restoring focus..

LilacPixie

How does everyone keep their focus on the end goal?? I had a good first 6 months of the year, we met our overpayment targets for 2011 but then rather than push onwards We seem to of eased off, spends are up, my income down and i can't see us ending 2011 in the black unless focus is restored and quickly.. all tricks accepted.

Mc_Marty

Hi LilacPixie, it sounds like you focus best when you have a clear goal set. Is your overpayment target for the year reached becasue you have met the % limit of what the banks allow you to overpay?

If so, how about setting another goal such as to save x amount by Jan 2012 which you could then use as your first overpayment of the new year or maybe as a holiday fund? It might give you the motivation again.

I find that the best way of staying in the black is to keep a spend diary in which we have a set weekly budget for food, going out, car and extra's and then we try our best to stick to it. As long as you make realistic budgets for each it allows you best of both worlds to have things you want but not to overspend on the things you can do without.

downsizer3

I use spreadsheets - lovely to see the debt coming down and spurs you on!
Keep it up - don't let any debt creep in or up - imagine a debt and mortgage free life - then you get to be really smug!!!
Coming on here is great for boosting too - especially when you see what can happen if you let it all slip.
Good luck!

CathT

I have no idea LP, we had a good start to the year too! I'm not even on Maternity pay yet and am running out of money before payday. I was selling lots of things earlier in the year and had a steady stream of money coming in to send regular OP's. I really need to 'up the tempo' somehow.

CrazySaving

You are right it is hard to keep motivated. The things I find help when I am drifting a bit is to set up a couple of challenges e.g. have 3 no spend days, use up all the food in the house before going shopping again, creating meals on a small set budget.
Finding freebies and discount vouchers also helps to motivate me because it reminds me you can have a good time without spending loads... might sound silly but I have just got into downloading podcasts; they are free, make a change from telly and can be entertaining and of course are free!!

cha97michelle

I know what you mean, I keep having more 'splurgeful' moments myself, and I guess it is like dieting and hard to do all the time.

I find it easier when I actually have nothing, as I won't get into debt. So if I move money out the current account, it is gone. Sometimes I allow myself to move some back if we want a treat, but it is more of a faff so slightly offputting.

Write it down. - what do i want to do, and when do i want to do it by. Make it tough, and if i get part way there all the better.

Avoid the shops - i know if i go, i see things that we 'need', which quite often we can manage without for a little bit longer at least. It works short term if you only allow yourself to buy bigger stuff for the kids who actually need the stuff.

be organised - stuff like food prep, present buying. The later in the day, or the closer to the event, the more likely i will splurge to save the limited time. Today i got stew in the sc, and i love autumn and winter more as i find it more bearable to be putting stuff in the SC at the start of the day. I knew i was tired, and if i left it till this evening i would make something unappealing, which might result in a takeaway.

It's hard for all of us. A fine balance between short term gain and long term ambitions.

What do you want to achieve in the remainder of the year?

[Deleted User]

Hey LP
Great post- I definitely could do with some tips on this!!
I agree that little challenges probably help - mine at the mo is using up the cupboards and freezer contents before shopping (tho may need bread and milk and some other kind of meat so as not to get bored...so maybe setting myself a £10 budget for that)

Ditto freebies- esp when its stuff that Id have to pay for otherwise - in the last few months I have had some green tea, free shreddies, soup, toothpaste, just applied for free baileys! :rotfl: sometimes it makes me focus more on the value of things ....

Also mini goals...sometimes my "pay of the mortgage" feels so impossible/far in the future I can get a "stuff it Ill just spend and have fun now" attitude!! not totally unhealthy as Im not going to forfeit my whole life to pay the mortgage! but.... smaller goals tend to keep me more motivated...

maybe a goal eg £ x amount in the account for a xmas OP would help?

speaking of wish...maybe Ill go work one out meself!

originalmiscellany

Spreadsheets do it for me - e.g. a spreadsheet that tells me how much interest I pay every day, and lots of targets...
Meaning I know I can clear off x it'll mean that the mortgage will be y over the year.
On top of that I had some targets on how much to save this year but have simply increased it after meeting our yearly target several months ago. I now have monthly plans, and also weekly plans, e.g. I take out x for all bills and anything else I put on the mortgage. I have found that we have a target (baby on the way) and the dream of being mortgage free by that time focusses my mind considerably!

LilacPixie

I cannot make spread sheets to save my life I have one premade one that someone did for me that shows the longterm affect each OP has on my 'goal'. At the moment we are right on target for a december 2020 MF day :eek:. I'm my head I woul like it even sooner, I reckon.
It the first part of 2011 I met our overpayment target of 3k, that was not the limit set by the mortgage company just as a target we decided was stretchable because of my maternity leave which allowed saving for maternity leave. Now we are at the stage where our income and outgoings pretty much match but i just can't seem to her the little off the budget treats, and splurges. Its nothing major but we allow £50 a month for 'treat' money and half way through the month we are already over that.

My mind is wandering to maybe taking the kids to disney paris next year now we already have a holiday to majorca budgetted for so really have no need for another holiday bt that devil on my shouder keeps wispering to me about how its only a holiday, kids will love it, well worth it for their reaction, go early october and its not that bad price wise etc etc. We coud technically manage to stay on track with the mortgage and have a second holiday but we could also knock several months off with a 1k additional overpayment and ony have 1 holiday.

It's little problems like this i am struggling with every day, sometimes its simple things like meet friends in costa once kids in school and spend ££ between parking, coffee or 3, something to snack on or skip it .

cha97michelle

Talk yourself out of some of it then hon. The youngest two may not even remember you taking them to Disney next year. It is something you maybe aim for a year or two later.

I do know what you mean though as if everyone else is doing stuff and you want to do stuff too.

I also had a wobble the other night as I was nosing through a friends FB photos and her son has just started football club and her daughter is doing dance lessons, then I question if I am doing right by the kids pushing hard now.

Then again, I know my kids, I know they are happy, and yes, these things can be nice, but doing too much makes them really ratty.

In my head, I am justifying stuff as we can do x when I have earned y myself from surveys and stuff, and hoping that works. Is £50 really enough for all of you? You can blow that in one meal out easily, or a trip out. Maybe allowing yourself more intended treat money you might actually spend less?

LilacPixie

See this is where is struggle. Am i going over on budget because we spend *TOO* much or is it because the budet is set too low in the first place so we are destined to fail? The older 2 have dance and swimming lessons but thats paid for from a different budget, we are starting to find even a local day out is costing a fortune, soft play is £5 a child so i refuse to pay it but a day trip to a local park and soft fruit farm cost £28 for entry a few weeks ago then we were another £10 or so on fruit and juice etc while there. Total nightmare. Still colder days mean we spend more time indoors doing crafty stuff or baking but it still costs money overall doesn't it. gah!