Determined this is my last debt diary

clearmydebts

abba1772 wrote: »

Well done on getting under £20k that's amazing your doing extremely well xx

Thanks Abba1772!

clearmydebts

I am just taking a few minutes to chill out as both kids are asleep (Max never naps so had a lovely quiet afternoon). I took them both to softplay this morning and they had a brilliant time as they hadn't been there for a few weeks!

I am a mixture of up and down today. I am so impatient to get rid of our debt so we can move on to the next phase of our life and am furious with myself that we aren't at the stage of buying a house instead of still paying debts back.

However, there is a lot to look forward to. We hope to buy at the end of 2014 or at least by mid 2015. It will be in the town that we both really like, which is a 10 minute drive from where we are now (which is still lovely but not 100% right for us). We could buy a house here that is way cheaper but I am not really keen on any of the schools or housing estates but schools are a big draw for me.

So hopefully in the next few years we will get a nice house, car and then be a position to overpay on the mortgage in the UK. I would like that flat to be a pension pot for us and we would also like to buy an apartment in Portugal at some stage in the future, but at the moment I should concentrate on just one house We are fortunate that OH and I both earn a good wage so even if we never buy the Portugal apartment, we should be able to be MF hopefully by around 50

I think I hear Evie now so don't have time to ponder on anything else.

Lara44

Keep going with the debt-busting CMD, you can do it! Lots of my family and friends in the North and South are deep in negative equity - so maybe investing your money in amazing experiences and time off with your babies was actually better! Anything's preferable to giving it to the banks anyway

clearmydebts

Lara44 wrote: »

Keep going with the debt-busting CMD, you can do it! Lots of my family and friends in the North and South are deep in negative equity - so maybe investing your money in amazing experiences and time off with your babies was actually better! Anything's preferable to giving it to the banks anyway

That is a really good way of looking at Lara. You're right too. A lot of my friends are in negative equity so we will be lucky that by the time we buy, the houses will be at a good price. This year is all about shelving the debt, learning to drive and buying a car.

I do feel guilty that we can't afford to take the kiddies away this year but I would feel even worse if we had to carry the debt over to 2014, because we took a weeks holiday.

clearmydebts

Oh I forgot to say this morning that OH has finally done something about his drums. He has contacted a seller and is waiting to hear back from him. Fingers crossed on that one as it would probably be about £1500 to pay off the debt.

Yesterday I won a FB competition for an afternoon tea for 2 and OH was thrilled. It is worth €35 so looks very fancy. We hope to take that in the next few weeks

Tete_en_l'Air

Hallelujah for the drums! That's a huge chunk of money, no wonder you've been so annoyed by it!

Saw the comp on facebook - well done, will be a lovely little freebie treat - enjoy, you deserve it

clearmydebts

Tete_en_l'Air wrote: »

Hallelujah for the drums! That's a huge chunk of money, no wonder you've been so annoyed by it!

Saw the comp on facebook - well done, will be a lovely little freebie treat - enjoy, you deserve it

Thanks Tete. That's exactly why I have been so annoyed! It would take a good chunk off the debts

Birdie85

I can't quite believe that the drums are on the way out! Hope they sell, that's a fab chunk to throw at the debt!

Well done on winning the competition too! :T

Oh and don't feel guilty about not taking the littlies away this year, they're at an age where they won't care whether they go on holiday or not and won't even remember it a few years down the line! One year out of their childhood without a proper holiday abroad really isn't that bad is it? Take some time off work and call it a holiday, take them to the beach and build sandcastles, take them to a river and have a picnic and paddle in the shallow areas, have a couple of days out at big playgrounds etc, they'll have a fab time!

clearmydebts

Birdie85 wrote: »

I can't quite believe that the drums are on the way out! Hope they sell, that's a fab chunk to throw at the debt!

Well done on winning the competition too! :T

Oh and don't feel guilty about not taking the littlies away this year, they're at an age where they won't care whether they go on holiday or not and won't even remember it a few years down the line! One year out of their childhood without a proper holiday abroad really isn't that bad is it? Take some time off work and call it a holiday, take them to the beach and build sandcastles, take them to a river and have a picnic and paddle in the shallow areas, have a couple of days out at big playgrounds etc, they'll have a fab time!

Thanks Birdie! We do have a trip down the country planned and we live right by the beach so I shouldn't feel too bad! At least this time next year we will be saving for a house deposit rather than paying off debt

clearmydebts

I've not posted for a while! All going good here. I did OH's tax return so is due £540 back. Hopefully can pay that off one of the cards soon. April has been an expensive month and I have put some money back on one of the cards but am hoping to pay it back off. So my sig might not go down too much at the end of the month.

My mind has been going into overdrive over the last few days. I am thinking of investing in a franchise. As franchises go it isn't too expensive. I don't want to write too much on here but is is child related and something I think I would be good at. I know it would be another expense but there is the potential to make great money from it and also work around school hours in the long run. I also have always wanted to be my own boss and am currently self-employed (on a contract) so am used to dealing with that aspect of things. OH is supportive. My worry is that if I don't go for it now, someone else that lives in my area will and it is something I have been thinking about for the past 2 years.

Decisions decisions!