Direct route to debtfree......

stafftopets

Morning All

At long last i have taken the plunge and set my own diary up instead of just lurking - this site is so addictive.

I am doing this dairy so that i can get control on our spending and also i am going away on SC holiday in 26 days (goodness that's near - just over 3 weeks sounds better) and i have nothing saved, this is my first challenge.
My LBM happened on Friday when I got extra charges on my DH loan for not paying on time - sure showed me that i had lost control somewhere along the way. After being in debt for nearly 20 years - goodness where has the time gone. I have decided i do not want to spend the rest of my life living with the stress of worrying about debt.
More about that in later posts, after lurking on the MSE sites for a while, I have ideas what to do but all i have to do is try and put them in action. I am always have good intentions but lose my way once i am out of the house, more control needed there I think.
I will post later, details of the debts we owe as we are one (joint bank account). Also will set myself different challenges over the coming weeks.
My first steps to Debtfree is today - we have to go into town later, i need to keep DH away from HMV.

Will be back later with my first adventure into town as the new me:o

laura2481

:hello: Hi
As a long term forum member but new diary writer (and restarting my debt free journey) I thought I'd see hi! A couple of weeks ago I realised I had also lost my way and was in a hole I couldn't get out of by myself so now, with the help of my husband I am hoping to start a new journey..but maybe reach my destination this time!


I used to have a really simple plan that did help get my debts down (on my first journey)

• Always think 'do I NEED this, or just WANT this?' before buying. If it's a want and not a need.. you don't buy it!
• Try not to pay full price for anything.. shop around, vouchers, wait for sales, anything to nibble down your out goings.
• Overpay at least one debt every month. £20 extra here and there can make a big difference!

So now I shall have to go take some of my own advice! :rotfl:

Laura x

stafftopets

Morning All

Hi Laura - glad to have the company on my journey, love your idea of not paying full price for anything.....definitely going to take that on board.

How did my day go yesterday as the new me....well, non starter to begin with. Went into town with DH and managed to spend £46.00:eek:, and hardly anything to show for it. Sent DH to supermarket for milk and bread, came back with none of these but fish and chips from chipshop instead. I think i may have two DHs, one i have money conversations with who is in full agreement and the other who spends as he pleases.:o

Was planning a NSD today, but car needs petrol and I have still to get bread & milk - will call local shop tonite as ys bread is usually available. Must resist other ys food as cupboards and freezer are full.

Now going to make sarnies for work so i can resist the van that comes around ....... that'll be some money saved towards my hols

stafftopets

Well, didn’t get far with the DFD in August, so I am starting again – scary thing is I am going on hols on Friday so this is going to be a definite challenge for the next 10 days.

What I have done so far……… not much, seemed to have lost control of the spending since last updated my diary.

But that is ‘water under the bridge’, another LBM starting to glimmer again so I am going to try again.
We have approx debt of £22000 on cards and loans :eek: (not sure what we brought)which I have snowballed and have been given DFD of July 2016 (45 months) but I plan to make it sooner by repaying as much as possible. I hope to repay the debt and then save quickly for deposit on house (currently renting) before I reach 55 in January 2018.

My short term action plan includes

• start to prepare my house for winter using MSE thread for ideas to keep the cost of heating down.
• set up spreadsheets for spending diary, bank, debts, car costs and food (don’t you just love spreadsheets).
• start menu planning and keep store cupboard/freezer record.
• I have already started Christmas shopping – so continue to do this.
• Set up jar system for money so that spending money can be withdrawn on a Friday. I do hate using my cards as I seem to have no control.

My long term action plan includes

• Get DH involved in saving money as much as possible without him realising and having a strop!!!!!

Join a couple of MSE challenges
Reduce my debt.

Apologies for the long post but needed to get my head around my plans for the future.
Going to make a coffee and start setting up my spreadsheets …….might also make a shopping list/clothes list for holidays………

laura2481

Hi Stafftopets!
For a spending diary an excel template can be downloaded here:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/personal-daily-expense-budget-TC030004036.aspx

or I find this quite good:

http://www.spendingdiary.com/

stafftopets

Thanks Laura2481 for the links, going to have a look now.

stafftopets

Really proud of myself today as I have managed to have a NSD. I was tempted with a thermal door curtain and a couple of fleece blankets online but decided I would leave that until tomorrow as I need to go into town. I am returning a pair of shoes, cardigan and trousers which I purchased on Saturday in a fit of shopping mania and when I got home I looked in the wardrobe and found similar things already there ……maybe I ought to avoid going clothes shopping.
On the budget front, really impressed that instead of a readymade sandwich from the shop for lunch, I brought a meal from home that I heated up……only need a sandwich tonight for dinner. DH can have freezer surprise.


Plan for tomorrow

• Return goods to shops and get refunds where possible. Also post top back to online company as it was not worth the money.
• Go to Library – seek out budget cook books, teach yourself sewing (I want to learn to make own clothes), a few novels to read whilst on Hols.
• Have a good look around shops and market for cheap fleeces to hang in bathroom window in place of curtains (have to use net curtain pole rather curtain pole so needs to be light), also door curtain for interior door which shuts onto hallway – definitely a draft from there.
• I have written a list of food, medicines etc which need for my hols – so will pick up what I can from £land, Savers, B&M bargains (already raided store cupboard)

As you can tell slightly bored at work today, hence the postings……. must find something to do for next 1.45min or it’s going to be a never-ending afternoon.

stafftopets

Oh dear, not quite the hang of writing my diary yet.
Major lightbulb moment last Tuesday as i was declined a credit card. End result is i have sorted everything out and now am on a mission to be debtfree.

Exchanged car for a more economical model but older than my last one therefore had only had to pay £500 for it. Hoping this will reduce my daily travelling expenses.

Sorted all our debts out - £24587.41 DFD June 2017:eek: - no chance, i plan to be debtfree quick than that. At present trying to do a PAD, so far paid off £39.92 so debt already reduced to £24547.49.:o

Also joined November Grocery challenge so that i can keep a check on spending on food which tends to go astray.

Lunch-hour over so must go back to work - will try harder in keeping up with my diary so the changes i make will be easier to track.