Back filling the big hole I dug with my credit card

AllThatStuffIsJustStuff

I also meant to say that the Ebay thing is much more than just getting the money in for me. Our house has been too cluttered since we've lived in it. I've code named this excercise Project EMG (Everything Must Go) and am really looking forward to the liberating feeling of only having things we actually need/use/want in the house rather than stuff we feel we shouldn't get rid of.

PiggyBankShaker

Sitting down with a nice cuppa in a rare moment of peace and quiet. OH in work, DD at grandparents and DS asleep!

Thought I'd indulge a secret pleasure and write a list he he

Things I want to do this year include:

[STRIKE]Pay off debt[/STRIKE] (obviously )
[STRIKE]Sort out back yard[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Get wood burner installed[/STRIKE]
Finish insulating the loft (;) wink to OH here)

[STRIKE]Do foraging for baking, jams and chutneys[/STRIKE] - and homebrew is we can find the equipment cheap enough
Get DD enrolled in a gymnastics class
Maybe enter a half marathon, need to think about if I have the time to train :rotfl:
[STRIKE]Try and get free / cheap sewing machine[/STRIKE] and have a go at making stuff (I realise this is a bit vague) Tis done! And freely with old Argos vouchers too!
Help OH get his business idea off the ground
Maybe try and get an allotment - again need to think about the amount of time we realistically have :cool:

Most of these require some money so I'll have to aim to keep up with the eBay listings too, aiming to make £10 a day really helps me to keep focussed

DS awake now, which kind of illustrates my point about free time perfectly!

PiggyBankShaker

Very proud of OH today - he's just gone into business and registered with Companies House won't say much more because its early days but hopefully this will be something that takes off and makes him happy - fingers crossed.

Ebay going well today too - mainly due to OH's junk and listing work last week it must be said. Should make something aproaching £300 (pre fees) I think, which'll be lovely

Spent a bit of time the last few days browsing smallholdings for sale - which is medium/long term dream/aim. I find it really spurs me on with the frugality and moneyspinning adventure we've embarked on. Of course, need to shift the CC debts first, but we are on track there, so I think a bit of daydreaming is ok.

AllThatStuffIsJustStuff

I'll sort out the loft when we've finished selling all the junk in it The only stuff that should be in there at any time from now on should be the christmas stuff and things too small for DD and too big for DS.

Seriously though, that box of my old stuff I haven't usedf for years has made nearly £200. And we are well through the £300 mark on that listings splurge we did last week. I make it over £360 pre fees with 14 items still to go (that includes their current list price but I reckon they will add at least another £20 before they all go). Could break £400 yet, which is not bad since my initial guess for the haul was £150.

Landmark barrier on the mortgage passed today. Lets hope the next 10k can go down quicker. Once the CC debts are cleared I definitely want to start project 2020 to clear the mortgage by then. It's definitely doable.

We are definitely neither of us running the half marathon this year. Maybe next year when things are a bit more settled. There's too much going on at the moment to add the pressure of needing to do regular training.

back yard phase 1 of stage 1 (demolition job) should be completed this weekend with phase 2 the one after - don't forget you've said you'll book the skip.

Aesop

sorry I have followed you from the make £10 a day challenge.

I must say it is lovely to see another OH/DH on a diary showing how willing they are to help clear debt.

There is another diary in the DFD - 3Dogs and her DH Mr 3Dogs posts too sometimes.

good luck, you both sound so motivated and raring to go.

chevalier

thanks for taking the time to explain about the debts, sorry for being nosy!

glad to hear about the second job, that is awesome for the debt busting.

chev

PiggyBankShaker

Quick update, awkward as I'm doing it on my phone on the train. New job tomorrow. Very excited indeed, not just about the personal growth / satisfaction element but about the money side too. Not at all tempted to reward myself with buying stuff as I would have done in the past just pleased that it helps to bring DFD closer.

Watched River Cottage last night, really really aspire to that kind of lifestyle, have a deep yearning to connect to the land. We're going to do foraging this summer and autumn and make chutneys and jams and maybe beer and wine for our Xmas pressies. And of course we'll be able to do herbs in our back yard once it's done.

It's very satisfying that we've raised enough cash to do the back yard just from selling our old tat on eBay, without out it we'd still be waiting this time next year. Being proactive in this way has really boosted my confidence, and makes me all the more determined that we can reach our own version of River Cottage bliss.

PiggyBankShaker

Looking back I've had a ver 'up down' relationship with money. When I was a teen I always worked and squirreled away thousands. Then I went to Uni and racked up debts on my new credit card, store cards and overdraft in the very first term. I got 2 jobs and paid it all off in the next two terms and carried on working all through the summer and whole second year. I didn't do more than the odd temp jobs years 3 and 4, although I did work in the summer holidays. Year 5 was when it all went pear shaped for me, as I basically lived off my credit card for 12 months. HUGE mistake. I've been paying for it ever since.

Nobody ever sat me down and taught me about money, about debts or interest or budgeting. Even to this day I get awkward talking to my parents about money. We have to give these skills to the kids, we have to give them the knowledge and understanding. And nit assume they'll pick it up the way I think my parents must have with me.

AllThatStuffIsJustStuff

Thanks Aesop and Chevalier for stopping by and saying nice things.

PBS, you are absolutely right that we should teach kids more financial skills, but you also have to draw the line somewhere as to what is not understanding finances and what is just reckless spending. I think much more than teaching financial understanding, what we have lost in recent years is teaching children individual responsibility. I think thats more where your parents were with you.

Also, I've been offering to teach you for over three years now and only recently have you accepted, so it's not just the absense of opportunity. That said, I am absolutely delighted that we are working together on this now.

If I get through the work I was planning to do this evening I might try to list some more of our [STRIKE]crap[/STRIKE] valuable resellable property on ebay.

PiggyBankShaker

Hi Aesop and Chevalier - thanks for dropping by. I'm loving the £10 a day challenges, thanks Aesop for keeping us all motivated. And Chevalier, no worries about the questions - a big part of my debt free journey is being less secretive and more honest about my finances.

I reread some of the early diary posts on the train yesterday - gosh how far we've come in just two months! Ebaying is going well, in total we've managed to raise an extra £887 so farand still so much to list! The danger is getting complacent though, we must keep listing to keep the sales coming in.

I realised my ISA was paying rubbish - less the 1% interest so I opened an e-ISA (3.3%) and hope that because it's with the same institution that I can just transfer the money across. We should have the little that we do have working a hard as possible, no point in wasting it, eh?

Cash flow will be a bit out this month, as I have to wait until the middle of next month for the expenses I paid out for my new job to be reimbursed. I'd already budgeted to use that same cash elsewhere, so will need to make some revisions.

I did feel uber virtuous on the train on my way to work though, everyone else had M&S sarnies and water bottles and there's me with my thermos of tea I'd made in the house That would have been me before, not thinking twice about spending £7 or £8 on stuff to eat on the train - also work paid for my lunch and dinner and drinks too, which was really great.

More P1neC0ne vouchers have arrived, we really need to take them with us next time we go shopping - ASDA better flippin that them that's all I'm going to say!