6 grand in 6 months - my personal challenge!

Saver-upper

Hey,Cottage Retreatist:Well done you!!!
Congratulations on completing your challenge(extremely successfully,I might add :money:).
Go kick Wonga into the long grass,and I look forward to the New Challenge Reveal..........

cottage_retreatist

So - the December Challenge - a 1 month special! - is to get the debt into the 12 grand target!!!!! So long as it is 12,000-something I will be happy!!!!

My aims to achieve this: 500 to Credit card 1 - cleared
1000 left to put to debts - most likely go to Credit card 2 (which is still incurring 44 quid per month interest so deffo needs to be got rid of!) If my calculations are accurate this should (along with all the other smaller monthly repayments) drop us into the 12k bracket.

Eek! Only a few days til payday now and then the battle starts! Doesn't help the OH had to get his tooth sorted for 300 quid :(:( - why does he have such blooming carp teeth? I don't have ANY fillings! not fair!!!!! :eek::eek:

Other than that - all good here at retreatist hovel- trying to keep purchases down, did go out for a meal yesterday but we owed a friend big time who has been so kind to us and looking after us during these tough times (did use taste card so 50% off - score! :j)

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

x

HOK3Y

I'm liking your new challenge, C-R!! You have a plan and just gotta stick to it...not easy through December but if anyone can do it, you can. I will happily tag along and cheerlead all the way! I reckon you can consider your goal one hell of a Christmas present. Last one in debt! I do love that!

I fear I will be dealing with a similar issue on Monday morning with my tooth. Please, Universe, do not let it cost me £300!!!! I'll need a stiff drink! I am now ridiculously protective of my paid off credit and do not want to dip into it for love nor teeth!

Weljel that you have no fillings......I wish!

debtfreewannabe321

Ooh a new challenge I am sure you will smash it just like you have the last one! Good luck

Hok3y good luck at the dentists! Hope costs are minimal...and I agree lucky you C-R with no fillings whatsoever!

cottage_retreatist

So-tomorrow is payday and can't wait to make little steps to kick down that debt-the big hits come on 15th when OH gets paid-can't wait for that day!!!!!

I've not been really pushing it this month or at least I'm constantly wanting to pay off more-especially watching HOK3EY doing so well!! I'm so ready for all this debt to be gone right now!!!

So starting tomorrow the challenge is December under 13k!!!!!

Only got a bottle of whiskey and some face cream as Xmas presses left to buy-don't know if we'll get each other anything but I am happy with that-suppose it just looks a bi weird on Christmas morning with his 'rents!!!

I don't want to wait!!!!!!!!!! Let's bust some debts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Xx

Update: I have changed my signature to signal the new challenge-I will miss the old one! But it is on the first post for posterity!!!!!

Pippilongstocking

Oh exciting times

Well done on all that debt busting.

cottage_retreatist

Pippilongstocking wrote: »

Oh exciting times

Well done on all that debt busting.

Thank you pippilongstocking!!!! :beer:

Well the money was all in my account for all of a few hours before it was moved around by yours truly-rent has been paid, money for direct debits has been allocated and have enough to make the minimum payments (which were upped to higher amounts a few months ago).

Did a tes8o shop with our 20 squid off a 40 shop and that came (after discounts) to 35 including delivery so that has to last a til we go to OH's parents for Christmas!!!!!!!

I am going to keep it tight like a pair of tights this month with NO spending on ANYTHING we don't need!!!! So 30 quid spends til the 15th (not including the presents mentioned in above post and his dry cleaning bill!!). It's December the month of overspending but can we do it?!!

YES WE CAN!!!!!!!! HOORAH!!!!!!

Bring it on December-I'm ready for you!!!! Hehehehehe!!!!!! :rotfl::rotfl:
:santa2::rudolf::rudolf::snow_grin:rudolf::rudolf::santa2:

HOK3Y

Hiya C-R! I kinda know how you feel - my heart hasn't been in it the last week or so. I mean, I'm still going forward because, heck, there is no other way at this point but I've lost little momentum. I think maybe I just need to breathe for a little while before hitting it hard again. We will get there, C-R - WE WILL!!!

I will watch for your update telling us you slipped under the magic £13k - you can do it! I know you can!

And then next year will be our year to shiiiiiiiiiiiiine!!! Looking forward to us both being absolutely debt free in a few months. Truly excited about it!

Lots of love, luck and motivation to us both, Hun! x

cottage_retreatist

Thanks for dropping by Hoks!!!!!

I have my fingers crossed we can do it too! The payments will start going out on Monday 2nd and planning for a no-spending weekend before then! I have checked out my app and it's going to be blooming tight trying to make the goal but OH has been briefed and knows all the spare spends will be going on debts.

Have got a giant spag Bol bubbling up on the hob as we speak! Nice! And got the tescimo delivery earlier which gives our veg for the next few weeks (and fruit). The only thing needed now is willpower!

Also OH spent so much on his teeth this month-I can't tell you how much in total lets just say it would have helped with the debt-busting without a shadow of a doubt but hey sh*t happens-just gotta work round it!

Onwards and upwards-also I will not be taking part in the work secret Santa or the work party (both 5 quid each)-if I'm not getting OH a present I can't justify getting some stranger in the office a present!!!!!!!

Think to keep us occupied I'll start doing the wrapping of presents early to keep our minds occupied and of course tomorrow I can get the advent calendars out the cupboard! Om nom nom!!!!!

Hope everyone else is having a good Saturday and hopefully also has that little butterfly in their stomach of excitement over how much debt we can KICK this month!!!!!!!!

Xx

cottage_retreatist

Yes-this is one of those contemplative ones so do feel free to turn away now!!!!!

I've been checking out my spreadsheets as you do-the 2014 one is prepped and ready to go!!!! I'm going to be even more diligent with all payments ad do a full year spreadsheet for I comings and outgoings! It looks very flash and colourful!!!!!:j

But one thing I noticed was when we paid off the credit card and then respent on it back in July/August time. So we paid off 1800 (plus interest) instead of 900. It's a terrible realisation of our personal attachment to spending for the sake of spending and while it is depressing as we would be so much closer to my December target if this hadn't happened it is also a big life lesson in terms of our debt. And all debt I suppose? And life and society in general!!!!

It makes me think back to all those times when we first got the credit cards and we would hand them over-a bit here, a bit there, whenever at the time I thought we can't spend this money but we did because we 'had to buy stuff'. No we didn't! We don't have to buy ANYTHING if we don't want to. And I've probably said it before but I'll say it again-this whole debt busting thing really isn't just about getting rid of our stupid debt-it's about a complete c-change in how we approach the money in our lives and I am so glad I have been able to undertake this journey so far-with all of you!!!!!

And I think not spending money doesn't mean living a life so solitude or depression it's just about asking yourself-why am I buying this? Why am I doing this???? I feel free to control my own destiny in the first time in years and it is so liberating!!!! Yes-we still have a stupid amount of debt but being able to control it rather than hiding from it, not opening letters for months because we were so scared, not hiving our cars so they're not taken by bailiffs, not being scared to leave the house in case a big burly man tried to muscle in claiming to be a debt collector! It is such a relief!

So this is for everyone who is where I have been-you can start your journey and reclaim your life, and you will be able to live rather than simply survive!!!!! And it feels wonderful!!!!!!!!!! :j:j

Good luck everyone else on this journey and you are all amazing!
Xxxx

Ps-apologies-this was done on ipad so might have auto fails!!!!
Pps-no we didn't buy one! It's OH's work one!!! xx