A Thread for After Debt?

AlyBaly

I managed to get some great perfume bargains so that's what everyone is getting this year LOL.I also managed to get £150 + amazon vouchers by doing surv3ys. Drives me mad but was worth it.

rising I think that's how I will be too especially when I start saving , I wont want to touch it LOL . I am obsessed with checking the bank account 2 or 3 times a day now , something I never used to do but that probably was some of the reason we ended up in a financial mess.

AlyBaly

Yikes, I am a 1st aider if that helps JulieGeorgiana ! .......goes and gets some clean towels

JulieGeorgiana

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

JG ..... any twinges?

Yes, just like every night! Braxton Hicks are getting stronger and more annoying! I feel like if you hit me in the tummy you would break your hand it get's so solid!!!! Wish they would turn into proper contractions and give me a baby already!!!

DS was born by this point!!!

I am so impatient....

rising_from_the_ashes

LOL ... well, if you disappear for a few days, we'll know why!:D

Ally I will say my budgets have had more work this year than ever .... all budgeting pots are set up and I know exactly how much needs to go to them - slightly more atm as they were only started once I became DF towards the end of last year and some things are due this month eg car service, breakdown cover & tax:eek: - but I'll be able to drop them to more reasonable levels as things pan out over the year ... and the extra will be going to savings!:D

AlyBaly

rising , how do you work these pots ? Is it set up via a bank account or do you use jars. I am terrible for having jars of money for this and that but I am sure there must be a better way to work

JulieGeorgiana

Aly,

Wow... I haven't got my first £10 from surveys yet

Well done on your purchases... I buy a lot from thebookpeople, and keep an eye on the grabbits!

I do however check my accounts daily... and spend many hours on my spreadsheet. I calculate 2 years ahead to account for increases in inflation to make sure I could afford to stay home. Very OCPD I am!!!

JulieGeorgiana

AlyBaly wrote: »

rising , how do you work these pots ? Is it set up via a bank account or do you use jars. I am terrible for having jars of money for this and that but I am sure there must be a better way to work

I personally have a savings account, and a spreadsheet which breaks down the total amount in there into 'pots' for all my bits and peices!

All my yearly costs, or ad hoc costs are worked out yearly and split into 12 and that amount gets set aside each month into my 'pots'

I have 22 pots right now

rising_from_the_ashes

They're called e-savings accounts (or something like that) - I can have up to 12 with my bank (Barclays) and you can transfer money to / from them instantly online. Currently have ones for car maintenance, cats, dog, house insurance, emergency fund etc etc.

I'm finding them great - I did try one account but as the balance got fairly large quickly ... I raided:o. If you're more disciplined than me (not hard!), you could try this and run a spreadsheet with what belongs to what thing and keep track of what goes in / out (but way beyond my budgeting skills atm:D).

Other banks do them (but don't necessarily advertise them) so check with your bank first. HTH

Gotta run - timer's beeping that my tea's ready!:D

JulieGeorgiana

While I don't see mine as one big pot... because on my spreadsheet mine shows -£3.38!! That's not the money I raided from the emergency fund either! So while it is one big lump sum in my account, I only check it once a day... and don't see the money!

There is only money if after all my 'pots' are paid out i have a positive balance! Which I don't right now

Frodobaggins

QueenB. wrote: »

I know how you feel, it is so easy to fall of the wagon, slowly you begin to slip up here and there and all of a sudden you are back in debt. I feel that there should be a debt support group, DA:rotfl: because i really feel that many of us are prone to spending/being in debt. I know i have a spending issue that occurs when i am down/depressed and whilst i have new coping strategies i am not naive enough to think im all better, does that make sense:cool:

I also worry about how people might view me on here now I am DF.

I can only speak for myself. But I find it really encouraging and motivating when I read or see someone on MSE who has cleared their debt. It makes me think 'they did it, so can I'.

Well done you!