Wanting to be debt free BEFORE retirement!

planning_ahead_2

Good news (sort of) - I just transferred £3k CC to 0% for 13 months. Didn't really want another credit card (and it hasn't cleared the total of the one I paid off) but this is going to managed this time, rather than clear one, spend on the other:T

Will wait til I am notified that the transfer has taken place and will then update my snowball and signature:T

elsie52

Morning PA..

Hope you had a good day yesterday.:) I read Tete's post with interest, and I can see what they mean about telling the kids, so that they don't make the same mistake. But..........I/we can't do it.!!!! :eek::eek: They think/know that we are stable, level headed, reliable, sensible parents.......how can we ruin that.:( Most of our debt was aquired giving our children a fantastic education, great interesting holidays and weddings, and also taking our grandchildren on holiday. If they knew that I am sure that they would feel guilty about the times they have accepted financial help from us, and taken for granted that we could afford to pay for the above things. We gave and did these things because we wanted the very best for our kids and they have turned out good kids with very successful jobs.:T
We look at our debt as our problem (which it is) and we will deal with it as a couple, like always. I realize that this wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for us.:T

It's pay day for us, and I love it. I pay off all our bills, work our budget out and watch our debt come down (How sad is that).:o At one time, pay day meant a spending spree, but not anymore.!! I put so much away for xmas and birthdays and I am in the sealed pot challenge, trouble is I have got so many pots going, it gets confusing.
Today is a shopping day with sister, will avoid purchasing anything, and just carry her bags.! When I look at what she buys, I wonder whether she really needs it.:(

Have a good day.

planning_ahead_2

Debt diary day 9

elsie52 wrote: »

Morning PA..

Hope you had a good day yesterday.:) I read Tete's post with interest, and I can see what they mean about telling the kids, so that they don't make the same mistake. But..........I/we can't do it.!!!! :eek::eek: They think/know that we are stable, level headed, reliable, sensible parents.......how can we ruin that.:( Most of our debt was aquired giving our children a fantastic education, great interesting holidays and weddings, and also taking our grandchildren on holiday. If they knew that I am sure that they would feel guilty about the times they have accepted financial help from us, and taken for granted that we could afford to pay for the above things. We gave and did these things because we wanted the very best for our kids and they have turned out good kids with very successful jobs.:T
We look at our debt as our problem (which it is) and we will deal with it as a couple, like always. I realize that this wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for us.:T

It's pay day for us, and I love it. I pay off all our bills, work our budget out and watch our debt come down (How sad is that).:o At one time, pay day meant a spending spree, but not anymore.!! I put so much away for xmas and birthdays and I am in the sealed pot challenge, trouble is I have got so many pots going, it gets confusing.
Today is a shopping day with sister, will avoid purchasing anything, and just carry her bags.! When I look at what she buys, I wonder whether she really needs it.:(

Have a good day.

Oh my God:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: You really are me:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

I could have typed exactly what you have written word for word (except for the shopping with sister bit because I am not seeing my sister today;)). You are right - I/We just can't do this......yet

Seriously Elsie - I couldn't have explained that any clearer than you have - they are exactly the reasons for a) the build up of the debt, and b) for not wanting to tell them. I am so very proud of my children - they are all well rounded adults, all working in very good jobs and all very settled with their family lives. And then of course there are the grandchildren - words can't describe my gorgeous grandchildren....so take it as read they are amazing;)

You are not sad - pay day is next week in this house and I can't wait to pay the bills which sounds so weird after living life in debt for so long.

I decided that when the new CC has paid the £3k off the Barclaycard then I will go online to my Barclaycard account and request a revised limit (down by £3k of course;)). I remember in the past when I used to get notified of a card increase and think 'oh fab' I can spend that now. :eek::eek::eek: It's a totally different mindset now thank god.

Anyway - have a great day and enjoy carrying those bags for your sister:j

Cialilerin

Came on to update my diary - but yours is so much more interesting;). I've read the posts from yourself and elsie52 and can identify with BIG parts of these. Our money is spent on the kids mainly - love shopping for them and buying them stuff to make up for when I was so horrible due to the post-natal depression. Anyway, the two eldest are at a 'good' senior school and there's quite a lot of pressure from them to keep up with their friends. There are also quite high costs associated with the school - trips etc. Anyway, I have talked to the kids about my debts and they have been really great (although they obviously still want everything NOW!) I have budgeted that they will not go without things they NEED and will have occasional treats, but they know that we have a goal and to be honest that is to be debt free before they go to university so we can help them out then. I'm hoping that they will learn from our mistakes:o. My family know we have debts, but no idea how much, we're on a good wage so embarressed that we have let this happen!

On subject of holidays, we bought a huge tent last year and discover the joys of camping - something I thought I would HATE, but ended up loving. Hope to get in a couple of short breaks this year and a summer holiday all under canvas If we can budget properly, I hope to have a foreign holiday next year - I can convince myself that it is part of their education - I also know that they won't want to come away with us forever so want to enjoy it while we can.

elsie52

Morning PA

Hope you had a good day yesterday. Now its confession time for me, I succumbed to temptation yesterday when I was out shopping and bought a new dress.!!!:o Did I need it? not really. Did I love it? again not really. But the need to buy something was there.!!:mad: It wasn't overly expensive - £35, but I can't really justify it hanging up in the wardrobe until an occasion occurs when I could wear it. (Plus I bought a size smaller than I really need, in the hope that I lose weight)....Why did I do that?...OMG I really need therapy.!!:( Anyway, its going back to the shop tomorrow. I think its when you see other people spending money and buying, it spurs me on to do the same - but I have now recovered from my lapse and tomorrow £35 will be back into my account. :T We don't have cc anymore, so that £35 was destined to come out of my budget so something would have been short this month.! Prior to my LBM, I would have kept the dress even if it didn't fit.!:eek:

You are being really good by reducing your cc limit, :A like you, in the past when we have had the letter saying." We have reviewed your account and from the lst February your new credit limit will be increased ". My initial thought was,,,,we are not going to use it.... that usually didn't last for long. I know we used the money and its our responsibility, but I also feel that the cc companies must also take some of the blame for handing the money out without bing asked.! :mad: Anyway, enough rambling. It's going to be a NSD for me today.

Cialilerin - We also used to go camping and loved it, but my OH says a definite no to that now - his back wouldn't stand it. He says at his age he draws the line at a Caravan.

Have a good day:)

Cialilerin

Morning,
Well done elsie52, making up your mind to return the dress! Don't beat yourself up about it. Yesterday you had the fun of spending and tomorrow you'll have the fun of being a money-saver!
Regarding cc'c - Virgin reduced my limit by a £1000 last month when they said they'd reviewed my finances and as a responsible lender, they didn't want me to get into more debt than I could afford (too late )which was fine by me - then this week I got a letter from Barclaycard telling me they've increased my limit by a £1000 Fortunately my will-power is strong now - with a little help from my friends:T

planning_ahead_2

Debt diary day 10

Afternoon Elsie & Cialilerin

Elsie - buying the dress was therapeutic and taking it back will feel even better;) Well done you for having such amazing willpower.

I have to say.....I HATE CAMPING:( - tried when the children were a lot younger and I felt like I needed a holiday when we got home. I vowed then that I would never, ever, ever camp again and that is something I have stuck to:rotfl:

I was very good with the grocery shopping - went with a list and only bought what was on the list - very focussed:T

Today has been a NSD so very positive.

Can see it being a fairly quiet week on the debt clearing front as I have to wait till payday next weekend before paying any more bills. Still I can still save my £1 a day for the 365 challenge.

Hope you both have had a fabulous Sunday.

Snowmoredebt

Hi Planning ahead

We also did the camping once and never again, we went for 2 weeks in August 2 years ago. Our car broke down it rained the whole time then we got caught in a storm which took our tent and it blew off. NEVER again!
Sticking to the shopping list is fantastic thats something i have never been able to do!

planning_ahead_2

Hi all

Debt diary day 11

Only thing to report is that I transferred £1 for the £365 om 365 challenge. Still, with my positive head on;), at least that means I haven't been spending anything so the debt hasn't got any worse:j

I think this week the diary entries will be fairly similar because between now and Friday I think the 365 challenge is all that will be happening.

I am glad someone else agrees with me about camping - yukky, horrible pastime:(. My memories of camping also seem to involve a lot of rain, a lot of work for mum (aka me:(). However, now camping has been mentioned I do seem to remember that we have a frame tent somewhere which might be good for ebaying:beer: Do people still buy frame tents:question::question: I think I will have to wait for a bit better weather and get DH to put it up in the garden and check it out. I know it was still okay as we lent it to a neighbour two summers ago for them to have a cheap holiday. Anyway - off to research on ebay now:rotfl: (probably be back later to report disappointing sales figures;)

Tete_en_l'Air

Hello - well done for reducing the CC limit, and to Cialilerin for returning the dress!

Not sure about all the camping dissing, I was hoping to get into that this summer if we get the weather!