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

AlexLK

wegle wrote: »

Just a note on this. I would say for the majority on this board (and probably in society as a whole) it is particularly unusual. The sum total of mine and my husbands assets comes below £1500. If I was in absolute dire straights I would have to sell everything, including our most valuable possesions; our wedding rings. Which would be more important; that we keep our lovely rings or that we can spend the rest of our lives together. It's a no brainer really.

I'm not quite sure what to say to this as I cannot even begin to imagine having so little around me.

I must say when answering others on this board I have presumed like me they have got into debt by over spending and under earning. I have presumed most could clear their debts (and unpaid utility bills, which seems to be common on here) by selling a few of their possessions or starting up a little business.

LannieDuck wrote: »

It is on this board. You're a special case, Alex :rotfl:

(I mean that in a nice way )

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

LannieDuck

AlexLK wrote: »

Just, I have been looking in the spare room which is full of 2 triple wardrobes, 2 seven draw chests and a double wardrobe, all full of things (some Mrs. K.'s). My house is so full of "things" I could start an antiques and vintage business.

You could probably clear a signigicant amount of your debt if you and Mrs K have a proper sort out and sell stuff you no longer want - designer clothes, furniture. If you can get rid of stuff you don't want, rather than stuff you d (e.g. your pens), so much the better.

Kantankrus_Mare

"Admitted if push came shove I do have a lot of things worth quite a bit of money. However, I wouldn't say that is particularly unusual. "

This may be true in the area you live but I can guarantee this is not the case for most people. Certainly not for us at any rate but then we have no debts. I personally prefer to spend my money on experiences such as staying in nice hotels and going to nice restaurants so to allow for this I don't spend money on things I don't need.

Everyone has their priorities and that's fine...........as long as you are not getting in a mess to fund those desires.

We mostly travel in the uk at the moment but hoping as our finances improve, we want to see a bit of the world. I won't go into debt for it though!

Pleased to see you are a bit brighter today though and hope the visit to doctors goes ok.

All that "stuff" you have could make you some money without selling them. Review them on a brill site called Dooyoo and then I can get to read all about your objects of desire! You even get paid for it!!

AlexLK

Lannie: We most probably could. I often look at "tidy peoples" houses and wonder how on earth they do it before coming to the conclusion it is simply because my house is far too small and unless we agree to doing some sort of house swap with my parents we cannot really afford to move to a larger house.

Mrs. K. is always going on about having a clear out, even I chip in with tones of interest every now and then but we usually end up deciding it would just take so long. We own a lot of things that we don't need, I can think of rather expensive (and rare) NOS parts for cars neither of us even own anymore in the garage. Can't believe I'm admitting this (as it's embarrassing) but out there is, amongst other things, an original NOS MGC bonnet which has never been on a car and must be worth £1,000.

AlexLK

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

"Admitted if push came shove I do have a lot of things worth quite a bit of money. However, I wouldn't say that is particularly unusual. "

This may be true in the area you live but I can guarantee this is not the case for most people. Certainly not for us at any rate but then we have no debts. I personally prefer to spend my money on experiences such as staying in nice hotels and going to nice restaurants so to allow for this I don't spend money on things I don't need.

Everyone has their priorities and that's fine...........as long as you are not getting in a mess to fund those desires.

We mostly travel in the uk at the moment but hoping as our finances improve, we want to see a bit of the world. I won't go into debt for it though!

Pleased to see you are a bit brighter today though and hope the visit to doctors goes ok.

All that "stuff" you have could make you some money without selling them. Review them on a brill site called Dooyoo and then I can get to read all about your objects of desire! You even get paid for it!!

You sound like Mrs. K.! She loves her holidays .

I did say when I started this diary that I've do some reviewing.

heartbreak_star

I really can't get my head around the way you think.

No matter how expensive things are, they're just...things, and expensive ones at that. I'm not saying that you should always buy the cheapest thing you can find - for example yesterday I bought an Asda duvet set that wasn't the smartprice one because it goes with my decor - but expensive IS NOT ALWAYS BEST! (I know this with clothes - I've made stuff that's lasted longer than the Versace skirt I was given as a present)

What would happen if a tragedy befell your material possessions? A fire, earthquake, alien removal? How would you feel?

You would still have the most important things. Your wife and child. Anything else is just stuff.

(By the way, I think I own my little car plus about £500 of stuff, and that includes my laptop. I really don't go in for material possessions. What counts is me, not the trappings.)

HBS x

heartbreak_star

AlexLK wrote: »

Lannie: We most probably could. I often look at "tidy peoples" houses and wonder how on earth they do it before coming to the conclusion it is simply because my house is far too small and unless we agree to doing some sort of house swap with my parents we cannot really afford to move to a larger house.

Bear in mind you have a child, that puts a spanner in the works of tidiness On a serious note, your house isn't too small you just have too much stuff!

Mrs. K. is always going on about having a clear out, even I chip in with tones of interest every now and then but we usually end up deciding it would just take so long. We own a lot of things that we don't need, I can think of rather expensive (and rare) NOS parts for cars neither of us even own anymore in the garage. Can't believe I'm admitting this (as it's embarrassing) but out there is, amongst other things, an original NOS MGC bonnet which has never been on a car and must be worth £1,000.

Sell it then! Get it eBayed!

With having a clear-out, break it down into manageable chunks. This Saturday, pick a cupboard. Just one. And aim to throw out/sell/charity shop at least one shelf's worth of stuff.

My OH is also frustrating - he keeps chargers for phones he doesn't have anymore - but he's slowly coming round to clearing out and compromising. I'd throw out my stuff, but I have very little of it

Few pointers from me

HBS x

AlexLK

heartbreak_star wrote: »

I really can't get my head around the way you think.

No matter how expensive things are, they're just...things, and expensive ones at that. I'm not saying that you should always buy the cheapest thing you can find - for example yesterday I bought an Asda duvet set that wasn't the smartprice one because it goes with my decor - but expensive IS NOT ALWAYS BEST! (I know this with clothes - I've made stuff that's lasted longer than the Versace skirt I was given as a present)

What would happen if a tragedy befell your material possessions? A fire, earthquake, alien removal? How would you feel?

You would still have the most important things. Your wife and child. Anything else is just stuff.

(By the way, I think I own my little car plus about £500 of stuff, and that includes my laptop. I really don't go in for material possessions. What counts is me, not the trappings.)

HBS x

.

Honestly, how would I feel? Utterly devastated. I doubt our home insurance would cover hardly any of the costs and most of my "stuff" is rare so wouldn't be easy to replace either. Would rather not think about fires, earthquakes or aliens(!), thank you.

ETA: When Mrs. K. sees this I am done for ... she will get me clearing out things this weekend now, one wardrobe / cupboard at a time. :rotfl:

cottage_retreatist

Alex,

Just a quick post because I read you could make 4-5,000 pounds by selling ONE PEN?!!!! :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Blimey! I'd be getting all the pens you own on auction sites right now to pay off as many full and finals before christmas!!!

Everything I own in my house would come under 1000 pounds between me and the OH!! And I sold all my real gold jewellery a year or so back because we couldn't afford to buy food. (kept a few christening gifts but the rest had to go - a sad time).

Possessions are just that - possessions - they're not flesh and blood, they don't have feelings. Have a massive clear-out! I say get those people from the BBC in who value all your stuff and take it to auction!!! :rotfl: You could be debt free by the new year from the way it sounds! All it needs is the right mindset and the motivation.

But my lord - you are in a privileged position to have so much money in material goods - make use of it!

heartbreak_star

You wouldn't feel any relief that you still had your wife and child, Alex?

Your stuff is "rare" to the people that care about such nonsense (in my eyes!) as old pens. To most of the world, they're just writing implements - and that's from someone that has beautiful handwriting.

Think about it.

HBS x