How do you stay motivated?

8pnoodles

How do you lot all stay motivated to stick to a budget and shop carefully/as little as possible?

I'm slowly paying off my debt in reasonable chunks, but occasionally I will slip back. Normally by being goaded by friends to buy this/do that and I find it harder to say no to them than to myself! This time round I'm telling everyone I'm broke and I'm trying to live on as little as humanly possible. I've given myself a short term goal for this though as I don't know how long I'll be able to keep it up.

I've been in and out of debt before, I think I am a yo-yo debtor. I vaguely wonder if I get out of debt, will I just use this as an excuse to spend money again? I've been reading MsLondon's thread and I think - if that was me, I'd celebrate being debt free by spending lots of money!

And I'm not sure why I think like that. Even out of debt I will have to stick to a budget.

I guess I'd better begin to learn the saving habit once I'm out of debt so that this can continue. I read recently where someone said they have a bare minimum of £500 in their current account and they never go below this. I like the sound of that.

I guess I need to keep myself going with the thought of saving to supplement my pension, investments, etc.

ms_london

8pnoodles wrote:

I've been in and out of debt before, I think I am a yo-yo debtor. I vaguely wonder if I get out of debt, will I just use this as an excuse to spend money again? I've been reading MsLondon's thread and I think - if that was me, I'd celebrate being debt free by spending lots of money!

Hey 8pnoodles :0)

I think initially I felt like that, but ive been trying to pay off this debt for so long, that moneysaving becomes second nature & a habit, and now I dont want to spend any money. I dont feel as though I have to "treat" myself, by buying myself something (but then I did "treat" myself to an i-pod a few months ago for my birthday, so perhaps if i hadntve bought it then I would have it next month!), but I do know that when I receive my December wages, I shall be saving £900 of it (how much ive been paying back into my debt each month), and spending whatever is left.

Sure, I would like a laptop, but I dont think I could part with the money, and I certainly wouldnt want to waste it on the usual going out, clothes etc etc. Plus ive got my travelling goal and £900 could almost buy me my round-the-world plane ticket........

You can still treat yourself money-wise, but it just has to be something smaller, like a magazine, or a book from ebay you want - it makes you appreciate things more for definate.

I used to be so materialistic & shallow, but not any more, and im much happier for it I can assure you!!!

Keep up the good work 8pnoodles, you can do it, just dont restrict yourself too much otherwise you wont be able to stick to it (the same with dieting!!).

Ms_London xx

black-saturn

Even when you've paid it off your still money saving all the time. I'm in no debt anymore but I still shop around for the cheapest of everything.

tattooed_lady

It's true that with me moneysaving has now become 'a way of life', sounds cheesy but there you are! I'm really pleased that I've become like this actually cos I'll always be careful with money from now on and my goal is to actually have some SAVINGS!!

HannahD_2

8pnoodles, I can really relate to how you are currently feeling. I have all the good intensions of paying certain amounts off here and there, then something comes along and really tempts me!
Now I have been going for a little while and can see a dent in my debt already, albeit small, but it's there. This really helps me.
What I really long for is going on my internet banking site, checking my balance and instead of seeing the loan there, I'll see a saving account!!!!
What I have to do is make sure that I can live on my budget. I don't have it so tight that I am strangling myself, and I make sure that I include all things in my budget, escpecially a little bit of social money. This helps keep me sane!!!

What has also kept me going is the addiction I am developing for this site! Now when I go shopping I get guilty thoughts if I buy something I know I shouldn't.

Stick around and we'll all help each other.

skintchick

Post in the how much have you spent today threads - knowing you have to admit it will make you think twice!

Also, keep a spending diary cos writing it down makes it painful!

8pnoodles

Thanks guys. I think my aim after I finish with the debt thing is to save up for a deposit to buy a house/get a mortgage.

So maybe I need to think towards that.

Mango

Hiya 8pnoodles

The one thing that has really helped me is focussing on something non-money orientated. This year I've been teaching myself to play the guitar - its nice to spend time doing things which don't require spending money and you feel you're achieving something at the same time.

I used to find it hard to say no to people aswell when friends wanted to go out etc. Now I'm just honest and tell them I don't want to spend so much money - and I try to suggest something free to do instead.

southernscouser

I know it can be hard to stay motivated but all I do is look at my signature. I hate my debt and I hate myslef for running it up but I know that "when" it is paid off I will NEVER ever get into debt again. OK, a mortgage aside but I don't ever want to owe a penny on credit again. I've learnt the hard way. Maybe if I was only £20k in debt I might have paid it all off then done the same again but you get to a stage where enough is enough and I'm at that stage. Sounds corny but I will be a better person for it. I know that if I want something and I deserve something I will have to save up for it. Even if that means spending £15k on a car for example I won't feel bad about paying that ammount of money because I've worked hard for it and can afford it only by saving that ammount though.

If ever you feel like your losing motivation, log on to here. We'll soon kick it back into you.

Bargain_Rzl

Look forward to the day when it'll be saving that motivates you?

I'm not in debt, and I have a fixed amount which goes into savings each month. However, at the end of each year I clear out my budget pots. For example, I budget for a haircut every 6 weeks but this year I only had one every 12 weeks; I budget for a new pair of glasses every 2 years but have gone a bit longer than this so I have a surplus; I haven't had much in the way of dental treatment or prescription charges this year. Last week I was working out how much I was going to be able to clear out at the end of December, added to the odds and ends of extra cash I'll have coming in between now and then. I was pleasantly shocked to discover that my potential available cash will be over £800, and now I'm cutting back like mad because I'm determined to save a bit harder and get it over £1000!

The trouble is, of course, that once you get used to squirrelling away every spare penny by doing everything as cheaply as possible, you take inflation as a personal insult Each July I get an annual cost-of-living payrise which generally ups my income by about £50 a month, and while I know it is supposed to do "exactly what it says on the tin" it always pains me if by then the combined effect of increases in travel fares and council tax have exceeded the amount of slack in my existing budget - I just want to put it all in my savings account

Plus, earlier this year I got promoted and the only budget pot that had its amount changed was the savings...

I hope this doesn't sound smug cos it's not meant to I have been in debt (though not a lot, only £5000 of student loans) and it is SO empowering when all your money is your own.