Skint Dad's Debt Diary

SkintDadUK

AlexLK wrote: »

It could be worth you talking to "mum2one" as the breaking down into small chunks is what I believe she is doing. Personally, the thought of making x amount of money 100 (or even more) times is too depressing for me to face but I think we are in quite different situations assets wise.

Why would it take you so much longer to get home from the cleaning job than your wife? Also, in regards to an extra income, this may sound quite strange but do either of you play a musical instrument to a high standard? I earn £25.00 per hour teaching violin and piano as a side income, in Kent it'd be more like £35.00 per hour.

The reason it would take me longer is that I would start later. OH would need to come home before I could leave. Also the cleaning job is quite close to her full time job which is 4 miles away from home. Currently we do not have a car which would mean me paying for additional travel.

I'm afraid I don't play a instrument, I've always been a bit of a computer geek and would play around with programming and computers as a child rather that show an interest in anything musical.

AlexLK

Can you transport some of your positivity this way, please?

AlexLK

SkintDadUK wrote: »

The reason it would take me longer is that I would start later. OH would need to come home before I could leave. Also the cleaning job is quite close to her full time job which is 4 miles away from home. Currently we do not have a car which would mean me paying for additional travel.

I'm afraid I don't play a instrument, I've always been a bit of a computer geek and would play around with programming and computers as a child rather that show an interest in anything musical.

OK, I see re. the cleaning job. Look into if it would be better for you to get a cheap car, maybe?

:rotfl: There's more money to be made out of computers than music, I'm sure.

lashie

Have a look at this challenge: The 1% challenge - 100 ways to make your 1%.

It's under- pure money > debt free wannabes and the last post was today at 5:54pm. Sorry but I have no idea how to post the link. Hope this makes sense.

Fab ideas to make your 1% on the first post.

Good luck. Love your blog BTW.

SkintDadUK

Hi guys, below is a post from my blog I just published and I wanted to share it with you.

There are a few links in the original which are not in this version so if any of if doesn't make sense that's why.

_______________________________________________________

Payday was yesterday and shall I tell you something exciting? We didn’t have to rush to the cash machine to take out money to buy food, we actually had some left over in the cupboards!

Yes you heard me correctly, poor old SkintDad who only this time last month had a few quid to his name has turned a corner, a massive corner in fact!

After hitting rock bottom and coming close to crawling under that great big stone called denial again, SkintMum and I grabbed the tops of our fluffy dad socks and pulled them up as high as the moon (just past our knees actually but you get the point I hope?!).

• I have learnt some incredible things about myself over the last few weeks!
  
• I have learnt how to cook good food from scratch with little money.
  
• I have learnt to over come my fear of dealing with debts.
  
• I have realised family is the most important thing when going through tough times.
  
• I have been empowered by all the kind people out there who have offered advice and support.
  
• I have developed a burning passion not just to get myself out of debt, become money savvy and educate myself in the frugal way of life but its made me grow a desire to help and show others the way as well.

It really has been a roller coaster of a month. When I got through the initial shock and realisation that we were not just skint but totally broke and as close to the breadline than we ever have been, it was then everything became finally clear. It was like seeing my daughter being born and feeling, knowing that nothing would be the same again.

Let’s call it my “Moment of Clarity”. You know when you’ve been watching a film and all of a sudden the hero does something or speaks to someone and everything you’ve watched falls into place. It all becomes clear and you realise everything up to that point had a purpose. Well this is what has happened to me but in my case the hero is life. Life all of a sudden hit me like a steam train and woke me up so fast that it seemed as if I had been in a hazy state of denial for an eternity.

I really cannot begin to explain how different things are now but I will try.

Take right now for instance. It’s 5:30am on a Saturday morning and I am sitting here writing this blog post, I’ve got a steaming hot cup of tea, I feel energised, alive. Compare this to only a handful of weeks ago, I would of woken up and the dread would creep in. I would pull the covers over my head and hide away for as long as I possibly could from the troubles of my life.

The children would wake up and ask for breakfast and I would begrudgingly pull my !!!! out of bed to do it. I had chores to do around the house but delayed doing them to the point of not doing them at all.

Not anymore I tell ya! Now I jump out of bed, I want to take on the challenges of the day and more! The whole feeling in the household had changed. The children are more happy and contented and SkintMum has got that glow back which makes my heart glow in turn.

SkintDad is obviously still SkintDad but the mindset has definitely changed. No longer do I get down hearted at the supermarket when all I have to spend is £10. I mean with £10 you can create meals like this and this and still have £2.75 left over!

No longer am I planning just for today and tomorrow, instead I plan for next week, next month and even next year. I plan for when our money comes in and when our money goes out. Where before we used to work for the money we received I now reverse that and as best as possible make the money work for us.

I’m upbeat for the future. I have direction now. The path ahead is still a rocky one but by equipping myself with the right tools I know I can overcome any obstacle in my way.

If you are in a similar situation as we are then please go to the top of the page and read it again. Once you get to the end, read it again. Read it because I’m just another normal person who got into difficulties and if I can change my mindset you certainly can as well.

Take heart in what I am saying and start doing something about it today. Make a meal for less than £2, write some achievable short term goals, start a blog, do something. And by doing something, however insignificant you may feel it is, you have set in motion the path to your own “moment of clarity”. It’s there, I promise you, you just need to open your eyes that little bit wider and you will see.

As for me, I am still SkintDad and we are still in debt. I’m still going to wake up every morning and go to bed every night. The only thing that has changed is everything between ;-)

maddiemay

Fantastic post, I have dropped in and read from time to time, with this change of mind-set I am sure you will beat the debt and have a great time with your family too.:T

SkintDadUK

maddiemay wrote: »

Fantastic post, I have dropped in and read from time to time, with this change of mind-set I am sure you will beat the debt and have a great time with your family too.:T

Thank you

I know I've got a long way to go but feel I am capable of facing it head on and maybe helping others along the way.

BEAT_THE_DEBT

Great post! What's the fakeaway tonight?

SkintDadUK

Wow! I cannot believe what has happened. Martin Lewis retweeted my blog post this morning, I come back and see that is has had over 2000 views in 4 hours! :eek::eek:

Thank you Martin :money: for sharing my post with your followers. I am going through the numerous messages now from people who are in the same position as me and can relate to what I wrote.

I am in total shock!!!! :eek::eek:

Puzzcat

Love the blog, and what is for tea tonight...?:D