Cinderella is proof that shoes can change your life!

Buffythedebtslayer

Happy Christmas XXXXXXX

beanielou

Hope you had a good day

Shoe_Gal

Now all the festivities and frivolity are over time to review the year and set some goals

2013

It was a fairly stagnant year for me in some ways. My overall debt has increased by a few hundred pounds despite paying over £400 in payments each month . I have clearly been living beyond my means and have not made any progress

My weight has also remained pretty much the same, I've lost about 3-4lbs overall for the year. On a possitive note I am please that I have not regained ecverything I lost the year before but losing and regaining the same half stone over and over again has continued throughout the year - time to get to my target one and for all! On a positive note, I am definitely fitter and in the last 2 months have stuck to my running plan

After changing jobs earlier in the year, a move that proved not to be a good one, the last 6 months have been a combination of unhappiness in my job, followed by redundancy in November and the hunt for a new job (and the worry about no income coming in). I think this partly explains why I have taken my eye off the ball regarding finances and weightloss

On the up side, I had some fun in 2013! including 4 holidays, a hen weekend, lots of fab meals and cocktails - and some amazing shoes! This obviously explains the other part of my finance and weight situation!

2014

I start my new job on Monday and, fingers crossed, this one will work out for me so it's time to refocus and start to make progress

Money:

Due to not being paid a full month in December finances are very tight and it will be a case of just surviving January, topped up with what little space is left on my credit card. I have made minimum payments on everthing just for this month. I think I will get paid on 24th Jan from my new job (payday is 26th according to my contract but no mention of what happens when it falls on a Sunday) so I am hoping there is just 3 weeks to get through! If needs be I have £200 Christmas/birthday money I can 'borrow' from to make ends meet. I will keep social stuff to a minimum, and as 'cost effective' as possible

Once I get my new salary at the end of the month new plans can kick in from Feb. I have updated my total debt but within that I have approx. £6k of what I consider 'new debt' - this is debt that I have accumulated since starting trying to be debt free. The remainder is 'old debt', mostly on monthly payments to DCAs, decreasing slowly and steadily without incurring interest. I am happy to let the 'old debt' continue like that and focus on the 'new debt'. On paper my new salary should allow an additional £200 per month in debt payments but in order to do this I realise I also needs to live within my means and not 're-spend' what I pay off. My credit rating is poor so 0% offers etc are not open to me. However, I have had my Barclaycard for a long time and in the last few months have started to get life of balance transfer offers from them. At the moment there is no room on the card to transfer but my plan is to throw everything I can at this card and then transfer my higher rate Capital One balance to it as soon as there is room

One of my monthly DCA payments will finish in March so from April I will have another £100 per month to throw at the Barclaycard

The other big focus needs to be getting my spending down. Despite what regular readers may think my downfall is not my passion for shoes it's actually poor planning, convenience food and spending on little treats I don't need so this is what I will focus on controlling. As regular readers will also know, my mantra has always been to have a life whilst debt busting. I am single and live alone, my monthly bills are covered so I will continue to have my social life, beauty treatments and shoes (with just a little more moderation)

Weight;

I have put around 5-6lbs on over the last month, especially over Christmas. Current weight is 10st 12lbs and my first target is 10st 4lbs (I may change this to something lower, I haven't been under 10st 8lbs for over 10 years now so it's hard to know exactly what my target should be). I am logging everything on myfitnesspal with daily calories of 1500.

I want to run the Manchester 10k in May in 1 hour 15 mins (1:27:43 in 2013). I plan to run 3 times per week, adding an extra km each month - I'm currently running at just under 6k. I will supplement this with a weekly Body Pump class. My gym membership is cancellable in March so over the next couple of months, especially with my new job, I will assess how much I use it and may change to pay-as you-go. If I run outside and do one class per week pay-as-you-go is cheaper however, I would like to fit in a second class if time allows


I think this is enough to focus on for the next few months alongside settling into my new job!

lulabelle

Good luck shoe gal! I love your posts.

satchmo1

Shoegal, you've made amazing progress since you started your diary. You are very clear about your goals, are realistic about still having a life, and manage to keep yourself motivated. Well done, and here's to reaching a debt free status.


Satchmo x

RosaBernicia

Hi Shoegal

I had a similar plan with my Barclaycard - I took it out on low life of balance when I couldn't get 0%, and they've continued to offer me both increased credit limit and life of balance transfers. I have shifted everything I can to it every time I had space. Hopefully they will do similar for you.

Good luck

and Happy New Year!


Rosa xx

Shoe_Gal

lulabelle wrote: »

Good luck shoe gal! I love your posts.

satchmo1 wrote: »

Shoegal, you've made amazing progress since you started your diary. You are very clear about your goals, are realistic about still having a life, and manage to keep yourself motivated. Well done, and here's to reaching a debt free status.


Satchmo x

RosaBernicia wrote: »

Hi Shoegal

I had a similar plan with my Barclaycard - I took it out on low life of balance when I couldn't get 0%, and they've continued to offer me both increased credit limit and life of balance transfers. I have shifted everything I can to it every time I had space. Hopefully they will do similar for you.

Good luck

and Happy New Year!


Rosa xx

Thanks everybody, your support is much appreciated :A

Fingers crossed on the Barclaycard, that's what I'm hoping they will do

Had my nails done this morning, food shop and needed foundation - no extras! Did an hour exercise DVD this afternoon to earn some wine calories for tonight, I am cooking for a friend and drinking my Christmas bubbles so a low spend Sat night

lionheartedgirl

Happy New Year ShoeGal, hope it's the best yet! :j

great news on the job, and hope it goes much better than the last one did. silly people :mad:

Souk08

Happy New Year love. Your goals sound fab and yes, you need to have a life while you debt bust! X

Shoe_Gal

Souk08 wrote: »

Happy New Year love. Your goals sound fab and yes, you need to have a life while you debt bust! X

Thanks sweetie :A

And I love your blog, I am an avid reader!