The Never Ending Story

Toffee261104

the power walking is a good idea, but then my husband is always like 'will you pick up a loaf of bread' and then I come home with four bags of shopping! always the way. But I have started going out with no money or cards with me so that I havent got the money to get anything even if I wanted to

Keeping_Motivated

Try not to look too far ahead and do what you can for now. You will have the odd slip like all of us do but you are only human so don't be angry with yourself just get back on track as soon as possible.

Also see how many NSD (no spend days) days you can have per week, you'll be surprised how virtuous they make you feel and obviously its fantastic for the budget.

KM x

Keeping_Motivated

Could you freeze bread then no need to nip to the shops between shops. Have you been over to the Oldstyle board yet and looked at meal planning to cut your grocery budget down its really good.

KM x

Toffee261104

This is all still very new to me and I will eventually get round to reading as much as I can on here, I cant believe how many people there are in similar situations to me, everyone seems so together on top, but scratch the surface and its a different story like! am really determined to make this work as I want another baby and to buy a house in the next 7 years so must make an effort

MrsTinks

I think most of us on here have either been very close to the edge and loads have been on the side where things just spiral downwards - there is no shame in it, it's in my view a lack of education in the art of home finance. Our grandparents and sometimes parents managed because there wasn't credit cards and loans like there is now. The financial products have multiplied and the education of them hasn't... We all still have that "you trust the bank" mentality inherited from our grandparents and we forget that banks are trying to make money and the way to do that is to lend us money - so we must be convinced that we NEED things... We start trying to keep up with the Jones's and then we consolidate because the monthly payments are less, we forget it takes us longer and actually costs more to pay it off...
Are you alone in being in debt?
Absolutely not
But you've realised you can't carry on like this and you are tackling it head on!

Also if you don't already - meal plan Currently I'm trying to defrost my freezer so am meal planning only what I have in the freezer

darthpaul

Just read your story and I am in a similar position. Just sat down last night and calculated my debts and was shocked how much it was. I am just thinking about my way forward and how we will deal with it.

Started meal plans last week and I really think these will help cut down food spends.

firesidemaid

well done on your LBM! i just wanted to share a few thoughts of things i have learnt and do from this site....

we too have sky plus, but our sky bill is down to £19 (soon to be £20) as we only have the basic plus 4 mixes. OH just watches sky sports news (off news/docs mix) instead of sky sports, and i look ahead at the listings each day/night and record a lot of films that way rather than have the movies.

?did you say you are tied into the landline? if not you can save money there too by using primus and 18185 - take a look at the telephones board on here.

spend your time browsing charity shops ( i love it) for books, clothes and presents. also look for pressies all year round in the sales - i like to buy really expensive things for not much at all.

again, if you batch cook, plan and use what is in your cupboard/freezer you will be able to cut down on your shopping bills. also tesco and asda will take at least 10% off your bill in money-off coupons. you don't have to buy the items as long as they sell them. you can also print coupons off the intenet to use in asda. have a search - there are threads on here on printable coupons. i have saved a fortune. if your OH is on the trains, get him to browse through all those leftover mags and papers for coupons.

as for takeaways, make it a once a month treat that you really look forward too. and buy less! i too am trying to lose weight and have done so by just halving my portion sizes. one piece of toast for breakfast etc, i take my time and savour my food now (cut toast into 4!) - and i don't get hungry, which i am amazed at. not only have i lost weight, i am buying less food - both in my weekly shop and in takeaways.
eg. indian - share a main dish, boil your own rice and/or share a naan. buy large chips to share and the small fish.

finally, discover quidco and ebay all you can. good luck x

Toffee261104

Wow, great ideas there firesidemaid, thankyou so much, am defo gonna be browsing around this whole site for money saving ideas. the cutting my portion halves is also a great idea, as I have just started a pound for a pound challenge.

I guess I have to learn a whole new lifestyle and Im very eager to start. looking forward to starting my speanding diary (gonna start that a week on friday when my husband gets paid)

Thanks so much for all the help and support

angelflower_2

hey toffee, relieved to hear last night went so well. Def be easier to keep to things with the oh on board!! Yes, those tins are great....i had bought a couple and did just what you suggested...on a few occassions when money was tight, raided them for bus fares I must get into that again.

I dont know if it helps, but in the past couple of months, I set up an online saver account with Halifax (you can go through quidco, alliance and Leicster doing one and you get £10 cashback) and I transfer my weekly food budget into that and thats the only card i carry with me. Card doesnt have a chip and pin so I can only buy groceries with cash and so if its gone in the first day then its gone and I have to make do.

Also, a great idea for kickstarting the get fit is to go around all the gyms in your area and get a free day pass (most do it). Just dont get tempted to join any!!

Toffee261104

cheers angel.

I was dreading telling my mum how much debt i was in. i told her on the phone last night and she just said 'we all have debts linz..me and your father have double yours and have done for a long time,we can afford to pay them but they are still debts'

I was shocked, all them years and I didnt have a clue!!!