C'est La Vie

GreenSaints

Hi January,

Thank you for your message. I hope you had a good Christmas and new year.

I've given myself a number of goals this year which I hope will make me a happier and better person. I've split them into certain areas so it doesn't look that daunting:

Financial

• Debt free by 30 or December 2014 (whichever is soonest)
• Save £50 per month
• Update this diary at least once a week

Social

• Meet new people
• Join a new group or club

Health

• Exercise 3 times a week
• Lose 26lbs - 1lb at a time

Creative

• Learn a new skill every month
• Start and finish a new craft project every two months

Career

• Find a job I'm passionate about

Travel

• Travel somewhere new every month (not necessarily overseas)

Wellbeing

• Increase charity contribution
• No electronic devices in bed before sleep
• Read every night
• Take 5 minutes a day to myself with no distractions

It seems a lot, but most of these are very easy and ones I keep putting off because I'm 'too busy' I think it's because I'm turning the big 3-0 so need some more substance to my life!

I have a new diary that I bought myself and have so far been making sure that I fill it in and take it with me everywhere.

GreenSaints

Hi

Just a quick update. Sold two items on eBay so that's £16.40 towards my Student Loan

That makes 0.18% paid so far!

GreenSaints

Well, do I have an update for you or what!

I meet my mum for lunch today in which I talked about my hatred for my current job and that I really needed a higher paying job again because I didn't have any money to live on or save.

She turn said (as all parents would) that she didn't want the £300 a month that I give her to pay off my debt to her. I said that I wanted.......no, needed to be debt free this year. I couldn't be in debt for another year (making that 10 in total!)

She then asked what I owed her. I told her and then a lightbulb appeared!

Thanks to my redundancy, I had just over £5k saved away. I saved it because if I kept it where I could access it, there was a temptation that I would spend it (like on a car which I am now without though I don't actually need one now thanks to working 3 miles away from home)

So on my own (like the grown up I am, which might be why I have spotted TWO grey hairs today! ) I decided that I would give my mum the ISA money (along with any interest it earns - because I'm nice like that) and the difference I owe her (£1,389.22) will be split over 6 months meaning (technically) I WOULD HAVE PAID MY DEBT OFF TO HER!

Which means I have no reason not to be debt free before the end of the year, if not sooner.

So, YIPPEE!

GreenSaints

Hi All,

I did plan to update this once a week, however this has not gone well!

So, I'm plugging away at my debts, thanks mainly to my redundancy money which is going to mum to pay her off for the first time in 7 years! :eek:

I'm expecting a tax refund next month which will also be going to her so I should be paid off to her by the end of April - before my 30th!

I have my student loan outstanding (roughly £1,900) however I can't change the payment from my salary to my current account as they think it'll take me 3 years to pay it off! I don't think so!

I'll ring them again my balance is below £1000, which should be in June and see what they expect me to do. I've read horror stories on here about people still paying even though they finished their loan payments years ago! :mad:

So, that's about it really. Not much else to report. Hope everyone is doing well.

GreenSaints

Hi All,

Hope everyone is doing well and had a good Easter. I have been so rubbish at updating this!

It's pay day for me (woohoo!) so have made some payments to my debts. Two amazing things have happened:

1. I no longer owe my mum ANY money for the first time in 7 years! In January 2011 I owed her [FONT=&quot]£12,858.90! Today it's zero!
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2. I tweeted Martin :money: to tell him this, he retweeted my message and lots of people have 'favourited' and even said well done!

The end is very much in sight for me and I can't believe it! Just over 15% to go! So technically I will be debt free by my 30th, except for my student loan - which I'm hoping to clear by August - before if I can!

GreenSaints

Hi all,

This has been a very poor diary! However, I can now say I'M DEBT FREE!

WOOHOO!

January20

I was just thinking about you today!!!!
Sorry I haven't posted much on your diary

CONGRATULATIONS on being debt-free! WELL DONE!


What's the plan now?