Drop Debt Diva – ‘Plus-Sized Debts to Plus-Sized Savings’

Swinstie73

Afternoon all,

Well, onto another boring Sunday for me, OH is working and I'm stuck indoors still feeling poorly. Actually feeling alot better than last week but I'm still knackered and feeling sleepy all the time. My thoughts of going to work tomorrow are too much to bear, so I'm not going, ha! I do have an official doctor's line so not just not going to work. I'm never off for anymore than a day or so, so taking full advantage of it, plus there is no point in going back to end up being off again cos I'm still not 100%.

Have a wee announcement, myself and OH are the proud parents of...............a new exercise bike!!!!

We've been talking about it for ages, I'm getting really peed off with not making it to the gym, my classes are after work but unfortunately the opposite direction from home, so I was getting home at funny o'clock hours so I simply wasn't going to the gym. Still going to look into classes at a gym nearer my house so I will keep my membership going and if after a few months I find I'm still not going, then I'll cancel.

So, anyway, we bought an exercise bike from Argos and it's fab. It's a foldable one and it's so quiet, I can go on it whilst watching the tv, ha. I find I'm always slumped in front of the tv, so if I can at least go on the bike then I'm doing something good, right?! Been on for five mins today, don't really want to go hell for leather and wear myself out, so will build up gradually until I'm feeling much better. It's a very pretty bike, we are very proud. So that's my big purchase for the month, cost £35 each but will get loads of use, OH can use it when he is down here (as I've got custody of it, ha).

Well, gonna head off and try do a bit more housework to keep myself occupied, have a great rest of the weekend x

Swinstie73

Well onto another boring Sunday evening for me, can't get myself motivated tonight. Have at least cleared one side of the bedroom nearest the window, so I can actually walk around the bed and open the blinds without nearly breaking an ankle. Bed is also made along with pillows, cushions and bedspread (it's cold when the human radiator aka OH isn't there). I've got a couple of boxes and a bag of what can only be described as junk to sort through. The kind of stuff you want to keep but don't quite know where to put it, which is why it's all in boxes and bags at the mo. It's starting to come together though.

I ended up spying a box of Roses and have opened them, oops. Only ate about 4, but still it's 4 too much. The rest is going in the freezer and I've hidden the tin of orange segments in the wardrobe - I love them. The Roses box was shockingly not very full, must be cut-backs going on at Cadburys.

Anyway, think will have a cuppa then jump on the bike for a wee bit, don't think could manage both at once though.

Swinstie73

Morning all,

Well I managed to get up at a reasonable hour today, just before 10am, goodness I'm going to do well getting up for work next Monday!

I have updated my siggy with my new debt balance, a lovely £1,125.01 left, yeehah (£2014.50 including the wedding debt)! My payments haven't strictly came out yet, just because of the early pay-day but I wanted to see it change ASAP. I've already decided on my overpayments and will then make the BT to the Halifax card, wedding debt is £889.49 but going to round it up to £900 and just make this the interest payment. I'll pay the rest of the interest of £17ish taking my total personal debt to £1,141.50.

Then, transfer £500 from my savings, £200 from my car money, which means I'll need to pay £441.50 off February wage and be debt free!
This will leave £50 in both savings and car fund but with money going in off Feb wage. That's the plan anyway.

Well going to go and have bite to eat, shower and get ready.

Sun_Addict

That's brilliant Swinstie - you're nearly there! I can't believe that next month I'll have been debt free for a whole year! Hope you're feeling back to normal soon.

Swinstie73

Thanks SA, goodness a whole year you've been debt free! Have you noticed a huge difference in how you spend now?

Just think, when I'm debt free next month, it'll be on your 1st anniversary of being debt free. Brilliant.

Well not done very much today, have emptied and attempted to clearout a bag of 'junk'. God knows where it's all going, I've went through it all and threw out a few bits but don't know what to do with the rest of it. Stuff like, loads of recipes, do you know I can't even think what the heck else was in the bag. Eh, a pedometer, two calculators, pens, batteries etc. Suppose I should try and find a place for it all, i.e. pedometer can go somewhere along with my exercise mat, exercise ball etc. Recipes into my recipe folder - it's the time it takes to sort all this stuff, I don't have the patience for it.

Ok, Swinstie, you can do it, you're off work so may as well do something useful, instead of sitting watching tv and eating all day. I am saving money though by not being out - I'm not gonna want to go back to work now, am I?

Swinstie73

Ok, so managed to completely two boxes of 'stuff' and sort some paperwork. The files that came with my organiser are crap and falling apart so will have to rescue some of the files from work (the only reason I want to go back now), next week. Got loads of recipes to file away too but at the moment I can't be bothered. Feeling VERY bored tonight, think got major cabin fever, need to go to mum's for a visit tomorrow, and for some food for dinner on Wed, yeah I'm getting out the house.

Having baked potato and beans for dinner, also had some toast this morning and some rice cakes and philly for lunch. My food intake is not very appealing at the moment as trying to use things up, but starting to run out of the basics now. I made spag bol at the weekend and used my last jar of Dolmio, BUT I did find a recipe for it. I have so many herbs and spices, so I am going to try and make my own from now on, should save money, I hope.

Well better go and rescue my beans, think I can hear them sticking to the bottom of the pot, eek!

EB69

Hi Swinstie - mooching over as promised on my diary! Have skim read (I need to get off this site as running late already!) but sounds like you have a plan. I love a bit of wedding talk (I pretend I'm all yuk when it comes to hearts and flowers, but I'm an old romantic really!) so looking forward to hearing more about the plans as they develop!

Anyway, I've subscribed, but I've become a diary addict so I'll pop along now and again to catch up!

Sun_Addict

Hi Swinstie - you are sounding a lot better in writing if not physically! Yes I have noticed a difference in my spending habits but this is mainly due to OH having hardly any work now so have a vastly reduced income. However, the major change in me is that I am now living within my means so when his work does pick up I should in theory be able to save loads of dosh. We had a nice payout from an endowment policy last May and I am ashamed to say I went a bit mad and bought loads of clothes that I didn't really need and now really regret doing this. We did spend quite a bit on doing long overdue stuff to the house, we even saved a bit out of it but not as much as we should have done. With hindsight we would have saved a lot more of it and only allowed a fixed amount to "go wild with". What's done is done - another lesson learned the hard way! The amazing thing is that on my now reduced income I have been able to save small amounts - I'm doing the £365 in 365 days challenge (and sticking to it!!) and the Virtual Sealed Pot challenge. So although I don't have a lot of spare cash to save at least I'm saving something - which is more than I did when I had more money. I now realise that every little bit saved is a bonus and that I don't have to save huge amounts for it to count. It's amazing how little bits add up and by the end of this month I will have saved around £100 by stealth. I have become obsessed with sticking to my budget, mainly because I don't have a choice because if I don't I'll end up back in debt and I don't want to go down that road again. It would be so easy and I'm determined not to let it happen.

romylou_2

Hi Swinstie, just caught up on your diary. Well done on getting the debt (hopefully) cleared early. Just to let you know that I am still following you (not in a stalker way though )

I'm struggling a bit with mine (the bills just don't seem to be coming down as quick as I would like):mad:. I'm thinking about transferring my balances to a 0% for 16 months. That would save about £38 per month in interest per month:eek:

SA - well done on changing your spending habits. Sometimes good things can come from bad situations:T

Swinstie73

Hey EB, SA & Romy,

I'm not alone, yeah!

Have decided I dislike very much debt busting! Made a mistake in my calculations, was looking at what I would like to have paid this month instead of what I am actually paying, so my new debt total is £100 more than I thought it was. I could push the boat out and pay the extra £100 but that would leave me very short this month. we got paid last Friday but technically pay-day should've been today and luckily with being off I've not spent much in the way of petrol but still would end up in the red if I over-stretched myself.

Got a feeling with being off, my dist. payment will be taken off me, so gonna lose around £50 (I hope not but need to prepare myself just incase). I did get my court expenses through, £14, wow!

So new debt total is £1,225.01, boo.