The DF journey diary of ilovelondontown

ilovelondontown

Jonesy88 wrote: »

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!

Ah Jonesy you sound EXACTLY like me, I definately think we need to stick together :beer: I find it a relief to find someone else who wants to chat about wttc, if you're not wttc, I think a lot of people look at you like you've got 2 heads! From my friends I'd like to talk about it more but none of them are even close to having kids, and with my family I want them to stop asking and they are asking more and more :rotfl:

I knew having kids before we tackled this debt would be a really poor move and while I'm finding waiting absolute agony I know this will just help me avoid financial agony later on. I just need to keep my cool until we get there. The only thing we don't and won't be able to get before we are DF is a mortgage. I've tried looking at it from a million different angles and there's just no way we can do it. I live in London and my joint rent with my husband is £1250 a month! Try finding money after that and paying off debt to get a fund together. I haven't lost the dream of owning my own home, but I need to do this one step at a time.

Feel free to PM me if you want to natter about it more, I would post more on the wttc board but I don't want to dominate it!

ilovelondontown

quidsy wrote: »

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!

Quidsy you've given me a break in the past about overspending but like you've said, you need a life in between the insanity that is paying off your debt! I adore Cornwall, I bet it was lovely with the weather?

Sounds like you'll balance yourself out with the inheritance, so don't be too hard on yourself, what's next on your df hitlist?

Jonesy88

ilovelondontown wrote: »

I've tried looking at it from a million different angles and there's just no way we can do it. I live in London and my joint rent with my husband is £1250 a month!

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

My little postage stamp of a house doesnt cost that for everything including food! Mind you our wages arent exactly brilliant so i suppose this balances with the cost of living.

ilovelondontown

Jonesy88 wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

My little postage stamp of a house doesnt cost that for everything including food! Mind you our wages arent exactly brilliant so i suppose this balances with the cost of living.

It's sick isn't it. When I see other people posting their SOA with mortgage payments for £300/£600/£700 + PM it makes my heart sink.

I WISH I could get a pokey little flat but on a mortgage. We could afford the repayments easily, but with rent this high in London you can't get the deposit behind you, less pay off the debt I owe!

ilovelondontown

As per usual I've made it to the middle of the month and I'm getting to the point where all my dues are paid and reflected in various places, this is also the part of the month where I start realising how little I have left until next Payday (£130 for 13 days) It's do able but it always leaves me feeling stressed that it's so tight. I'm definately going to find the cheapest way to fund my work lunches and keep on doing my trusty yellow label shopping.

This weekend I have a chance to spend very little, I just need to top up my oystercard to visit my dear mother and maybe splash out on a diet coke when I visit my friend on Saturday night for a catch up. Rock n roll!

I'm in a quietly optimistic place at the moment where my DF journey is concerned, I've mapped out a plan for the next few months which will see some of my debts fall away, which hasn't happened for a few months now so psychologically it's going to be very uplifiting! - details are below

August payments to go ahead as usual- I will have £3939 debt left (I will also be reducing my overdraft by £100)

In September's payments , I will make a minimum payment to my credit card and will pay off my loan a month early thus freeing me from the shackles of my single biggest debt this makes me SO :beer::j:T:D
In October's payment I intend to pay off my laptop and sofas. This will mean (overdraft omitting) I will have just £2400 left on my credit card to clear! (I will also be reducing my overdraft by £100)

So while I definately won't be DF by the end of 2013 the only things that will be outstanding will be my credit card and overdraft. That feels SO good and SO manageable! Given that my starting figures were £12k+, having total debt of less than £3k makes my heart jump for joy and honestly I feel very proud of that.

So long as the numbers keep tumbling I'm going to keep riding this journey with optimism all the way to the day I can say I'm DF! :rotfl:

ilovelondontown

I have exactly £67 to my name. Actually to my overdraft’s name

That’s got to get me through to next Friday which would be something of a miracle if I can get it to then. I’ve got a few avenues I can tap into if I need to borrow any more but I’m actually going to see how long I last with this £67. Being the growing MSE that I am I’m enjoying the challenge.

In other news I was lured to the Next website when my shoe heel broke at work yesterday- I thought I could just get a cheap pair £29 and then pay it off come pay day and even put the order through, and then I realised this is how it starts! So I cancelled the order before I could collect and fished out an old pair of work shoes from home. They aren’t too bad to be fair but they won’t last long, but at least I feel good about keeping to the MSE of can I afford it? – not right now.

From the outside looking in I’m a successful married woman working in the big bad City of London but I’m getting by on yellow label shopping and 5 year old shoes from the back of my wardrobe. It makes me wonder who else I know at work or socially who’s covering up a massive debt hole with a façade that they are financially stable!

Every month that goes by makes me feel a bit stronger, I feel like I’m one step closer to a point in my life where I don’t kiss £900 goodbye before I’ve even paid for any food and rent. :eek::eek: THAT dear readers will be a great day :j

Roll on Pay day- I want to rejiggle my DF figures!

quidsy

Well done for cancelling the shoes.

Have you hit up lcoal charity shops, once you get over the stigma, you can get some really good quality stuff. I often find boots or shoes that I would never have afforded new.

I know what you mean about peoples facades. I'm sure there are more than not who are in the same or similar boat as you. We sound very similar, married, well paying london city job but very little to show for it apart from a mass of debt.

BUT, we are doing something about it & that is the main thing. How easy it would be to stick head in sand for even more years.

ilovelondontown

Hey quidsy good to hear from you - how's things?

It's funny because old me would have been blase about using the Next account just for something small like shoes but the princple of it remains, if I'm getting something on credit then I shouldn't be getting it at ALL!

I do love a charity shop actually- more for books and nick naks, can't say I've quite got to the clothes/shoe section yet maybe that's something I need to get over and get on with? Sounds like there's still a bit of a snob left in me, nothing that a little challenge can't fix I'm sure. I'll do that next!

I didn't realise you were doing the London thing Might you care to share what side of London you're in.

And you are completely right, ignorning it is the easier option and the longer I go on this journey I'm actually finding it quite hard to choose the easier option. This way is harder, but SO much more fullfilling and being in control of the situation removes so much stress from your life!

quidsy

Things are going well, still plugging away at the debt mountain. May have some good news on that front in the next few weeks, possiblity of selling inherited land, which will clear me completely but I wont hold breath & just carry on paying what I can.

I live in SE/Kent borders now, born & bred Borough girl though I work near Cannon Street. How about you?

ilovelondontown

quidsy wrote: »

Things are going well, still plugging away at the debt mountain. May have some good news on that front in the next few weeks, possiblity of selling inherited land, which will clear me completely but I wont hold breath & just carry on paying what I can.

I live in SE/Kent borders now, born & bred Borough girl though I work near Cannon Street. How about you?

Wow! How wonderful would that be for you! ohhh, don't hold your breath, I'll hold mine for you Keep me posted on that!

I'm SE/Kent too and not far from you work wise either over near London Bridge. Which is funny because I often worder if anyone who's on my train home reads MSE. Maybe YOU do :rotfl: