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2026: The Final Year
Hello debt free wannabeeees! It's been a while since I have been on this board. We paid off our debts a few years ago. I then started a Mortgage-free diary of which I have since paused, as we then decided life was a bit too short and wanted to do some other things first. Well, we now both want to get going towards…
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Moving on
Welcome to my new thread: my old one is here: Cherry takes the reins — MoneySavingExpert Forum and my very old one is here: Coffee and chocolate — MoneySavingExpert Forum Quite a lot changed in 2023, and now it's time to move on. I left the job and career path I'd followed for many years and don't feel I can or should go…
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A new chapter, An empty nest, Drama school & Last year of Uni
I've been on these boards for many years and a long time ago did start a diary when we'd had a windfall and cleared some debt and I'm not sure what happened but 'life' got in the way. Today starts a new chapter of my life as my youngest has just left home (albeit temporarily) for her to access a drama course in a different…
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My Off-grid and need to be frugal diary
New year, new start - trying to save in 2025.
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YNAB robber needs help to execute the plan
Right, I am going to finally start a diary on here. I am being supported financially by my OH to allow me to help my sister care for my 90 year old father. I have an expensive event in Feb that I need to save for. I have been using YNAB since Feb so I have an accurate record of my spending for 6 months. It's not pretty. I…
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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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The Frugal Hearth: Stories of Simple Living and Living Well
Hello, and welcome, one and all to my new debt free diary! My Journey I started my old diary at the beginning of 2020, a couple of months before the pandemic hit the UK and we went into lockdown. That diary can be found here…
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From debt to freedom...
For a couple of months I have been lurking and reading diaries which have been helpful and inspiring. I thought that I would start a diary to keep myself focussed on getting rid of the debts. I am a working mum, recently separated from my husband. I have a large family which makes for an interesting and busy life! I have…
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taking responsibilty to get me where I want to be
Good morning MSE'ers I have been reading diaries for the last few months and have found peoples stories so inspiring that I am hoping for some company on my own journey , this will be my own log which hopefully will motivate me at times of bleakness so I can look back on any progress I have made My sitituation is quite…
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Reset 2026
So 2026 is going to be my reset year. Started September 2024 with 32000 in debt, cards & loans. By the end of December I will be down to 8995 - gotta add the extra just to get to a figure starting with 8! Hoping to clear the lot by the end of September 2026. I have a tax bill to pay by the end of Jan and the car MOT at the…
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Walking into another chapter ...
Welcome one and all ... to those of you who have managed to avoid my diaries until now as well as those loyal ones of you who have stuck around over the years, thank you :) So another year is about to begin and now seems as good a time as any to start a new diary. This will be my 11th (I think?), I've been around here…
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Small Business, Big Debts
Hello all Debt free wannabes! :) I posted on these Forums over 10 years ago, and it made such a huge impact on my (successful!) attempt to get debt free, but a LOT has changed in the last 10 years, so I’m back again! The accountability and kindness I received back then was invaluable to me, so I hope to bring some of that…
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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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2026: time to face facts and plan for the hard times ahead
Hello everyone, I've been a long time lurker under a different alias but have now created a new moniker to be a bit more vague about name and area of UK as starting this journey and will be posting for my own sanity and all your support I've seen so much across the years. I'm in a deep pile of debt that I've been servicing…
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2024... Debt no more🤘
Hi all, here I go to ridding myself of debt for the final time. I don't want to work forever and would like some good savings before I reduce my working hours. I'm not getting any younger and suffer with various ailments so instead of borrowing I need to pay off what I owe and save instead. Previous borrowing was always…
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Road To Financial Recovery
Ah, time to get back into the race so to speak, can’t believe I am doing this again.It is time to start taking finances seriously again. It is a rubbish feeling to be back in a position where I feel my finances are back in a mess. There isn’t any major debt so that is a positive of course but feel like a plan is needed…
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Debt and Caring
An unprovoked attack on my ankle by a metal workout bench has me lying down with a foot up this evening. Which makes this the ideal time to start this diary. And possibly to declutter some exercise equipment... Yesterday I was £9993.61 in debt. Today I have made a £1500 payment to one of my credit cards taking me down to…
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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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Milann’s mutterings through retirement
I thought it was about time for a new diary. Ive been a member of MSE many years now and got my debt down from £20,000’s to a big fat ZERO. I kept the debts to myself as I was the one who built them up. Dh would have been ok and we’d have worked through them together…..but it was my mess that I wanted to clear myself and…
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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…
