Third Time Determined!

karmachilovething

Wow the internet is quite today - must be people heading off on their summer holidays! And I will be soon too! Can't wait.

Although I'll admit, the money aspect worries me. I have saved up so I have plenty of cash to take with me, and as long as I'm careful that should be all good. Still I worry that out of my normal routine, and with lots of other people (ie. pressure to go with a group decision) I may not have as much spending control as I'd like.

I think the point is I do still have control. I can say no. I can choose to lounge by the pool and eat from the supermarket rather than join the day trip. Actually I think there will be mostly lounging by the pool and only one or two day trips. It will be fine. I will be fine

Siouxsie32

Hey Karma, how are you? I was lurking around the diaries and came across yours - a friendly 'face' I recognise

Loved reading of your endevours - how are you feeling about missing Glastonbury? I find that sometimes when I deny myself something I feel amazing for saving the money instead...sometimes though, I feel gutted and wish I'd just bought it. So which is it for you? You should feel proud of your sacrifice (and hopefully you're watching all the good BBC coverage!). I also love going to free music things in London. There's so much going on!

I shall subscribe so that I can keep up with your journey

karmachilovething

Siouxsie32 wrote: »

Hey Karma, how are you? I was lurking around the diaries and came across yours - a friendly 'face' I recognise

Loved reading of your endevours - how are you feeling about missing Glastonbury? I find that sometimes when I deny myself something I feel amazing for saving the money instead...sometimes though, I feel gutted and wish I'd just bought it. So which is it for you? You should feel proud of your sacrifice (and hopefully you're watching all the good BBC coverage!). I also love going to free music things in London. There's so much going on!

I shall subscribe so that I can keep up with your journey

Hello Siouxsie and welcome! It will be lovely to have you here, and this month I should be posting here more as I'm not doing Kat's challenge. Too much going on in July that I don't think I'll be able to keep up, and so I am taking a month's break. I will be back in August though. Do you have a DF Diary? I should look you out!

I was sorry not to be at Glastonbury this year, but I will do it another year. Actually I don't enjoy the televised bits, never have done, both prior to first Glastonbury (2010) or since. I just think it's so difficult to communicate live music properly that way. And OK, I was a sulking a little, so avoided all BBC broadcasting this weekend! Radio 4 rather than 6music was a refreshing change!

And anyway, I am off on holiday tomorrow so too excited about that it be too upset! Car has been cleaned, sun cream has been bought, and I'm half way packed! It's going to be great. I've saved properly this time, so I have cash to take, and shouldn't get further into debt for holiday fun-times!

But, big BUT. I won't be making overpayments this months, I just don't have the slack. And I'm worried about taking a holiday from the DFW mindset too, and causing damage by that. But I'm aware of that risk, so that's probably half the battle.

karmachilovething

Well, farewell diary, I'll be back in acouple of weeks . . . I promise not to spend too much. I don't promise not to spend it all on cheese and wine! :rotfl:

(PS. NSD today, just to ease off the up coming many spend days!)

catriona79

Have a lovely time KC!! Enjoy your holiday and hope you don't have to be thinking about money too much

karmachilovething

Well I'm back from holiday, and it's become summer while I was gone!

Spending went to plan, and besides a couple of glitches I think I coped pretty well to be a bit MSE while on holiday and enjoying myself!

It's interestingly thrown up another way of running my budgets. I know a lot of people Piggy bank their budgets (separate accounts/cards for different things) and I've been running a piggybank account for my car for a few years to great success, but I've not taken it elsewhere in my spending. I basically piggy banked the holiday, mostly in order to keep currency charges to a minimum, but I think it was effective in controlling my spending too.

I haven't decided how to bring this into my monthly budgets yet (still a bit holiday-brained IYKWIM!) but watch this space!

scottishspendaholic

Hi karma,

Looking forward to following you on your journey! You're doing brilliantly so far and I'm so impressed at your debt busting while still having a life! I think I could do that too...if I didn't have children - money suckers!

Good luck and I'll be reading, from a fellow lover of Ben Folds and The Flaming Lips.

karmachilovething

Welcome Scottish! Glad to have you along for the ride! Are you still in Scotland? Or ex-pat? :rotfl: I used to live in Edinburgh, still have lots of friends up there and visit a couple of times a year. Used to be more but it's just such an expense.

I have taken the route of slow and steady wins the race. Previous experience tells me going cold turkey doesn't work for me. Although it's not the standard MSE way, I think it's more sustainable, and will ulitmately teach me how to be while debt-busting and post DFD. It seems to be working too, as I am generally thinking more MSE and looking at what is necessary or desired, so who know maybe one day I'll be hardcore :rotfl:

NSD yesterday and today. Not sure how the weekend will pan out. The village we live in has an arts festival this weekend, and we get free tickets for the trouble! Means we also have lots of visitors so DM cooking up a storm (3 kinds of HM ice cream in the freezer! So good to come home to!) but all the great food means there's no real reason to go out so hoping for a SF weekend.

karmachilovething

Checking in to report NSD no 6 in a row! I'm ridiculously pleased with that, haven't done that in ages and it feels good.

Arts fetival on the weekend was greta and it was difficult not to spend as there were so many beautiful things. But BF reminded me I don't really have a house at the moment so I really, REALLY didn't need more objects! And he was right. And ultimately I felt better for not having bought anything.

karmachilovething

Today was a spend day - dry cleaning, postage for a letter going to France and a couple of bits from the co0p. Managed to resist buying any chocolate at the check out though so quite pleased overall.