Start of my Debt-Free Journey

foxgloves

P.S....If it makes you feel any better, I think I had my head in the sand longer than you. I first started overspending age about 19 when I was a student and remained in debt for well over the next 20 years. When I got together with my partner, our combined debts at their peak, inc loans, overdrafts, credit cards, etc, can't have been all that many £1000s off what you owe now....I was trying to work it out the other day. I never worked it all out in total at the time, as we were lucky in that we never reached a crisis point with it. We were always able to pay the monthly repayments, but the LBM came largely because I realised just how much of our income that amounted to each month and that if we didn't get ourselves sorted out, we would be hindering some of the things we hope to do in the future. It IS hard at first, especially if like us, shopping had become a leisure activity in its own right, but it does get easier and as those figures gradually fall (I even started with paying off our smallest debt first for just this reason), you will find real motivation. In the cold light of day, there aren't any situations which are improved by having debt so you know you have now set off on exactly the right path for yourself & your family. Stick with it. Post on here when you need a little bit of motivation or to celebrate those figures dropping.

Monkeynut

Hi,
Just having a mooch around and found your thread.
Just to add my twopence worth, something I read recently, on this site of course, is that another alternative for Ebay packing is to use wallpaper rather than brown paper! If you're sending only a few things, then be cheeky and nip down to Homebase and get a 'sample' piece that will do the job. I also read other people saying they have picked up whole rolls for like 10p at a Boot Sale.
Best to use it with the reverse side facing out though, as wallpaper tends to not be very good at keeping cellotape stuck to it!

All the best

lucielle

You can also use primark bags, cut those down and you have brown paper.
L

[Deleted User]

What a brilliant idea guys, hated spending money to send off the e-bay parcels- def going to use those ideas.

Thats exactly why I need to use the old-style boards- have been so used to buying things not thinking about wether theres a 'free' alternative. I am actually enjoying trying to be more 'old-style', its a great challenge, just need ideas like your to keep going.

Yesterday we did travel to mothers for m'day - DH drove very economically, also we usually stop in services and spend a small fortune on crisps, chocolate and pop- not this time, I took a little goodie bag for us. Also cut down on amount we spend for pressies- nice chocs and nice card- think thats enough.

Lucielle - just seen your signature- youve paid off mega amounts- well done- how'd you do it? I am loving hearing how everyone else is getting there.

Happy Mothers Day all :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

lucielle

Blood, sweat, tears and belt tightening came into it.
L

remote_control

Hi

Just been reading your thread. I am new here and have about £4000 credit card debt which will be gone by the end of July.

For birthday presents I enter loads of competitions (maybe 10 per week or more) and I find I normally get 2 or 3 things a year which I can give to people like books, dvds or products. I then do all the different survey websites and get paid in Amazon vouchers which covers about half the birthdays per year. We all have plenty of clutter in my family so the past few years we have been giving more home made gifts like planting bulbs or herbs in a nice pot, baking something and giving it in a nice tin, putting together a photo album etc. I don't know if you've got the time to do that sort of thing but I love putting the thought in and they much prefer it.

I did a car boot sale last summer and it became very addictive, we literally went through every item in our home and questioned whether we really needed it. People bought all sort of weird stuff, most of which was less than a pound. I made £60 profit from the first one and enjoyed it so much I went back two weeks later and made £85. I mentioned to everyone I saw in those two weeks I was doing another one and people gave me a carrier bag of stuff they didn't want. children's toys and clothes were very popular.

It sounds like your OH is doing a good job too - that is fantastic.

Sorry to ramble!

[Deleted User]

Thanks remote_control, we been selling on e-bay and am about to do a car boot sale. Hope I can persuade DH to do an indoor one this weekend, got loads in the loft to sort.

Havent been near the retail park for some time and not missing it, sometime feel I would like some of the pretty summer clothes I've seen in windows at the town centre but I have got some summer clothes already and I will wear those.

My handbag obsession has almost gone, I am putting loads of bags for sale on e-bay and am using a pretty fabric bag I've had for years, I vow to only buy another bag when this one needs replacing, not have loads of bags I have no where to keep in my tiny house. I hope that by the time I've de-cluttered my house will feel much bigger and I will have made some money to pay the debts.

Last night was the handbags, tonight I am going to do some more of my quilt, I started quilting at the beginning of the year to try to relax myself. Tomorrow evening is parents evening but then on Weds evening I hope to put some of those 'killer heels' on e-bay (I'm strictly a flip-flop or pumps girl now I'm not trying to impress!!! My feet and back feel much better for it!).

Trying to think of some low-cost (or ideally free) things to do with my son during Easter Hols, DH and I have a week off each with him, usually do expensive things like cinema or ice skating, need some OS ideas??

Cheers guys :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

lucielle

How old is he?
L

remote_control

I used to work at a nature reserve which was free entry. We ran kids events over the Easter holidays which were free (people would give a couple of pounds donation). The kids loved it as the events were always very hands on and they got very mucky. Is there anything like that near where you live?

We didn't have money growing up and one of my favourite things we did was build camps in the living room - move the sofas around and hang a big blanket between them. We'd then have a picnic in there, it was so random to be doing that we always thought it was great fun. And we loved that mum would come and have the picnic with us too - I mean she's a grown up, what is she thinking coming into our den!

[Deleted User]

DS is ten, thanks so much guys