Looking for the silver lining

amber03

Merry Christmas to you and Mr SA, hope you had a relaxing one.xx

please-let-me-be-lucky

Merry Christmas SA! Hope Mr SA has been ok today and you got to have a relaxing day Xx

Sun_Addict

Thank you all! Hope everyone has had/still having a fantastic Christmas! :santa2:

Back at work today:(. Just been looking at my finances - yes I know I should be working but it's so quiet here, hardly a soul around! Everything looking ok and I get paid New Year's Eve. Slid £5.41 over to my VSP but will wait until payday for the card overpayment when I know what's what. Hoping to pay off the £70 oddment to round it down to £2800. Did a bit of online sales shopping yesterday but not much - had an M&S gift card to use so put it towards some new jeans. No way I would have attempted the real life shops even when Mr SA was mobile! Can't believe the queues for the Next sale on TV! Madness!

We've had a nice Christmas. Went to the pub for a couple of drinks on Christmas Day with DS. Finally got to meet DS's GF last night. She's lovely. Can't believe this time last year he was living with a different GF - what a difference a year makes! Also can't believe this time last year Mr SA was perfectly healthy. We were looking forward to going to Lanzarote after new year. Hopefully we might be able to go for his birthday at the end of April if he's fit to fly (and the finances are fit to accomodate a holiday). He was very tired and slept a lot yesterday - he's been trying to do too much too soon I think.

Sun_Addict

Oh dear - seem to have committed myself to joining the pay off all your debts by Xmas 2014 challenge! Might not be possible but I'm willing to give it a try! Looking for inspiration I quite like the 1% challenge idea too. Printed off the 100 squares ages ago but didn't fill them in, maybe it's time to give that a go too. Once I've paid off the £70 oddment on payday I'll be down to £2800 which makes my 1% £28. Just need to pay off £28 100 times and bingo debt gone! Mmm.....

Sun_Addict

Back again (can't you tell it's quiet at work!). Just sneaked a look at the first page of my diary and can't believe my debt was £5368.95 at the beginning of March! This means I've paid off £2498.95 in less than a year despite Mr SA not working since March. Wow - really really pleased with that! Actually quite amazed. Maybe I can be debt free by Christmas 2014 after all.

amber03

Well done SA on paying off so much, sometimes it feels like its never ending keep going. Glad you had a good xmas.


Am going to look at some of the upcoming challenges, they keep you on your toes.xx

amber03

SA whats the 1% challenge is there a thread.xx

Sun_Addict

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4473043

Link above Amber - doubt I can actually follow the challenge properly as have nothing to sell or ways to make extra money but I like the general principle of looking at debt 1% at a time. You could apply it to savings too or even losing weight - best broken down to a chunk at a time.

Scarily Mr SA has been asking for his credit card back :eek: Trying to make him understand there's nothing he needs it for. I keep topping his wallet up with cash and he won't be doing any shopping. Some days he's ok with it and others he's quite argumentative over it. I understand how he must feel and I hate feeling like I'm controlling him but he doesn't understand at the moment that we have a very limited budget. Some time ago he invited SIL and her hubby for a pub lunch when he came out of hospital. She has started pressing for a date and I have a feeling she's expecting us to pay! They both work and I know her hubby is on a decent wage. Don't want to seem mean though! Might have to be "ill".

kissjenn

Hi SA.

Can you give SIL a phone and tell her that you'd love to do the meal with the 4 of you as it would give SA such a boost but would they then be ok with everyone very discretely paying their own as you really can't afford it despite SA's protestations to the opposite.

I'd like to think such close family would more than understand the financial and well as caring burden you have currently.

Always a superstar :A

beanielou

Good idea from kissjenn :j