New year, New me (finally)

thrifty_fifty

Morning All

Hope you're all having a good break.

Today I'm celebrating my one year anniversary until I'm debt free. I'm going to go to the supermarket and spend £5 on things for a special home made lunch.

I've been on my DFW journey for just over 6 months now, and I have to say it has made me savvy and quickly. I look back now and can't believe how I used to throw my money away. So the house deposit is still around 4 years away from being reached, but that's fine. It feels good to do things the right way now.

In the last 6 months I've stopped using credit cards completely, I very rarely dip into my overdraft, and I always have the funds to cover it. I draw cash out of the atm instead of using my debit card, so that I can physically see how much I am spending. I've paid off my overdraft and also reduced my allowance by £100. I never pay full price for anything, I shop in charity shops, and on ebay and I'm wearing my clothes and shoes until they're worn out.

I've experienced the joy of home grown veg for the first time, which has been fab, and I actually prefer home made food to going out to restaurants (overpriced for what you get, and not all that tasty either in most cases). I've introduced come dine with me to my friends, so that we DO meet up, but that we don't have to go to restaurants and fork out loads of money to do it.

I've taken time out to relax, because I'm allowed to do that I now realise. I've learned to appreciate the simple things in life again, like a cosy blanket, seeing the sunshine, breathing in fresh air.

I've set limits for how much I'm willing to spend of things, and I never go above it.

Most importantly I feel in control again (ok the bank and credit card companies still have a hold on me, but I'm clawing my way back). This week I have drawn all my money out of my Santander account and closed it, as I wasn't happy with their service. It felt really good to do that.

I'm also paying my laptop off next month, and getting rid of another direct debit. I've sat here today and worked out that for every £250 a year I'm paying off it, another £160 was being added on in interest. I've been paying £21 a month for the last two years for a £545 computer, and when I called for my balance the other day, still owe £338!!!!! I might as well have opened my wallet and randomly thrown £10 notes into the air. What a fool!

Well my mobile contract goes down to £5 in the next two months, so more savings there. I'm postponing starting my next masters course in november, so that I can start that being debt free, rather than putting myself back all the time. I'm looking forward to this Christmas, but I'll be looking forward to next Christmas even more as it will be my debt free Christmas.

Although I won't be debt free by the time I'm 30 (in november), I'll certainly be wiser in my 30's.

thrifty_fifty

Got another boost yesterday, as I received my annual statement for my loan. The letter accompanying it said that I will continue to receive a statement every 12 months until the end of my loan-and you know what the next one will say? zero, nadda, nothing, because my loan will have ended. The end is in sight, here I come. Wahoo!!!

thrifty_fifty

Hi everyone,

Well I'm sure we all must have been there and will continue to be, on this quest for being debt free. I'm referring to trying things that were cheap, and turn out to be awful. Let me just say, do not stock up on the ASDA mini bottle of cava for £1. My new DFW self got carried away pinching the pennies. Yuck.

Over and out

Yours not pleasantly squiffy
Thrifty x

thrifty_fifty

Todays challenge is to stop spending on snacky things. You know the odd chocolate bar, buying a sandwich, when you feel like having a treat. All in all this has been getting out of hand and I'm sure i spend £10 plus a week on overpriced rubbish. Also the little ebay treats here and there. I will not go over my debt free target date that I set for myself, no way!

thrifty_fifty

Right, so today's dilemma is whether to cancel my course in november. I've gotten underway with paying these debts, and whilst I hate my job, another 6 months to get my qualification isn't a lot in the grand scheme of things. If i started next may instead of this november I would be pretty much debt free (3 months to go) and the payments for my course wouldn't make such a dent in my ability to get this lot down. The course would work out to around £140 a month, so a lot really.

Actually after writing it down here, I've already given myself the answer really. I just feel like I've taken so long off my studies already, I'm bored and want to get on. Starting the course would also mean I was skint for my 30th birthday in november. I've already cancelled the holiday I'd planned for years, now to not even be able to afford £20 takeaway if I fancied it. OK, got the answer, going to cancel the course.

It is OH 3oth too, so I would like to treat him to a little something. I'm setting a budget of £100 for everything, his birthday and mine, so I won't be blowing the budget to debt bust by any means.

thrifty_fifty

So I cancelled my course, and I have an interview next week. No extra money, but new experience. V nervous. Eek.

mrs_robinson_3

Well done thrifty! Feel sure cancelling the course is the right thing for now. All a question of priorities. And you will shine at the interview, am sure. This is your moment!

Mrs R

thrifty_fifty

Thanks Mrs R

Well I have become proper tight on quite a few things now. 72p face toner, threading my own eyebrows (although I can't get the shape right yet, I'm determined to stick with it, because there's no way I'm paying someone to do it for me).
I'm ditching the makeup, I prefer my natural skin to having foundation on.

For my birthday I'm going to wear something out of my wardrobe, and celebrate with a cosy night in. I can't even bid on ebay items because I don't want to spend the money.

We have spent in some other areas-a couple of shops at waitrose, and realised that debt free is where we want to be. I just want to eat good wholesome food, and have a mostly stress free life. We've both agreed that we would like a house of any kind with a little bit of land so that we can grow our own veg and try and become self sufficient. I want to enjoy life, and being in debt doesn't feature in those plans. What's important is to have fresh air, good food, exercise and time to spend with those you love.

By 2015 we figure we will both be debt free and have placed a deposit on our house. Then we're going to set to work on clearing the mortgage as soon as possible. A nice big house is a dream, but we have agreed that we'd rather have time together than be a slave to bills. I'm determined to make this dream come true.

xx

thrifty_fifty

Morning

Well feeling fabulous today (not). Tired, beginnings of a cold, a crazy week at work. Had the interview yesterday and now going through the 'do I want it, don't I', because it's my old place, potentially having to deal with some horrible people that I had left behind. Saying that I've probably flunked the test and it will not be an issue.

Okay so other concerns this morning. Operating out of my other bank account since closing down santander account. Haven't quite figured out how to make faster payments yet. They say that payments will go as a faster payment automatically, but so far they all seem to have been bacs.

Anywho my Virgin credit card. Set them up on banking, and it said to give the card number as the ref, well I don't have the card because I cut it up, I have stopped paper statements, so no going into a branch to pay it. I've sent them the saturday (showing as monday on bank statement) and still this morning it doesn't seem to have been allocated. Now I'm starting to get worried. If I check tomorrow morning and it still isn't allocated, then I need to call them. I can't see how they couldn't NOT allocate it from my account number though.

I know I panic and fret. When does life just settle down?

OH and I have decided aswell that we are going to try and retire at 50 or at least go down to part-time hours. We don't want anything fancy just a small house with a bit of land so that we can grow our own veg. We've made the decision that it's far more important to spend time together.


Can't wait till we've finished paying all these debts. One less thing to think about.

thrifty_fifty

So it's likely that I'll find out about the job today. Half want it, half don't. Learning another new job again, but hopefully some more stability once I get over that probationary period.

The waiting game is awful. Part of me wants to stay in my old job because it's just getting comfy, and I could do with a long break at christmas which I've booked, part of me needs change. Any change is always scary hey? Especially after my last experience, and I think this is what is tainting my view. I have to recognise that this was a unique set of circumstances and I didn't get enough training on the job, so it was their failing not mine. It's hard convincing yourself that though isn't it? I clearly have a long way to go in terms of confidence.

So what I'm working on is my out of work life, so that what comes at the end of the day is more the focus, rather than work being my life. So I'm going to start indulging in my interests and start planning my career as a researcher-after all the job that I may/may not have today is not something that I permanently want to do, and I will do for no more than the next 5 years. I think as I'm coming up to 30 I'm looking back at what has happened in the last 10 years and planning for the next 10. A lot can happen in that time.

See you later.

The butterflies are killing me.