Ultimate Challenge. 457 days / £16600!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Hello Siouxsie...(and lurkers)


Yes my lovely lady it did sound like you were justifying the holiday....:T:T:T... but you did it well! I can't really say much considering I spent the best part of £1000 on a birthday holiday that I could have done without. So meeting friends from all over the world ( I am in the same situation ), for a one off trip that has been paid for in full in cash AND since you have spending money set aside for, is not really something I can baulk at. I am proud of you and really hope you have a lot of fun! :T

So I have a dilemma. A friend who I have known from Uni has invited me to her house in October. We have not seen each other since last year a few weeks after her daughter was born. Now that baby is over a year old it's time for a catch up - but I don't really want to. I haven't missed her at all and there is no gap in my life so to speak.

The last time I was with her she mentioned something along the lines of being glad I was not with my ex any more because now I can find a "nice english boyfriend"....(my ex was Serbian)... The problem is my Grandfather was Serbian, My Grandmother Swiss German and neither were "english people"... I find her slightly racist, a little bit boring and we are in completly differing places than each other. It was torture being there last time.

How can I now back out of an already arranged meet? Be truthful in a nice way or explain my finances as being the reason...again..(I did the same last year to avoid seeing her)...

Questions on a postcard please...

Siousxie I have a Serbian friend who lives in Slovenia.. he has invited me for a trip over which will cost a grand total of £53 on "our fave orange airline" or the same amount for a train journey to see this so called friend....:o..

I also think you should start another thread.. make it definitive and hard hitting.."12 Months to Ultimate Debt Freedom" or "Se*y Siouxsie's Serious Debt Slaughter"...:rotfl:..or simply "365 Days Later"...

I am finding my feet with the facebook page first... http://www.facebook.com/ninjasavingkat with a possibility of a web page by January.. Runnning the challenges on a daily basis is taking up a lot of time, and on a regular monthly basis is not time effective.. I need to merge it into one which will make things more uniform, the web page will automatically update Twitter and Facebook and such like.. I am not sure about anything yet but it would be like withdrawal from a drug if I eve left MSE. One thing is for sure I will be hot on your thread tail Siouxsie32....

On another note I have a form handy to sent off for my Australian Citizenship Certificate... shame I can't open it at work where the best printer in the world is located....:rotfl:..Will try LLL's at home tonight..

So the debt..... yes it's a massive feat of no-life mixed with ruthless miserly behaviour and dash of determination.... next month will see another £1440 being paid off and if I can hit £1100 in the months there-after (beginning of October, November and December - which is effectively 3 months pay ) I will ensure not having to use January's pay for the debt and I can start saving for Oz.... It just means getting as much OT as possible... :(:(:(:(:(

Per month I could be able to secure £750 a month without overtime.... and add 3 shifts per month onto this for a nice rounded £1000.. then possibly do a bit more to pay for the initial flight out there...

So much to think about but first things first - GET DEBT FREE!!!

NinjaSavingKat

Just got his from a colleague.. he has cleared half his £25000 debt and has been at it since I started.. we hit the road together...I told him I was impressed with what he was doing despite not being on a DMP etc... This is what I got back!

Thanks Kat ;-)

We've been great motivation for each other!!

I'm of the opinion that I put myself into the situation it's only right I get myself out of it.

I looked into a DMP - it would take 5 years, but I realised actually ploughing on with a tight budget would take me 3 years at most and last year the year from July 2012 to June 2013 was the most difficult period I've ever had, so I know now I'm through the worst.It'll be a tight budget but I'm clearing the debt at a rate of a grand a month, and finally actually have a little bit to spare at the end of the month instead of struggling.

You will have an amazing time in SEA, don't panic you've done most of the hard work and you're three paydays away from being debt free. It won't be half as painful saving the money when you know it's for a great trip!!!

I get annoyed at the amount of money we have to part with for debt we've already benefitted from! I can't wait to get to a point when I'm saving the same amount of money!! you'll be in that position from December's payday, so happy days!! ;-)

Stay positive Kat :-)

his_missus

Oh Kat, I understand where you're coming from regards the old friend. I think it would be hard to tell her that you haven't missed the friendship or dislike some of her opinions. Have you had much contact with her over the past year? Is the friendship likely to fizzle out anyway over time? Maybe give a reason as to why you can't meet - work commitments maybe?

I met my old best friend in town a year ago after having not seen her in over 5 years. We were really close once but life has taken us on very different paths and I really hadn't missed the friendship after time. She said she'd call and I was dreading having to make up excuses but she never did, so I never made contact with her.

Maybe it's a bit wussy to not confront the issues in a friendship but you can run the risk of hurting someone beyond repair if you're not tactful and I'm not tactful!

NinjaSavingKat

HM I haven't missed her at all. Any texts sent are initiated by her. I do feel bad but I can't waste my life with people who don't help me. I think I might write her an email as she is expecting me to reply with a confirmation of travel plans soon. I would be happy to meet her half way for the day but I honestly can't bare to be there for an entire weekend. it will cost the best part of £60 for a decent ticket but of course I can shop around. Same price on petrol to take the motorbike but who wants a 4 hours trip there and a 4 hour trip back.

I am just not sure what to say to her. There is nothing that she has done really and she won't remember that comment she made all that time ago. We have simply grown apart and my debt free day is more important...

I can understand you doing what you did. I added someone on FB last night who is going to get unfriended very shortly. Don't know why I bothered to add her in the first place as we barely talked when we were young...

LoveaDove

Hey NSK and fellow subscribers!

(Warning: this is a Mammoth post)

Sorry about the delay. I clearly am not as young as I used to be- festivals truly take it out of me- I spend the whole time on such a high from the atmosphere that the transition back to the 'real world' continues to be a real shock... :eek:

Re: My post (I love writing re: it amuses me when people even say 'r.e' in a sentence)...

Most of my youth was spent in financial hardship- at home with my 3 siblings and my Mum holding the fort as a single parent. My older sister is autistic so my Mum was (is) also her full-time carer. So whilst looking after 4 kids on a pittance she also managed to complete an O.U degree- inspiring is my ma! Like you pointed out- junk food is what is always on offer/ cheap, so our diet was not the most nutritional. Shops like Iceland became a massive lifeline to my Mum, as a non- driver she had to rely on walking to the local shops and only carrying back what she could. Once they offered free deliveries and offered value food our diets completely changed!!

My Mum has always been the one to encourage me to seek out bargains, has no qualms over purchasing reduced/ faulty products and is a big believer in 'make do and mend.' Even as a child I loved receiving family and friends clothes/ item cast-offs. Riffling through a bag of un-wanted clothes was like Christmas come early! (I'm still like that now- at least half of my current wardrobe are cast-offs!!!)

My teens was challenging as this is when you become incredibly self-aware and begin comparing yourself to your peers. I went to a fairly middle-class school, where 95% of the students were from a 'comfortable' background. I went on two days trips out during my 5 years at secondary school- which I was incredibly greatful for, the rest I had to miss and sit in my Art classroom all day as we could not afford them. I missed an important outing to a Picasso exhibition during my Art GCSE, because we could not afford the £10 ticket- which meant I had to complete a piece of work without even visiting the associated exhibition *mind blows*. It still astounds me how little support there was at the time for those in financial hardship. As I went through school though I met my best friend who was in a very similar situation to myself. Both of our parents had split (back in the earlier part of the 90s this was very rare), both experienced financial hardship throughout school and both benefited from each others support. We just used to laugh at ourselves in the end for being so poor and always found frugal ways to get around things!!

I read an incredible book recently by Caitlin Moran- 'How to be a woman' which is part autobiography. It really put things into perspective for me in regards to financial hardship as a child, and made me realise that I had no idea how lucky I was growing up!

Anyways, leaving the past behind for now. I have never tried Almond Milk- it sounds amazing! Where do you get it from? Is it the alpro version? Or have you found a cheaper version?

I agree about chopping up the quorn sausages! I use them, chopped in my curries a lot! Much cheaper than actually buying the quorn pieces! Still can't bring myself to like Tofu...

Regarding your friend: It is so so hard when you realise how different you have become from an old friend- especially when a gap leaves you feeling a little awkward in their company. Life leads you down different paths and you simply drift. It has happened to myself and a number of 'old friends' who are now more like acquaintances. Just a lack of communication on both parts in the end. Sometimes, you realise, you just can't be good friend's with everybody. You end up stretching yourself too much and feel like you're always letting someone down by not 'being there.' I'd say I just have a handful of good friends now. As much as I would love to be there for all of my other friends I just simply can't be. Meeting half-way sounds like a fair offer, especially as you are on your DF mission. If they can't meet you half-way then you have tried.

Your Oz plans are super exciting!!!! I lived there for 8 months and would absolutely love to have a citizen's certificate! Really must get back over there to travel WA and Southern Coast as i didn't make it the whole way round last time!! When are you ideally looking at going? Are you still going to head to SEA first?

Ok, may be I should actually get back to doing some work...Teehee :cool:

NinjaSavingKat

Loveadove thank you for that message. The image of you rummaging for clothes is exactly like my life. I used to love getting bags of clothes from an older girl at church. Even my Mum's elderly friend up the road in Northern Ireland used to hand me bags of clothes with pillbox hats and nearly empty bottles of Chanel No.5.. although that did't happen very often it has cemented my love of vintage clothing.

Most of my clothes were hand me downs but I have developed a love of charity shops from my Mother.... we would go to a neighbouring town on a Saturday after a day out visiting friends.. I will always remember those days cause I would fall asleep in my Dads van under a duvet, wake up a couple of hours later in another town, at Christmas.. with it being dark.. freezing and being able to rummage for dress up dresses and clothes with my Mum... happy times!!

I also remember visiting a few differing shops for various items as they were cheaper.. rememeber Northern Ireland still didn't open stores on Sundays until I was a teenager.. not sure about other places in the Uk though... but there was no Tesco / Asda - they only came a few years ago to my home town...:).. so I was always sent on errands up town to get the beetroot while Mumsy did the big shop...

High school for me was a source of ridicule for other reasons other than being poor..( can you believe I wore a skirt that didn't skim my butt cheeks???).. I must admit we were not a minority in my school and there were some other poor families. Those others that bought their sons a tractor to come to school on as they were too young for a car were exceptions... :rotfl:

I am going to look up that book though..

I think our Mums need a round of applause.. and I think there is nowt wrong with a healthy does of reality for kids these days... chips by the seaside were a treat for us otherwise it would be a packed lunch which to be honest were amazing thanks to my Mums cooking....

But for the Mums on MSE...:j:T:j:T:j:T... that looks weird but you get my meaning.. lol!

his_missus

Kat, at primary school I was ridiculed because my skirts sat above my knees (we didn't have a school uniform, clothes were for best or holiday then got demoted to school wear as they got too short ont he basis I didn't need new clothes for school as they'd only get covered in paint/glue/mud) then at high school I got ridiculed by the same girls because skirts that sat above my knees were considered too long!

At least my clothes were "fashionable". My sister got the hand me downs and there's almost 5 years between us. Maybe that's why she loves her designer brands now?

We were fortunate that, although not especially well off, my parents worked hard and saved hard to ensure we had a 2 week holiday every summer (usually Butlins), lots of presents at Christmas and could always go on school trips. They'd both missed out on these things as kids and didn't want us to. We didn't have the latest technology growing up, in fact we didn't get a house phone till I went to college, had a second hand B&W TV, an amstrad computer once they'd eventually gone out of fashion, no car... so I guess they saved in some areas for our benefit. I had a fab childhood though and never felt I was missing out

I've really never been into charity shops for clothes. Maybe it's because I'm quite a big girl so a lot of the clothes in my size are "old lady styles" as opposed to vintage but also I find them quite expensive around here selling supermarket branded clothing at almost the same price it was new. I never see any bargains

Sholly

Hi Kat,

I haven't been on here (MSE at all - not just your page!) for ages but just thought I'd check in to say "hi!". I've read back through the last couple of pages - your Oz trip sounds amazing!! Well done! It's amazing that you've gone from busting debt to planning such a fantastic (and debt-free!) trip in such a short space of time - although I'm sure it hasn't seemed short!! You're such an inspiration! And the Facebook page - wow, very snazzy!!

Sholly x

NinjaSavingKat

Hello Sholly. Hello HM. Hello Lurkers.... :hello::hello::hello:


HM It sounds like you had a similar upbringing. I love all this reminiscing!! It reminds me of the holidays we had camping to Coleraine (any of you Norn Iron peeps know of Castlerock?).. I used to LOVE it. My Dad was self employed and just needed a base to work from and could go anywhere so when we camped during the day he worked. I think we managed two weeks oncec. We brought our bikes (the one thing we always had as it eventually worked out as free) and the beach right by the campsite.

My mum is heading there this weekend with Daddy and her MIL for a wee break. Although they have gone up in the world and are now in a static caravan. Ooo er!!

But our massive family tent would take hours to put up as it was so heavy... Mummy would cook on a stove my Dad made and the best thing of all was the train we would take into the local town and hit the charity shops. No gadgets, no phones, no second car, just good old fashioned fun.

I do remember though that money that we did have was spent on outdoor gear - good walking coats, boots from the army surplus store that are still usable now 15 years later, bodyboards for days out at the beach, mountain bikes for our area as we are in the countrybumpkinside, fishing rods for my brother and the odd pony ride for me. We were always outside. Might explain my current obsession with rucksacks and surviving the zombie apocolypse outdoors - :rotfl:

Cooking on an open fire with an old frying pan of my Mum's behind our house was the most funnest thing ever in my book. You could smell the smoke on the eggs...:rotfl:

However speaking of survival..... having visited a friend photojournalism exhibition I had a few hours to kill with which I made my way to Piccadilly and to Waterstones. I love books, have basically slaughtered one a week for the last few weeks as I want to learn about EVERYTHING .... but got distracted by Cotswolds Outdoors...

There is another rucksack I desire. It's gonna set me back another £100 at least on line but I ventured into the store to try it on (always a must)... it's an Osprey Farpoint 70 (don't try talking me into a cheaper one thank you very much)... goodle it and you will see why it super cool. With an added mini detachable rucksack for day trips and muchos added extra bits..

I obviously won't be buying it until I have cash but it makes me want to take every overtimes shift going in order to even possibly have a little surplus funds at the end of the year...

I have been reading Christina Lambs "Small Wars Permitting" and realised I would like to see Copacabana beach and doge some bullets in Rio for the Olympics - wonder if I could travel for that lenght of time without upsetting Mumsy...?? Probably not...

But Sholly I am determined that my life won't be lived entirely indebted to a bank. Imagine if every person in the country repaid what they owed and lived within their means.... imagine what we could achieve in our lives if we weren't burdened by owing other people..

The photojournalist that won a years employment with Getty images on Tuesday night did a three month stint with some squatters and captured them in their natural habitat so to speak.. a quote in her presentation book read "The less you demand or posess the happier you become"... I want to rid my life of "wants" and start experiancing and loading up on memories...

But thank you for your kind words - the fear of being another year into 30 and not doing something about this has spurred me on no end..:rotfl:... and Facebook amuses me so why not let everyone else post pictures and such like to make this moneysaving malarky seem more fun...:T

The only thing that worries me is missing my moggy when I go...:(:(:(:(:(.. I am still wondering if I could take her with me..??

LoveaDove

Hi Kat!

I am the biggest fan of nostalgia!! I have so many scrap books and photo albums. I think I was always concerned that I would lose my memory! I especially love reading through my travel journals- think I have 4 in total- it is amazing how much you forget, the people you've met a long the way! The scrap books are especially good as one ticket stub brings back so many memories- visual, auditory, smells etc...

Your great outdoor adventures sounds like they have put you in good steed for further travels! Such a great thing to do with your family!

BTW, your Osprey Farpoint 70 (a fine backpack), reminds me somewhat of a travellers equivalent to a Nimbus 2000!! Teehee!!