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

heartbreak_star

AlexLK wrote: »

My wife and I live on a relatively low income

You really, really don't, I can promise you that - you have what most people would call a very comfortable income, especially if...sorry, WHEN you keep the selling up and get your debts paid off!

I'm glad you're thinking about how to make changes permanent, and am sure with the occasional kick up the bot from us, you can manage it

HBS x

gallygirl

AlexLK wrote: »

feeling like we have sacrificed our lifestyle for ages

Trouble is, it wasn't your lifestyle Alex, it was your credit card's lifestyle. And not one that brought you or your credit cards much happiness.

AlexLK wrote: »

couple of items I now regret selling (MGC bonnet and a watch).

And you regret selling them why exactly? What pleasure was the MGC bonnet bringing to your life? And how much pleasure was the watch really bringing? Because unless you were sitting Gollum-like stroking your 'precious' I can't really see what it would bring to your life on a daily basis. And if you did sit stroking it, well., something else for the counsellor .

Onto other matters - what has the elf been up to?

7roland8

I'm with Gally - when I had young children at home I would never have had time to fixate on a material item like a pen or watch. Especially as you are working too - how do you have time to let these things bother you??

At the start of this thread you had in capitals to CLEAR YOUR DEBTS -are you going off the boil a bit?

We all slip a little - but the knack is to make sure it is a little - say up to £5 and not hundreds.

Cancel the d*** car carpets for goodness sake. Also if I remember correctly wasn't that blooming car bonnet one you had forgotten you had? So how come you are now mourning its loss?

Think your time would be better spent playing with your son or developing your business than this futile hankering after material items.

And from what I have read on the website I am sure you are the most well off person I have come across - I cannot see your statement of affairs now but I am sure our money is about a quarter of yours but we still have to cover all the same insurances and car expenses etc - plus live as best we can - but we just make the best of it.

This is why people sometimes get exasperated with you Alex - as you seem to be grumbling but from a much better off place than the rest of us.

AlexLK

heartbreak_star wrote: »

You really, really don't, I can promise you that - you have what most people would call a very comfortable income, especially if...sorry, WHEN you keep the selling up and get your debts paid off!

I'm glad you're thinking about how to make changes permanent, and am sure with the occasional kick up the bot from us, you can manage it

HBS x

HBS: I suppose as we've been drowning in debt for what seems like years and lost our previous cars, I am all too quick to blame it on a lack of income.

On the good front, I've put the stand up for sale, something I would not have done previously (it'd gone into the garage).

gallygirl wrote: »

Trouble is, it wasn't your lifestyle Alex, it was your credit card's lifestyle. And not one that brought you or your credit cards much happiness.

And you regret selling them why exactly? What pleasure was the MGC bonnet bringing to your life? And how much pleasure was the watch really bringing? Because unless you were sitting Gollum-like stroking your 'precious' I can't really see what it would bring to your life on a daily basis. And if you did sit stroking it, well., something else for the counsellor .

Onto other matters - what has the elf been up to?

It wasn't really the credit card's lifestyle until I gave up my previous job.

I regret selling the bonnet because we have a MGB now and I could have put it on the car for a couple of months before we sell it. As for my watch, funny how since it's gone there have been occasions I would have rather wore that one than my others. Not as amusing for you as sitting in my house stroking my belongings.

I thought I recently posted an Elf update? Anyway, he's put decorations up, lost himself a couple of times, "made" a banner and hung it over the TV (words to Santa Claus is Coming to Town) and rearranged some models in the dining room. Not sure what he's going to get up to tonight.

7roland8 wrote: »

I'm with Gally - when I had young children at home I would never have had time to fixate on a material item like a pen or watch. Especially as you are working too - how do you have time to let these things bother you??

Honest answer, sitting up late at night when everyone else has gone to bed.

7roland8 wrote: »

At the start of this thread you had in capitals to CLEAR YOUR DEBTS -are you going off the boil a bit?

We all slip a little - but the knack is to make sure it is a little - say up to £5 and not hundreds.

Cancel the d*** car carpets for goodness sake. Also if I remember correctly wasn't that blooming car bonnet one you had forgotten you had? So how come you are now mourning its loss?

Unfortunately, I feel as if I am going off the boil a bit, starting to not see the point ... because we'll never have the lifestyle I would like anyway. Those thoughts are just making me feel worse about things.

See above regarding car bonnet.

7roland8 wrote: »

Think your time would be better spent playing with your son or developing your business than this futile hankering after material items.

And from what I have read on the website I am sure you are the most well off person I have come across - I cannot see your statement of affairs now but I am sure our money is about a quarter of yours but we still have to cover all the same insurances and car expenses etc - plus live as best we can - but we just make the best of it.

This is why people sometimes get exasperated with you Alex - as you seem to be grumbling but from a much better off place than the rest of us.

I agree regarding my time but at the times I contemplate things it's hardly times I can either play with my son or have the energy to do anything about business.

Currently, between my wife and I, we have £3,800 per month coming in but out of that we have a mortgage to pay and a lot of other expenses. Trying to make the best of it, these days.

slowlyfading

AlexLK wrote: »

Currently, between my wife and I, we have £3,800 per month coming in but out of that we have a mortgage to pay and a lot of other expenses. Trying to make the best of it, these days.

The thing is, lots of households manage on a lot less than this, and are determined to pay off debt and enjoy their life.

Don't think you're quite there yet.

AlexLK

slowlyfading wrote: »

The thing is, lots of households manage on a lot less than this, and are determined to pay off debt and enjoy their life.

Don't think you're quite there yet.

My wife and I have lived on less, so know what it's like. When our son was born, for the first six months we only had her maternity pay (admittedly my parents paid our mortgage and council tax), then until October this year she was part time - we had £2,750 per month to live on including paying our mortgage.

gallygirl

AlexLK wrote: »

As for my watch, funny how since it's gone there have been occasions I would have rather wore that one than my others. Not as amusing for you as sitting in my house stroking my belongings.

Not listening, not listening, not listening, I prefer to picture you like this:




But with clothes on :rotfl:.

AlexLK

gallygirl wrote: »

Not listening, not listening, not listening, I prefer to picture you like this:




But with clothes on :rotfl:.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: What a charmer you are, gallygirl!

EchoDelta

Haha love the Gollum image! :rotfl:

You can have such a great lifestyle on £3800 per month! You're doing so well, all those fun things with Little K, the elf, the party, the nature walks. That's the stuff of a great lifestyle, not stuff in the garage.

Don't know if you have ever seen this :-

http://www.ifs.org.uk/wheredoyoufitin/

Shows you where you are financially speaking compared to the rest of the country.

theoretica

AlexLK wrote: »

My wife and I have lived on less, so know what it's like.

I think the point was living on less and staying within your means withoutrunning up credit card bills.

I think you would get a lot less flack if you acknowledged to yourself, and here, that what you really want is a well off/high income lifestyle and stopped miscalling your well above average current income and normal mortgage/fixed outgoings.