The DF journey diary of ilovelondontown

quidsy

Existing is not fun. You CAN live frugally whilst still enjoying meeting friends for coffees & having a couple of extras. It sounds like you are on track & have it all under control.

Last month I cleared a credit card, £751, next store card for £880 & paid £400 off my other cc balance. I still have £5100 on that credit card which should be paid off by october & a 6k tax bill that has to be paid by December, both are doable even with the holidays booked but it's lifes surprises that tend to throw me off track.

ilovelondontown

You cleared that Next card! good for you! I went aroundandroundandround about paying off my Next card this month, but I figured, it's not going to kill me to pay it by September. At the highest I had it at about £600 so to be down to £290 and next Month £190 feels good enough for me!

Thailand sounds like it'll be an amazing trip, I've never been. I always thought I'd be someone who likes to travel but whenever I go anywhere after a week I get home sick and want to be around what I know best- hence my user name

And you are so very right, it's not the plan that throws you off course it's life's suprises that veer you off your DF journey so quickly!

To be honest I'm already so proud that I've stuck to this for as long as I have, old me would have said F-it! I'm going to use my credit card/Next card/Get another by now pay later account and deal with it later, but dealing with it later doesn't do anything except give you something to worry about in the back of your mind ALL thet time!

quidsy

The next card & the smal balance on the cc were like psycological issues for me, I HAD to clear them this month to prove I could & not get sideswiped by something else.

TBH the thailand holiday was only being booked if I got my ppi payout, which I did last week, so that paid for flights otherwise we probably wouldn't have managed it. Still have to pay for hotels & internal flgihts but much more managable now the big expense is covered.

OH is from there so we have to go pretty much every year. I travelled for the best part of a decade so love to travel, even with 6 yo in tow I find it easy.

ilovelondontown

I hate money. There I said it.

In fact I don’t want to be flushed with nice cars and nice clothes and money to burn. I just want to be able to afford the monthly bills, have a little bit aside as a safety net and enough to start a family (yes I know if I wait until I could afford kids I’d never have them…) but I refuse to bring children into my life with debt hanging over us. It’s just not fair on anyone.

And I think most people would agree to want the same.

But I’ve got to the point where the inspiration for getting DF is fast becoming a frustrating joke. Every pay day I feel relieved that I’m able to make all my payments and for a few brief hours it feels good to know I won’t be hounded this month for a payment from anyone. However after that mini relief, I’m then set back to feeling how I do for the rest of the month. No money, counting every penny and waiting for the next pay day. I don’t feel like I’m getting off this roundabout soon enough and it’s starting to make me feel sick. I got paid today and I’m already in my overdraft L

I don’t want to make this an entirely negative diary entry, in fact, I want to remember why I’m doing this, and to realise what the end goal will be.

Highlighted below are debts and my achievements to date:

· Bank loan- Originally £4700 over 12 months (inc interest) now £1160 with only 3 more payments due.
· Credit card- Originally £3200 on 18% now £2800 on 0% – This doesn’t sound like a big drop, but I’ve had to use the account to make emergency payments following a leg op that’s cost me £400.
· Sofa- Originally £1780 – now £434
· Laptop – Originally £550 – now £218
· Overdraft - £900. – Will fix this last as I always “pay it off” when I’m paid as it’s from a/c my pay goes into, so only costs me about £2 p/m.
· Arrears of Gas bill - £600- now £300
· Next Account- Was £500- now £0 Paid off!
· Bank of Dad- Was £600- now £0 Paid off!

A lot of my debts are still there but will drop off at the same time – towards the end of this year, I’m making overpayments wherever I can but I need to be careful that I don’t pay off so much in one month that I’m borrowing for the next.

We’ve ditched the idea of getting a holiday abroad this year, it’s just not possible without adding to the debt and I really feel that a year of hard work will pay dividends for the years to come. I just need to keep the pace up and have faith that the day will come when I don’t have an overdraft I touch at all!

Jonesy88

Just popped in to say you are doing brilliantly! You have made so much progress in so little time. Do you have a debt free date in mind? Mines by my next birthday (April) and i have a countdown to show me the days. Its currently at 252 days - it seems like a long time but really it isn't. I also have mini goals before then too as i'm also a DFW fixator.

I want the debt gone because i want a family (as you probably know from the other thread). I want to get pregnant knowing i can afford the pram i want and the maternity leave I want. Yes, i have blips (that's life) but ultimately i use that to stay focused

quidsy

Look at it from a different angle.

You did have a total debt of £12,830

You now have a total debt of £5,812

That means you have paid off 54.6% of your total debt.

That is a mega acheivement. You should feel proud of yourself.

I do understand what you are saying abotu paying the bills & feeling good then worrying about whether you can get through the month but this is a short term situation. In another few months you will be done. It really IS worth the sacrifice, you just have to focus on the end rather than the journey.

ilovelondontown

Jonesy88 wrote: »

Just popped in to say you are doing brilliantly! You have made so much progress in so little time. Do you have a debt free date in mind? Mines by my next birthday (April) and i have a countdown to show me the days. Its currently at 252 days - it seems like a long time but really it isn't. I also have mini goals before then too as i'm also a DFW fixator.

I want the debt gone because i want a family (as you probably know from the other thread). I want to get pregnant knowing i can afford the pram i want and the maternity leave I want. Yes, i have blips (that's life) but ultimately i use that to stay focused

Than you Jonesy, appreciate you cheerleading me on

My original df date was supposed to be by the end of the year but it's been pushed back to about about March/April next year now. I don't know if it was me being unrealistic about how long it would take or if I've allowed it to take longer. I guess if I was to turn into a total hermit I could get it down even quicker but it's just too much to get debt straight and kill your social life in one fell swoop, not to mention impossible!

You and I sound like we are in very similar places in our lives. Do you have anyone IRL to talk to about your wttc? I don't, all my friends are younger than me and aren't even married yet, so its not a topic that comes up very much. When my family ask when kids are coming along I do say that we're "having time to ourselves first" when I want to scream because we can't freaking afford them yet get off my case! but that wouldn't be very angelic in front of the in-laws! :A

All that said, I'll be damned if I push back my ttc date- December this year- I've waited effectively my whole life to have a family, and I think I've waited long enough! :rotfl:

ilovelondontown

quidsy wrote: »

Look at it from a different angle.

You did have a total debt of £12,830

You now have a total debt of £5,812

That means you have paid off 54.6% of your total debt.

That is a mega acheivement. You should feel proud of yourself.

I do understand what you are saying abotu paying the bills & feeling good then worrying about whether you can get through the month but this is a short term situation. In another few months you will be done. It really IS worth the sacrifice, you just have to focus on the end rather than the journey.

Hi Quidsy,

How are things? Thanks for posting and for pointing my acheivements out in a new way, that actually does help! When I started on my DF journey I was a bit blase about the overdraft being real debt, but it is and I want it gone! When the loan goes on October I'm throwing a massive party. Ok it'll only be a virtual one but at least there will be no hangover :beer:

All being well by the end of October I'm hoping my debt to be half what it is now, which will be something in the region of £3300- but again that is dependant on how the next few months go, I'd like it to be less than that, but we'll see! :cool:

Jonesy88

Like you IRL i dont really talk about WTTC - i say i'm a "bit" broody when the topic comes up with friends because i'm torn between rabbiting on about my plans for the future and being a bit of a novelty to them (not in a nasty way at all).

Although most of my friends are in stable relationships, i am the only 1 married and so everyone sees it as the next step. Sometimes i feel like saying well having got a mortgage and paid for our wedding ourselves in the last 2 years, how would you like us to pay for a baby? I dont want to be worrying about how to pay for nappies.

The person i've revealed the most to is my pregnant sister in law. I am very happy for them as this pregnancy is the result of 5 years trying. She asked when we were thinking of having a baby - i said 2015. She laughed and said i'd probably feel differently after holding my neice/nephew. I wanted to scream i do feel differently already! Instead i explained that as am not pregnant now 2013 is a gonna, as is early 2014. I want to save for a few a months first and then when you add 9 months baking = 2015!

We do seem very similar - i too want this debt gone now but am forced to wait on paydays etc. I also have a loan which is due to be paid off in November, which will leave just the car to pay by April. We can be DF and WTTC pals if you like?

My plan is to wait until im DF to TTC but my heart says "by Christmas you'll only have the car.. thats fine surely?" We shall see - i might save the OP to the car from december in a separate account just incase anything "happens" :rotfl:

ETA: that was an epic reply!

quidsy

I'm doing ok, just come back from a week in Cornwall, paid for by my mum but still spent too much money, day trips, eating out etc & got back & the cat needed an op & I needed a new passport so ended up spedning over 230 quid yesterday!!! Not best pleased but on the up side I should be getting a small inheritance this week or next so it should even me out again!