Changed for Good

rockm87

Hello all,

sorry waaay back in 2010 I had my lightbult moment, and unknowlingly with all your help I have been getting there.

This year I finally feel I have broken through and am really getting to grips and see the end in sight.

Its been a long journey, I moved out when I was 19 and barely made enough to live with my 'debt-up-up-to-eyeballs-boyfriend' so resorted to credit cards just to pay for everyday things as well as getting carried away with treating myself.

So after three moves, a new boyfriend (soon to be Husband), several rodents later, I have £5000 debt.

In the last few months I have moved 3 cards onto one (with 0%, this has taken me ages to get after rejections for years), paid off my OD, closed 2 bank accounts I didnt use or need (with overdrafts, so too tempting) and have budgeted for the next 3 years so the end is insight.

We are getting married next April (which is budgeted to the hilt), as well as paying off a loan to my folks for our car.

After my debt has gone (July 2015) I will proceed to assit my other half with his debt (debt management agency) and hopefully we will all be good happy and debt free. :T

So hopefully this is the right place where I can update new MSE things I am doing, things I have done to get back on track, and to thank you all for your help and support (even if you were completely unaware!)

rockm87

So last week I started a spend diary, on top of my current budget that I update everyday.

It just to see where those little pockets of money get spent and how frequently.

I managed to clock up £16.20, mainly on lunches at work.

So this week Ive tried with all good intentions to make lunch for work, after going shopping at Lidls (newly changed to for weekly shop) I had rolls and cheese and some lovely salad for lunch.

It is now Wednesday, and the rolls and cheese are gone, and Ive got £4 in my purse, and I need lunch.

Step backwards. It's these little leakages of money I need to get to grips with!!

beanielou

Why dont you keep a spending diary to track your spending for a wee while?
You will be amazed!

rockm87

So i think the spend diary is working! feel very proud of myself switching pretty much completely to Lidl for our shop. Its strange I think individual products arent alot cheaper, but you get a nice suprise at the til when you save £20 a week :-)

Still want to check out Aldi, but its a bit further away so would need to work out if it is worth it..but thats for next time.

We have finally purchased our Henry hoover, we've been saving Argoos vouchers for years from various family memebers and so finally got that over the weekend. Finally a hoover that works how it should.

As we are embarking on a new adventure by adopting a couple of kittens I have also purchased a couple of proper bins (not bin liners in buckets anymore) so that they dont make a mess (although im sure they will find a way), I used the tesco boost, and got 2 50ltr bins for £4 (saved £10 cash).

rockm87

Hi.

sorry I havent been updating, as I lost my password. several times! but finally changed it to something I can remember.

So not long til I get married, so the nerves are kicking in.

But this week we had a win. We got a quote for our car insurance renewal, £88. Which we then promptly did a comparison. We are now with Tesco, paying £22 a month, and have received £75 cashback by going through quidco. WIN!

the cashback will go into our newly established 'car' account, to which I am adding and small pennies I can at the end of each month, just to keep a fund in case we need to pay anything unexpected on the car.

All looking good.

We have also moved the car insurance to the joint account, so rather than OH paying all of it, we split it 50/50. I also moved the netflix over to the joint account too, anything we both use needs to be in the joint account. OH was paying for both of them, but then would end up not being able to make ends meet on other bills, so he would need to borrow from the joint account til payday. so this should make things easier!

rockm87

I officially get married THIS MONTH!

the wedding is still on budget, I cant beleive how many good deals and bargains we managed to get.

Venue at discounted 'Friday rate' as they double booked us and moved us to the Saturday, but we could keep the original quote.

£4500 for: room for ceremony, breakfast & reception, wedding coordinator, after ceremony drinks, 3 course wedding breakfast (or buffet version), half bottle of wine per person, DJ, evening buffet and bridal suite for the night. All for 50 people in the day and 120 evening.

Wedding Dress: custom made to a photo and made to measure. £315

Bridesmaid Dresses - Ebay £35 each, and £10 each to get pressed.

button Bouquets - £60 for mine (made by someone on facebook, which was on offer), £30 for 3 bridesmaids and 2 wands for little ones.

Suits: Store offered discount, so we got the groom suit and the shoes free. Saving over £120

postbox,petals,bouquet charm,kids toys: all ebay, and all bargains!

Centrepeices - I used old jam jars, curry sauces jars etc, so they are FREE

Candles - 8 hour tealights on amazon (used a gift card from christmas)

Favours - sweet cones, made by my sister (paid for as a gift)

Parents Gifts - Ordered engraved tumblers in the valentines sale, so got 25% off

Mini-moon - Alton Towers. Day Pass using clubcard vouchers, and local B&B (cheaper than the resort hotel by about 50%)

all in all the wedding has come under £7k. seeing as we have been saving for 3 years I'm really happy with our progress on it.

rockm87

So I am back as a Mrs, and tomorrow I successfully clear another credit card.
sorry I cant seem to keep this diary up to date, day to day.

Historybuff

Well done r! I've taken tips from the wedding. I have a daughter who will prob get married soon, so a wedding under 7k is an inspiration! Good luck with the debt busting.

rockm87

There are lots of tips out there, just need to remember to not worry about everything too much. Inspiration is good, but it can overwhelm you into thinking you need to purchase things you really wont remember on the day.

good luck!!

rockm87

So after paying off one of my credit cards, feeling positive.

Im following my snowball calculator results exactly, so should have the next card paid off in 2 months time also.

I thought I had a good plan with paying off my credit cards using my budget spreadsheet, but the snowball calculator is brilliant! really encouraging too.

So today I have completed 2 more surveys and sent off for my £10 boots voucher. As an avid 'beauty blogger fan' I have a long list of products that I always 'need'. I have found a new outlet of using pinterest to create a visual shopping list of 'things to buy'. Then when I get a voucher etc I can purchase them one by one. Well this is plan, lets hope it lasts.

I have also completed feedback for frankie and bennys so now have a £5 voucher. This is equal to one breakfast :-)

So 2 days after payday i still have money, must be a record. feeling good about it.

rockm87

Hi
so let me try and resurrect this diary! As I am on here everyday to try and get some inspiration and stay focused on getting rid of my debts.

I think I do really well, and I'm really happy when I can help out DFW with advice too! I see people here everyday, and watch them post a simple SOA and it goes from there...happy people everywhere (usually!)

So I just got off the phone from Halifax to maintain my credit limit(£1500)...they wanted to increase it to £2000...which I think is a good sign that things are looking better..right?

My plan is to pay off the rest of my debt this year, so next year I can start saving for our house. We are going on a disneyworld florida honeymoon next year, but we already have most of the money for that. Next year we will be adding savings to that pot.

I manage the joint account too,(i have lots of spreadsheets) and I am really good at squeezing that budget. There is only me, DH and two cats, and we're currently spending less than £240 a month on food, toiletries, cat litter etc, and our cats eat 'special-magic-expensive' food too!

I'll try and keep this up-to-date this time. But Im on the boards all over anyway.

Long term goal is to grace the debt free thread,and then the mortgage free wannabe boards.!

I read Mr Money Mustache and listen to Dave Ramsey podcast (which I will mention ALL the heck damn time!)..sorry!...but I know I can be debt free and get a house and pay it off, its inspired me to do it!

payday Friday...and there is a still a little money in my account (which will go to pay off more credit card debt).