How does everyone stay motivated?

Sea78

Hi

My motivation now is to provide my kids with a financially secure future. And also being able to take them on hoidays (nowhere flash, just away from here!)

Sea xx

LouieB

I can believe it janiegs, I make sure we always take homemade lunches to work, its shocking what you save on a weekly basis on food, my problem is I work in a town, so is I tend to wander around the shops after Ive eaten my lunch, but then spend the money I saved by taking my lunch in!

From now on I will only take enough money for my bus home and a good book!

skintchick

My motivation was knowing how much I'd saved. So I'd make a note of what I'd saved when I spent ie, could have spent £3 on a birthday card, bought one for £1.50 instead, so that's £1.50 saved. I made huge savings at Tesco compared to what I used to spend, so that helped me, rather than looking at the debt total cos it always depressed me!

Sea78

Sea78 wrote:

Hi

My motivation now is to provide my kids with a financially secure future. And also being able to take them on hoidays (nowhere flash, just away from here!)

Sea xx

And doesn't that sound pompus! Sorry - didn't mean it like that!

i think it's really hard to stay focussed all the time. I'm finding it hard just keepng track of all the little bits and pieces at the moment. I have found menu planning helps, but then recently so has shops every other day, just buying exactly what I need.

Selling shed loads on Ebay is a motivation, as clutter goes down (although seeing the fees & postage costs mounting isn't so good )

Sea xx

mouseymousey99

I keep a notebook by the bed, my partner says I am obsesed, he's right. I'm forever checking things & every time I think of something or I see something on one of the boards (ie all the time) I make notes. I so want us to get back on track again. I use internet banking & I'm forever checking that too. My house is now full of MSE ideas. As you walk in I have a sack of spuds in the hallway (small house)..piles of library books, etc etc

1_step_closer

My motivation is the fact I am no longer burying my head in the sand and dreaming life away.............I am standing up to my responsibilities and am not feeling guilty about my debt because I am doing something about it.

and quite possibly at the end of it all I will feel a much stronger person and will break free from the constant looking for approval that I used to do.....

LookingAhead

My motivation comes from a warm feeling I am starting to get in the pit of my stomach as I can start to see some light at the end of the tunnel.....I absolutely *have* to carry on now I have come this far.

I think it all started when I started to look at my debts literally penny by penny and realised it all adds up.

juliaw

The best motivation for me is hearing from other DFWs on this site and also getting regular newsletters from money saving sites. ThriftyFun, an American site, is particularly good. It is not so bad if you know there are lots more like-minded people out there. Why though do I only have neighbours, colleagues and relatives with second homes, boats, private schools, 4 holidays a year etc? Could it be that there is a big financial divide between say, the over 50's and the under 50's? Or are some people benefitting from big handouts from parents afraid of Inhertance Tax?

hypno06

My motivation is that I received an amount from my Dad's estate after he died recently and put that directly towards our debts.

I am now even more determined than ever to pay off the rest as quickly as possible (there is still a long way to go) because I know that I will never get that lump sum again, and I don't want to feel as though I have let my dad down by wasting the opportunity.

So, Dad, if you're watching me type this - I WILL GET THERE X

G&M's_Mum_2

hypno06 wrote:

My motivation is that I received an amount from my Dad's estate after he died recently and put that directly towards our debts.

I am now even more determined than ever to pay off the rest as quickly as possible (there is still a long way to go) because I know that I will never get that lump sum again, and I don't want to feel as though I have let my dad down by wasting the opportunity.

So, Dad, if you're watching me type this - I WILL GET THERE X

Oooh, I've got a lump in my throat! I'm in a similar situation to you - my dad was a building society manager for 30-odd years and incredibly careful with his money - I still find myself apologising to him in my worst moments. And yes - I think he's up there somewhere, keeping an eye on me, so I'm doing my best to repay him! :A