Maldives & MSE - not your usual combination!

jtr2803

Hello and welcome to my shiny new diary .

As you will see from my post count I am not a newbie, far from it actually, but now seemed to be like a good time for a new chapter in my journey due to some large changes in my debt free plans over the past few months.

I hope that all my regulars will soon find their way over and tag along again but for any newbies that are reading I will do an uber quick re-cap of my situation.

I started a Payplan organised DMP back in 2006 when I had circa £17k (plus a car on finance) of debt :eek:. It came from nothing specific, just over spending and a bad relationship. Anyway, I had been merrily paying this off when I had a little attempt at clearing it sooner in late 2009, but I didn't stick to it. Then I came back with vengeance in May this year with the hope of paying the remaining £7k off by the end of 2010. I did surveys, took on a second job, kept a spending diary and basically cut right back .

I set myself quarterly savings challenges and beat them except for the one that included Christmas typically! Now from the beginning of this plan I knew that the end result figured on me getting a lovely end of year bonus and I also hoped to get some F&F settlement discount. Even though I did well with savings, it became quite obvious that I was a few months behind so I extended it to February when another MSE-er (Hi Becs!) was going on a months trip to Borneo. Then the bad news came that my bonus was going to be less than it was last year, which was a major stumbling block. Then a half hour conversation with one of my main creditors revealed that they would take nothing less than the whole debt total...so no F&F either. At this point my £7k in 7 months started to become upwards of a year .

I suddenly realised that whilst paying all my debt off was a very noble and right thing to do, it suddenly made no sense to work my butt off for another 5 months when I was effectively saving nothing. Then I would empty my savings and have to start all over again...whilst we all know that's kinda how these debt busting plans work but I must admit that scared me. My OH, who is my angel (and very money concious) agreed that there was no point in me going back to nothing when I wasn't saving anything by doing it. So there I am, with savings of £1,400 in the bank...........

It has been almost a life long dream of mine to go to the Maldives, ever since I saw it in a Kuoni brochure when I was 14. Add to that my absolute love of Marine life and you have a dangerous concoction :rotfl:. My lovely OH finally agreed that as I had already saved the money for my half that we should go....AND WE ARE :j. The middle of next May I will be jetting off for a glorious two weeks split between two islands when I can sunbathe and snorkel to my hearts content. :cool: Now I don't need to talk cost, most people will have a good idea of what a trip like that costs and I still cringe when I think about the total bill.

That's the reason it was suggested I start a new diary, I was starting to feel like I was a 'fraud' for doing this or that I was rubbing people's faces in it. Obviously that really isn't my intention and I certainly don't advocate anyone doing what I have done! If this was a credit card and I was paying interest then it would have been a no brainer! I also did get a fairly nice year end bonus so I have a 'reserve' pot. My car is now getting old and likely to need a fair bit of work, I can't be without it as I work in a remote location so it makes sense for me to have a contingency fund. I haven't forgotten about my DMP at all, my current balance is in my signature and at the moment my DFD is December 2012.

I can't start a new diary without some goals can i ? So here are some aims for the new year........

1. Re-save as much as possible of my holiday cost before I go. I am setting myself a target of £1,000 by the end of April.
2. Lose 2 stone by the end of March. I am seriously over-weight and I don't want to look back at my holiday pics and be embarassed.
3. I need to stop smoking, I've had 2 chest infections over the past few months and I HATE being ill, whilst smoking is not the whole cause, being fit and healthy has to be a priority.
4. Knock 6 months of my DFD by either a lump sum or increased monthly payments.

There are some more but I think that will do for now!

I still currently have my second job but on Sunday just gone I was told there was going to be a 'reshuffle' due to some issues with the food side of the business, this isn't the first time it has been hinted that I may not have a job so at the moment I am waiting to hear whether I am needed/wanted back in the new year. I am also studying for professional Accountancy qualifications (how ironic?!) and have just sat two exams, I won't get the results until Feb so have to sit tight for now.

Once we hit 1st of January I will remove all old sigs and create on for the savings goal and one for the weight. Over the coming week I will start posting my plans for losing weight and gaining £'s.

Must end this post by saying a massive thanks to everyone who has supported me on my old diary, WooWoo, Beccie, LittleMoog, Kavics, Kat, Choc, Little Kel, EB, Pennies and absolutely everyone else who posted at any point. You guys have been absolutely amazing and without you, I wouldn't be the focussed, organised and Maldives-bound person I am today!

xxx

Woowoo

Good morning Hun!

Well done on the new diary, I like the title

Your new goals sound perfect for you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you achieve all of them

The no smoking and weight loss will make the holiday even more enjoyable.

Bring on 2011, I hope it's a good year for all of us xxx

Kepp

Can't lose me that easily! xxx

OrangeFairy

Woohoo new diary!!

Maldives - so exciting! I have been out of the loop a bit and didn't realised you had actually booked it! Good for you. :D:D

Thanks for the thanks at the bottom of your first post :):):)

I will join you in the shedding of weight!

I have a minimum goal of losing 1 stone before the 26th March. I may increase the goal if i do well. Ideally really i need to lose 2 stone. But my wedding dress is really slimming so i will be very pleased with a stone! :D:D:D

I will be more of a regular from now on i promise xxx

twinmum07

Life is for living so you shouldn't feel like a fraud. One holiday that has been well thought out and financially planned.

I have lost 1st10lbs in the last 8 weeks but am hoping to knock another stone or two off.

Good luck

kavics17

Well done on doing a new diary, I'm sure you will achieve everything, we are all here to support you.

xx off to subscribe xx

**Kat**_2

Subscribed!! I will join you on the quitting smoking and weight loss (1 only have around 1/2 stone to loose but moral support is always good). This will also be the 10000000000000000000000th time of trying to quit smoking so gonna get a diary and put in spends, cigs and weekly weight loss/gain and post to my diary - we can "keep tabs" on each other then .

PS have a FABULOUS Christmas xxx

Woowoo

Have a super Xmas hun x

jtr2803

Thanks hun, unfortunately I've not had a good day at all. I can safely say that I wish Christmas just hadn't come round at all.

kavics17

What happened? I'm here if you want to talk! xxx

Woowoo

Oh no hun what happened? I hope your ok x