Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

Chrysalis1976

Well done Steph that is fantastic progress! I hope you manage to have a good few weeks in the run up to Xmas and then have some Christmas cheer ready for the final showdown.

C x

maddiemay

Wow Steph, 97% that is amazing, well done:T:T:T
MM
xx

baglady1

Well done Steph, your hard work is reaping its rewards. Congratulations! :T:T:T

tootallulah

You and your OH have really worked hard to get to this point. I bet you are going to be quicker in 2015, you know how to do it now. Many congratulations on how far you have got this year.

StressedSteph

Morning all,


Thanks so much for all your lovely posts. Can't wait to get started on 2015. This year was tough as I knew I still had another year to go, but will feel nice to be into the final year of debt busting.


What I am finding is lovely, is I have been able to buy Dd's birthday presents with money we have saved, and I am also about to start the Christmas shopping also with saved up cash.


Last year at this point I was starting to realise that there would be no spare money for Christmas and I would have to get the children toys out of the catalogue. Which is tricky when they are asking for things that the catalogue doesn't sell .


I really feel like I am breaking the cycle this Christmas. I usually spend ALOT of money on the catalogue at this time of year, mostly because it doesn't feel like real money and I had given up debt busting as "What's a little more debt on my already massive pile of debt".


Trouble is I then get set back to square one with any progress made of the catalogue debt, and have to spend another 12 months trying to pay it off, to only get to another Christmas penniless again.


I haven't put a single thing onto my debt since last December :T.


I have been slacking abit though with my Snowball. My monthly minimum payments used to be £1000, but after killing off a few debts it is down to £750. But I don't seem to have managed to pay £1000 against the debt since September. This is annoying me as I obviously have relaxed abit and I am wasting that £250 on Who knows what!.


I will allow us a December rest as I know hubbys wages will be less this month. As long as I pay the £850+ to get me EXACTLY to the 10k debt mark. Then I will start afresh in the New year.


Hubby seems to have a few things coming in in January so I am slightly less panicked than I was. I do need to stumble through his usual two week break :eek:, which is never fun.


Not much to report today, I have a Christmas Fair to go to on Saturday so tomorrow onwards I will get making some more wreaths. My road sign is ready so will try to get hubby to mount that on a stake for me tonight ready for tomorrow.


I have another treatment to do on Thursday so that will be £60 they owe me. Every little helps.


I need to tidy round the house today as its looking more than a little dishevelled. We have friends coming round Friday night for a meal so need to start getting the house half decent.


Hope you all have a decent day ahead of you. xxx

StressedSteph

Morning


Balanced bank account against YNAB this morning. Phew it is tight.


My little overspends are definitely impacting the budget now and I need to stem the flow. I think I need to stop and figure out my Needs vs wants. I think I am VERY good at convincing myself that these little things are needs when they really are not.


I am hoping all my little spends have shown up in the bank now and that is it.


Hubby asked me a week ago if we could maybe have two couples round for dinner as we have been to their houses for dinner a few times and not yet invited them to ours. I agreed and it is arranged for this Friday night, but I have to admit that it is an extra Tesco delivery more than we can afford at the moment. I could really do without it.:o


The Tesco bill adds up to £100 :eek:. I have no clue how it is that amount as it is only a Mexican dinner I am doing with a simple pudding. I have added some wine and lager to it as even though I know people bring a drink, I do feel like I ought to have a bottle or two in the house as well.


I will sit down later and go through the shopping list to see if there are any cut backs I can do. This is on top of the usual Tesco shop we do on a Sunday, not sure if we will afford much on our usual shop . Might be a week of beans on toast .


Going to make up some more wreaths today to be ready to take to the Christmas fair on Saturday. Tomorrow is a very busy day so won't have much time and I want to have time on Friday to spend it tidying the house and preparing the dinner for friends.


Not much else to report really, I had better get going with my jobs I guess.


Have a great day xx

maddiemay

Morning Steph, you do have a busy few days ahead, hope you sell/take orders for lots of wreaths.

I don't know how entertaining always runs away with so much money, but it always does somehow. Hopefully friends will bring drinks and most of what you have on order can be squirreled away for Christmas:D Lots of jacket potatoes and cheese and eggie beans on toast next week, tell them all it is simple inexpensive food in the run up to Christmas, to make us appreciate all the good things to come :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You have done so well this year and in another 35 days you will be "on the home straight", I am so proud of you (was really worried about you this time last year - everything weighed so heavily on you). I too, need to be tougher on this want/need business, I spend far too much money on food and have a very comprehensive larder, nothing I buy is wasted, but I need to stop for several months, leave the money in the bank account and then start restocking in the summer:eek::eek:

Better shake a leg and do something, carpet has a patina on black hair as Miss Border Collie is shedding hair like it is going out of fashion, she keeps disappearing when I get the hair brush out, but will stand as good as gold for her master, must see if I can persuade [STRIKE]nag[/STRIKE] him to groom her:D

MM
xx

lhead123

Wow Steph you are doing brilliantly Nearly at your 10k and still a month to go!

I'm trying to clean the house/have a pre-christmas chuck out, but S is scuppering my plans as he's got a nasty cough/cold and doesn't want to sleep anywhere but in my arms...J had it last week and is now on antibiotics for an ear infection Hope I don't get it next

Good luck with the entertaining. I love having people round as it means OH (ex-chef) will cook dinner and its always really yummy However our house is never in a fit state for guests...I think I need to be more ruthless in my throwing away junk and make sure everything has got a home...

Looks like I might have persuaded S to sleep in his baby swing (his head is nearly at the top bless him). I'm trying to sell it, but I think I'll hold on to it until he's over this cold...Time to grab some lunch and tidy the kitchen while I have 2 hands free!

L xx

StressedSteph

maddiemay wrote: »

Morning Steph, you do have a busy few days ahead, hope you sell/take orders for lots of wreaths.

I don't know how entertaining always runs away with so much money, but it always does somehow. Hopefully friends will bring drinks and most of what you have on order can be squirreled away for Christmas:D Lots of jacket potatoes and cheese and eggie beans on toast next week, tell them all it is simple inexpensive food in the run up to Christmas, to make us appreciate all the good things to come :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You have done so well this year and in another 35 days you will be "on the home straight", I am so proud of you (was really worried about you this time last year - everything weighed so heavily on you). I too, need to be tougher on this want/need business, I spend far too much money on food and have a very comprehensive larder, nothing I buy is wasted, but I need to stop for several months, leave the money in the bank account and then start restocking in the summer:eek::eek:

Better shake a leg and do something, carpet has a patina on black hair as Miss Border Collie is shedding hair like it is going out of fashion, she keeps disappearing when I get the hair brush out, but will stand as good as gold for her master, must see if I can persuade [STRIKE]nag[/STRIKE] him to groom her:D

MM
xx

Thanks for your lovely post MM.


I have to admit to being glad I am not feeling the stress of what I felt last year. Things are still tight, but at least they are possible. Last December I felt like everything was crashing down around my ears.:(
I do think next weeks food is going to be interesting. I think I might try to get away without another food shop. Try to be inventive then I will have recouped a lot of the cost of this dinner party.


Our Border terrier is moulting too, but don't want the cost of a £35 stripping. I will just have to hoover more often too

lhead123 wrote: »

Wow Steph you are doing brilliantly Nearly at your 10k and still a month to go!

I'm trying to clean the house/have a pre-christmas chuck out, but S is scuppering my plans as he's got a nasty cough/cold and doesn't want to sleep anywhere but in my arms...J had it last week and is now on antibiotics for an ear infection Hope I don't get it next

Good luck with the entertaining. I love having people round as it means OH (ex-chef) will cook dinner and its always really yummy However our house is never in a fit state for guests...I think I need to be more ruthless in my throwing away junk and make sure everything has got a home...

Looks like I might have persuaded S to sleep in his baby swing (his head is nearly at the top bless him). I'm trying to sell it, but I think I'll hold on to it until he's over this cold...Time to grab some lunch and tidy the kitchen while I have 2 hands free!

L xx

Hi Lhead,


Wow I wish my hubby could cook. so jealous.


I am not really keen on cooking, although I do like the dinner party menu's, just not the boring everyday cooking. Its such a thankless job and everyone seems to do is complain that its "Not their favourite meal". .


Hope everyone is recovered from their colds etc now. We have been really lucky so far and none of us have been ill. (famous last words!).


Well done on finding your lost £5. Love it when that happens. xx

StressedSteph

Morning


Just checking in while I have a quick coffee.


I had a treatment booking for 930 this morning, not long gotten back from that. Now I am waiting for Tesco's delivery to arrive between 11-12pm. Then I have to drive to Bridport to collect a cheap pushchair I won on Ebay. Its for Dd's birthday, she really wanted a proper pushchair and car seat for her beloved babies.
Only cost me £30 on Ebay and it will be a big item to bump up her other pressies.


Got to rush to Bridport though as Ds has his school Celebration assembly at 245pm and have to be back in time for that.


Phew......


Then tonight and all of tomorrow will be filled with trying to tidy the house and cook this Mexican dinner party we are hosting tomorrow night.


Think I have made life hard for myself though as I haven't cooked any of the dishes before, so just got to hope it works out.


I am doing churros and a chocolate dipping sauce for pudding.
Churros are like long piped doughnut strips. Hope they work out well, never made them before


Been invited for a shopping trip to Bath next Wednesday, but think I am going to have to pass, it sounds like they have a lot to eat and drink on their usual trips because when I suggested that driving and doing the park and ride was cheaper than the £33 each train tickets they said they like don't want to drive as they are drinking.
Just not my cup of tea of don't think and I really cannot afford it.


Also during an impulse moment a few weeks ago, I booked myself in with my old hairdresser to have a colour and a cut and blow dry. I have just rung up to cancel the colour. I am quite happy with the colour as It will save me about £60 :T.
I have decided to keep the cut and blow dry as I haven't had my hair cut all year and it is starting to look a mess. I think a little cut and blow dry will be enough to tart it up again for another year :rotfl:.


So many temptations this time of year, I am trying to fight them off with a stick


All of dd's birthday presents are sorted now, just need to get her a card and lots of cheap wrapping paper. Also need a load of cheap Christmas paper, might have to take a trip into big town soon to one of those discount Christmas shops.


Oooh Tesco is here so will chat later xxx