Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

maddiemay

Hi Steph, I have been reading, but not popped in to comment for a while, seem to have had a busy couple of weeks, but I am still here cheering you along from the sidelines. You are doing so well and I can see you having such a great life when you are DF. Being able to decide your priorities and save for them for the necessary weeks or months, just imagine how you will feel when you are able to replace the mower and the truck without worrying how you will be able to pay for them.

I am another one who thinks you have learned a different way of living and will never want to go down that route again:D

MM
xx

StressedSteph

pennywisepoundstupid wrote: »

Hi Stressedsteph, I have been catching up on your diary over the past week, well done on everthing you have achieved, you are doing so well and such an amazing lady.

Take care.x.

Hi PWPS


Thank you so much xxxx

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

Do you know I agree with that last statement. If I hadn't had a diary on here and been around people who were in similar situations I would probably still be in debt right now! So keep posting

Hi DFW,


You are right, on the long hard slog it is very hard to keep up the momentum and it is so much easier to give in to temptation. This forum definitely helps constantly reinforce the reason why we are doing this. xxx

shinner wrote: »

Wow you are so close to being debt free 12 months and you will be free. X

Thanks Shinner

StressedSteph

maddiemay wrote: »

Hi Steph, I have been reading, but not popped in to comment for a while, seem to have had a busy couple of weeks, but I am still here cheering you along from the sidelines. You are doing so well and I can see you having such a great life when you are DF. Being able to decide your priorities and save for them for the necessary weeks or months, just imagine how you will feel when you are able to replace the mower and the truck without worrying how you will be able to pay for them.

I am another one who thinks you have learned a different way of living and will never want to go down that route again:D

MM
xx

Hi MM,


Thanks for posting, hope you have had a fun but busy few weeks.


Yes I am certain that I will get out and stay out of debt this time round, just need to kill it as quickly as possible.


xxxx

StressedSteph

Morning all,


super busy day yesterday, so didn't get time to post.
Both my children had a last play date with a friend each over for the day. To say it was manic is an understatement .


I resisted my usual temptation to nip to the local small supermarket for treats and sweets for the children. They had sandwiches, yoghurt and cucumber for lunch with the offer of my Apple cake for pudding . Felt good to just "manage" though and not give in to buying junk.


Packed them all off at 4pm, then I had spent a lot of the day preparing the lamb pie out of Sundays leftover meat. Thankfully it worked out really well and it was all polished off.
Unfortunately though I have learnt that green lentils have a dodgy effect on my family :rotfl:.


My Sunday night drinks with friends went well, but there is one moment of that evening that really stuck in my memory.


We were all chatting about our plans for the rest of the year and next year. I have decided lately that life is so much easier if you just be truthful about your situation and drop the pride. So I often say to my friends that I am budgeting and killing off debt this year and next. It is easier to get out of expensive ideas that friends have etc.


I overhead a friend saying that they want to get an extension on their house and they will need to apply for a loan, so she is probably getting into debt not out of it. She then said, "well its unavoidable really and I will probably end up debting us up to the eyeballs" :eek:, another friend laughed and said, "yes I know you will, we do the same". I virtually had to stitch my mouth up to stop coming over them all "Dave Ramsey" and preach to them about how debt is evil and I will NEVER no matter what EVER get any debt EVER again.


I was kind of shocked how passionate I felt about it, and it was almost like a second light bulb moment, where I finally realised how much I have changed since January.


Quite enlightening really.


Not much on today, need a shower in a minute, I have my village ladies group tonight and have some paperwork to sort out for that, and then just look at preparing dinner tonight.
Tuna Melt Piadinas. Need to look at the recipe as not sure how instant or long winded the recipe is.


Feels good to have all the ingredients I need and the weeks menu plan all sorted out. Makes it so much easier to avoid the food shops.


Got a treatment this Friday morning booked in, was nice to realise that I didn't need to panic about who would have the children as they will all be back in school :T.


That will only be 1 treatment this week though, so I am hoping he suddenly books in some more as the week goes on, otherwise my snowball plan will be stuttering before we even start


Hope you all have a great day xxx

mfmaybe

Really interesting on the change in your perspective. But for what it's worth I think you were right not to try to educate your friends. In my experience, people kind of know it's not right; but they don't want to have it pointed out because it makes them feel scared!

Really well done on the resisting temptation yesterday, and the meal plan sounds amazing. Yum! Can we all come round for tea

I wonder if perhaps you need to lower your expectations re the spa, and treat them as a "bonus" rather than required income? That way, psychologically you will always feel ahead every time you can make an extra payment, rather than feeling on the back foot because you haven't got as many bookings as you'd hoped? It's tricky though because a stretching target can be useful as well! Either way, I know you will continue to knock the debt on the head as quickly as possible, and agree with others that things won't go back to the way they were. 12 months to debt free is amazing :T

mizmir

Hi Steph - Just catching up after our move - and wow you are motoring! Great news about the treatments - I am sure that will just grow and grow once the word gets out. And it is going to make a real difference to your debts.

You are absolutely an inspiration - so committed and determined - you will definitely reach your goal!

StressedSteph

mfmaybe wrote: »

Really interesting on the change in your perspective. But for what it's worth I think you were right not to try to educate your friends. In my experience, people kind of know it's not right; but they don't want to have it pointed out because it makes them feel scared!

Really well done on the resisting temptation yesterday, and the meal plan sounds amazing. Yum! Can we all come round for tea

I wonder if perhaps you need to lower your expectations re the spa, and treat them as a "bonus" rather than required income? That way, psychologically you will always feel ahead every time you can make an extra payment, rather than feeling on the back foot because you haven't got as many bookings as you'd hoped? It's tricky though because a stretching target can be useful as well! Either way, I know you will continue to knock the debt on the head as quickly as possible, and agree with others that things won't go back to the way they were. 12 months to debt free is amazing :T

Morning mfmaybe


You are so right about resisting lecturing my friends :rotfl:. so hard not to though, when I am so passionate about it all. But I resisted :T.


You might have a thing about the income from the Spa. I was so convinced that I would have a minimum of 3 treatments per week. But so far only 1 booked in. But it is a tricky week I guess as the Spa owners have only just gotten back from holiday and their children back to school today, there is still hope that it will be more regular.


I see you point though about changing how I look at it. As more of little bonus's than being disappointed that I haven't gotten to my target of 3 per week.


Grrrrr life is too hard sometimes

mizmir wrote: »

Hi Steph - Just catching up after our move - and wow you are motoring! Great news about the treatments - I am sure that will just grow and grow once the word gets out. And it is going to make a real difference to your debts.

You are absolutely an inspiration - so committed and determined - you will definitely reach your goal!

hi Miz,


thanks for stopping by, I must check your diary out again and find out how your move went.


Thanks for your kind words. We just do what we can to dig out way out of our pasts stupid decisions...


We will all get there in the end. xx

StressedSteph

Morning all,


Yikes its going to be a tough month I think.


Hubby finished his job repainting someone's house on yesterday, and now is odd jobbing for the resting of the week. I hate odd Jobbing weeks as they NEVER add up to a decent weeks wage.


He is then hopefully (weather dependant) going to be painting someone elses house next week for two weeks but then he doesn't have much else.


Lots of quotes going in, but nothing definite yet :eek:

StressedSteph

Hi again,


Feeling slightly better about the job front.


Hubby just came home from handing in a quote for another two weeks worth of painting, and they have accepted his quote.


It looks like we now have around 6 weeks of work sorted out which is abit better. God I hate self-employment!!.


I have also just had another Indian Head Massage booking too, so that's also an improvement.


Its so exhausting juggling work and holding out hope for quotes to be accepted. All this is making me EVEN more determined to get this debt gone so that I can build us up an emergency fund to avoid these stressful times.


Just imagine if I had even 1 months wages saved up. We couldn't relax but at least we would know that bills would get paid and there was money for food.


I am such a fool letting us get into this situation. You would really think that I would have grown up and prevented this happening again :mad:.


On the plus side with my spa treatments I will have another £77.50 to pay off my Next bill early next week :T.


Starting to enjoy the peace and quiet of the children being back in school. I really ought to get cleaning windows or bathrooms, but I just feel like relaxing on the sofa with a coffee .


I have stripped the beds so they are washing, a quote typed up for hubby, and the fish is out of the freezer defrosting for a fish pie tonight, so I haven't been completely lazy so far today.


Think I might just indulge in a half hour on the sofa and then get on and clean the bathrooms...sssshhhh don't tell anyone

sweetpea26

Enjoy You deserve it