Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

StressedSteph

Puzzcat wrote: »

Hi SS,


I'm with you on the fast forwarding of time.. next payday, next lot of statements etc etc...


When I have my girls over I always get them to bring what they wish to drink, it gets expensive hosting otherwise if you are supplying food and booze for everyone.


Hope you enjoy your weekend, and have plenty of time for all that sewing.. I'm rubbish at sewing, no really rubbish.. I sew a button on and it comes off...!!! In fact one of my pairs of work trousers has stapled up hems...!! Luckily they are shades of grey (no not 50...:rotfl:) so you can't see the metal...!!!


Have fun..


Love Puzz. xx

Morning Puzz,


The girls did bring a bottle last night thankfully, so not worries on the drink front. I have two different groups of friends. one group which I see as my true friends, who I can say "I am broke, so I can't afford to buy any wine", and another group who are lovely, but I never invite them over unless I can afford to stock up with four bottles of wine etc. I could never say that I am broke to them. They are either pretty rich or not had their LBM's yet.


I did laugh about you stapling up your work trousers. You ought to discover the magic of Wonderweb. That would be much better than staples :rotfl:xxx

maddiemay wrote: »

Hi Steph
Postie called this morning, I am absolutely delighted with my pillow covers:j, I love all the fabrics and so beautifully packed too. Thank you so much.:T

I will look over at FB at some stage and leave some feedback there, sorry can't do photos at the moment need to learn to do more with my new phone:(
Your evening with friends (both cinema and tonight) sounds great. I am such a last minute person too, it drives my OH mad:rotfl:

MM xx:T

Hi Maddiemay,


I am so glad you liked the pillow cases. Hope they fit well.
It has been really nice allowing myself a small FUN budget . So this week as I have gone to a £4 cinema showing and had some friends round I knew I could pay for it out of my budget.


Hubby always has at least £20 per week for his skittles nights and I have never allocated any money for me, So I have always had a terrible feeling of guilt whenever I have purchased anything. Now I know I can afford that £1.99 Kindle book because I have it in my FUN money budget. :T



Hope you all have a lovely weekend. xxx

StressedSteph

Morning,


Had a lovely night last night with my friends. They even bought me some lovely flowers :T.


Got a quiet weekend ahead, just got to work through the massive washing pile and help DD put the stickers on her bedroom wall.


Balanced my bank account against my YNAB budget this morning. Only one payment to SKY has gone out. Hubby's boss usually puts his wages in over the weekend, so I will keep a look out, because once that shows I can allocate the next lot of bills etc to be paid in YNAB .


Feel so optimistic about my budget, I still have £297 in the bank at the end of the week. that's unheard of, although it isn't surplus money, it has to go towards paying the mortgage next week, but hey ho. At least I CAN pay the mortgage next week, which is better than some months .


I might put my SOA up again later this weekend, but I don't think there is anything I can or am prepared to change. This has been abit of a sticking point with both of us. But I know that my main problem is impulse buying. Without the impulse buying we easily have over £800 per month to pay debts which I feel is enough to warrant not HAVING to completely cancel SKY and our beloved Iphones .


I don't go out much, barely drink and I don't smoke so my little Iphone gadget and SKY are my only joy. How sad is THAT!!.


Oh well, I had better go and get DD's stickers put up before she drives me nuts.


Speak laterss

shinner

Hi SS i don't have FB where else do you advertise ? I would love to see your products.
Glad you had a good night. I am out with job 2 tonight meal paid for by the company so I am happy going. I am not very good at spending on myself fine on Kids and OH but not me. I am trying to ensure i start to look after me also.

StressedSteph

shinner wrote: »

Hi SS i don't have FB where else do you advertise ? I would love to see your products.
Glad you had a good night. I am out with job 2 tonight meal paid for by the company so I am happy going. I am not very good at spending on myself fine on Kids and OH but not me. I am trying to ensure i start to look after me also.

Hi Shinner


I also have a website called The Orchard Goose, or I advertise on Etsy. I assume you would just have to search for my company name on that for some items to show up. Thanks for asking xxx


Lovely that you have a free meal out tonight, have lots of fun. Sounds like you need to find space in your budget for a FUN category just for you. Even if its only a small amount per week, at least you can either save it up or be able to buy a treat each week, guilt free. xxxx


Have a great night xx

FinanciallyUnsavvy

Hi Steph, hope you are having a good weekend!

Great news about having some money left in your account - it's a nice feeling to see money that's not usually there, haha!

I'm completely with you about not cutting back completely. I posted my SOA and the first thing people say is get rid of Sky/mobile phone/TV licence... etc. The people who do cut back all of that and manage - more power to them! But I couldn't do it at all. We need some kind of "luxury" in life, otherwise what's the point of working to earn a living?!

Enjoy your Saturday evening x

StressedSteph

FinanciallyUnsavvy wrote: »

Hi Steph, hope you are having a good weekend!

Great news about having some money left in your account - it's a nice feeling to see money that's not usually there, haha!

I'm completely with you about not cutting back completely. I posted my SOA and the first thing people say is get rid of Sky/mobile phone/TV licence... etc. The people who do cut back all of that and manage - more power to them! But I couldn't do it at all. We need some kind of "luxury" in life, otherwise what's the point of working to earn a living?!

Enjoy your Saturday evening x

Phew glad you agreed with me .


If we worked out our budget and we didn't have any money for debt repayment, THEN I appreciate that luxuries are a total no no and SKY and mobiles should go. But the ONLY reason why I struggle is I am too frivolous with my money. I know that if I grow up and stop buying stupid odds and sods all month then we have loads to throw at debts.


I was still expecting a telling off though for not killing off the tv and phone luxuries so thank you for not making me feel terrible .


xxxx

Puzzcat

I'm with you on the fact that we all need a few luxuries/treats.. I've never posted up a SOA and never will, the peeps on these boards would have a field day with mine... And your right its always cut the sky, cut the mobiles, blah blah.. I'm sure most people who post on here are not that daft that they don't realise they are spending money on these items.. and as you say if it came to not being able to pay at all then that's a different matter...


Sky is paid for in this house by OH, he loves it and so pays for it.. personally i'd be happy with freeview but if sky costs me nothing then I can't complain...


My debts are all mine, we have seperate finances..hence his sky..my mobile though is a 7 year old nokia... my other phone broke and i'm waiting for contract to end... which is next week.... never had an iphone.. i'm more of a bb girl....


Happy weekend.. x

debtfreeoneday

I agree with the phones. That is our one luxury and actually pretty necessary in terms of contacting family / friends and managing the budget!! That said, we have the lowest price contract we can and only upgrade when we are due. There has to be some reward for all of this doesn't there!

StressedSteph

Thanks Puzzcat and Debtfreeoneday for being kind. We obviously keep costs down as low as possible with SKY and the phones, but I just can't face getting rid of them. .


Quiet day today, got to help the children with their homework at some point today, but otherwise its just a leg of lamb to roast and washing machine to keep going.


Got abit of a money juggling week next week. I have three lots of money coming in, but spaced out throughout the week and its also mortgage week :eek:.
I am going to have to be very careful with what bills get paid as I am sure there is still going to be a shortfall and I HAVE to make sure that the mortgage gets paid.


Will be so glad when we get to February. January has been a very muddled month, playing catch up with overdue bills.


I finally got paid for a cushion someone ordered yesterday, so that is an extra £15 in the account. :T


Not much else to report really. Been completely NSD weekend.
xxx

debtfreeoneday

Well done on your NSD weekend..