Just starting....

In_Search_Of_Me

Well the lightbulb moment came about a month ago (watching "shopaholics"!) and I've had a horrendous, gut wrenching month trying to decide how to tackle the horrendous (£30,000) debt that I managed to accrue and realising that it's going to be a long few years!!
Am feeling positive(ish!) about the road ahead and getting same thrill out of not spending as I did spending before! Have also realised (now that I'm keeping my spending diary!) the value of every penny!! Realised who my friends are and hopefully have made some of them think about spending before they get to the state I have got too but also need to be careful not to become boring!!
Have had a look round (but far more to see here!) and thought it would be good to have a thread for those of us at the start of the process to encourage each other along the long hard road ahead...anyone want to join me in offering mutual support & encouragement?;)

beanielou

Great idea fishface69

In_Search_Of_Me

Thanks! I have them very occasionally

FrugalJo

fishface-69 wrote:

Am feeling positive(ish!) about the road ahead and getting same thrill out of not spending as I did spending before! Have also realised (now that I'm keeping my spending diary!) the value of every penny!!

Hi Fishface
Agree with you here, the challenge keeps me sane, just looking forward to the day I'm saving my money and not because I owe it to someone else.
The 'high' of BOGOF's, Reduced to Clear bargains are a new delight.
Jo

In_Search_Of_Me

Who'd have thought it eh! I used to have competitions on how MUCH I could spend, not how little! Very proud of myself (but a LONGGGGG way to go!) that I've spent nothing today at all...hopefully made some by putting stuff on ebay!

dottyanne

Hi im quite new to this malarky too! had the old lightbulb mo end March this year and STILL trying to get into some routine with the old finances!!!! Might get sorted for my 50th birthday (by the way i'm 33) lol :rotfl: :rotfl:

In_Search_Of_Me

Hard isnt it? Thing that makes me angry with mine is that it's my ownfault, shopping (for crap!) on credit cards...nowt to shop except lots of ebay bargains and vast debts!! Off to clean house and go for a training session for my race for life (July 2nd) which will be a waddle for life in my case!!

beanielou

which will be a waddle for life in my case!!
lol!! Good luck

Molanole

I'm with you fish-face. Had my lightbulb moment last month and am trying to get myself into a routine with not spending unnecessarily. I'm the same in that all of my debts seem to have come from spending on rubbish (probably the 700 odd CDs that I have), getting into debts on credit cards, consolidating, getting into debt again, consolidating again and on and on.

Here's to us getting out of debt :beer: . I'm tackling the credit card first (HSBC - about £750).

Good luck, keep us posted.

Mel x

In_Search_Of_Me

Hi Dotty (name of one of my v. naughty cats!), Mel & Lou...always good to know you're not alone! Any hints for the new among us?!! Well done Mel on gettin your debt down so well so far! Mine in total (with additional £16,000 northern rock & 7000 first direct loans on top of cards) about the same as yours is now. Focussing on getting the credit cards down (want to pay egg one off this month & then focus on msdw/jpl while I still have 0% on the £7000 one)...Know its going to be a long hard slog & currently selling stuff on ebay & doing car boot after next bank holiday. Will start cooking in bulk once freezer empty as tesco cheap n cheerful ready meals expesive & not that nice!! Must also sort out the snowball thing but unsure of all interest dates and has taken me a month to get over the lightbulb moment & do the basics like writing down every penny I spend! Just taking it a day at a time! Had a nice waddle today though & did 3.5km (3/4 way round what I have to do on the day!) but hip was killing me & I have a blister but it was free & I got some sun!! SPeak soon & thanks for joining in. At this stage knowing you're not alone makes such an enormous difference so a heartfelt thanks from me!:smileyhea :smileyhea

In_Search_Of_Me

Trying not to panic as worked out budget but discovered that what I thought was a 7000 loan is actually 14! Having said that I worked out my budget with the repayment amount so does not affect my monthly payment - just gutting that its so much more. Was trying to ascertain whether I could consolidate 2 loans but no way now as will be over 25000...will just have to try & move on from it & plug away eh...