Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

Thanks NewLeaf. I know I shouldn't really feel dissatisfied - I've just worked out that the unsecured debt reduction averages out at £48.46 per week over the last year which I suppose is pretty good. It's just the size of the figures that make the percentage seem small and the task seem large!

Hi Goodlife and thanks for reading. It will be good to have you along . I see you have a diary so I will pop over for a nosey if that's OK. Troubles shared and all that!

Today has been a total NSD as none of us have left the house. We're out of bread and milk so I will have to shop tomorrow but my aim is to walk out of the supermarket with JUST those two items. Hmm, I'd best go alone or that won't happen - Mr Happy and the kids all get twitchy fingers in supermarkets. So do I normally, but we have chocolate, wine and biscuits leftover from Christmas so my weaknesses are all catered for!

HappyNow

Thanks for reading Boomfloom (love the name!) and I hope you will stick around. All company/experiences/advice/suggestions are very welcome .

Honey_Bear

Hi there Happy Now! You have turned the juggernaut around, and you are going in the right direction, so you have achieved an amazing amount already. Now that you know what your average repayment per week was last year after your LBM, have you considered calculating how much you would have added to the debt at the start had you not taken action? That figure, plus the repayment over the year is how much bigger your debt would have been now if you hadn't taken all of the action you did.

You've achieved a great deal more than the figure of 3.5% would indicate initially, and it's something I think you should be really, really proud of.

I wish you a happy financially-wince-free year ahead.

poohbear59

Happy you have paid off a huge amount and should be really pleased with how you have changed the way you use money. It does take a long time to pay off the debt at the beginning but as you continue it will disappear faster. I know that sounds a bit daft but what I mean is that as the debt goes down if you continue paying off the same amount or more the percentage will increase.

Have you thought of joining the Long haulers DFW? There you will find amazing support. We don't post very often but it feels good to know you are not alone.

grannyx2

Hello Mrs Happy, I know this journey is hard but you are doing amazingly well. I love your reflection of the year, it is honest and heartfelt and it'll give you something to look back on as your journey continues.

Wishing you and the rest of the Happy household the best year ever, also just popping in to say to everyone:



Granny x

Piquant_2

Happy New Year Mrs H! As the others have said, you have done amazingly well. You will get there!

Boomfloom

Thank you for the lovely welcome! I cannot find a "thank you" button so this will have to do.

I, too, fear the aftermath of the festivities. You plan and save for ages, you get all the treats you want for two weeks and suddenly you are meant to man up and be happy with your lentil soup instead of all those lovely things.

That said, this year our budget is more realistic, we have a freezer full of nice things to eat (late night reductions in Tesco) and we have enough posh potatoes for a month (ditto) and I am looking forward to getting back to normal.

HappyNow

Piquant wrote: »

Happy New Year Mrs H! As the others have said, you have done amazingly well. You will get there!

Thanks Piq. I don't know if it's the New Year thing or the encouragement received from people on here, but I am REALLY fired up right now and ready to punch those debts right on the nose!

Honey_Bear wrote: »

Hi there Happy Now! You have turned the juggernaut around, and you are going in the right direction, so you have achieved an amazing amount already. Now that you know what your average repayment per week was last year after your LBM, have you considered calculating how much you would have added to the debt at the start had you not taken action? That figure, plus the repayment over the year is how much bigger your debt would have been now if you hadn't taken all of the action you did.

You've achieved a great deal more than the figure of 3.5% would indicate initially, and it's something I think you should be really, really proud of.

I wish you a happy financially-wince-free year ahead.

Thanks for putting things in persepective for me Honey Bear. I really wish I had a record of my debt figures for each of the last fifteen years - the increases would have been fightening. Alas, you don't get debts like mine by keeping good records ! That's all in the past now though and my juggernaut is now PERMANENTLY in reverse!

poohbear59 wrote: »

Happy you have paid off a huge amount and should be really pleased with how you have changed the way you use money. It does take a long time to pay off the debt at the beginning but as you continue it will disappear faster. I know that sounds a bit daft but what I mean is that as the debt goes down if you continue paying off the same amount or more the percentage will increase.

Have you thought of joining the Long haulers DFW? There you will find amazing support. We don't post very often but it feels good to know you are not alone.

Hi Poohbear, thanks for dropping by. It doesn't sound daft at all, I know exactly what you mean. My short/middle-term target is now to get the percentage into double figures like you have. And as the debt drops, so will the interest being charged and more of the payments will go off the actual balances.

I have heard of the Long Haulers but don't think I've ever stumbled across the thread. I will search for it .

HappyNow

grannyx2 wrote: »

Hello Mrs Happy, I know this journey is hard but you are doing amazingly well. I love your reflection of the year, it is honest and heartfelt and it'll give you something to look back on as your journey continues.

Thanks Granny. I did a similar round-up back in March when I was just three months in and it IS interesting to look back. There's nothing new there that isn't scattered around my diary, but it's good to put it all into one place and I would recommend it if you have a spare half hour.

Boomfloom wrote: »

Thank you for the lovely welcome! I cannot find a "thank you" button so this will have to do.

I, too, fear the aftermath of the festivities. You plan and save for ages, you get all the treats you want for two weeks and suddenly you are meant to man up and be happy with your lentil soup instead of all those lovely things.

That said, this year our budget is more realistic, we have a freezer full of nice things to eat (late night reductions in Tesco) and we have enough posh potatoes for a month (ditto) and I am looking forward to getting back to normal.

Hi again Boomfloom. I actually think my digestive system and waistline will be pleased to get back to lentil soup (or carrot and coriander in my case)! I've just polished off half a Terry's chocolate orange (free on O2 priority moments!!) and six chocolate biscuits in half an hour flat. Now I've got to go and 'fess up on the 'fat girls' diary which I recklessly signed up to .

Well done on the Tesco reductions, I get really excited when I manage some of those bargains. I'm pleased you've got a realistic budget this year and would love to hear your backstory if you're happy to share?

poohbear59

HappyNow wrote: »

Hi Poohbear, thanks for dropping by. It doesn't sound daft at all, I know exactly what you mean. My short/middle-term target is now to get the percentage into double figures like you have. And as the debt drops, so will the interest being charged and more of the payments will go off the actual balances.

I have heard of the Long Haulers but don't think I've ever stumbled across the thread. I will search for it .

I am now frustrated that my double figures aren't moving up fast enough but as DH isn't working again we are back to making minimum payments. It is good to know that if things improve I can get onto a faster track again.