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The Ultimate Incentive proposed! Time for an ultimate challenge...

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Dinah93
Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
edited 27 October 2009 at 8:27PM in Debt free diaries
Well, I'm already onto my fourth diary! First three can be found below:

Diary 1: The Ultimate Incentive to get debt free, can I do it by New Years?
Diary 2: The Ultimate Incentive worked! Now onto phase two...
Diary 3: The Ultimate Incentive proposed! Buying a house, wedding and staying debt free

My full story is at the start of diary 2, and how I cleared my debt is mainly in diary 1. My ultimate incentive to clear my debts was my amazing boyfriend (known here as NIM) who told me he would move from Ireland to England when I had cleared them. He moved over last February in the end, and as of 23rd August he asked me to marry him! It is now -

867565.png

till our wedding. With 10 months and 1 week to go we have chosen the venue and roughly told our pastor we want the church that date, but as yet we haven't paid the deposit on the venue, or done anything formally with the church.

Paying for a wedding is a huge expense, we're looking at £12,000-£14,000 for our big day. Thats not including the honeymoon, so about £17,000-£19,000 all in. Added to this we don't yet have a house! We're going to view a complete wreak in our dream village this evening, will see how that goes. I am determined we won't get back into debt paying for everything, but its going to be a tight year.

I'm starting a new thread today as I'm setting myself a new challenge. When I cleared the debt I averaged out at clearing over £65 per day! NIM and I are going to Birmingham in a months time, and we'd like to buy our wedding rings. These will be platinum, so not cheap, and we're looking at around £2000 for the two. Our current savings towards these is about £35. If we buy these on a credit card we'll have 30 days until they start charging interest. So that gives us 66 days from today to make £2000 above our normal wage.

As if that isn't enough, we currently have a small £871 overdraft I want rid of. So, I'm aiming to save/clear £2871 by the 31st December. This is exactly £43.50 per day I need to make everyday, until the end of the year! Huge, impossible challenge right?!

To make it worse church takes up 2 evenings a week for me, and I do a night class in dressmaking another evening. For NIM church takes up 3 evenings and hes currently doing a second degree which takes up another 3 evenings, so hes really got very little time to help me raise the funds.

My signiture is not enough space to keep track of all my totals and challenges, and I want to make better headway and keep track of more of these, so excuse me for reserving the first few posts of this thread!

Wish me luck.
Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
Met NIM 23/06/2008
«134567225

Comments

  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    edited 31 December 2009 at 12:51AM
    ~Reserved for challenges~

    Challenge 1: £10 a day challenge 2009 - £21.85 a day!
    Challenge 2: Achieved! DFD 24/04/09 £16,456 cleared in 250 days - £65.82 a day!
    Challenge 4: Loose another stone by new years 0/14
    Challenge 6: Dooyoo Amazon vouchers for new house stuff: £0 (£40 5 pan set purchased October, £35 George Forman purchased november, £55 spent on GHDs and £45 on presents in December) - aiming for £350 by 31/12/2010 £180/£350

    Current ideas:
    Onepoll
    Dooyoo
    Surveys
    STP
    Ciao
    Car Boot sale
    Ebay larger items (Grrr, hate ebay!)
    Selling my photos on etsy
    Selling prints of my paintings on etsy
    Making other things to sell on etsy (probably simple sewing related)
    Bingoport (and deduct vouchers from my house fund in exchange)
    Doing free offers on Quidco, and other cashback sites I've never tried.
    Free offers on ipoints
    Mystery shopping.
    Quidco - its your view

    Thinking to 2010....

    Overdraft Challenge: Debt free by wedding:£0/£1500
    Savings Challenge: Savings for wedding £8080/£19500(£1000 venue deposit paid) 46.56% to target
    My Medals Challenges
    Cinnys Amazon Voucher Challenge:Bronze £350 Silver £500 Gold £1000. Current tally: £180
    30 before I'm 30 challenge: Bronze 3 completed, Silver 6 Completed, Gold 10 completed Current tally:
    Wedding Challenge: Bronze wedding on under £12,500, silver wedding on under 10,500, gold wedding on under 8,500 (all excluding honeymoon) Current tally: £1029
    Extra income in 2010: Bronze £1000, Silver £2500, Gold, £4000 Current tally:
    Etsy items sold by 31/12/2010: Bronze 5, Silver 20, Gold 50 Current tally:
    Japan Savings by 31/12/2010: Bronze £1000, Silver £3000, Gold, £6000 Current tally:
    Books Challenge (cut down the number I buy!): Bronze 20, Silver 10, Gold 5 Current tally:
    Clotthes Challenge (again, stop buyng more!): Bronze £500, Silver £250, Gold £100 Current tally:
    Tesco vouchers for uni fees and New York by 31/12/2010: Bronze £100 Silver £250 Gold £500 Current tally:


    Etsy profit/loss made in 2010: - £30
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    edited 31 December 2009 at 12:52AM
    Wedding Budget:

    Ceremony

    Marriage Licence - inc in church fees
    Banns - £34
    Church Ceremony - £382 (inc licence)
    Church extras - £[STRIKE]100[/STRIKE] £50
    Bride's Wedding Ring - [STRIKE]£1300[/STRIKE] £450
    Groom's Wedding Ring - [STRIKE]£700[/STRIKE] £400

    Reception

    Venue Hire - £0
    Wedding Breakfast Meals:
    ................................Starters - [STRIKE]£620[/STRIKE] £550
    ................................Mains - [STRIKE]£2000[/STRIKE] £1850
    ................................Puds - [STRIKE]£620[/STRIKE] £590
    Evening Food - [STRIKE]£1300[/STRIKE] £1000
    Day drinks - [STRIKE]£1200[/STRIKE] £1100
    Cake - [STRIKE]£300[/STRIKE] [STRIKE]£100[/STRIKE] £200
    DJ - £300
    Entertainment - £500
    First night room - £0
    Favours - [STRIKE]£300[/STRIKE] £200

    Outfits & Rings

    Wedding Dress - £0
    Bride's Shoes - [STRIKE]£50[/STRIKE] £0
    Veil/headdress - [STRIKE]£200[/STRIKE] £0
    Jewellery - £200
    Lingerie - [STRIKE]£100[/STRIKE] £0
    Bridesmaids dresses - [STRIKE]£200[/STRIKE] £100
    Bridesmaids accessories/shoes - [STRIKE]£150[/STRIKE] £80
    Groomsmens suits - [STRIKE]£300[/STRIKE] £500
    Grooms suit - £100
    Make-up - [STRIKE]£50[/STRIKE] £100
    Hair - £75

    Decorative

    Bridal Bouquet - £80
    Church flowers - £100
    Reception flowers - £200
    Bridesmaids flowers - £160
    Buttonholes - £60
    Other decoration - £200

    Stationary

    Save the dates - [STRIKE]£20[/STRIKE]
    Postage - [STRIKE]£30[/STRIKE]
    Invitations - [STRIKE]£300[/STRIKE] £250
    Postage - £70
    Orders of service - £ 70
    Placecards - included in venue package
    Menus - included in venue package
    Table Names/Numbers - [STRIKE]included in venue package[/STRIKE] £20
    Seating plan - £50

    Honeymoon & Stag/Hen parties
    Honeymoon - [STRIKE]£4000[/STRIKE] £5500
    Honeymoon spending money - [STRIKE]£800[/STRIKE] £2000
    Stag Party - £150
    Hen Party - £150
    Sten Party - £50

    Other

    Photography - £900
    Videographer - [STRIKE]£500[/STRIKE]
    Car Hire - £500
    Gifts for bridesmaids - [STRIKE]£120[/STRIKE] £100 - £26 spent so far
    Gift for maid of honour - £200
    Gifts for groomsmen - [STRIKE]£120[/STRIKE] £100 - £3 spent so far
    Wedding insurance - £100

    Total Budget Estimate: £20,011 .... £11 more than I had mentally guessed! Not as horrified at that as I feel I should be!

    ETA: New budget: £17,321. And already spent £1000 of this - only £16,321 to find! .... Minus proposed savings if we buy the house, this still leaves us £3821 short....

    ETA2: £16,771... Coming down slowly but surely. Only another £3271 to shave off!

    ETA3: !!!!! Back up to £19,771!!!! So thats £6271 we're short by now. Ouch.

    Timeline

    12 months to go
    • [STRIKE]Set a wedding date.[/STRIKE]
    • [STRIKE]Draw up a guest list[/STRIKE]
    • [STRIKE]Agree your budget.[/STRIKE]
    • [STRIKE]Book the ceremony and reception venue.[/STRIKE]
    • Start trying on wedding dresses.
    • [STRIKE]Get engaged![/STRIKE]
    11 months to go
    • [STRIKE]Book a photographer [/STRIKE][STRIKE]Check that photos can be taken during the ceremony.[/STRIKE]
    • Order your wedding cake.
    • [STRIKE]Choose your bridesmaids, best man, pageboys and ushers.[/STRIKE]
    10 months to go
    • Choose your wedding dress - allow at least four months for a made-to-measure dress.
    • Choose your bridesmaids' dresses.
    • Organise flowers, including buttonholes, bouquets and flowers for the ceremony and reception.
    9 months to go
    • Organise a wedding gift list.
    • Choose the wedding rings.
    • [STRIKE]Start looking at honeymoon brochures[/STRIKE]. Book early if you're going at peak season.
    8 months to go
    • Confirm arrangements for the ceremony and discuss the service, readings and music. If you're getting married in a church, talk to the minister about the music and see the organist. If you're getting married in a civil venue, decide if you want music for the ceremony. Discuss the form of service and choose your readings.
    7 months to go
    • Order invitations and envelopes - you'll only need one invitation per married couple or family - plus stationery for the reception, such as place cards, favours and a table plan.
    • Order your order-of-service sheets for the ceremony.
    • If you plan to send out wedding cake after the day, order boxes from a stationer.
    6 months to go
    • Order your wedding transport.
    • Send out invitations at least six weeks before the day.
    • Buy going-away and honeymoon clothes.
    • Make sure outfits are organised for the groom, best man and ushers.
    • Choose wedding jewellery for you and your bridesmaids.
    • Choose thank-you gifts for your bridesmaids, best man, both sets of parents and other members of your wedding party.
    5 months to go
    • If you are changing your name, allow at least six weeks for a new passport. Notify your bank, building, doctor, dentist, etc.
    • [STRIKE]Book your first-night hotel.[/STRIKE]
    • Choose your first dance.
    4 months to go
    • Work out a seating plan.
    • Visit the hairdresser with your headdress or veil.
    • Practise your wedding make-up.
    3 months to go
    • Make a list of acceptances and refusals.
    • As wedding presents arrive, send out thank you notes.
    • Work out seating plan.
    • Finalise your honeymoon plans.
    • Start to plan your hen and stag parties.
    2 months to go
    • Make sure that your fiance has organised the rings, his wedding clothes and accessories, the first night hotel and honeymoon. Check whether you need visas or inoculations and order foreign currency.
    • Check your wedding clothes and try on the whole outfit, including headdress, shoes, underwear and jewellery.
    • Give final menu and numbers to venue.
    1 month to go
    • Hold a ceremony rehearsal.
    • Check if traffic delays are expected on the day en route to your place of marriage.
    • Send your honeymoon luggage to the reception or first-night hotel.
    • Make sure your outfit is complete. Wear-in shoes at home.
    • Have a final hair/make-up practice. Remind your groom to have a trim.
    • Remind your fiance to write his speech.
    The big day!
    • Check the best man has the wedding rings.
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    edited 16 December 2009 at 4:13PM
    ~Reserved for the stone by new year challenge~

    PLEASE ONLY THANK THIS POST IF YOU ARE TAKING PART, SO THAT I CAN ADD YOU

    Dinah: Starting weight/BMI: 10st0/22; target 9st0/19.8 (want to go another half stone after this but not part of challenge)
    Bails: Starting weight/BMI: 10st12/26.3; target: 9st12/23.9
    Tete: Starting weight/BMI: 10st6/20.4; target: 9st6/18.5
    Swinstie: Starting weight/BMI: 10st0lbs/24.8; target 9 st 5lbs/??.?
    Zig: Starting weight/BMI: None/None; target 1 stone less!/None
    Poddle: Starting weight/BMI: 10st4lbs/25.3; target 9st4/BMI 22.6

    ..................Week 1 ...Week 2......Week 3 .. Week 4 .. Running total
    Dinah.......... -4lbs ...... +2lbs ....... -1lb ....... +1lb...........2/14
    Bails
    Tete .......... -1.5lbs .... +0.5lbs ..... -1lb........................2/14
    Swinstie .......STS ........ +1lbs........ -1lb ..... +2.5lbs ...-2.5/9
    Zig ............. STS .....................................................0/14
    Poddle......... - - - ...... -1.5lbs ....... -1lbs ...... -1lbs ....... 13lbs ..7/14
    Birdie ......................................... - 1lbs ...... +1lb ...... 0/14
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    edited 26 November 2009 at 11:54AM
    ~Reserved for to do list~
    1. Do ironing pile
    2. Nag NIM to call company who have his CRB check
    3. Find log in details and check survey companies for cashout levels on remaining companies
    4. Update Toluna profile info (14 still to do)
    5. Do Toluna polls
    6. Finish Ombudsman form
    7. List laptop
    8. Get NIM to do kitten insurance forms
    9. Call Tesco and ask to resend clubcard points
    10. Call O2
    11. Scan TAB ID details
    12. Do photobooks
    13. Book photographers
    14. Finish updating zeezaw list
    15. Check I still want all the items on my amazon wishlist!
    16. Get wedding insurance
    17. Call Butlins
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    edited 6 December 2009 at 8:39PM
    ~Dinah's 30 before 30 list~

    1. Travel to all continents (except Antartica)
    - [STRIKE]Europe[/STRIKE]
    - Africa
    - [STRIKE]Asia[/STRIKE]
    - North America
    - South America
    - Australasia
    2. Buy a house
    3.[STRIKE] Sell something I have made[/STRIKE]
    4. Read all Jane Austen's Books
    - Sense and Sensibility
    - [STRIKE]Pride and Prejudice[/STRIKE]
    - Mansfield Park
    - Emma
    - Northanger Abbey
    - Pursuasion
    5. Stay in the ice hotel/a glass igloo
    6. [STRIKE]Create my own website[/STRIKE]
    7. Get back under 9 stone
    8. Go cross country riding
    9. [STRIKE]See a real penguin[/STRIKE]
    10. Go whale watching
    11. Go to venice and ride a gondola
    12. Build a dolls house
    13. Make a patchwork quilt
    14. Swim a mile without stopping
    15. See the grand conyon
    16. [STRIKE]Own an expensive piece of jewellery[/STRIKE]
    17. Make a 40 before I'm 40 list!
    18. Ice skate in New York at Christmas
    19. Write a book
    20. Complete the 5 peaks challenge
    21. Grow a fruit or vegetable and eat it
    22. Cook a meal with chocolate in every course
    23. Go to a spa
    24. Go to the ballet
    25. Sing karaoke
    26. Do the aerial extreme course
    27. Sew a dress I can and want to wear
    28. Not for public view (outside)
    29. Not for public view (homemade)
    30. Sleep under the stars with someone I love.

    I made my list less than a year ago, nothing was crossed off (except Europe!), so don't think I'm doing too badly.
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
  • bails
    bails Posts: 3,196 Forumite
    edited 27 October 2009 at 12:19PM
    Ooh, thought I was late - popped into the sauna on the way past! Yae, new thread!

    I'm also losing weight Dinah, so can I join in or is it too late?

    I have no idea how you'll do it (not as in I don't think you can, as in I'll be taking tips from the master!) and wish you every luck for the next 66 days :T
    The 1,000 Day Challenge:
    Feb 16, 2016
    500/30,000
    1.67%
  • Cinny91
    Cinny91 Posts: 6,022 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Debt-free and Proud!
    Hiya New Thread :hello:

    Should feel like home in no time!
  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    Course you can join Bails. We're aiming for a stone by New Year, we started 2 or 3 weeks ago so its up to you if you go for the full stone. Weigh in days are Wednesdays, although you might have a struggle depending on when the lady appears with her scales!
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
  • bails
    bails Posts: 3,196 Forumite
    edited 27 October 2009 at 12:28PM
    lol, cool, thanks! A stone by new year eh? Right, I'll just work out my stats... okay, so 9 weeks til then, guess I'll see if I can lose 9 lbs (want to do it slowly as have more than a stone to lose possibly). Can't keep anything else in my sig right now but will log it somewhere.
    The 1,000 Day Challenge:
    Feb 16, 2016
    500/30,000
    1.67%
  • Dinah93
    Dinah93 Posts: 11,466 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker Bake Off Boss!
    Well I will log it in the 4th post for you as well, ideally give starting weight and bmi, and then post any losses or gains each week, but if you are not comfortable giving starting weight/bmi, then don't worry about it.
    Debt January 1st 2018 £96,999.81
    Debt September 20th 2022 £2991.68- 96.92% paid off
    Met NIM 23/06/2008
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