Who Moved My Cheese?

Hapless_Harriet

Hello Everyone - I'm a LONG time lurker and admirer of all of you, who after having a major LBM has now decided to take the plunge and start a diary of my own.

My LBM came immediately after reading the book Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson.

My Mom gave me the book after I was recently promoted into a management position and whilst it’s motivational style helped me in terms of business, I realised my personal life could benefit from an overhaul.

Let me begin; I’m 25 years old and I’m an Accountant and since I’ve been 18, I’ve always been in debt of a considerable amount mainly through stupidity but last month I made an even bigger mistake. I took out a loan to consolidate but then decided for some unknown reason to spend in the overdraft I’d just cleared with said loan.

Not that I’m trying to make excuses but I put a lot of it down to my current situation…

I live part time (Mon-Fri) 75 miles away from home so that means leaving my boyfriend and family every single week to stay in a house with another person. I choose to do this because it’s more cost effective for me. Prior to this arrangement I was commuting to and from work and as I have a fuel card, I was paying the fuel back at a rate of 15p a mile which over the course of the month was adding up to a considerable amount of money; averaging £500 a month where as my rent is only £300 inclusive of bills.

Although this situation is easier on my bank balance, I’ve had a difficult time adjusting to being away from my boyfriend and my family. The person I house share with is a smoker (in the communal living room) and a fairly heavy drinker and I didn’t realise this at the time of viewing the property and agreeing a tenancy so this has had quite a negative impact on my life in a way that I don’t feel entirely comfortable there.

And my mom has always said my spending is always in line with how I’m feeling in life. When I’m low, the credit card comes out.

This has to stop and the crunch moment came this weekend when my boyfriend started discussing moving in together in between our twoplaces of work so we can be together. He knows that I have a loan but he doesn’t know that in the past 6 weeks I’ve managed to get back into my overdraft again.

I’m ashamed I’ve managed to let this happen but I am inspired to break this cycle and make a real impact on my debt so I can save towards moving in with my boyfriend.

Debts are as follows:

Nationwide Loan: £12500

Barclays Overdraft: £1800

Total: £14300

These boards are a real inspiration and I hope I can be as successful as some of you have been and I’m very much looking forward to thisjourney and this diary to document my expedition into a debt-free life.

Thanks for Reading

Hapless_Harriet

I’m halfway through this first day of ‘moving with thecheese’ and I’ve managed to list 3 items on eBay in my lunch break and I’mhoping to list another 7 tonight to make it 10 items. When I look at some of the clothes, shoes andbags in my wardrobe I’m actually horrified that I was such a spend thrift!

So I’m hoping to have a really good sort out and clear about50-60% of my wardrobe because I live in work attire and ‘sloggies’ so I’vedecided to keep a couple pairs of nice jeans and tops for going out and acouple of dresses.

I’m also adopting the - if it hasn’t been worn in 6months,get rid rule. Including things with tags still intact; which I’m ashamed to saythere are a quite a few of those.

How did I get into such a shopaholic?

Horace

Hi and welcome..

Becoming a shopaholic is easy done - I did it and lived to regret it. Now if I want something new I look in my wardrobe first and by the time I have looked then the urge to buy has worn off.

Re the house share is it worth looking at another one so that you can get away from the person who makes you feel unsafe as it cannot be pleasant living with a heavy drinker and smoker.

As for the credit card - cut it up.

Keep a spending diary - note down all your spends even down to the odd coffee when you are out and about.

beanielou

Happy shiney new diary
Keep posting!

Hapless_Harriet

Well day one is over and done with and I'm already making £31 on my listings from today :j

I discovered I had £11.50 worth of Tesco vouchers I hadn't used so I have those to redeem when I next need some shopping. And as Tesco say....Every Little Helps

Hapless_Harriet

Today I woke to a lovely surprise from my boyfriend. He's coming down tonight to visit me! :grin

There is a carvery down the road from where I'm staying and I've printed off a voucher for a BOGOF carvery so meal and drink should cost at most £7.00, which even though he's paying and he doesn't owe a penny to anyone he wants to save as much money for when we eventually move in together.

Quick update on my listings - £41 now! I will try and list a couple more things at lunchtime as well and keep the momentum going although I don't want too many things to end on the same day otherwise I'll end up marching 100's of parcels to the tiniest post office ever!

Have a great day all

Giggles86

Hello *waves* What a lovely surprise from your boyfriend. Hope you had a lovely evening at the carvery Good luck on your journey to becoming debt free.

dallas85

Hi Harriet,

I think I'm in a pretty similar situation to you - spending to make myself feel better and thinking that 'this will be the final thing that makes everything OK'! I'm about to start getting rid of my debt so I'll subscribe and see how you get along for inspiration.

dallasX

P.S. what does 'moving with the cheese' mean?

Horace

Dallas - the book is called Who Moved my Cheese? it is a book aimed at people who are going through changing times at work. Sometimes change can be scary and this is a little tale about a couple of mice in a maze. It may sound a bit daft but it is a tale about changing the way you think for example the mice visit one spot in the maze where they know they will find cheese - one day the cheese has been moved and whilst one mouse keeps returning to the same spot vainly looking for cheese the other ventures out in the maze and finds new cheese. Basically saying that you can improve if you are willing to change because sometimes change is good - you are likely to stagnate if you refuse to change and can be left behind.

dallas85

Thanks Horace! I might look into getting a copy.

dallasX

redkez2012

Hi Harriet, what a lovely shiny new diary you have! I'm going to subscribe and see how you get on.

RK2012 x