A Budgeteers Quest to be Debt Free & Mortgage Free By 40

DedicatedDFW

Hi all,

Just a brief post for now as my dizzy spells are keeping me away - I have been to the docs about this quite some time ago and have had some tests - its probably stress though and as we all know stress works in odd ways - it has been known for me to be happily away on holiday and be struck by a quite bad dizzy spell in the middle of the street making it impossible to try and walk anywhere or move until it had passed - its not as though it happens when i'm feeling stressed out about something if that makes sense but i think stress can be beavering away in the back of our minds.

I will be fine - just not used to this frequency of dizzy spells although i have had quite a stressful event this week so that could explain it x

Hope everyone is well x

Chocforever

I regularly read your diary but rarely de-lurk as it were. You do work very hard indeed, in general and on the debt busting and, of course, this involves some stress. But if the dizziness persists, do push for them to try and work out what is causing it. I find that the medical profession can consider the words "stress" and "anxiety" as synonyms for "I don't know".

jwil

Hope you feel better soon x

DedicatedDFW

Hey jwil, chocforever, ebayqueen, brizzle, teamtime and pinot - hope i've not missed anyone Thank you all for the well wishes I had planned some time off but i am ok - dizzy spells still occuring but i am here and i am ok x Really do appreciate your supportive and friendly words it really means alot xx

DedicatedDFW

just going to throw things down that i need to do so that they are out of my head

Put in diary date sent important letter and date to ring if no written response received! Done!

pop in diary hairdresser appointment - maybe cancel though not been happy last few times but i guess its ok-ish for the price :think: Done!

pop appointments into diary or i'll have no idea where i'm going when Done!

Day 1 Print off job spec
Day 1 Highlight and jot down first draft of personal info.
Day 2 Second draft
Day 1 Covering letter draft
Day 2 letter second draft
Day 2 Submit! Not Doing ( Basically i thought the advert said permanent - either that was incorrect or i was very tired and mis-read it. Anyways was just about to print all details to find the job is temporary for 6 months only - if it was 9 or 12 months i'd have gone for it but 6 months isn't nearly long enough. Add to that is the fact that this vacancy is with the company i really want to work for so really want the next application i pop into them to be exactly right for me. This job is also part-time so i'd still need a second job - again i don't mind this but really need a more long term role.

Set alarm for tomorrow or i am in danger of missing my class :eek: Done!

Prepare salad for tea with all reduced price stuff - cheap, healthy and very delicious Done! Om nom nom

PM everyone - lots to catch up on !

Ring about repair job that needs doing :mad::mad::mad:

Find some way after asking for the last few months to get OH to contact his friend about another job - will still need paying but it will be slightly less than anyone else Done! - but no doubt will need doing again!

Write cards

Pay funds into bank - desperately needed :eek:

Empty drawer and re-organise - part of the declutter again An easy enough job - except for the relocation of stuff

Put bag together for me ma!

Continue checking for a job Done!

Lift out stuff identified for the bay of e

List a few items on free postage - pick out what i think will sell for a quick boost Done!

Shape eyebrows Done! All glamorous now - well not really just tidy x

Write and write and write

Hope everyone is well. I'll update more tomorrow xxx

Chocforever

I have been wondering whether to say this for a while and hope you do not think I am overstepping the mark by doing so.

I had a debt target in mind a couple of years ago and worked really hard to reach that target day in day out. It was motivating seeing the balance come down but it did take over my life in a lot of respects and I got very tired.

After I reached the target, I suddenly had spare time and money, which was great of course. But then I wondered why I had worked so hard to meet a self imposed deadline. Maybe I would have been better off taking a bit longer to pay the debt but made life more pleasant during the time when I was repaying that debt. I'm still here as I try to save for a house deposit.

I can't really compare my situation to yours because everyone is different and, in my case, there was little financial penalty in paying the debt over a longer term.

I understand the birthday deadline is very symbolic for you, but there is no shame in pushing the DFD back if it is possible to do so and in your best interests.

Take care

jwil

Nice to see you again DDFW

Sorry to hear the dizzy spells are still there though.

I think chocforever is making a lot of sense But equally, I know that if I was as close as you I'd probably be wanting to go all out as well

DedicatedDFW

Chocforever wrote: »

I have been wondering whether to say this for a while and hope you do not think I am overstepping the mark by doing so.

I had a debt target in mind a couple of years ago and worked really hard to reach that target day in day out. It was motivating seeing the balance come down but it did take over my life in a lot of respects and I got very tired.

After I reached the target, I suddenly had spare time and money, which was great of course. But then I wondered why I had worked so hard to meet a self imposed deadline. Maybe I would have been better off taking a bit longer to pay the debt but made life more pleasant during the time when I was repaying that debt. I'm still here as I try to save for a house deposit.

I can't really compare my situation to yours because everyone is different and, in my case, there was little financial penalty in paying the debt over a longer term.

I understand the birthday deadline is very symbolic for you, but there is no shame in pushing the DFD back if it is possible to do so and in your best interests.

Take care

Hey Chocforever - lovely to hear from you again And any advice is much appreciated

i suppose i should say a little more about my situation really - part of wanting to be debt free by my birthday is because, at heart, i am a lazy moo I know i need a specific target to work towards or i do very little. It would be different if my debt repayment came from wages but its mainly from extra earnings - bay of e, MS, cutting back, surveys etc. The debt is also of course holding me back on certain things too - i can't remortgage, certain courses i want to take i can't afford etc. Also every year i'd just think 'oh i'll be debt free by my next birthday' without a plan in place at all to make this happen :eek: This year i have become a fan of the plan and with a bit of luck will get there

Obviously things like selling a pricey item (less than £50 but still!) on the bay of e several weeks ago which the buyer needed urgently and then not hearing from them so assuming everything is ok then getting a non-received item refund request through does throw a spanner in the works :mad:

And i *do* have to have a bit of a life as its only on here that people know my situation - my OH does not know and i am doing my utmost to keep it that way So as my OH doesn't know it does mean that we'll go out for meals on occasion, watch a show, go to a concert, meet up for drinks with friends, have holidays. What i have cut back on is that i can't just grab a coffee if i want one - even when i'm debt free i don't think i could justify the expense now. I have cutback on magazines so very rarely buy these now, can no longer afford the gym, only buy books second hand, never meet up with anyone for lunch and always take packed lunch to work, go out alot less etc. I am lucky that if me and OH go out together he will sometimes treat me or pay the majority as he knows i am no longer well paid

When i'm debt free i think i'd like to go out for the occasional lunch, buy that magazine on the odd occasion that i want to, do the courses i can't afford to do now. I have done a crafting course which was very cheap really and will do as many of these as are available in the meantime.

You are right though chocforver - a self-imposed tight/strict date is a bit silly when its putting me under quite a bit of pressure so i'm trying to relax a bit and think 'ok if i miss it' rather than being very down about the whole thing

How are things with you Chocforver - hope you are ok? How close are to looking for your own place ? Its all very exciting

I am at the docs next week - not for the dizzyness though - i've decided they can only cope if i tell them about 1 ailment at once Sounds terrible but this other problem i have mentioned to the doctors now over the past year when going about something else and the advice of take painkillers is no longer acceptable - they are not resolving the situation and are costing a fortune to boot!

DedicatedDFW

jwil wrote: »

Nice to see you again DDFW

Sorry to hear the dizzy spells are still there though.

I think chocforever is making a lot of sense But equally, I know that if I was as close as you I'd probably be wanting to go all out as well

Hey jwil

I am not hugely close to be honest and i am further away than i wanted to be by now - flipping refund really didn't help Grrsomeness indeed!

How are things with you hon ?

jwil

I'm good thanks, glad it's the weekend :T