My Debt Free Journey starts today

jbbonce

Well done on taking the first steps. Your debt does seem a lot at first, but compared to your income, it's really not that bad, and should be manageable within the target you have set yourself.
I agree with the advice about cutting your grocery bills and would add that you could try getting your hubby to smoke roll-ups. Sounds grim, i know, but he will get used to them and might even prefer them after a while (I do).
Best of luck

webitha

southern_chick wrote:

good luck golddigger, you'll find this site really helpful and very addictive!!

yep you will soon find you are logging on here and reading all bthe boards every night that you wont have time to play bingo lol

no seriously get hubby to switch to roll ups, ive been useing them for a year now and when i have a real ciggie i find them to much

check your utilites with uswitch to see if you ca get them cheaper and go through quidco and get some cash back
sign up to the clicktro sites and get some vouchers

do your teens work?ie paperround if not why not that way you will be teaching that you dont get nowt for free and they can pay for their own dinners if they dont want packed lunh (very good lesson)

also i would get you and mr golddigger to get yourself a spending diary
i cant praise these enough, write down EVERYTHING down that you spend everyday down to the last choccy bar and you will be amazed how much we actually waste

well thanks my two penny worth so hope to see you here frequently
welcome and good luck

golddigger_3

HI ALL
thanks for that guys - we started a spend diary today and it does help you to stop spending when you know you'ev got to write it down! I sell advertising to shops and businesses so am often working in shopping centres/ town centres so the temptation is always there. Today I put my purse in my car boot when I went on appointments so I c ouldn't spend anything.
My only expenses today were postage (for work) and £90 sending off letters with cheques to the bank asking for my charges! Good investment me thinks.

I will see what my husband thinks about the lunches. He does all the home things as I work full time. The kids are very unhappy about it, which I can understand because they have really nice school dinners. Do you think that you could do really packed lunches for 50p a day per child? Even for a teenager?

My oldest son does have a job - he babysits for us! We pay him £5 if we both are working in the evening. He is 13 1/2 so not yet old enough for a paper round.

My hubby has just informed me that the cleaner is £50 per month not £100! OK, what would I know? Gave up the bingo last night. Cancelled my account. Hubby does smoke roll ups already so its not a great expense.

gonna start saving the £2.00 coins too.

whats a pigs back???

Golddigger

Earned £1500 this week so can pay off electricity that we owe.

jbbonce

golddigger wrote:

whats a pigs back???

Golddigger

.

it's a website that gives you points in exchange for clicking on links and entering competitions. You can exchange the points for high street gift vouchers and other things.

more details here :
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=359420

and pigsback.com is here: http://www.pigsback.com/registration/memQuickReg.asp

TurnaroundSue

Hi Golddigger - congrats on taking the plunge - you certainly won't regret it. In our area you have to be 13 to be a paperboy, so maybe you could check if it is the same where you are. My son has been doing it since he was 11, but it was in my name and I had to go with him, so it was all legal and above board - maybe you OH could do the same?

TurnaroundSue

Angchris - Have been really inspired by your posting - thanks very much. :T
My OH is always spouting the 7P's to me so to see it in your signature made me smile as most people don't know what the 7P's are - have yet to put them into action tho' :rotfl: :rotfl:

Am going to start doing the cooking/freezing thing and pasta/cous cous also for my kids to try and save the £17.50 I am currently spending on dinner money :eek:

beanielou

Where I live you can have a paper round at 13

karatedragon

Best of Luck. It makes me feel upset to see people trying hard to bring up a family and do their best when a huge debt shadow hangs over them.

Face it head on and blow its nuts off xxxx

loobyloo80

TurnaroundSue wrote:

Angchris - Have been really inspired by your posting - thanks very much. :T
My OH is always spouting the 7P's to me so to see it in your signature made me smile as most people don't know what the 7P's are - have yet to put them into action tho' :rotfl: :rotfl:

Am going to start doing the cooking/freezing thing and pasta/cous cous also for my kids to try and save the £17.50 I am currently spending on dinner money :eek:

Me too !
Angchris, do you fancy doing a thread on kids packed lunches ? I used to spend £20 a week on school dinners but have seen the light ! My boys are really bored with tuna sandwiches
Goldigger, well done so far-I haven't the courage to do mine yet as have no way of meeting any plan whatsoever. I know excactly what you mean about sticking yr head in the sand. I haven't opened any of my post for 2 weeks now. Just too scared to look, and if my phone hadn't been cut off I wouldn't answer it !!
Well done and good luck.
looby