The "Pay ALL your debt off by Xmas 2012" challenge - PART 3!!!

Karrie2129

Hello everyone!

Been off line for a while, just posting a quick update.

New total: 1823/8121 = 22%

Stll hoping to reach 50% by Christmas. Fingers crossed.

minicooper272

Jemma- that's exactly what I needed - one of your mammoth updates to catch me up! Thanks for all the hard work, and for taking time to read through all the posts! No, I don't know when my next tax refund is due, but I know I need to chase them - it's on my ever growing list of things to do. I do think there's a bit of me that hopes it comes after I'm debt free though so I can use the money to spoil myself :P

loubie_lou

I'm hoping for 50% by xmas too. Really could've done better this year!

Oh well my next DF date is 31/03/13. Easter Sunday :easter_ba

suzitiger

mf0u1098 wrote: »

And yes I do feel incredibly proud of you all. It doesn't matter if you're already debt free or you will be debt free or even if you have not paid anything off but have more importantly not added to your debt. If you've changed your life for the better because of this thread then I couldn't be more proud. I won't be debt free by Xmas like quite a few of you (will hopefully only have £2k to go) but I don't feel that I've failed. I will have paid off £15k in a year and that is not to be sniffed at!

Keep up the hard work everyone! :A

Thanks Jemma I really do feel that this thread has changed my life for the better. I may not have paid off all my Debt, or even 50% but I feel that my debt is always at the forefront of my mind (sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad) whereas before I was just happy to pay the minimum payment and leave it at that. This thread and others have really opened my eyes to debt repayment, if only I had known about MSE in my first year of Uni I wouldn't be in this mess. :rotfl:

tirlittan wrote: »

I ran the Bristol half on Sunday. I didn't train enough so was looking to do it just as a training run. Everything went well up to 9miles but then I started to slow down. The last 3 miles were hard and the last mile an absolute killer. I was determined to run all the way and my resolve to do that was properly tested in those final miles. But I did it! I ran every single step of the way and got over the finish line in 2:20:22 which I was very pleased with. Next time, I'll train properly!

14 days till DFD!!!

Good debt busting everyone! Keep at it!

Well done on your half-marathon effort, you got an excellent time!! :T

minicooper272 wrote: »

Jemma- that's exactly what I needed - one of your mammoth updates to catch me up! Thanks for all the hard work, and for taking time to read through all the posts! No, I don't know when my next tax refund is due, but I know I need to chase them - it's on my ever growing list of things to do. I do think there's a bit of me that hopes it comes after I'm debt free though so I can use the money to spoil myself :P

Minicooper I know what you mean about ever growing to-do lists, I am ALWAYS trying to work through mine...sighhh it never ends

psychopathbabble

I'm slowly getting the debt back down, I'm now sitting at around £600 over my declared total. It's so blooming depressing, but a bit better than I thought. Keep trying to get stuff sold on fb and preloved but it's so hard.

Well done to everyone that is still making progress

mf0u1098

Well I tried to continue with the updating last night but the charger for my laptop wouldn't work which was worrying as it's my work laptop! I managed to get it sorted this morning (PHEW!) so will carry on tonight instead xxx


On a different note, work have booked me to go to Mauchline in Scotland next Wed/Thurs which is over 200miles away (3hrs 50mins). I am absolutely papping myself as it is almost double the distance of anything I have done yet. I am trying to stay positive but it's difficult when it's so scary for me. Basically, if I don't do it (i.e. refused) then we could have a problem in terms of my job... It's hard because I know how far I've come in the last few months: been to Droitwich (2hrs 15mins away), travelled to Snowdon (2.5hrs away), did a 10k in a morning in 24deg heat 30 miles away, did an 11.5mile hill walk in the middle of nowhere... It still seems too soon though. I have told my boss that I will get in my car and set off, I can't make any promises beyond that. I wish it was just there and back in the day (despite that being 8hrs driving in a day) but I have to stay over in a hotel for the night. I know this will sound crackers to some people (including me!) but I can't help it! It's so frustrating as I used to travel all over, I've flown many times on my own, I used to commute 2hrs everyday each way to work. My family used to say I had itchy feet cos I'd have to go somewhere each weekend even if it was just for the day. This change in me since my breakdown is completely out of character and really hard for me to deal with.

Does anyone here have a fear that they are trying to overcome?

tirlittan

Sorry Jemma to hear that. I can't help but do you have any friends that could come with you on your work trip?
You are doing really well though and you can do it. Envision your old self and what you're able to do! (((hugs)))

choclover

Hi all,

Another update i'm afraid Gemma, totally forgot about a dd that had gone out a few days ago.

#304 £1,636.47/ £5,210.12 (31.41%)

Sorry to hear about your work troubles. What kind of trip is it? Is anyone else from work going, if so would travelling together help?

As my 0% BT ends at the end of this month, I've decided I'm going to my best and try and pay it off in full as to minimise any interest, it's only for just over £400 but if I can do it will be a bid boost to my figures

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

Superheavy wrote: »

Congrats Jemma...hope you have a nice evening tonight. Is your sister trying to check all the boxes so she only has to go out once?

I'm in a bit of a dilemma today. I'm moving back to my old job on 22 October, and although it's lower paid it is much less stressful and I can make more in overtime if I need to. However, this means leaving the nest once more, and today I was looking at properties.

Would you go for:
1 Bedroom house in a nice area, own driveway, small garden and generally fairly well finished throughout. Rent is £400, and the council tax in that ward is fairly high.

OR

Studio Flat that has been really nicely finished throughout, off-road parking and cheaper council tax. Rent £335, but its a studio.

I'm pondering the pluses and minuses of both, and I'm not really sure if I'm going to try and save to buy my own place, or whether I'm happy to rent. Next year is likely to be fairly expensive with 2 x stag do's, a wedding in Mexico and I'd also like to build up some savings, so I know which answer makes the most sense. However, I reckon I could easily make up the difference and more through freelance work. Or, I could still do the freelance work and save more money? Been trying to figure this out for the last four hours. I dunno.

jakes-mum - don't forget bread, milk and beer when you're in the shops. Hang on, don't buy food!

Could you start with the studio flat in order to save a bit extra each month and then if the lack of space drives you bonkers, swap to a bigger place? I think you have to sign up for about 6 months when you rent a place but you could swap after that?

mf0u1098 wrote: »

Well I tried to continue with the updating last night but the charger for my laptop wouldn't work which was worrying as it's my work laptop! I managed to get it sorted this morning (PHEW!) so will carry on tonight instead xxx


On a different note, work have booked me to go to Mauchline in Scotland next Wed/Thurs which is over 200miles away (3hrs 50mins). I am absolutely papping myself as it is almost double the distance of anything I have done yet. I am trying to stay positive but it's difficult when it's so scary for me. Basically, if I don't do it (i.e. refused) then we could have a problem in terms of my job... It's hard because I know how far I've come in the last few months: been to Droitwich (2hrs 15mins away), travelled to Snowdon (2.5hrs away), did a 10k in a morning in 24deg heat 30 miles away, did an 11.5mile hill walk in the middle of nowhere... It still seems too soon though. I have told my boss that I will get in my car and set off, I can't make any promises beyond that. I wish it was just there and back in the day (despite that being 8hrs driving in a day) but I have to stay over in a hotel for the night. I know this will sound crackers to some people (including me!) but I can't help it! It's so frustrating as I used to travel all over, I've flown many times on my own, I used to commute 2hrs everyday each way to work. My family used to say I had itchy feet cos I'd have to go somewhere each weekend even if it was just for the day. This change in me since my breakdown is completely out of character and really hard for me to deal with.

Does anyone here have a fear that they are trying to overcome?

Gemma this is a nightmare scenario and one I'm familiar with as I used to have a phobia about driving. What made me determined to overcome it was that my DH was going into hospital for an op (for 3 weeks) and I knew that I wouldn't be able to visit him unless I could drive as it wasn't reachable by public transport. I did overcome it, including parking in horrendously tight spaces at the hospital and now I don't fear driving at all. For me, it was determination not to allow the phobia to control me that made me want to change. Not easy I know and for me it was terrifying at first but the more I did it, the easier it became.


Thanks for asking about my situation in your mammoth update - I (and the others I know) really appreciate the effort and time you put into this :A:T.
My DH has not used in Visa since he had his LBM so I'm hoping this will continue. I was disheartened in Aug about our debt situation but I'm resigned to the fact that we can't pay anything except the minimum payments until our loan finishes in Dec and then from then we can pay £200 per month. When I start work, hopefully this time next year, then we've decided that apart from costs of me getting to work, we'll put all my salary into debt payment until it is paid off. So hopefully it will be gone by the end of next year.

jakes-mum

Gemma, you can totally do this! I have full faith in you I do have a fear but I am not trying to overcome it, I just avidly avoid it, and if you feel fear creeping up on you in the car I want you to think about it as it will make you giggle

I have an avid fear of blackboards hate them! neither of my children were allowed even the painted magnetic ones they freak me out so much :eek: everytime I see one I remember the sound of boys at school scraping their nails down them and teachers catching their fingers when the chalk broke *shudders* ew ew ew got to stop thinking about them its making me cringe! :eek:

Moving on to a much nicer topic, just been to DS's parents evening (which I was dreading) and she couldnt have had nicer things to say about him! She actually said he was a delight to have in her form after 6 years of constant issues with primary school who didnt have a good word to say about him tbh im so thrilled with his report I was so pleased I relented on his grounding for being late home yesterday :rotfl: I think he knows hes done good as mummy NEVER relents on a punishment