got thinking cap on now!! brilliant

debtfreesomeday

Yep, will be a tough 3 years but it's soooo worth it! Consider your good deed for the day/week/year done! Huge thanks!

MoneyWaster2007

good stuff! theres a book that i think may be of use to you, you can get it on amazon for cheap, its called The Money Tree, by Martin Bamford. it has opened my eyes up to personal finance, and shows you how to build financial stability. also always check sites like this one for tips and tricks, and you will be debt free in no time

jimjamgirl

Can I just add my thanks MoneyWaster 2007! I had no idea you could overpay on a personal loan - ours is also with the Halifax. I will be doing just that in the near future - hopefully getting 2 yrs 3 months (who's counting!!) down to 16 months:j This site is fantastic - been avidly reading the posts for the last month or so but never been brave enough to post my own until now - Thanks again, that's your good deed for the day done!

MoneyWaster2007

just when i thought i had it all sorted out.......my boss rang me and said they are anouncing redundancies where i work!!! great news- not!!!

so they havent said who it is going to be yet, but i could go in on monday and be out of work, what a nightmare. this means i will now have to stop putting extra money into the loan and save it as back up. plus my social life is now out the window.

o how life can suprise you:eek:

debtfreesomeday

Sorry to hear that MW2007, fingers crossed for you and wishing a good outcome. DFSD x

MoneyWaster2007

well... 4 people got made redundant where i work, but.... i wasnt one of them, yipee!! so i must be doing something right for them to spare me the axe!! more importantly, i can still follow my debt fighting strategy as normal!!!! :beer:



I would just like to ask for some advice on something that has been doing my head in for some time now......that is, my main drain on my finances each month is my drinking. ok, so i dont spend a vast amount on drinking, usually between £40- £80 per weekend, but even so, this is more than i spend on myself than anything else.
so my question is, how do i stop this, or cut back on it? i mean, i absolutely hate having a hangover, but i feel the need to go out drinking as soon as it gets to the weekend!!! plus its such a habit that i feel its hard to change it- although habits are easily broken so i am told.

for me, this is an age old question, because deep down i have never really liked doing it, but for some reason i keep on doing it. so theres this constant tug of war going on and its stressing me out. i know how good it is to wake up hangover free and fresh on a weekend as i have done it before. but i just wish i could take control of it and find a new way to spend the weekend, which involves no drinking/ less drinking. what do all you people do with your weekends??? feel free to offer any suggestions, however crazy or absurd, i am all ears. anything will be much appreciated!!!! cheers, money.

taxi73

You could find a hobby to replace drinking maybe...think most of the people on this site stay in as we can't afford to go out .

MoneyWaster2007

ok thanks for the idea of getting a hobby, but what sorts of hobbies do you all do? im just looking for ideas of how to have an alcohol free fun filled weekend, which costs little if anything........

any ideas???

Rabbit-in-headlights

Hi MW,

Why not have some friends round to watch a DVD and have a few drinks(everyone brings their own), that way you can decide how much you can afford to spend in advance and still have a good time with your mates? Or get some takeaway to share? If you don't really enjoy getting drunk/hangovers, just drink fruit juice or pop - you can have a good time without drinking yourself to oblivion! I used to do the same until one day I had my alcohol lightbulb moment and realised I'd just been drinking because everyone else was, and didn't really even like the taste let alone being drunk. So I stopped and don't miss it at all now - especially not the hangovers!:eek:

Another thing you could try is the MSE Demotivator (silly name really, negative names never sound appealing do they?) - it will show you how much you are spending on whatever - e.g. chocs, coffee, booze, lunches - and that should demotivate you from spending all that money! (I prefer to think of it as motivating me to save my cash, same thing but sounds more positive!)

Anyway, enough of my wittering, here's the Demotivator: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/demotivator/

Be true to your own self, and you won't go far wrong:D

Good luck!

Rabbit

ani*fan

Hi Moneywaster2007 :hello:

Looks like you may have to change your username soon ...well done on your achievements and long term plan. :T

Trying to stop drinking can be tricky if all your mates do it and your social life is based round the pub. But they might surprise you if you suggest, say, booking out a badminton court at your local sports centre. You might not be the only one who wants a change.

Also, don't put too much pressure on yourself about it. Try planning maybe one weekend a month when you don't drink and really think hard about a good alternative. What do you enjoy doing? Or what can you try out that you've always wanted to? Just about anything is cheaper than £40-80 on alcohol. The cinema (take your own munchies), ice-skating, roller-skating (£3 at my local), swimming (£2), visiting pals or family, write a song (what are your talents?) join a book club, learn to cook, do the garden (ok, so it's getting a bit chilly for that but you can buy thermals on ebay for cheap :rotfl: ), make some wine (6lbs of apples makes a demijohn of wine, know anyone with an apple tree?)...anyway, you get the picture.

Or, why don't you work out how much sooner your debt will be gone if you don't drink at all?

Whatever you try, good luck with it and thanks for the motivation. Much appreciated.