Have you ever sabotaged your debt-free journey?

happy_chick_3

I've been progressing really well on my way to becoming debt free but have just suffered a set back. I went on holiday to France and hadn't properly taken account of the exchange rate so I massively overspent.

Rather than compensating for this when I got back home, I went completely the other way and threw all budgeting sense out of the window! I got my hair done, had a treatment at the spa and did a huge shop for the week going totally overboard and buying all the expensive food I would never normaly get. Then I went out for my cousin's birthday and bought rounds which I haven't done in nearly a year!

Just wondering if anyone else has ever sabotaged themselves and if anyone knows why we do it?!

Penny2myName

I seem to have odd periods like that. Guess we tend to do it just for the feel good factor at the time. Then we feel doubly guilty afterwards.At one point last year I got to just under £4200now I am back at £4921 after going back up to £5918 at beginning of year, but slowly bringing it back down again.

happy_chick_3

Its crazy isn't! Working so hard and then blowing it so easily. Well done for getting your totals down again Penny2myname

Buffythedebtslayer

Yep. learning to drive and getting my teeth fixed seemed to give me some kind of license to spend money. its bonkers!

xx

Hamsterwheel

It happens to me all the time. Once started it self perpetuates until I effectively lose months of hard work, savings, cutting back. Followed by guilt and beating myself up for losing control. I don't know what the triggering factors are but I wish I knew.

I guess what I'm saying is you're not alone. I find myself looking for excuses to justify my actions but deep down I'm gutted. This is my first post on this site after reading many other articles over the past year. The name is a reflection of how i feel its going, keep running but feel like I'm going nowhere.

Sorry for not being able to offer anything constructive but your post touched a nerve and if you figure it out, please let me know.

Good luck :beer:

Lula-Hula

Hi Happy Chick,

I sure have sabotaged my journey, just check out my sig :rolleyes: .

I've paid over £1850 on the Credit Cards of which nearly £700 was overpayments so should have brought the total down... however for some reason I seem to owe more than when I started.

Not my fault of course , little things like car dying, teeth dying, tv dying, & the latest one - the fridge dying ... :mad: I had to use the cc to pay for these emergencies because I was so busy spending my cash on new clothes & shoes :doh:

Think I've got it all out of my system now though

thepinklady

Hiya Happy Chick,

I think we all have periods like that. I was doing so well, every month paying £500+ towards my debt, but lately i have slipped a little and only paying the minimum amount because i am once again enjoying spending money on myself, and going out having fun. I have two holidays to America coming up this year, Las Vegas in November and NYC in December for Christmas. These trips were booked when i was enjoying spending money again. The only good thing is have paid for these holidays using money i actually had in the bank, and not putting it on credit cards etc. But if i was a good girl i'd of used it to pay back some of the debt.

Trying to become debt free is hard, especially when we have lived a good life before the LBM. Don't be too hard on yourself, we all have down periods, its all part of trying to become debt free!!!!

x

savingholmes

I know that feeling we have previously cleared lots of debt and then restarted the whole cycle... Hopefully this time I'm changing fundamentals - and with the £10 a day challenge working well - I am allowing some money for luxuries from that and treating my debt repayment pot as from our main income. Having said that, the £82 refund I received this morning will be going straight out to fix my car £79 bill - but that's better than normal - my first instinct was oh no how will I pay I left the CC at home...

happy_chick_3

It's good to hear I'm not alone with the dreaded credit card bailing me out all the time!

Hamsterwheel - well done for posting. Making the first step is the most important thing and we're all with you feeling like you're running just to stay still.

Gemmzie

I cleared all my debt (£3k) then increased it again but now it's gone.

My parents have a long way to go to clear everything, so we budget for the occasional treat. You can't live your life for debt, otherwise when you're debt free, you could realise that you have a lot of lost years.
Balance and don't feel guilty for it!

Keeping_Positive

Yep started really well then in the summer it goeas pear shaped. This year I had a holiday booked and budgetted for the cost and spends but 1 month before the holiday the spends money £500 had gone from stupid small overspending so on hols instead on being careful I blew £850 :doh: Now have a £927 cc balance to pay off where I transferred the newly aquired 1k overdraft :mad:.

The trick is to have a new LBM ASAP and get back to being good. Also allowing some treats rather than denying yourself everything.