Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

StressedSteph

END OF MONTH REVIEW


Argos £395 / Barclays £850 / Next (£1972) - £599 / Co-op cc (£1852) - £1379
Littlewoods (£2479) - £1135 / OD (£3264) - £2414 / Tesco CC (£5336) - £4636
Virgin CC (£4371)-£3183 :idea: Nov 2013 £20519 - Aug 2014 £13346.
Aug Goal - under 13k Aug £911.50/1k Pay10k in 2014 - 71% paid
YNAB, M Lewis and Dave Ramsey fan




Just decided that I ought to log into each of my debters online accounts and actually check that my outstanding amount ACTUALLY match theirs.


I got abit of a shock :eek:


I am not sure how many months it has been that I haven't done this but I was £460 OUT :mad:.


I have adjusted my totals in my signature and it depressing means that I haven't achieved my August "Get under 13k" mini goal and instead of paying off 76% it is actually 71%.


I am trying to be even tempered about this as there is no point me believing I am further out of debt than I am, I need to know the truth.


It seems that Next are hitting me with around a £17 Service Charge!! per month.


Co-op are charging about £10 interest per month


But the worst culprit is Tesco CC (In hubbys name) charging a whopping £83 per month interest . I have sent them an I&E form asking for interest to be frozen but not heard anything from them as yet.


It just gives me more and more incentive to get rid of these nasty things.


I will keep going, but I MUST remember to check my totals against theirs more often to avoid this nasty surprise again

savvyshe

Hi StressedSteph
Just to say thanks for taking time to post on my diary, I haven't updated it yet as I haven't finished sorting it but will probably do tomorrow.
Just like to say just finished reading through your thread and WOW !!!!!what a determined super sorted person you are. I take my hat off to you. If only I can do a quarter what you have achieved I will be pleased.
Think my total debt will be around £5,000 but it will be difficult for me to pay off. Hope you don't mind me saying I am similar to you want things gone quickly,overspend on food, try too hard then I give up. I have learnt so much from reading your diary you will be at the back of my mind and hope this will keep me going.
Hope you don't mind me butting in but just had to say thanks because you have really inspired me.

StressedSteph

savvyshe wrote: »

Hi StressedSteph
Just to say thanks for taking time to post on my diary, I haven't updated it yet as I haven't finished sorting it but will probably do tomorrow.
Just like to say just finished reading through your thread and WOW !!!!!what a determined super sorted person you are. I take my hat off to you. If only I can do a quarter what you have achieved I will be pleased.
Think my total debt will be around £5,000 but it will be difficult for me to pay off. Hope you don't mind me saying I am similar to you want things gone quickly,overspend on food, try too hard then I give up. I have learnt so much from reading your diary you will be at the back of my mind and hope this will keep me going.
Hope you don't mind me butting in but just had to say thanks because you have really inspired me.

Hi SavvyShe

Thnks for finding my diary. I have just recently found some extra time to be posting on other peoples diaries.

Well done for reading my diary, its mostly a jumble of mosning and grumbling

This is at least the third time of trying to get debt free, but I seem to have managed longer than any previous attempts. I think it is mostly to do with regular posting here on my diary, my new YNAB software for budgeting and listening to Dave Ramsey Podcasts whenever I have spare time. All these things combined seem to be my receipe for success.

Keep posting on your diary hun, after a while you will get, if you haven't already, a regular group of folks who post and keep you going.

xxxx

debtfreewannabe321

Great news on the free furniture! I love a freebie !

You'll have that N3xt debt smashed in no time at all! Look forward to seeing the post where it's paid off and you're on to your next one xx

StressedSteph

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

Great news on the free furniture! I love a freebie !

You'll have that N3xt debt smashed in no time at all! Look forward to seeing the post where it's paid off and you're on to your next one xx

Hi DFW,

I look forward to the end of the Next debt too, it has been a slow process. Fingers crossed it will be the next month or two.

xx

StressedSteph

Oh good heavens, I am sooooo ready for the children to go back to school. They are driving me CRAZY!! :wall:

They are just so manic today, I guess we should have gotten out abit more but what with the rain, no money and also probably using up our free tickets to Wookey Hole tomorrow, I did'nt really have anything planned.

Roll on bedtime!!.

Apart from that I have managed to do a menu plan for tonight onto next Saturday.

I have my Mr T order arriving this Sunday with all the ingredients needed. It is currently at £78, which is above my £60 budget, but i am hoping that if being planned prevents me making other mid week trips to the supermarket then it will be cheaper in the long run.

Thursday = Piri Piri Pork Belly with cabbage and boiled potatoes
Friday = Spiced sausage cassoulet with mash
Saturday = Homemade Chicken curry
Sunday = Lamb roast
Monday = Lovely Lamb pie
Tuesday = Sweet Pea Fish Pie
Wednesday = Tuna Melt Piadina's
Thursday = Sweet Pea and Prawn Pasta with homemade bread
Friday = Sweet & Sticky Pork Noodle Stir Fry
Saturday = homemade Chicken Curry

All of these came from the SAVE with Jamie Oliver book, except the Chicken curry which is a River Cottage receipe.

I have gotten so fed up with my recent repertoire that I think it will be fun to mix it up a little. Heaven only knows what the children will make of some of these meals but they need to widen their tastes so fingers crossed.


Ok off to check this Piri Piri Pork belly, hopefully I havent spiced it too much to blow the childrens mouths off. Might quieten them down though :rotfl:

debtfreewannabe321

Omg your menu sounds delicious! I need to meal plan but usually stick to tried and tested meals I might try something a little more exotic than spag bol as you've made me drool! Xx

misstara

Hi Steph, I second what DFW321 says - the meal plan sounds lovely. Might have to have a wee look in the library to see if they have that book. I keep making half-a$$ed attempts at proper meal plans but its a bit of a struggle especially when me and OH work different shifts that change weekly.

It's annoying about the debt totals but its better to know exactly how much you owe and you'll soon make it back up. I would definitely be chasing up Tesco about freezing the interest as that is :eek:

Hope the kids have calmed down now

StressedSteph

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

Omg your menu sounds delicious! I need to meal plan but usually stick to tried and tested meals I might try something a little more exotic than spag bol as you've made me drool! Xx

misstara wrote: »

Hi Steph, I second what DFW321 says - the meal plan sounds lovely. Might have to have a wee look in the library to see if they have that book. I keep making half-a$$ed attempts at proper meal plans but its a bit of a struggle especially when me and OH work different shifts that change weekly.

It's annoying about the debt totals but its better to know exactly how much you owe and you'll soon make it back up. I would definitely be chasing up Tesco about freezing the interest as that is :eek:

Hope the kids have calmed down now

Thanks for your nice words ladies, I got fed up of my usual meals too thats why I thought I would give these a go. I do already have a freezer full of pork and lamb so got abit of a head start on the costs.

I love the SAVE with Jamie book because he shows how if you have a Large joint of meat for a Sunday Roast (Mothership meal), then you can make two, maybe three meals with the leftovers. Does seem quite an economical way of meal planning.

the Piri Piri Pork Belly worked out well tonight, my 7 yo Daughter was'nt over keen but made a good attempt. Going to be alot of that next week. Oh well ...

Ds made a lovely chocolate cake today with abit of assistance so its been a very foodie day.

abba1772

I think 71% debt reduction is amazing in the timescale that you've done it in so well done u xx

I haven't been keeping a log of how much I've paid off this year (naughty I know) but I find keeping a diary on here helps even if I'm waffling I find I stress less if that makes sense all now that the wedding is done I can concentrate on the savings as well as reducing the debts which aren't massive tbh but I'm still determined to get rid of them before applying for a mortgage xx