Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

lhead123

Hi Steph!

Just catching up, been so busy over xmas and with OH off for 2 weeks (The first time in about 18 years he's not had to work on and around xmas) I've not had a look in with the computer! lol

Finally managed to catch up on your diary and ynab. We've overspent hugely on food this month underspent on petrol though which means everything just about balances....

You've done amazingly in 2014, you were only just shy of your 10k target, and that is AMAZING! Just think, this time next year you'll have no debt and an extra 10k per year that you can use to finally do all the things you've wanted to do!

My goals in 2015 are to finally lose the baby weight, and concentrate on paying off our debt as well as saving up to buy a few bits we are desperate for round the house.

I might not get on here tomorrow or the next day, so HAPPY NEW YEAR!!:beer:

mfmaybe

Hi Steph,

I've not been on here for a few weeks so just catching up. Your sig looks amazing! I've not read back very far, but wanted to applaud how well you've done this year. The good habits, and your other income streams, will make 2015 easier than 2014. Best of luck with it, we will all be cheering you on.

StressedSteph

lhead123 wrote: »

Hi Steph!

Just catching up, been so busy over xmas and with OH off for 2 weeks (The first time in about 18 years he's not had to work on and around xmas) I've not had a look in with the computer! lol

Finally managed to catch up on your diary and ynab. We've overspent hugely on food this month underspent on petrol though which means everything just about balances....

You've done amazingly in 2014, you were only just shy of your 10k target, and that is AMAZING! Just think, this time next year you'll have no debt and an extra 10k per year that you can use to finally do all the things you've wanted to do!

My goals in 2015 are to finally lose the baby weight, and concentrate on paying off our debt as well as saving up to buy a few bits we are desperate for round the house.

I might not get on here tomorrow or the next day, so HAPPY NEW YEAR!!:beer:

Hi lhead

Glad you had a great Christmas but booo to hubby hogging the laptop

Sounds like you have some great challenges for 2015. Its going to be a good year, i can feel it. :T

Happy New Year to you too xxx

mfmaybe wrote: »

Hi Steph,

I've not been on here for a few weeks so just catching up. Your sig looks amazing! I've not read back very far, but wanted to applaud how well you've done this year. The good habits, and your other income streams, will make 2015 easier than 2014. Best of luck with it, we will all be cheering you on.

Thanks for your kind words mfmaybe, I didn't quite hit my target but still chuffed with paying in excess of 9k this year.

Like you said, I have a few half decent income streams and we are starting 2015 in a better financial position so hopefully i can hit the ground running in January and to done with this debt during 2015.

Heres hoping

StressedSteph

Evening fab MSE peeps.

Ok...I had abit of spare time this afternoon so I played about with the Snowball calculator and then copied it onto a larger sheet.

I have worked it out on 1k per month, I know I can sometimes exceed 1k but not consistently, so I worked it out on an amount that is achievable.

A new things for us too, is I have put this Snowball Calculation on our fridge :eek:. I didn't do this during 2014 as my crazy debt busting antics tended to depress hubby a little. He was and still is in the mindset of "We will get there in the end but there is no need to make life uncomfortable" :mad:.
So when I told him occasionally that it was going to take two years, he would get a look of horror on his face. .

But now the end is in sight during 2015 at some point, i feel I can shout about the debt busting a little bit more and i am hoping that this will also inspire hubby to go the extra mile with me as it is such a short period of time.

I have two sheets on the fridge,

This one is my full year of Minimum payments:-



And I have also put this one up where I ACTUALLY mark up each month how much we have paid and I put the debt total down, just in case I manage to pay off extra.



I have decided to hit them "Interest first", I know this isn't the norm, but the co-op and Tesco debts are in hubbys name and very difficult to be able to negotiate interest freezes etc and he refuses to speak to anyone as its too embarrassing :mad:.

The interest on these two irritate me really badly each month, so I feel the need to kill them off first.

Yes I know I am a geek, but I enjoy setting up these charts and lists. It keeps me inspired. xxx

maddiemay

Hi Steph
I have been reading and running for the last week or so, but just popped in to say well done for all that your have achieved in 2014 and to wish you all success for 2015:D

One of my aims for the new year is, rather like one of yours, i.e. to actually "do more", I too am at home all day, I find it hard to get going in the mornings and by the time that my joints have warmed up I sort of drift off and don't get much done, my house in untidy and I have lots of things to sort out and send to charity shop. Also have lots of craft projects that don't get finished:( I have done some mending and knitting already this week, going to sort out an old notebook for a "to do" list, it worked well for me when I worked, so need to get into the same mind set.

I am rubbish at keeping a spending diary so it is easy for the money to evaporate:rotfl: in 2015 I want to do more and not buy things, trips out and courses will be affordable if I am more conscious of what I am spending. I looked at buying YNAB, but need to prove to myself that I can record everything first, I am definitely a starter not a finisher:(

Happy New Year, I hope that the promise of "a cuddle" dispels OH's grumps about staying in:D

MM
xx

kelpie35

You are not a geek. You are a very determined young lady, trying her best for a better life for her family.

Maybe when hubby sees the amount owed on his cards he might decide, "to hell with it" I will give them a quick phone and see if they will freeze the account. They don't know you from Adam, Steph's hubby.

Keep cheery Steph and have a lovely New Year with your family. x

StressedSteph

maddiemay wrote: »

Hi Steph
I have been reading and running for the last week or so, but just popped in to say well done for all that your have achieved in 2014 and to wish you all success for 2015:D

One of my aims for the new year is, rather like one of yours, i.e. to actually "do more", I too am at home all day, I find it hard to get going in the mornings and by the time that my joints have warmed up I sort of drift off and don't get much done, my house in untidy and I have lots of things to sort out and send to charity shop. Also have lots of craft projects that don't get finished:( I have done some mending and knitting already this week, going to sort out an old notebook for a "to do" list, it worked well for me when I worked, so need to get into the same mind set.

I am rubbish at keeping a spending diary so it is easy for the money to evaporate:rotfl: in 2015 I want to do more and not buy things, trips out and courses will be affordable if I am more conscious of what I am spending. I looked at buying YNAB, but need to prove to myself that I can record everything first, I am definitely a starter not a finisher:(

Happy New Year, I hope that the promise of "a cuddle" dispels OH's grumps about staying in:D

MM
xx

Hi MM

Thanks for looking in :beer:
Hehe we both sound very similar, I am a terrible non finisher, that's why I am surprised I have gotten as far as I have with with debt busting malarky. I get bored very easily and move on to the next project . Think I definitely hit rock bottom with this lightbulb moment though so maybe I am finally growing up.

Good idea getting your "To Do" notepad set up, I am a newly returned lover of my Filofax. Sooo lovely to make all my lists in one place and feel super organised. just got to ACTUALLY do some of the things on the lists now :rotfl:

Have a wonderful New Year if I don't speak to you sooner xx

kelpie35 wrote: »

You are not a geek. You are a very determined young lady, trying her best for a better life for her family.

Maybe when hubby sees the amount owed on his cards he might decide, "to hell with it" I will give them a quick phone and see if they will freeze the account. They don't know you from Adam, Steph's hubby.

Keep cheery Steph and have a lovely New Year with your family. x

Hi Kelpie,

Thanks for looking in, and thank you especially for calling me a "Young Lady" . (at 39 years young i haven't been called that in a while )

You are right though, I have never felt so determined as I do now.
Can't believe where 2014 has gone, it has flown by and I am now half way there. I hate to wish my life away but It will be super amazing to see the thousands slide off my total this year towards debt freedom.

Do you have a diary Kelpie? If so let me know what its called and I will look you up xx

Hubby hasn't noticed the debt chart on the fridge as yet, but if he asks about it, I will explain why I have prioritised his two debts and hopefully we will fall into that conversation. Miracles may happen :D.
xxx

StressedSteph

Me again. I'm a mega poster today

Just thought I would post a photo of my 100 chart that I slowly filled in this year. This little gimmick worked well for me this year. (I've always love colouring in )

Every square equaled to £100. as my target was to pay off 10k.
didn't quite get there, but near enough.



So this evening, i have made a new one for 2015.

It isn't quite so simple this year as I have around £10,700 to pay off. So every square will be £107.



Can't wait to start filling it in. What little gimmicks do you guys use to keep you on track?

xxxx

Eager_Elephant

Just spent the last few days reading your diary - you are such a determined and inspirational lady:T


Fingers crossed you can clear the rest of the debt by December 2015 - I reckon you will manage it by October!!

misstara

Hi Steph,

Hope hubby notices the snowball chart and you can have that conversation - fingers crossed.

Love your colouring in chart, that's a great idea for motivation. I'm very obsessive about updating my signature and calculating % paid. I find that really keeps me on track as I love seeing the % paid go up even if it's 0.1%.

In case I'm not back on before then, hope you have a good time tomorrow night and happy new year x