Mr and Mrs K's New Journey to a Debt Free Life.

Granariesgirl

Keep going Alex! :T
Don't look down at your boots trudging through the mud of debt - keep your eyes firmly on the debt-free horizon coming closer every day. One day you'll both be sitting there with Mrs K, supping a good bottle of vintage champers (bought cash, of course!;)), gazing back across the great distance you've come & happy at the great example you are setting your son!

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Regarding your son....... there is a great book called "Toddler taming " by Dr Christopher Green. Humorous but great advice on dealing with children when they are at their most challenging.

Brilliant book - kept us sane through those years, then passed it on to another set of suffering parents!

Rosepetal1701

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Hi alex

Have not posted for a while but have been following your ups and downs.

I see progress! Sometimes there will be set backs but thats life. You have changed your thinking which is the overall key so keep going!

Regarding your son....... there is a great book called "Toddler taming " by Dr Christopher Green. Humerous but great advice on dea.ing with children when they are at their most challenging.

Been there...got the tee shirt. My son was horrendous at that age but he is now 20 and so laid back.........
It does pass ...... honest!:D

WOW! I'd forgotten about that book - it was a life saver when my son was a toddler

AlexLK

Sunday 3rd November, 2013.
Day 64.

Dear Diary,

I have a confession to make; Mrs. K. and I went to Land Rover today after lunch and on the way to antiques fair. We spent a while looking around and sitting in a new Range Rover Sport, even speaking to the salesman who seemed to think he'd got a dead cert sale on his hands. However, we walked away empty handed after refusing a test drive. To begin with, on the journey home I felt despondent, unable to accept that such luxuries will probably be out of reach for my wife and I for quite a few years to come despite us apparently earning more than 80% of the UK population.

Hours later and having missed the fireworks due to a last minute deal happening; "Sunday evening" I hear you cry in disbelieve, "a deal on a Sunday evening". Yep, one may say beggars can't be choosers. I began to contemplate our earlier trip to Land Rover, thinking about whether I would really want a new car so much to be in debt for it and not only just in debt for it, be effectively spending £700 per month (well that's what it was back then) to "rent" a car for three years before handing it back to the dealer, honestly coming to the conclusion that I didn't want that. My car is "getting on a bit", there are even a few scratches I did not put there but it is in excellent condition for a car it's age and best of all I own it outright with no worry about meeting a monthly payment as high as my mortgage each month.

Even if it was stupid of me to walk into that car dealer this afternoon, I have come to realise a life of being up to my eyeballs in debt is not for me, nor is it the only way even if it did pay off for my parents, for I know I cannot live a life in fear of everything being taken away from me should I be a little down on my luck.

Summary:
-£16.35 Groceries.

Yours Faithfully,
Alex.

Mara_uk7

Well done you two ! Im prouder than a proud thing on proud day at admiration school !

angelaf_3

Go Alex you rock!

AlexLK

FlubM wrote: »

Hi Alex

I remember when we were just as daunted by our mortgage (and other debts - all mine!). As our children got older and childcare costs reduced, we diverted a significant chunk of the money we no longer spent on childcare to overpaying the mortgage. It helped us pay off the mortgage quite a bit earlier than the original term without reducing our standard of living and we saved a huge amount in interest. Sod's law - just as we got it paid off and were looking forward to more fun I was made redundant, but at least we aren't worrying about the roof over our head:j.
You will be surprised when the time comes at how much difference relatively small overpayments can make, and you have already demonstrated that you can do all the things you need to do to make overpayments (they are the very things you are doing to reduce the other debts!).

Thank you. I do hope after the debts are clear, we will be able to make headway on starting to make a dent in the mortgage.

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Hi alex

Have not posted for a while but have been following your ups and downs.

I see progress! Sometimes there will be set backs but thats life. You have changed your thinking which is the overall key so keep going!

Regarding your son....... there is a great book called "Toddler taming " by Dr Christopher Green. Humerous but great advice on dea.ing with children when they are at their most challenging.

Been there...got the tee shirt. My son was horrendous at that age but he is now 20 and so laid back.........
It does pass ...... honest!:D

Thank you and we will certainly take a look at the book!

gallygirl wrote: »

Break their spirit when they're young, that's my advice :rotfl:.

:rotfl: He's been good today, so hopefully no spirit shall need to be broken.

AlexLK

Granariesgirl wrote: »

Keep going Alex! :T
Don't look down at your boots trudging through the mud of debt - keep your eyes firmly on the debt-free horizon coming closer every day. One day you'll both be sitting there with Mrs K, supping a good bottle of vintage champers (bought cash, of course!;)), gazing back across the great distance you've come & happy at the great example you are setting your son!


Brilliant book - kept us sane through those years, then passed it on to another set of suffering parents!

Hmmm, I do indeed look forward to such a day.

Rosepetal1701 wrote: »

WOW! I'd forgotten about that book - it was a life saver when my son was a toddler

Thank you both for the book recommendation. Mrs. K. and I should perhaps read it and take notes :rotfl: :eek:.

AlexLK

Mara_uk7 wrote: »

Well done you two ! Im prouder than a proud thing on proud day at admiration school !

Thank you, Mara. I (should have) told you I could do it...

angelaf wrote: »

Go Alex you rock!

:rotfl: Not sure I'd go that far but thank you very much, anyway.

I just hope things don't go downhill from here.

mum2one

I'm so proud, maybe it took a visit to the dealership for it to sink it exactly what it entails, I bet the Old Alex would have just signed up for it, and not thought about the consequences.

Don't see this as a negative, its a massive massive positive.

xx

AlexLK

mum2one: I would have, well I'd have got Mrs. K. to sign up as I would not pass the checks anymore.

Funnily enough, after thinking about it I felt rather ill about just how out of control my spending was, yet I do still want nice things which could be seen as contradictory. I did say to Mrs. K. I'll buy the new version of the RRS one day but by the time I do it may be ten years old, she said that was "a bit old money but not as much as the 12 year old Disco", only need a couple of dogs to complete the look. :rotfl:

We may be buying a car this week (another classic) if the work doesn't prove too much for us upon inspection. The plan is to do the work run it until February and sell it for a profit (lots more than what the repairs, tax and insurance will cost). Hope that's MSE enough.