Macgirl's "Stop Procrastinating and Get on with it" Diary

macgirl

No new sig sadly Taxi I'd already updated it......

Feel a bit flat today, the debt is not going down fast enough. I need to either start selling things again or magic a big bonus from somewhere - though that is not likely until April :cool:

I've just been analysing our joint account and far too much is still being spent on groceries. This month I have stuck to the budget, and stopped my often daily trips to buy one thing and spend £20. But I need to do that every month. I'm so great at first, but it doesn't take much to slip into old habits.....I really want this millstone gone, so I need to feel the pain and keep on it.

Anyway, there was some good money news today and that is that my deposit for my Xmas party was paid from our meagre lottery winnings! So the £15 I had allocated, has gone back in my purse! :j That made my day! What a saddo

hypno06

The problem with debt it is that it needs effort and commitment to get it down quicker than the standard repayment. And as you say, whilst it is easy (ish) to be frugal for a few weeks, to do so continually for a few months or a few years is suddenly not so much fun.

What you have to decide, and only you can decide it, is what is more important to you - to throw every penny at the debt, being frugal, going without treats etc all in the interest of being debt free/saving for new house etc......or to pay a bit more than your minimums, still have the treats and the lifestyle that you want, but accept that the debt will take longer to pay off.

I have generally done the former - and it has paid off for me, with the debt being well on the way to being cleared. But I wouldn't say it has been much fun, with us missing out on lots of things that I would have liked to have done.

But I don't regret the way I have done it, because I NEED to get rid of the debt in order that I can start living again, and because personally I think that if I am slow in paying the debt off, I am more likely to add back to the debt by saying "what's another couple of thousand going to make any difference"....

....but that's ME, and I made that decision. You have to work out what is right for you, and your family. Once you have that bit worked out, you will sit comfortably with it, whatever you choose to do!

macgirl

Thanks.

Yep, I know I am the former for 90% of the time. I never spend on credit cards now, so I have changed one bad habit at least.

BUT I do still buy clothes. Not as many or as often as I used to - but I still do, I admit that. And though I can go months without - I had a spree pre-NY and in NY, which is not good.
I also bought a couple of things in the sales - and took others back - but still. That is where my money goes. We don't have flash cars, or expensive holidays or nights out or sky tv etc............ *sigh* it is not easy to change when you are a leopard............

I have to say the reality of moving and the cost of it - together with "what if it all goes wrong" has focused my mind of late, so onwards.

Anyway, Shred is done plus a good hour of sorting. So mission accomplished for tonight

se999

Hi macgirl, just spotted this on the BBC news website, surveyors are expecting prices to fall due to the budget/economy impact etc http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10603905.stm

Not sure if it effects your decision making, for us it does at least take the pressure off finding somewhere quickly as we're less likely to lose out by price increases taking houses out of our budget. Publicity like this should make any cheeky offer you make more acceptable to a seller.

taxi73

I agree with Hypno again.You will find a comfortable way that suits you for your lifestyle.
For clothes how about putting so much away per month and then having a splurge with that?
Food shopping is a hard one especially the nipping to the shop for one thing and spending £20...maybe an envelope with a set amount of cash in can work for shopping.

se999

On the clothes front, are they work clothes or 'normal clothes', even when we were very tight on budget we counted on buying work clothes in the sales as a cost of work ( bought twice a year in the sales), unfortunatly it's not tax deductble here in the UK. But we realised that a work clothes budget allowance was essential to keep the work income up if you're in a job where it's important to look good. By the sound of your NY trips and Berlin, maybe it's the same situation.

Maybe it's worth budgeting for work clothes budgeting in the sales each year, when we were both working, we had to do this. admittedly the other clothes budget was down to nearly zero at times!

OK you need treat clothes too occasionally too

macgirl

se999 wrote: »

Hi macgirl, just spotted this on the BBC news website, surveyors are expecting prices to fall due to the budget/economy impact etc http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/10603905.stm

Not sure if it effects your decision making, for us it does at least take the pressure off finding somewhere quickly as we're less likely to lose out by price increases taking houses out of our budget. Publicity like this should make any cheeky offer you make more acceptable to a seller.

Thanks Se, I read this at lunchtime today, and have been listening with interest to this story over the last few days.

taxi73 wrote: »

I agree with Hypno again.You will find a comfortable way that suits you for your lifestyle.
For clothes how about putting so much away per month and then having a splurge with that?
Food shopping is a hard one especially the nipping to the shop for one thing and spending £20...maybe an envelope with a set amount of cash in can work for shopping.

The envelope project has been a total revelation for me. It REALLY works. I accept what kind of spender I am and am not going to beat myself about it. There are still spikes of spending but in the main I am a reformed character and will keep working on myself in the long term until these frugal habits stick!

macgirl

Got home today to letter offering me "Well woman" insurance - £25k for £5.95 per month.
Think it must be from an enquiry I made via Quidco, so will shop around before making a decision. It might be better to have full critical illness cover rather than certain cancers alone.

I want to sort the policy soon, as apparently premiums increase after 40. An NSD today and Shred tonight, then we'll be taking down the curtains before the windows tomorrow.
The blinds will be taken down in the morning. Can't wait - it's been a long time coming :j

Oh, nearly forgot to mention.................................................................


















Our offer was accepted today!!! :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j

hypno06

Nearly forgot to mention :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Good for you - see, I knew that the game would pay off if it was meant to be

All systems go then!

macgirl

I'm so bad at being cool aren't I?! :rotfl:

I was cool on the phone though. Said we'd put it behind us, would have to discuss with husband, market dropping etc. People at work were saying to retract the offer and go in lower as they'd kept us dangling and now we are holding the cards, but DH said no; if we want it then let's not gamble - we've already negotiated and don't want to risk losing it.

I know that having an offer accepted and actually owning the keys are 2 different things, so am keeping a cool head and making sure that the numbers I have crunched are doable.
The IFA is coming on Monday night, so there will be no hiding place for me then

Off to Shred, then dry bread and gruel for dinner!