Time to grow up.

ElphabaThropp

I'm in my mid-thirties and feel like a fraud when it comes to being a real adult, my finances are in chaos, my house is a mess and I've eaten far too many pies [STRIKE]and ice cream, crisps, cheese and wine etc etc[/STRIKE]. Plus I've not had a date since forever, or what seems like it anyway. This week I entered major panic about my future and signed up, I've been feeling rubbish, jittery and stressed. My head has been everywhere except on my shoulders. This morning I woke feeling semi-human and with some determination so here is my new slate. I am going to get myself together and be a proper grown up at last :A.

I've been in debt since the dawn of time, as soon as I got my sticky maws on a bit of credit I've been whacking it up, paying it off and building it up again. At its worst it was around £30K :eek:, that has been paid down dramatically but less to do with financial nous and more to do with all credit lines being exhausted . It is now at a much more managable £3174.59 and hanging around like a bad smell. However, if I don't get a grip and get some money stashed it's going to rocket up again as I need £1000 for house moving costs and around another £1000 for new glasses, dental work and essential work on my car. So in reality I have £5174.59 to clear.

The debt breakdown is as follows:

Overdrafts (currently 0%): £484.59.
Credit Card (currently 0%): £550 (I paid off £1.34 earlier this week to make it nice and round - go me )
Bank of Mum and Dad: £2140
Soon to be debt if I don't get my finger out: £2000

I also weight 12stone 3lbs, can't move for clutter and the effing Wii Fit thinks i'm 46 :eek:.

I've got to move house by 28th August, I'm praying its a proper house and not my parents shed, so I've decided that is a good date for my first target.

1. Pay off all debt except the Bank of MAD and get my soon to be debt saved.
- This is actually doable as If I stick to my budget I can save £1000 from my last pay packet from my contract and I have loads of things to flog.
2. Get new specs and contact lenses and these bloody teeth sorted.
3. House completely decluttered and ready to hand back to LL.
4. Shift a stone so I'm (just) back to a healthy BMI.
5. Work on my little business so my income is less precarious and I'm not dependant on poorly paid contracts that are as rare as hens teeth.

That list looks a lot longer written down :cool:, think I need a lie down now.

Elphaba

P.S. Don't mention the student loans :silenced:

ElphabaThropp

Am making progress already! My faulty laptop has been shipped off for a refund and I've arranged for my rusting old car to be picked up by the scrapper this afternoon. I've been putting off dealing with it and lowering the tone of the neighbourhood for far too long . Call took 2 minutes and I'll have a little cash for the pot in a few hours. Money for both will be going straight to debt the minute I get it.

I've located my £2 saving tin and it feels pretty weighty, I can't wait to crack that open in August :beer:.

Sorted 3 boxes [STRIKE]of rubbish[/STRIKE] so far to take to the car boot on Sunday (in the working car obvs). Pray for dry weather and that I manage to wake up on time.

Also have a yellow stickered huge free range chicken slow roasting, will get a few dinners and some lovely soup from it :A.

lindens

Good luck on your journey!

ElphabaThropp

I think one of my goals has to be to stop procrastinating. I've put off and off dealing with my old car for 6 months :eek:! Finally called the scrapper and he came round earlier, the brakes had seized and had to be smashed off and the battery was as dead as a doornail. Still its now gone and I have £80 cash in my hand. The whole transaction took just 20 minutes of my day, If I'd just made the call straight away I would've got more money as it still drove and I wouldn't have had to feel guilty about not dealing with it for months. I need to see this as a lesson learned and if something makes me want to put it off then do it straight away!

First £80 off the debt though :beer:.

please-let-me-be-lucky

Subscribed

FacelessNumber

Hi!

Good luck with your saving / debt repayment! I will be subscribing to cheer you on from the sideline....although I won't get the cheerleading outfit on as I too could lose a stone!

FN

Nymphadora

Hi

Found you I need to focus on shifting some weight. Thankfully my Wii only has me as 4 years older than I am which did surprise me. We can support each other in shifting some weight

Good going with the car, yes it would have been a bit more if you had called earlier but no point dwelling on it. I have a history of putting things off and then it costs me more money when I do get round to things but I am learning.

ElphabaThropp

Thanks for popping by PLMBL, Faceless and Nymphadora.

I've stopped beating myself up over the car, its gone now and I just have the weeds on the driveway to contend with. My biggest panic was that they wouldn't shift the bloody thing at all! There was a few hairy moments before he managed to crack the brakes and I thought the engine was going to fall out before they got it on the truck .

However not shifting somethings has been a benefit, I meant to sell the old craptop for spares. Now I've sent back the faulty one its been dragged back into service. Its so big and heavy but it'll do the job. Its got to download a gazillion updates and be cleaned up before I download turbolister and can start ebaying while catching up on documentaries [STRIKE]Geordie Shore and The Valleys[/STRIKE].

In the spirit of not putting things off anymore I've got a good stack of goods together and am going to do a car boot Sunday unless it is absolutely throwing it down.

I also found a gorgeous red Filofax I got given for Christmas and somehow forgot about. In my defence I was doing my dissertation at the time and was a just a wee bit stressed, the only present that registered was a bottle of Bombay Sapphire. My first thought I should really sell it on ebay but a nice filofax is something a proper grown up should have . Then I happened to look up filofaxes on Pinterest and saw all the lovely things people do with theirs and I'm hooked. I do a lot of papercraft so have lots of card and papers to use and am going to make it into my diary, to do list, spend chart and many things more. I've already starting designing my perfect diary pages and making pockets using patterned paper. I will finally be super organised :rotfl:.

I hope everyone has a lovely sunny weekend!

beanielou

Happy shiney new diary

DreamerHelen

Hi There.....Some of what you said really resonated with me including the need to grow up....which I need to do also....

I'm going to Subscribe and keep up with your Journey....

ElphabaThropp

Wrote a lovely long post and then lost it, ARRRGGGHH bloody craptop! :mad:

Weather is supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow so I will be doing a carboot! I've roped in a friend to help and I have piles of boxes by the door. I'm stupidly proud as I managed to reverse my car onto the driveway to make it easier to pack up. I can't park for toffee so this was a truly momentous achievement, which is pretty shameful as I drive a teeny ford ka .

I've channeled my inner Nymphadora and have ice packs in the freezer and cold drinks chilling in the fridge. Its a late car boot and we don't need to leave home till 10.30am :T so I'm going to make sandwiches with some crusty bread and roast chicken left from yesterday. I'm praying I'm not near the snack van as I won't be able to resist lovely hot salty delicious chips otherwise. I do so love chips.

Hope you've all had a lovely Saturday, I'm off for a bath and a good early night, I need my energy for tomorrow. I'm gonna make some money.