Can Edinburgher be debt free and a mortgage holder by 30?

doodledo_2

Booo to work.

Blimey how the other half live

edinburgher

£30 between two people is tiny! That said, I forgot my bloomin' formal shoes (came in to work across the snow wearing trainers). So I'll need to spend a fair bit on a replacement pair... They already needed replacing, but I had planned on waiting a month or two yet

The snow is now turning into ice - never good for those of us with awful balance

Damita

Congrats so far, fingers crossed you'll have a mortgage It's the best me and my husband did (hopefully be mortgage free by the time I'm 30, 23 now).

Yeah tell me about it trains were cancelled, couldn't get to uni today

edinburgher

Mortgage free by 30? God, that's depressed me no end.

My savings took a battering today, after dropping over £100 in an afternoon New shoes which don't fit me at £40 weren't the best investment, but a pair of cheap insoles should sort the problem. Another £15 for signing up to some gambling sites through Quidco (£50 cashback!) Last but not least, £50 to pay into my new stocks and shares ISA, an ethical tracker. It will also pay out a sexshy £85 cashback at some point...

Hoping to make some reasonable gains if and when the stock market recovers, or at least beat the taxman in the short term. I started to think about the future proper today (as opposed to a year or two down the line) and thought that as I'm not the biggest fan of my current sector, the chance to start my own business at some point might be nice.

I have a few other investments maturing in 2018, so have looked into my crystal ball and set this as the date when I do exactly what I want in terms of a job - sod the common sense! Mind you, I'll be 35 by then - maybe I need a new post called 'Can Edinburgher run the best deli in the world ever by 35?'

edinburgher

Howdy all - another week has come to a close in the South East. The snow and ice have been horrendous this week and if I'm honest, I'm half hoping that it misses us tomorrow (even if I get another day off work!)

I now only have 13.something days left from work (well, 14 and an appointment with the dentist). I'm very much looking forward to leaving and will be glad to see the back of the place. There are some very good people, but it's felt a bit like groundhog day for the last few months. That just leaves the key question - do I leave a big pile of work for my colleague who is a bit of a cow to finish after I'm gone?

Looking forward to my break between jobs and the security of knowing that I'm going to a better job, with superior benefits and {hopefully} the stability of a fairly specialised Civil Service post.

This week was also ridiculously expensive and I don't really feel that I've recovered from last Christmas yet (financially or my weight). I'm going to have to subsidise myself slightly from savings this month, but have made some reasonable investments (and have sewn the seeds of £100+ worth of Quidco money in three months time). It's been more like 'waste loads of money wannabe', than 'debt free wannabe', but I hope to pull things in from the end of February.

Valentine's day to look forward to (we're off to a Greek restaurant) and a free trip sometime in September (Germany, one of my GF's relatives is getting married). So that will be two foreign holidays in one year, at a total cost of ~£700. Not bad spending for a couple

Hope that everyone is doing well in DFW land...

Jolly2009

Leave it for the 'bit of a cow' to finish

Just finished reading your diary from beginning to end. You're doing great and shouldn't be too hard on yourself!

I unfortunately am in too much debt that had to go on dmp but I am ensuring 2009 is a changing year for me. Understand how you felt with GF and owing money. My OH is a godsend and pays for a bit but I still feel so guilty

Have subscribed so will pop in for time to time to say hi and catch up on how you're doing

Take care x

edinburgher

Thanks for popping in Jolly - I'll wrestle with my conscience over the remaining work (or see how my colleague acts for the next couple of weeks! )

Luckily I should be able to pay my debts off by myself - my OH might help if I asked, but she does have her own overdraft to clear.. Anyway, I'd no doubt moan at her if she asked - as it's not her silliness that got me into debt in the first place.

Hope 2009 continues well for you - just remember to take sorting your finances out one day at a time.

Jolly2009

One day at a time....that a nice way to put it. Will def be taking that on board, I have a great habit of making all these plans and never sticking to any of them :mad: It's going to be at least 5 years by the time i'm anywhere near debt free but I am hoping to knock that down by being better with money.

Like you for me I am taking on paying off debt myself all prior to current (lovely) boyfriend. He's been supportive but like you I don't expect him to fully get on board i.e this site, cutting back loads etc etc...why should he suffer because of my stupidness.

Here's to a good 2009 eh

edinburgher

Well, 2008 was pretty cracking (50% pay rise, moved to London and the like), so 2009 will hopefully follow suit I'm not a banker with that pay rise - my prior wage was just awful

I decided to clear most of the work backlog in the end - it seemed overly vindictive to leave it for someone else!

edinburgher

Almost three weeks without an update - shame on you edinburgher!

I have to confess, dear DFWs, that I have been a lapsed saver.. The last month or so has been one of those ones where you end up thinking to yourself 'where the hell did all my money go?' The sealed pots haven't been rising much and I haven't progressed too much with slaying the debt.

This isn't one of those long, self-pitying posts that occasionally crop up, because money had to be spent (for things we needed and to help kick-start the economy!) I start a new job on the 9th of March and will get back into gung-ho debt ninja mode once I settle in there.

Oddly enough, I now have my Girlfriend's Birthday and Christmas presents already (60+ DVD X-Files box set and GHD straighteners, respectively). But thanks to the magic of the DFW board I'm not out of pocket, as these were budgeted for and saved up for in advance :A Even if my debts aren't shrinking too much, some of the good habits preached here are starting to stick {preach isn't used in a derogatory way here}.

My brother and his GF are coming down to see us from Glasgow this weekend, so it will be great to crack open a few beers with my big bro. :beer: I come from a largeish family of five kids and the unavoidable divisions that arise thanks to physical distance and lifestyle are a little saddening. Would love nothing better than to be able to see the family every week or two, but I needed a job and they're all in London atm!

Hope all are well in DFW land.

Off to do some washing.