Whats the biggest sacrifice you've made in your debt free journey?!

banwa

Very interesting. Makes me realise how little I have given up so far.

No holidays for us as a couple, 7 year old cars, halved the sky subscription, no nights out, no new clothes, make-up or perfume

BUT

We are taking the step-children away to centreparcs in the summer, I have a gym membership for a nice gym, we still have the occasional takeaway and we both spend £10 a week on drinks for home. I still buy pretty much what I want from the supermarket.

I feel all inspired to see if we can cut down on the food, takeaways and drinks.

If you can all do it, I can do it too

hattiefats

hypno06 wrote: »

Its not so much about making sacrifices.....but about prioritising, and reassessing what you actually need

You are so right hypno but it hurts at first!!!;)
I thought I needed everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pepe2008

I haven't actually missed anything so,

a) Have I always been a boring old g1t!
b) Was I so frivolous and uncaring that I didn't notice when I was spending?
c) What the **** DID I spend it on?
d) Could I be trying harder.

SuzySu

Had to sell our house and I now rent. OH took a job overseas as the pay was much better.

HUGE sacrifices both. It will be worth it in the end though.

Amatheya81

The only holiday I've had in the past 3 years was an all expenses paid trip to France to do charity work for a week and I don't intend to have another holiday until I'm debt free.
The most painful thing I've had to give up was my gym membership and my aerial acrobatics lessons, I dread to think what kind of shape I'll be in by the time I can afford to go back
I've swapped all of my yummy food for Tesco basics and "woops" products.
I've cut my spending money down to £10 per month!

Generally for the next couple of years at least I've cut up all my credit cards, I take out £100 per month which pays for pet food, my food, petrol and spending money. Anything which can't be bought within that budget I don't need. It's really hard as my shopping budget alone used to be £100+ but I'll be laughing in a couple of years when I'm debt free!!!

angelflower_2

got rid of paying for our tv services, a landline and internet.

Now, we make do with £10 a month on PAYG mobiles and PAYG internet and freeview which comes through the sky box. I have to say I dont miss it at all!

I also hardly ever go shopping now in terms of clothes or as a hobby so save loads there and also dont have all the crap I didnt need in the first place.

I dont think I have had to sacrifice anything huge, but really, stop all the unneccessary spending which was doing out of boredom, emotions and trying to 'keep up with the joneses' which has been easier than I thought once I realised what I was doing and how fruitless it is when you look at the bigger picture!

mummy2mygirls

I no we could do better with what we have given up but what we have is:
Less take aways (still have some )
have given up smoking - but i am pregnant alot of the time so that helps but i will not be starting again once baby comes....
Only holidays is what my dad paid for so only needed spending money He also treated me to my last haircut on that holiday - was in june....
We dont go out....
have cut back spending as much as possible and food is now from Aldi...meal plan and make meals from scratch....
Have got rid of sky altogether but could never get rid of broadband....
Clothes are only what kids need and try to get in sales so not as expensive and i dont mind looking in the charity shops for new bits aswell now

debtdesperado

Probably eating out and therefore meeting up with friends... I used to be out every night, now I go out once or twice a fortnight.

I know all the stuff about your real friends will stay your friends even if you can't afford the same things blah blah (and those friends who I have sat with over a coffee even though everyone's tummies were rumbling and they could have afforded to eat even though I couldn't I am so grateful to!) but I just find it easier not to see people quite so much... I'm into my second year of money saving, and I'm bored of having to keep apologising for not being able to afford X, so god knows how bored they much be of saying it.

I just keep thinking of the light at the tunnel when I'm debt free at the end of this year...

Wee_Pilsbury

Hi all

I tend to think of it as reprioritising rather than giving up but I suppose it's the same thing really. The main things I can remember (and I mean remember: after not having some stuff for a while I miss them so little that I'm sure I've forgotten what they were )

• L'Occitane liquid soap at £14 a bottle:eek:
• Gym membership of £35 a month that I ended up not using
• Foreign holidays - none since 2004 when I went to America and I'll be honest here, I don't actually miss it at all
• Virgin telly package - I hardly watched it anyway (even with 100 channels there was never anything on :rolleyes:) and Freeview is ok for stuff I like
• Highest branded food in the supermarket - I've dropped a brand level of most things except soup - nothing beats Heinz cream of tomato, absolutely nothing:T
• New release video games - if I buy any at all (and I usually now wait for birthdays and Christmas etc) then it's pre-owned ones

I think I got caught up in the whole "treat yourself - you deserve it" thing and the availability of readily available credit was my downfall. I find now though that I really am no longer interested in "stuff" and I'm all the happier for having had my lightbulb moment :T