one, that served me so well, is https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4855808 A potted history of me. I’m 49, live in NI with OH, DD and dog and DS is London based. Have been in debt for a lot of my life and came here post personal debt…
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Moving on with things
I have debated posting this for a few days or so. One of the main reasons I wanted to post an update is because recently I said goodbye to my car for good having made the decision to lease another electric car through my business. A decision I simply think I wouldn’t have made without having been on here. My wife and I are…
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We will get this debt down & the savings up
Several years ago I joined MSE with a different user name, but then it all went a bit wrong with losing job and other things, so I sort of fell by the wayside. Now I have created a new profile and am starting again with more determination. I have read so many people's diaries and can see that it helps you focus and it is…
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Redemption - The journey of a recovering gambling addict.
Ok. Here goes. This is my journal on my journey to redemption. First post is to outline my current situation. Salary- £75k + Married Two Children Personal Debts Bank Loan 1 CAR - £20433 - £352 4.3% Debt Consolidation Loan £10,344 £153 5.2% MBMA - £4300 - 0% 14 months NatWest £3000 - 0% 12 months I have told my wife…
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Frugal, thrifty, make do, mend! Let this debt come to an end!
Hello all, So by my reckoning, that magic spell in the title should take about 4 years and 4 months to take effect at current debt repayment and spending rates. :rotfl:. However, there is no harm in trying to help things along a little, is there? I am recently divorced and live on my own in a rented house with my 2 cats.…