Debt Free ASAP Pledge - Join Me!!!

System

BigBeff - I know just what you mean. I genuinely have NO IDEA how it came to all this! But, I've really started to have fun on the forum now, and have "met" some lovely people. So it proves that my Mum is right - everything happens for a reason!

Good luck with the big move. I am sure you will turn things around!

xxxx

pugmum

Could i please join?
I have just joined 'Spending Diary' and i put in all my spending for the last week. Oh my word-i really am fooling myself. I think i am quite frugal e.g.....

• I only use the car for maybe one or two trips at the weekend (i walk everywhere)
• I spend about £5 month on my PAYG mobile
• I dont have a TV so no Sky, TV licence etc
• Vegetarian so low shopping bills
• Buy all my clothes in charity shops and on Ebay
• Make many gifts for birthdays etc
• Have water meter and am really careful-e.g use bath water to flush toilet!
• Leave nothing on standby
• Would put on about 4 sweaters before i put heating on
• Have long hair and colour it myself-only have it trimmed about twice a year
• Sell things on Ebay
• Get stuff off Freecycle
• Teetotal
• Etc, Etc...

You get the picture?
Well, i just looked at my spending for the last week and i was completely shocked. I spent £101.10. And what do i have to show for it-nothing, as it was made up of takeaways, coffee with friends, lunch with friends, magazines, cinema, trips to the supermarket, (for things i dont need, as my cupboards are FULL of food) I didnt even buy petrol!
Actually the above amount wasnt the whole week-it was just Friday to Sunday! And its not that untypical.:eek:

I have debt of £5000.00 and while i am up to date i keep telling myself that i need to pay of my loan and credit card faster as i am due to travel to Australia in October 2011 to see my sister. I have never been to Australia and havent seen my sister for 5 years and i want to have a great trip without thrashing my credit card.

I did a big trip around the USA in 2008- and the debt i am paying off is mostly from that.

If i dont get myself sorted i will still be paying off my debt when i go to Oz and will have to then put it on my card. And i really dont want to do that. I have worked out that if i apply myself, i wll be able to pay off my debts and have the money for my trip to OZ in October 2011.

Is this my light bulb moment?

System

Welcome pugmum!

Wow - you should really go for it - Imagine how fantastic it would feel to get rid of the debt and have the holiday of a lifetime!

La_escocesa

pugmum wrote: »

Is this my light bulb moment?

I think it might be pugmum! :TWelcome on board! :beer:

What are your pledges going to be? Have you decided what to tackle first? takeaways, coffee with friends, lunch with friends, magazines, cinema... All of them??? It'll all be worth it come 2011 and a trip to Oz!

pugmum

Thanks for the fab welcome!
I hadnt thought about what to do first...Mmmm...well i think that i could certainly lose the lunches, takeaways and magazines immediately. I will still go for the ocassional coffee-but will say no to the cake-i could really do with losing a bit of weight anyway.
Maybe coffee once a month and cinema once a month.
This is a great thread -thanks!

randomer

Yo peeps! I took an unwanted card back to the coop and got a refund straight away.
This is the sort of thing I wouldn't have bothered doing previously and it is part of my pledge.......a more proactive approach:o

pugmum

randomer wrote: »

Yo peeps! I took an unwanted card back to the coop and got a refund straight away.
This is the sort of thing I wouldn't have bothered doing previously and it is part of my pledge.......a more proactive approach:o

Well done you-very good idea!

Zelie

Excellent thread. Good luck to everyone and keep at it. The reward is very much worth all the effort you are putting in now. I got debt-free in 2008 and it's a great feeling. Keep working away at it and little by little it will be gone.

:T

bigbeff

pugmum wrote: »

Could i please join?
I have debt of £5000.00 and while i am up to date i keep telling myself that i need to pay of my loan and credit card faster as i am due to travel to Australia in October 2011 to see my sister. I have never been to Australia and havent seen my sister for 5 years and i want to have a great trip without thrashing my credit card.

Is this my light bulb moment?

I have a similar amount on credit - and only on single income...hope we can keep each other spurred on and paying off the debts!

System

Hi Pugmum

If you/a friend have got an Orange phone don't forget you can get your cinema trip even cheaper!

Will look forward to your pledges!

Zelie - thanks for the inspiration. So how does it feel? What challenges have you set yourself now . . . . any tips?

Randomer - you are so right it is all about being pro-active! Perhaps you could get creative and make your own cards in future?