Motivation please.

tbourner

I need some motivational words from you guys. What do you guys think to yourselves or do to get motivated to keep up with the DFW lifestyle? Or is it just an ongoing thing?

I think my problem is I loved doing the figures and stuff, I'd open my spreadsheets every day and tweak things even when they didn't need tweaking. But now I'm treasurer of a charity I'm doing the same thing for them and losing interest in my own finances. I haven't updated my spending diary yet this month!! And I know I need to do a balance transfer as my 0% ends the end of the month, but can't be bothered.

Trouble is I know what it's all for, we've got till the end of 2012 (roughly) before we're pretty much clear save for one loan which will go on a bit longer. Maybe the last 2 years of scrimping and saving has desolved my motivation.

tbourner

Ooh, just realised I haven't updated my sig this month either! Damn I'm rubbish.

browneyedbazzi

I just have to remind myself how much more of my money (and life) will be mine once the debt is paid off!

I've tried a couple of times to do spending diaries etc but I just can't seem the crack that (poor attention span?) but I do still think really carefully about everything I buy (do I need it, can I get it cheaper elsewhere etc) and I also have a good head for numbers so I can keep a running balance in my head.

I guess what I want to say is that good DFW doesn't just have to be spreadsheets and diaries, so long as you're in control of your spending and working towards clearing the debt you're not rubbish, you're doing a good job!

tbourner

OK i've updated my sig now. Only paid off £200 last month. We did have a wedding to attend which cost us a lot, and a birthday.

Week off next week, think we'll be going to Harvester to cheer ourselves up, cheapest meal out we can get.

BeautyandtheBeast_3

i keep looking at my snowball calculator and my interest payments going down xx

bottleofred

Having originally owed £38k I struggled for a long time and would have always preferred to pay for things on credit etc and pay it off (which I then became unable to do!). However, when you consider the amount of money available once your debtfree and the amount of interest you've paid, this should be incentive enough. By all means, buy yourself the occasional small treat, but remember the reason you signed up to MSE.

Good luck

Red

backinbusiness

When you first embrace mse life you are slashing costs left, right and centre; continually tweaking spreadhsheets (we all love a good spreadsheet!) and just generally absorbing all the info on this great site.

Once the novelty wears off, I agree it can be a bit of a slog for not much perceived gain, but you are changing your mindset and changing your future for the better!

Make sure you budget for treats (although I'm a fine one to talk about that!) and enjoy watching the debts come down.

One day all your disposable income will be that - disposable.

Chin up and plod on! Maybe try one of the challenges too?

Good luck op.

BiB

tbourner

0% balance is transferred, so that's another 6 months, fee of £57 which should be covered by 6 months even at minimum payments. Going to try to pay off my 12% overdraft if I can.
Missus gets her inheritance in November, it's not loads but it should be enough to pay for her next behaviourist course and my motorbike! That'll cheer us up, and save money on fuel (yes I know the initial cost is way more than the savings, but it's a nice excuse).

mrsb83_2

Keep going!

Have you tried the Payment a Day challenge? Getting to update my signature (even just a little bit) helps keep me motivated through the week.

churchrat

tbourner wrote: »

OK i've updated my sig now. Only paid off £200 last month. We did have a wedding to attend which cost us a lot, and a birthday.

Off topic (sorry) but when did it start to cost so much just to be a guest at a wedding???:( We went to one a few months ago--family, couldn't miss it--and I think just going(not including present and clothes) must have cost the best part of £300!!! Nobody seems to get married at the local church anymore, this one was at a posh country club and although we didnt stay there all the nearby hotels were nearly as expensive.

Sorry--off topic rant.

Please carry on, op, my apologies.

tbourner

mrsb83 wrote: »

Keep going!

Have you tried the Payment a Day challenge? Getting to update my signature (even just a little bit) helps keep me motivated through the week.

I've looked at the challenges before, but they all go against my plan. We don't have a 'standard' budget, there are always people who say "I haven't got any money as it's near the end of the month" but we don't do it like that, we have an amount we're allowed and the rest is all calculated, so it's completely irrelevant when we get paid etc.

One thing I don't get is the NSDs, I mean surely you can easily avoid spending one day if you know you're allowed to spend the next day? You'll just spend more the next day!! What's the point in that?