Debt free the Fly lady way - anyone?

scaredy_cat_2

hi flowerofscotland, i don't think it matters if you are behind anyway (as i always am with anything) i think its join in when you find it!! hello anyway - i'm off to declare my days spending and find my spending diary and write on it!!

mizmir

scaredy_cat wrote:

hi flowerofscotland, i don't think it matters if you are behind anyway (as i always am with anything) i think its join in when you find it!! hello anyway - i'm off to declare my days spending and find my spending diary and write on it!!

Absolutely - first principle of flylady - "you are not behind"!

millionaire_in_training

Ok did a bit better today. Spent £2.20 on church collection lol. No other spend :j Had dinner at my mums and used up food in fridge etc for brekkie and lunch. xx
I definatelt feel better today as was a bit scunnered yesterday.

mrs_bellamy

hi y'all. Thanks for the PM, Tondella. I have been having a bit of a 'Time' lately, and forgotten about being a Flybaby. I am starting as from tomorrow, as I have got into some VERY naughty habbits over the weekend (was fun though) and I am gonna be extra good as from 6am!

Drunken_Butterfly

Hello. Can I join too? Already started my Spending Diary as of the 1st - going to be interesting when it all gets added up at the end of the month...

mizmir

Drunken_Butterfly wrote:

Hello. Can I join too? Already started my Spending Diary as of the 1st - going to be interesting when it all gets added up at the end of the month...

I was in shock when i got to the end of my first month!
But it is getting better. Brilliant thing to do.

And welcome!

Tondella

Hi all

Sorry I've not been around, weekend web access is limited! but i have been writing down my spends and will do a weekend summary over on moozie's thread later.

big welcome to
elantan
kathfisch
millionaire in training
fishface-69
ang babe
flower of scotland
and drunken butterfly
who have all posted for the first time over the weekend

angbabe - mizmir has posted a very useful dictionary of abbreviations, sorry about that, I will try and define them the first time i use them!

millionaire in training - as katchfisch so rightly points out, don't beat yourself up about what you are spending. Rome wasn't built in a day, just keep writing it down and keeping it safe, then transfer it to your spending diary at the end of the week. Knowledge is power and this little list is going to help you learn to spend more effectively, on the things you really need or want to spend on. Remember, if you follow this plan it will never be as bad as this again, because you'll know your spending weaknessses and will avoid them. Week 2 is going to introduce lots of little challenges to reduce your spending, one by one, so just hang on in there, it'll all come good.

Speaking of which, it seems alot of you are pre-empting me! As i mentioned above week 2 is going to start introducing challenges to reduce our daily spending, such as packed lunches! But I wanted the first week to just be about normal spending, so that we can see how much we usually spend before we start introducing these money saving challenges.

bobble_hat

Morning all :wave:

Hope you had a good, low weekend.
Well Flylady way Day four - Bad Juju so here goes.

Neg. - I'm rubbish at sticking to my budget.
Pos. - I didn't have a budget to stick to this time last year, so I'm further ahead than I was

Neg. - I always seem to justify my overspending.
Pos. - The fact that I'm justifying it means I am aware of it and know it's not ideal.

Neg. - I've made no massive inroads into my debts over the last 3 months.
Pos. - I have transferred onto a 0% card and stashed away a buffer of £800 in my main Bank account to remove the need for an overdraft facility, and avoid bank charges.

Tondella

Ok here goes

Neg: I know i won't really stick to this plan
Pos: I've planned out my goals step-by-step and have the support of my fellow flybabies to help me along. Even if i only manage to write down my spends for a whole month, I'll still be able to learn something and make improvements

Neg: I could be doing more to pay off our debts
Pos: It's all about balance, unlike many on here you are fortunate enough that you are able to meet the minimum repayments adequately. You've paid off £12k in the first year and financed a wedding on top of this. Even if you don't make any more changes you'll have paid this off my March 08. You can put next month's payrise onto the debts and your student loan repayments when they end in march.

Neg: We should have bought a house by now
Pos: There are no rules or timelines for life. The housing market is in flux and although you could stretch to a mortgage at the moment your debt would not be serviced as quickly. You've set goals of paying off debts first, then using those repayments to save for a deposit. You should have a sizeable deposit in two years.

sashanut

Hi there I think I better start fessing up....& hope that we can support each other...& maybe recognise similar traits in each other's posts so we know we are not alone!

Neg: I joined MSE last year & have not reduced my debt significantly
POS: I have faced it at least & have changed a lot of my debts to lower-interest cards thanks to help from here

Neg: I have not stopped spending despite knowing that I should not be
Pos: I am at least aware of the problem instead of hiding my head in the sand

Neg: I could be doing more to pay off our debts
Pos: I fessed up to my DH & he is aware of (most) of the problem! it's much easier when we are a team


Neg: I could have done more to pay off our debts in the last year

Pos: Our business unexpectedly took a nose-dive 3 months ago & our income was reduced to zilch - plus our outgoings are still massive. The pos thing is that I was able to keep us from going under by selling some of my doll collection

Neg: We are more in debt because I took out another loan

Pos: we are still meeting our minimum repayments & hopefully the business will pick up & we can repay the loan - plus, I was actually able to get a loan..

This will do for now, I have MORE to post but keep typing 'loan' as 'load' - Freudian slip, anyone!!

M x