DFSD's motivational ramblings...

debtfreesomeday

Just had an email to say I'd won a cd in a competition. :j
Started entering a few competitions from this site a few months ago and never won anything so was on the verge of not bothering anymore; shall now carry on and wait for my BIG win!

savingholmes

It sounds like you've been making really good progess over the last few months - congratulations. Has it all been from your main salaries and cutting back or has it mostly been from selling things, new income or what?

MrsAudus2b

Good luck with your diary debtfreesomeday - from one "what small dfw have you done today" to another!

Will be following with interest

xxx

debtfreesomeday

Thanks MrsAudus2b, good luck with your DFW journey too xx

savingholmes: 99% of it has been from our salaries really. It all started when we kept all our food & grocery receipts for a month as we couldn't figure out where the extra £400 - £500 a month was disappearing to - we soon found out with a shock! We were just buying stuff as and when we needed or fancied something. It kick-started the rest of the budgeting and planning. We've drastically cut back on groceries and have cleared 2 credit cards with the help of the snowball calculator. Also worked out the equivalent monthly cost for annual bills such as car tax, house & car insurance and we save for it monthly so don't end up paying it full whack when it's due. That's helped a great deal too. Any extra little bits we've made from selling stuff have just helped 'chip' at the CC bill really, and helped clear the clutter!

DFSD x

debtfreesomeday

We sold our sofas today, in readiness for the new ones which we ordered a while back. We made £250 which has gone straight into the fund for the new ones which we start paying for next August (0%). We're putting money away every month for them too so we should be able to pay them off in full instead of paying it monthly.
I sold another book on Amazon today - another £4 profit. Every little helps as they say! Also picked up our freebie/comp Grolsch glasses from the post office this morning, they're actually quite nice, I was surprised!
Free meal was great last night too, and feels like we have had more of a weekend already than usual - and it's only Saturday afternoon!
:T
Back to the cleaning now, its amazing how much dust you find when you shift a sofa...

debtfreesomeday

Monday morning - urgh - back in work at the job I hate, but it pays the bills, well, most of them!

Not a great DFW weekend... it started well with a freebie meal and selling our sofas on Saturday. Yesterday, however, I ended up putting £140 on our cleared egg card... grrrr.... Will clear it next payday but really didn't want to have to use it again.
The whole debt situation all got a bit much for me yesterday. Sometimes I get so tired with not being able to afford simple things and working so hard to clear the debts that it becomes overwhelming and I feel like it's never going to get any better. I get tired of 'making do', even though I know we are a lot better off than a lot of people. After a few tears and a cup of tea, I managed to get a grip again :-)

We also did quite a large Christmas present shop online (via Quidco of course!) and spent nearly £40. It should all be pretty much covered by the budget so we should be ok and not go overdrawn if we don't spend anymore 'unecessaries' for the next 3 weeks! Something tells me it's going to be a long rest of month...
Checked my bank balance and there's less in there than I thought so I'm going to have to check the budget sheet when I get home. Although none of my Amazon/Paypal payments have shown up in my bank account yet so that could be where the rest of it is!
On a plus, sold another book today on Amazon. Only £3.00 (well, about £2.00 by the time I've posted it!), but it all helps I guess and that's another book cleared from the pile!

Today I have/need to:

• Check online banking / cc payment gone through
• Check for surveys
• Check Amazon account & package another book to post
• Have brought breakfast & lunch to work
• Store cupboard dinner for us both
• Have a NSD!
• Check the budget sheet tonight
• Maybe enter a few more competitions
• Use our free gym membership tonight to de-stress!

debtfreesomeday

What a miserable day... I'm feeling so down today about these debts, I'm really holding back the tears sat here at my desk. I feel like my life is in limbo for the next X number of years until we're debt free. I'm stuck in this awful job with no friends here, and no prospects, doing the same thing every day. Unfortunately there's no jobs round here that pay so well so I really am stuck as we can't afford to take a pay cut. I just don't know how I'm going to do this for so many more years.

MrsAudus2b

:grouphug: to you debtfreesomeday.

I'm afraid I have little advice, only sympathy and reassurance you are not the only one.

I've spent so many nights worrying about mine and OH's debts. Though we can get by, there have so many times when I have just wanted to do 'normal' stuff - get some new winter clothes, have a night out with OH when we can both have some drinks and can afford a taxi, rather than one of us always driving and afford to replace our boiler which is rubbish and on its way out

With getting married next year and starting back at uni the following month, it just feels never-ending sometimes, especially due to the debts we have. We'd love to have children when I am qualified (2011) but it sometimes feel we'll never be able to afford to.

So I just wanted to let you know you are not alone and I hope things seem better soon - get a hot cup of tea down you...or even better, a glass of cheap plonk when you get home!

Love xxxx

debtfreesomeday

Thanks for the hugs MrsAudus2B!
Sorry to go on and moan, I think I'm just having one of those down days.
I know what you mean about doing 'normal' things, I can't wait 'til we're able to do things like that again. I said to hubby last night that I was just fed up with our bargain basement life where everything has to be knocked down or damaged - I'd just like to buy us some nice new things for our house and some clothes that actually fit me! Obviously we don't need them, and I'm very fortunate to have a lovely home, but I just get so tired of working so hard in a job I hate and not being able to afford anything on payday. Oh, I'm wittering on now, ignore me, I'll stop now!
Just wanted to say thanks for your kind words and I'm going to have that cup of tea now xx

MrsAudus2b

You are allowed to witter on...it's your diary after all!:rotfl:

I so understand what you are saying though. I like my job but OH hates his - we can't afford a pay decrease though and there isn't much else about anyway. Whenever we get paid (and especailly him) it's so depressing that that the hard earnt money is gone straight away.

I know me and OH are lucky - we have a lovely home too...but I just want to bits to it that we can't afford.

However, it's not all doom and gloom - at least with the help of this website we're doing something about it other than being an ostrich. Keep telling yourself that.

Hope the cup of tea was good...I've been very naughty and bought a wispa to go with mine! Ah wispas...I'm so glad they are back!

Try and have a nice evening

xxx