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

HelenPie

Okay everyone, seems that a little momentum is being lost here and we're so close to Christmas that it would be a shame for things to fall away!

I thought maybe we could each share some ideas of what we could do until the end of this month to help reach our goals.

I'm going to try to:

1. Get back to taking my lunches to work, rather than buying them and put the difference in cost towards the CC at the end of the month
2. Give up my morning takeaway coffee

OH and I also arranged with his family a take on Secret Santa to save money on Christmas. There are six of us (me and OH, his parents, his sister and her fianc!). We put everyone's names into two "hats" and everyone drew a name from each hat. For the first person we have set a budget of £35 and the second person a £5 gift challenge. That means that for the entire family, we are only spending £40 each and everyone gets two gifts. It was fun picking (having to re-pick because people kept pulling out their own names!) and is a real challenge, too :cool: I'm going to ask my family if they want to join in next year to extend the savings further.

I got the idea from my old osteopath. They used to have budgets of £70/£20 for gifts but as we're all trying to save we've cut it back.

Anyone else got any ideas for saving money this month or for Christmas?

Anyone who's not on track to be DFBX got a milestone they want to reach by then instead? I want to get to 50% paid by Christmas eve

Baba_Jaga

Hi Jemma, thanks for this great post; should have joined back in January 2012, but didnt.....although I have been doing my level best to be DF by Xmas 2012!
Here is my progress:
LBM Nov 2009 £23,801:mad:
January 2012 £11,726

Cleared Barclaycard last month:j

Lloyds CC £891 MBNA Moorgate £3551

Paid since Jan 2012 £7284 and since LBM £19,359!:T
Will let you know if I can finally make it to waking up on Xmas day debt free!!
Thanks for everyone for their wonderful inspiration and to CCCS!!

choclover

HelenPie wrote: »

Anyone else got any ideas for saving money this month or for Christmas?

Anyone who's not on track to be DFBX got a milestone they want to reach by then instead? I want to get to 50% paid by Christmas eve

Fab idea HelenPie! The secret santa thing sound great, we normally do something similar in our family but we don't a limit on what you can spend.

My main aims up until christmas is to:

1. Start listing the mountain of baby clothes that no longer fit dd2. I've got to do newborn and 0-3 sizes and after xmas will have 3-6 size to do :eek:. Really need to get a move on with it as there are clothes everywhere!
2. Send letters to various companies re PPI. I've been compiling a list of companies that we may or may not have had PPI and have been going through all our paperwork to get figures and account numbers etc, but now need to send out some letters.

suzitiger

SpagBol wrote: »

Suzitiger, I phoned up NW to see if I could do it over the phone and they said they would have to do the same as me, apply online and send me the paperwork. For some reason it's as if I'm applying for a new OD at a lower amount rather than just reducing it. I was terrified that they would just say no and call in the whole OD but man on the phone told me they are responsible lenders so that wouldn't happen.

Ok, whatever you say NW man! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I do wonder about these people in charge SpagBol....:rotfl:
No wonder we're in a recession, no-one seems to have any logic or reason. :rotfl:

I am sorry everyone, I have been really quiet which is unlike me in real life
I am fed up of just plodding along with this debt so I WILL have a NYs resolution and I WILL be debt free by Xmas 2013, I can't wait!! Are we definitely doing a new thread? I can help run it say....1 day a week?
If that will help just let me know.

My new plan which I am currently kicking myself for not thinking of it before is to have a SEPERATE account for all my D.Ds to come out of, this means I will then know exactly what money is mine after pay and when the money has come out.
It will give me a more realistic view of my situation too, which will hopefully spur me on to get debt free. It will also allow me to start paying off my overdraft :T
I have already implemented it ready for nect month so I will be starting the new year with everything in place.

HelenPie

suzitiger wrote: »

I am sorry everyone, I have been really quiet which is unlike me in real life
I am fed up of just plodding along with this debt so I WILL have a NYs resolution and I WILL be debt free by Xmas 2013, I can't wait!! Are we definitely doing a new thread? I can help run it say....1 day a week?
If that will help just let me know.

My new plan which I am currently kicking myself for not thinking of it before is to have a SEPERATE account for all my D.Ds to come out of, this means I will then know exactly what money is mine after pay and when the money has come out.
It will give me a more realistic view of my situation too, which will hopefully spur me on to get debt free. It will also allow me to start paying off my overdraft :T
I have already implemented it ready for nect month so I will be starting the new year with everything in place.

Sounds like a good attitude to me Suzitiger :T

I have an account for my DDs and it really works - definitely recommended.

his_missus

HelenPie wrote: »

Okay everyone, seems that a little momentum is being lost here and we're so close to Christmas that it would be a shame for things to fall away!

I thought maybe we could each share some ideas of what we could do until the end of this month to help reach our goals.

I'm going to try to:

1. Get back to taking my lunches to work, rather than buying them and put the difference in cost towards the CC at the end of the month
2. Give up my morning takeaway coffee

OH and I also arranged with his family a take on Secret Santa to save money on Christmas. There are six of us (me and OH, his parents, his sister and her fianc!). We put everyone's names into two "hats" and everyone drew a name from each hat. For the first person we have set a budget of £35 and the second person a £5 gift challenge. That means that for the entire family, we are only spending £40 each and everyone gets two gifts. It was fun picking (having to re-pick because people kept pulling out their own names!) and is a real challenge, too :cool: I'm going to ask my family if they want to join in next year to extend the savings further.

I got the idea from my old osteopath. They used to have budgets of £70/£20 for gifts but as we're all trying to save we've cut it back.

Anyone else got any ideas for saving money this month or for Christmas?

Anyone who's not on track to be DFBX got a milestone they want to reach by then instead? I want to get to 50% paid by Christmas eve

Just made £160 on ebay (after fees, postage etc) and doing a car boot sale on Sunday. Also joined the Just Say NOvember challenge (eek!) and trying to keep my spending to a minimum, doing ok so far:T

A lot of Xmas pressies have/are being bought with points or vouchers from loyalty cards and surveys

I won't be DF by Xmas but am hoping to be by Easter/April 2013

loubie_lou

I want to be at 50% by NYE then debt free by easter (31st march). Clearing 6.5k in three months (4 paydays) is gonna be rather hard but i'll give it ago! :j:j

PS my date went rather well on Saturday. He is funny and cute but it has been me confirming everything so far. I don't know if he is dating other women and waits for them to do all the work so he doesn't forget or what! But only time will tell and maybe i'm worrying over nothing as its only our 2nd date FGS!

Will keep you all updated.

affordmylife

ill definitely be in for next year. im hoping for 80% by the end of this year and then pay of the remaining £1000 in the yearly part of next year x

suzitiger

HelenPie wrote: »

Sounds like a good attitude to me Suzitiger :T

I have an account for my DDs and it really works - definitely recommended.

Thanks HelenPie I am looking forward to the change
I have another £6 payment to declare, not much I know but it takes me over the £700 mark I made it a while ago I just forgot. I never update on my regular payments because most of them don't cover much more than the interest, and one of my cards has crept up abit due to some business expenses
I will redeclare in January but I'm really hoping I can pay off up to £800 by the end of the year. That at least will be something, then I can start to snowball in January as some of my small debts will be paid off with that.

sharronej

I too would like to carry on with the challenge (even though I don't get to post often the challenge is always in the back of my mind) xx