A Thread for After Debt?

QueenB.

AlyBaly wrote: »

Evening everyone,

Not managed to sit down until now since leaving for work at 7am this morning, no wonder I a tired.

Been to Tesco and started my 2012 Christmas savers with £10. I did this last year and between my savers and points had £325 to spend at xmas. I doubled up lots of vouchers to so effectively got a few things half price , felt like they were free because I paid with vouchers. Stocked up on my diet coke, they have 8 for £1.92 !! My utility room is now full !

I feel a bit inadequate or maybe its another word, looking at what some of you great people are doing I am miles behind but I guess maybe I am expecting too much having only being DF for 3 days LOL . I do think I will have to take all this at baby steps.

You shouldn't feel inadequate, its only be 3 days.........i have been DF for a few months now and what with christmas and the whole DF thing not sinking in i still haven't done as much as i should have, effectively losing money, possibly:o I have to completely look at all my budget and providers etc and really start seeing what my situation is and how i can save any more or make more. But if i do too much at once i tend to get overwhelmed so i just make a small list of things to do each week and take my time working through them. I also find that habits stick better when i take my time and don't try and do too much at once. So just keep up the good work :T

Welcome back backinbusiness good to see you had such a great Hogmanay .

Mort

JulieGeorgiana wrote: »

Once you have paid your insurance are you planning on working out what it'll cost next year and setting aside 1/2th of the cost per month??

Once you do then within a year you should see that 'extra' money emerging and know that it can be done with what you want because everything is covered

This is what we did throughout our DMP, all annual bills were were divided by 12 and those amounts were siphoned off into a different account which was then raided to pay the bills as they became due. The account was boosted from time to time when overtime was worked.

Mort

AlyBaly wrote: »

I feel a bit inadequate or maybe its another word, looking at what some of you great people are doing I am miles behind but I guess maybe I am expecting too much having only being DF for 3 days LOL . I do think I will have to take all this at baby steps.

No need for you to feel inadequate, or any other word to put yourself down. You have become debt free (congratulations :j) which is a fantastic achievement.

Mint1955

Thanks for the tip of going on mysupermarket then printing it of as I start out with all good intentions in the supermarket but I get tired and friustrated and then it all goes to pot!!!

I am going to try this on my next supermarket shop.

This is a brilliant thread for us guys who have nearly got it right but still need a saftey net.:T

AlyBaly

QueenB that's the word.... overwhelmed . I was thinking about it last night and thats exactly how I felt when we started our Debt Free journey. It's a change again and I think it will take a bit of time to get used to it.

Thanks for the moral support Mort and Queen B, feeling better this morning !

JulieGeorgiana

Oh my goodness… I decide to be really good last night and I miss all the action!!

I have also done a 4 week meal plan and I am working on a 'monthly' shop and 4 weekly shopping lists. I haven't done this since I fell sick 8 months ago, and we have been living a lot on my previous bulk buys... but now my freezer/cupboard and stores are empty! So on the 19th January DH will do a huge shop to set us up with everything we need for a month! I am feeling much more organised (and I have shopping lists for after Roo so I won't have the stress of doing it with a new baby)!

I got into debt when I had my DS (less money coming in, more expenses!) which cost me £12.5k in 1 year!!! So I think I am obsessing about money a lot because I will NOT get into debt again because of Roo! It's really scary though! I have works out how much nappies cost (through actual usage) and the same with Formula (Just in Case) and I have 'pots' and 'savings' all over the place as a contingency!

QueenB I wish I knew of places around here I could get decent cheap fruit and veg, I don’t car boot because I end up spending money on things I don’t need…! Maybe once we move I’ll find somewhere! We also have a house full of second hand things which need TLC! My house is a hodge podge! But anyone who visits is instantly comfortable and puts their feet up

Rising I really hope DS will never get into debt… or if he does it’s very little and he ‘clicks’ on faster because he understands the long term implications!
Ref. Emergency fund… that’s exactly what it’s there for… scary when it’s empty though!
Ref. I have a picture of my cat in the house still… it’s comforting to remember them, and the joy they give

Dizzy I have been on bed rest since about week 10, unfortunately some woman don’t carry babies very well. Anything with a ‘smell’ or ‘taste’ makes me poorly! So no onions, garlic, herbs, spices! I LOVE food with flavour and I am so BORED of eating food with no taste!
Let’s just say a sweep means Roo might come sooner Cuddles are more then allowed… and a picture will be posted (soon I hope)

LotsofLuck So pleased you are feeling better! Keep us up to date

AlyBaly Don’t feel inadequate. I’ve been debt free 18 months and still don’t get it right, it’s a learning process! Mort is right to say that just being debt free is a HUGE achievement! Just take baby steps and take notes and see if you can better your situation, because you are the one to benefit! I am only just starting to see a benefit to it all now...

Backinbusiness I hear you! Saving can be a bit vague! But I have just set myself saving goals… I am saving for a deposit on a house and I set myself a specific monetary goal and date (ie. £x by 5th Apr 2012)! Looks like I’ll be £500 short from this years goal, but then again I had a bad August with an exploding laptop and a car which would have been written off if we drove it… all in all it cost us £800!!!!!! Plus I had to give up work 6 months early which really hit us hard (I changed my savings goal after I gave up work or we would be £3k short!)!
So I have now set myself a new aim for the end of the next tax year now! I have predictions which show it’s possible if I sell my car! And I am now looking at ways to bring it up in case emergencies eat into it again!

Mint1955 You’re most welcome! If you want to be like me you can re-write the list in the order of the shop layout… it gives you blinkers when your in the shop because you have a purpose! My DH loves having the lists in order, says it stops him faffing about

JulieGeorgiana

AlyBaly wrote: »

QueenB that's the word.... overwhelmed . I was thinking about it last night and thats exactly how I felt when we started our Debt Free journey. It's a change again and I think it will take a bit of time to get used to it.

Any change is scary isn't it though? Especially when it's so important to how we live the rest of our lives! But being on MSE and talking can help

And you don't HAVE to change anything right away, just think about what you want and do those baby steps... they all add up

QueenB.

AlyBaly wrote: »

QueenB that's the word.... overwhelmed . I was thinking about it last night and thats exactly how I felt when we started our Debt Free journey. It's a change again and I think it will take a bit of time to get used to it.

Thanks for the moral support Mort and Queen B, feeling better this morning !

You are welcome , I drifted away from MSE for awhile when I was still a DFW, life just gets in the way sometimes:o but When I became DF I was drawn back and I think it was exactly that feeling of being overwhelmed mixed with the fear of debt that drew me back here. One of the strangest things I have found about being in debt is that it seems to be one of those taboo subjects. Whilst i had been honest with most of my family and close friends for the most part i had just used the old money is tight mantra with most people. I have actually had some people i have told turn round and say to me that they have never had debt or CC etc which didn't help me open up to much about it. Very few people, even close friends, knew the actual amount of my debt. What this meant for me is that this amazing journey I have been on and this great achievement of becoming DF feel a bit flat because I couldn't really celebrate it, does that make sense? The one person I know would have been really excited for me would have been my dad but he has passed:( Anyway the point Im tried trying to make in a very gabbled way is that MSE gives me the support that those around me don't/can't, especially places like the OS & DFW board and especially this thread (thank you Backinbusiness).

JulieGeorgiana WOW what a post:D, I don't go to car boot sales every week but I try at least once a month, I put a little money aside for it........yes another pot:D, and its one of the places i look for pressies, clothes and anything we need for the house. I once picked up one of those big wooden 70s salad bowls with spoons, in almost perfect condition, for 25p. Its a great place for the kids to spend their pocket money as they can get more for less especially my DS2 who loves wrestling. He picks up figures for as little as 50p and has built his collection to over 70 figures only a quater of which have been brought from actual shops. Even at car boots we haggle I hate paying more than 50p for anything:rotfl:. We also love to rummage through charity shops, we actually get excited when we see one we haven't been in before:o

I am going to give that monthly shopping list/meal plan a go, I think it will be a challenge but i want to see if it helps my food budget go down.

mustbemad68

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Mustbemade My house is in serious need to TLC too - have just set up a monthly overpayment of £45 to the household bills account which will be used to fund things as they can be afforded - and, yup, I too now look at something and go "how much? I wouldn't pay that for that!" - when the old me would've just stuck it on a card without a 2nd thought.

I hadn't realised how much I had changed during my DFW journey. I would previously have been at the sales by now ordering my new carpets and sofas and worrying about paying them later because I 'deserved' it! I am now saving for carpets and looking around at 2nd hand sofas - I have rediscovered our local auction house and I am hoping to pick up a bargain there.
I received a lump of back pay last month that allowed me to become debt-free sooner than expected and I was seriously tempted to buy lots of new things for my house rather than pay off my last loan, luckily we came to our senses and quickly paid off the loan before we could change our mind. I now can't wait for this months pay ( 19 days to go) as it will be my first pay since becoming debt free and I am looking forward to paying a decent amount into my savings - and updating my spreasheet of course:)

findingmyownway

Great thread everyone! I am recently debt free too and am now setting savings targets. I am fortunate that I have a lot of disposable income at the moment but wary that it could easily be wasted if I don't keep a DFW-frame of mind