Paid off £30K, about £6k more to go!

boredofbeingathome

I love the Alvin Hall books as well, i got inspired by the Mortgage free in 2 years by Rene Carayol (sp?) Not sure of his last name, but that is how i originally came to the site- looking for ways to clear my mortgage. All good, sound sensible advice and i take on board the bits that work best for me from them.

foggyhead_2

wow, muffin! that's amazing progress i really admire your self control and determination, it's really inspiring
xx

savingholmes

I found martin's money diet book the most practical. I used to be an Alvin Hall fan but actually I think his solutions caused us problems as they were about dramatic resolutions rather than every day decisions that decrease indebtedness

muffin74

Starting another money saving week. I sent off a book I had sold on Amazon today. Only about £3 profit after the cost of postage but every little bit counts.

Out tonight but it is going to be an inexpensive night out. Film screening (free tickets) and prior to that some cheap eats at a noodle bar or a half price voucher place. One of the ways I have tried to have a life while saving money is to have cheap or free nights out. I am on the mailing list of several galleries and am often invited to private views. It means I can take a friend or two along to see an exhibition for free and there are sometimes free drinks and nibbles as well. My OH gets free tickets to film screenings, premieres and concerts so we often attend those. Another thing I have been doing for the past year or so is attending free BBC events. I have been in the audience for several radio and tv shows and BBC concerts. They have on the whole been of a really good standard and have provided me and my friends with a fun evening out. I also used to volunteer as an usher at a local theatre and I got the chance to see plays and concerts for free. It is possible to have a life on a budget!

I am also starting to think about life after debt. I want to keep contributing to my pension, living within my means and one day save 10% of my salary every month but I also want to save for other things. I would really like to go on a lovely long haul spa type holiday for my 40th (just over 4 years time). I was looking through a brochure this morning. The thought that I have things to look forward to after debt is keeping me going.

saorsie

Hi Muffin - just wanted to drop by and say well done on your fabulous progress so far and will keep looking in to see that last £6000 disappear in no time.

I'm a huge fan of breaking things down into bite-sized pieces like Bob suggested, makes them seem more achievable somehow and I do love setting myself small personal goals and challenges!

Have just arrived at the lovely position of being able to save up for something I really want and I know it will be so much sweeter when I finally have enough to purchase it.

So do hold onto your dream safe in the knowledge that you will get there and go beyond to live a financial savvy life with your MSE ways :money:You go girl!


-s-

joshua_blue

hi muffin,

just read thro your diary..... excellent.... your starting debt was similar to mine but my journey has a very very long way to go

looks like you tackled your debt by confronting it then tackling it in a focussed, disciplined & determined manner

very well done

muffin74

Thanks for the comments!

Joshua, you have paid off a lot in only a few months so I am sure you will be able to pay your debt off as quickly (or even more quickly!!) than me. It can be done!! It feels great to work towards getting it sorted. As the debt reduced, I felt less anxious and more confident. It felt amazing when I went from owing a 5 figure sum to a 4 figure sum, it just seemed less scary. I owe less now than at any time since my early 20s. It is sad that I have spent most of my adult life in debt but it is good that it is changing. I cannot wait to see the debt get smaller and smaller until it goes forever!!!

Saorsie, your comments are inspiring and encouraging and I am really looking forward to being a keen saver!

Ok, money diary for today:
Did 1hr of private tuition. (Good!)
Topped up my oyster card (for travel - £5).
Wanted something to read but went to library (did not buy a magazine!). The library books were personal finance books, I hope they will inspire me and give me a few new ideas.
Then had lunch at Pret a Manger (£7ish - not great, should have eaten something at home!)
Went for a swim.
Did a lot of window shopping. Enjoyed it. I have not been a big shopper for years. I get more enjoyment these days from browsing. I can visit the swanky shops, sample the perfumes, look at the lovely clothes and furniture, have the "feeling" of shopping without it costing me a penny or cluttering up my house!
I bought a few groceries from Tesco (about £7, have not got receipt to hand).


My night out last night cost £12.50 (Pizza Express) but I got to see a film for free so it was not too bad. I normally do not have nights out on a week night any more but as I am off work and had free film tickets I made an exception.

I know I spend too much money on eating out. I would like to cut down but it is a big part of my social life. I have been using vouchers and going to cheaper places but even that mounts up if you go once a week. Must monitor that and cut it down!

That is it for today, will go off now and read one of my library books!

muffin74

Today spent £9.53 on groceries/ toiletries from the supermarket.

Joined Quidco as I read other people on the forum recommending it. I will probably use it when I do my supermarket online shopping. Hopefully it will lead to a few £££s coming back to my bank account. Boxed up my CDs for Music Magpie, will post tomorrow.

I am reading a book called "Money Happiness" by Laura Rowley, one of the personal finance books I got from the library yesterday. It is interesting and useful and is encouraging me to keep going.

I looked up when I would get my state pension: on my 67th birthday!! My work pension: when I am 65. However, I do not want to work full time until I am 65. I want to give up full time work in my 50s and work 2 or 3 days a week. Yet another reason to sort out my finances and start saving. By the time I am in my 50s I need to have a big nest egg to allow me to go part time. I will be 50 in just over 14 years time. It is not that far into the future, 14 years ago I was training to be a teacher - and that seems like 5 minutes ago. Those years passed by so quickly.

Another thing which is making me think about the future is my mum's 60th which is next week. We are all getting older and I want to make sure that if I am lucky enough to celebrate my 60th, I will have enough to live on.

Another thing: going to do a bit of a "gratitude journal" now. Instead of worrying about money, I am going to take a minute to be thankful for the things I do have. Today I am grateful for... being alive, my health, my parents, my fianc!, my cat & my friends.

boredofbeingathome

muffin74 wrote: »

Thanks for the comments!

Joshua, you have paid off a lot in only a few months so I am sure you will be able to pay your debt off as quickly (or even more quickly!!) than me. It can be done!! It feels great to work towards getting it sorted. As the debt reduced, I felt less anxious and more confident. It felt amazing when I went from owing a 5 figure sum to a 4 figure sum, it just seemed less scary. I owe less now than at any time since my early 20s. It is sad that I have spent most of my adult life in debt but it is good that it is changing. I cannot wait to see the debt get smaller and smaller until it goes forever!!!

Saorsie, your comments are inspiring and encouraging and I am really looking forward to being a keen saver!

Ok, money diary for today:
Did 1hr of private tuition. (Good!) Great
Topped up my oyster card (for travel - £5).
Wanted something to read but went to library (did not buy a magazine!). The library books were personal finance books, I hope they will inspire me and give me a few new ideas.I always forget about the library
Then had lunch at Pret a Manger (£7ish - not great, should have eaten something at home!)Look for money deals in Martin's weekly tips, you could save a fortune
Went for a swim.
Did a lot of window shopping. Enjoyed it. I have not been a big shopper for years. I get more enjoyment these days from browsing. I can visit the swanky shops, sample the perfumes, look at the lovely clothes and furniture, have the "feeling" of shopping without it costing me a penny or cluttering up my house!You would be perfect for mystery shopping then:D
I bought a few groceries from Tesco (about £7, have not got receipt to hand).


My night out last night cost £12.50 (Pizza Express) but I got to see a film for free so it was not too bad. I normally do not have nights out on a week night any more but as I am off work and had free film tickets I made an exception.I use vouchers for these whenever i can, more often than not, i stash up with grub before hand:D

I know I spend too much money on eating out. I would like to cut down but it is a big part of my social life. I have been using vouchers and going to cheaper places but even that mounts up if you go once a week. Must monitor that and cut it down!

That is it for today, will go off now and read one of my library books!

Hope the day was good.

boredofbeingathome

muffin74 wrote: »

Today spent £9.53 on groceries/ toiletries from the supermarket.

Joined Quidco as I read other people on the forum recommending it. I will probably use it when I do my supermarket online shopping. Hopefully it will lead to a few £££s coming back to my bank account. Boxed up my CDs for Music Magpie, will post tomorrow.

I am reading a book called "Money Happiness" by Laura Rowley, one of the personal finance books I got from the library yesterday. It is interesting and useful and is encouraging me to keep going.

I looked up when I would get my state pension: on my 67th birthday!! My work pension: when I am 65. However, I do not want to work full time until I am 65. I want to give up full time work in my 50s and work 2 or 3 days a week. Yet another reason to sort out my finances and start saving. By the time I am in my 50s I need to have a big nest egg to allow me to go part time. I will be 50 in just over 14 years time. It is not that far into the future, 14 years ago I was training to be a teacher - and that seems like 5 minutes ago. Those years passed by so quickly.

Another thing which is making me think about the future is my mum's 60th which is next week. We are all getting older and I want to make sure that if I am lucky enough to celebrate my 60th, I will have enough to live on.

Another thing: going to do a bit of a "gratitude journal" now. Instead of worrying about money, I am going to take a minute to be thankful for the things I do have. Today I am grateful for... being alive, my health, my parents, my fianc!, my cat & my friends.

I use Quidco for a lot of my shopping, and any goods i can buy and reserve. I also use it for insurance, has mounted to a lot of money over a a couple years