Debt free and buy a house by 35

andymc29

I chased up my old letting agent today for my deposit to be returned. They emailed me back in about an hour saying I was getting everything they'd said over a week ago. So nice of them to act quickly on it. Should get that back in a few days, then it's bye bye credit card balance!

Cloudy456

Thats great news. And well done on your walk!

Dinah93

andymc29 wrote: »

I sawa thread on here just now (can't remember who posted it). But it's a woman who's boyfriend agreed to move over from Ireland to be with her if she can get out of debt. Sound familiar to my situation, my girlfriend refuses for us to become anything more serious until I've cleared my debts off. this is the biggest incentive I have now.
I want to be married (or engaged at least) within 2 years, and right now my debts are holding me back.
Time to start looking at other things I can do to earn money outside of work. Need to pay my debts off quicker.

Hi Andy. I think that would be my thread you found! One of my followers said she'd found me mentioned somewhere else today, so I had to come looking. Two years ago I was in £16,500 (approx, I forget the tiny bits) of debt, I cleared it in nine months (more than my take home pay in that period!) and 2 years 2 months since setting me the 'clear the debt' challenge we'll be getting married in a no expenses spared big traditional family wedding, and then we're off on a 3 week 5* honeymoon to Dubai and the Maldives. With the right incentive anything is possible. Shattered right now, but going to have a good nosey at your diary tomorrow.

andymc29

Thanks Dinah93. It's brilliant to read diaries like yours. When I had my LBM last year I had two main feelings, one was good taht I could see a way to get out of debt, but the other was wrry over how long it would take and whether I'd be misarable in the process. My girlfriend so far has been very supportive (even though she jokes about me living at my parents house), and am hoping that we last through this and have the fairytale ending you've managed to get to.:T

If things work out, then I should be debt free and moving in with the otehr half next April. Am just hoping I stay on track and that we stay good as a couple.

andymc29

Am very tired right now. Didn't get to bed till one this morning, as I was in Hyde park last night watching Paul McCartney, he was brilliant, played a tonne of songs every knew and even though the football was bad, everyone was in good spirits and the weather helps to make it a really good night.
The MSE bonus points I get for yesterday are: got cheaper ticket by buying it on ebay from someone who couldn't go, so saved a lot there. I have a season train ticket for work so I got there and home for free. And we took a picnic so didn't buy any rip-off food or drinks at the concert!

Did buy a load of clothes over the weekend but these came out my pocket money fund which was high from not going out much this month.

Just checked my account now and my deposit has come in!!! So I've immediatly paid off my credit card! Only two debts left now!

Get paid in a few days so can order my laptop and get cracking on my other debts

Cloudy456

I hate to say it, but do you REALLY need to buy a laptop? That's quite a big purchase given the amount of debt that you have and how much you want to clear it! You seem really motivated, so I'm sure you must need it but just thought I'd ask!

andymc29

I got burgled a few months ago and they stole my only computer, so now I'm borrowing other people's computers to work on. I can't use my garmin running watch (30th birthday present a few months ago) or manage my photos from my camera, or a number of other things I would normally do. The insurance wouldn't pay up, so I've got to buy a new one. It's an expensive, I know, but I've weighed up whether it's a want or a need and really it's a need. I'm spending a lot less on it than I did on the one that was stolen, and the total cost of the new laptop represents about ten days of what I have spare towards debts in a month, so it only pushed back my DFD by 10 days, and is the only expensive thing I will buy over 100 pounds before my DFD.

Right, have spent half an hour watering the garden, I've got tomatoes actually growing now!!! 3 so far counted, plus another six on the parents plants, that and tonnes of pea pods and even potatoes! Onions look good too. Does take six watering cans to water it all though!!!!

Time to clean house, might even find some things to ebay towards my new lappy.

Cloudy456

Thats not bad then, 10 days is pretty reasonable! Hope you didn't think I was being judgemental I just know I would have appreciated someone pointing out to be a few times when I've convinced myself I really need something but it sounds like you do and can manage it so go for it and enjoy the treat. I think that's the biggest difference for me since I started this - not necessarily denying myself everything but making sensible and considered decisions about purchases, with a full awareness of the consequences. That's the stuff I hope stays with me long after I'm back in the black! Good going on the veg - you should grow in bulk and set up a stall!

iwantahome

oooh oooh oooh

I've got a garmin running watch, I looooooove it.
It totally makes running more fun (in a geeky sort of way), really motivates me to beat myself next time, and means i'm no longer comparing myself to others, i'm only comparing myself to similar runs I have done myself in the past so can see much better progress.

I used it for a run with friends the other day and they were all well impressed to receive my email with "our" run details and graphs. OH I'm such a geek lol.

I couldn't find a geek smiley so a cool one for the cool watch will have to do haha. :cool:

Hope you use yours more than I use mine tho andymc.

andymc29

I love mine too, that's why it's killing me not being able to upload my graphs and sit analyzing my root on Google earth (Garmin connect website), it's brought running to the geek masses. I run based on my heart rate, trying to keep it within 165-175, the garmin makes this easy.

The laptop is definitely something to last after I'm back into the black. I did think about a cheaper "netbook" type laptop to replace the good laptop that got stolen. I figured it wasn't worth it to save a hundred now, as I'd only be buyign a more expensive one once I'm debt free. So this laptop I'm buying, while not the best, will still easily last me at least a couple of years into being debt free. (provided I don't get robbed and check my insurance properly!)

The gardening thing is new to me this year, I think it's cause I'm 30, so it might be age related, but I actually love just pottering around watering this, pruning that, digging her, composting there, it's greta fun, and provided you don't go overboard, is relatively cheap to do, and actually provides food at the end, which saves you a little money at Tesco and keeps you healthy.