Out of this rut, I'm not even 30!

Save_now,_buy_later

Hmm, not so much a rut, more of a groove. There are quite a few things I want to change this year and they all seem to be connected to MSE and my debt-free wannabe-ness so this seemed like as good a place as any to document my plans and achievements this year.

So, here is a lovely list of the areas I want to change (I love a good list):

Focus One: Clear my credit card debt
For years I ‘managed’ my debt and I was happy paying minimum payments (‘ooh, the payment amount goes down each month’:doh:) until I used a calculator last August that showed I would be retired by the time I cleared my current debt and that was without me adding more to it. Gah. I then fixed my payments to as much as I can afford each month and was able to transfer it all onto 0% BT deals (hate hate hate paying interest). I am going to do my six month update this month and I will never, ever put anything on a card that I can’t afford to pay off. Ever.

Focus Two: Lose weight and get fit
A few years ago I was quite fit, I could run 4km on my lunch break and now… I’m a meatball. I want to lose about a stone and a half and get fit enough to beat my cat running up the stairs (seriously, he waits until I am two steps from the top the whizzes past me just to show off). I am keeping it old style as I don’t believe in fad diets so the MSE forum has been an inspiration again. I use a free calorie counting website and work out at home using DVD’s and the Kinect and slogging away on my allotment.

Focus Three: Learn dressmaking and make money from my crafty creations
Last year I found out I can crochet (learnt using YouTube but I think I must have done it in a past life) and it gave me the craft bug. I want to make clothes and things on my gorgeous old singer sewing machine (car boot find) and make some extra pennies selling them. I have created a business name and logo, registered a domain name and looked into registering as self-employed when I actually sell anything. Now I just need to make stuff!

Focus Four: My allotment
I got my allotment in May last year and didn’t manage to grow much as it was late in the season and it needed a lot of work. It’s now ready for this year and one of my goals is to serve meals where all the veg has come from my lottie. Oh and I want to win the ‘best plot’ award (£5 top prize, ker-ching) too.

Focus Five: Sort my house, FLYlady style
My house is generally a tip. I don’t like living in a tip. So I’m going to follow the FLYlady threads and get it sorted and lovely.

Focus Six: Learn to play bass
A few years ago I bought a gorgeous orange bass from a guitar fair but I never learnt to play it. I changed to volume knobs to ones that look like skulls (oh yes) but still can’t play it. So that’s something else I want to do this year. Also wondering if it’s something I could make money doing, as a session musician perhaps?

So basically, I need to stop being a lazy moo and actually do the stuff above. I will be much happier and fulfilled and it’s only me stopping myself. Onwards!

Save_now,_buy_later

Forgot to explain why I feel in a rut, got distracted by the shiny list. Basically, I get up, go to work, come home, cook, sit on the sofa, got to bed. On a weekend I get up, sit on the sofa, go to bed. I wish my time away to the weekend (hate my job) then waste my time doing nothing at the weekend. Part of it is laziness and part is I can't afford to just go and do some fun stuff (I have to plan and save and budget) because I have stoopid debts I want rid of.

I could pay less (minimum payments would be about £60 at the mo) but I am choosing to pay £250 a month to clear it quicker, then all that spare money is mine! I can save, go on holiday, out for meals but until then I'm squeaking by. My OH earns about £400 a month more than me too so it makes me sad that I can't do some of the stuff he wants to do.

By being more MSE I hope to be able to up my income to pay off my debt even quicker, make better use of the money I do have, and have some interesting hobbies and be more fun to be around.

Save_now,_buy_later

I had a day off from work today so I managed to get quite a bit of housework done. I can't quite shine my sink FLYlady style as it is a hideous black plastic thing but it's now squeaky clean.
Dinner tonight is something different but still MSE-esque... venison cobbler. Made with whoopsied venison and from the Hairy Bikers pie recipe book that I got free from Amazon with a survey voucher it smells delish!
I also bought a couple of old knitting/crochet pattern books from a charity shop for 40p, one of them is from the 60s and there are loads of lovely baby clothes' patterns. I like making baby stuff because they're smaller so take less time and use less wool.
So all in all a good day.

DawnW

I enjoyed reading your posts, and wish you all the best in getting rid of your debt. You sound really determined, and WILL do it (I did, a while ago now, and am now mfw )

I look forward to reading more!

Save_now,_buy_later

Hi Dawn, thank you for your post
I can't wait to be a MFW like you, but I've got to pay off the credit cards first, then save, then get a mortgage! But one of the main questions I'll be asking is...'do you allow overpayments?' Yesssss. One of my friends has got a 40 (four oh) year mortgage! Blimming heck I thought! AND she's police so she's only got 30ish years till she retires. Not a good plan. I'll be aiming to get mine paid off double quick, for sure.
One thing I've noticed that's different about the way I now think about debt and my friends who seem happy to pay FOREVER is that I don't see higher monthly payments as a bad thing any more. It means it'll be gone sooner, what's not to love? Mates who have consolidated (or who have ridiculous mortgage terms) have done it so they 'pay less each month'. Argh! Noooo! So glad I have seen the light

Save_now,_buy_later

P.S. Venison cobbler was yum! I made a little pastry man and woman to go on top of the pie (gingerbread people cutters) to represent me and the OH. He thought they were lame but I thought they were ace. Especially when OH's pastry head dropped off! Mwahaha! I ate it.

GreenSaints

Hey,

Just saw your diary and thought I'd pop in

Your list is much the same as mine, though I don't have an allotment and haven't got the crafty bug (I'm hopeless!) I do play bass though

Hope it goes well for you - looking forward to your progress

Save_now,_buy_later

Just done my six month credit card update and I am so pleased! By moving my balances to 0% deals and fixing my payments to as much as I can afford I have knocked 14 months off my target debt free date :j

I can't believe what a difference six months makes, I now have a small savings fund (for my Leeds Festival tickets), I know where all my money is going each month thanks to my budget spreadsheet, my freezer is full of lovely whoopsied bargains (partridge, venison or poussin anyone?) and I can see a light at the end of my debt tunnel.

I'm so happy this evening, and I'm sending good wishes to everyone else on this journey. That debt free feeling will be immense! :beer: