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Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting
Comments
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StressedSteph wrote: »Thanks for the reply DFW,
If it was just me on my own I would happily cancel SKY, hubby seems to be football mad though so watches all the matches on SKY I have no hope. I could cancel the movies though, that might save £5 per month
Our DFD is looking more like Spring 2016 atm. It all depends on how quickly I can get hubbys operation money saved up (He needs 2 weeks off work soon) and also our 1k Emergency fund. God knows when I can save that.
I am now aiming more on the loophole of still being debt free by 40, but maybe just before my 41st birthday in July 2016
I don't know. I think I just need to really tighten our belts again, I have breathed a little easier lately and took the kids and two friends to the cinema and treated Dd to new jeans & a Tshirt in Tesco the other week. These bits HAVE to stop.
It doesn't take much to totally ruin the budget.
I think you are right about putting Christmas & Birthdays savings on Hold for the moment. Our first expensive birthday isn't until September and I might have gotten a lot sorted by then.
Think I might also cancel the childrens swimming lessons as that also costs me a lot extra in fuel driving to big town.
I am also wondering about going back to home delivery of food.
As much as I like selecting my own bits, at least if the food shop goes too expensive, I can easily go through the shopping list and cancel bits off. Its quite hard doing that once its in the bottom of the trolley. When I was doing that I often got the food bill down around the £60 mark. the last few weeks I have been lucky if the food bill was much under £100 :eek:
I am sure it is all in my head but have been taking the Agnus Castus for about 1 week now and I already think I feel brighter.
I am not bothered if it is real or imagined as long as I feel good.
I have noticed that I seem to be enjoying the "moment" more lately rather than thinking "If only". Does that makes sense?
Anyways enough gabbling from me. xxx
Hi Steph,
We are just about to start a trial of YNAB. Was looking over it briefly last night. It just seems to make complete sense. Am I right in thinking that if you are in debt (like me) that any rolling money each month goes straight off the debt rather than aiming for paying for your bills with last months wages. I have to say it is a real eye opener.
I have been doing an online shop for the past couple of months and it is definitely helping me to avoid impulse buys and spending a fortune on things I don't need.Total (Aug 19):€58,567 Now:€26,947
DFD:Nov 22/June 22
Mortgage: €199,712
MFD: March 2042/July 20340 -
I definitely think it's easier to budget when shopping online Steph...it's so much easier to get carried away in the actual supermarket.Credit card £4461.15Home mortgage £137117Buy to let mortgage £83,0000
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Hi Steph, been thinking fom reading your last posts that you seem to be getting a bit stressed and worried again. You need to consider that you have almost halved your debt last year, and there's no reason that you can't pay off a similar amount this year.
However you seem to be under a lot of pressure each month, especially wondering whether or not you will have enough money to pay the mortgage.
Why don't you try to get that direct debit set up for your mortgage and then prioritise your other bills so that they are paid in order of importance. I know you are desperate to meet your debt free date but it's not worth putting yourself under so much pressure, if a couple of extra months allows you a bit of breathing space. I don't mean to lose focus and start spending unnecessarily but just to build that
emergency fund so that you don't have to worry so much.
I also think you could save much less for birthday and Christmas, £40 a week for is a lot of money. And not that I often take the man's side but £20 a week for pocket money is really not much. From what I read on other diaries and from my experience most men spend a lot more than that.
Sorry if this is too much advice in one post! Xx0 -
I echo the thoughts off online shopping.. it's the ONLY way I can control my costs and bring us in on budget.. plus no hassle of driving there, pushing a trolley round, packing bags, time spent etc...DFW (08/08) £64,346.53 Gone (02/19)
MFW (08/08) £118k Gone (09/23)0 -
Hi all
Thanks so much for your replies.
Yes I am going to definitely go back to Tesco deliveries. For many reasons:-
1) Always have Dd with me shopping and she is very persuasive.
2) Hard to stop shop going over set budget
3) Shopping at 7.30pm on a Monday night is a PIA!
I think with a heavy heart I am also going to cancel the childrens swimming lessons. They currently cost me £46.20 per month :mad:, plus it is on a Friday night which the children hate and it always involves aggravation trying to get them to go. Also I am sometimes disorganised and we end up coming out of swimming tired and hungry and end up with a takeaway. Plus it costs me a lot in fuel to get to town and back with them.
I did a Spa treatment on Monday night and the lady nearly fainted half way through and had to stop. Unsure if I will be paid for that. I will ask the boss when I speak to him next.
I also did a Spa treatment this morning so hoping I have earnt £70 but will find out soon.
Off to hunt for things I can sell on Ebay0 -
If it's a hassle getting the kids to swimming its prob best you cancel them for just now and once your debt free you can always look into resuming them again xxNEXT TARGET: Halifax credit card DEC 22 £0 / £4499.12POAMAYC 2011 £6378.35 POAMAYC 2012 £5000.78POAMAYC 2013 £3480.04 POAMAYC 2014 £4085.14POAMAYC 2015 £7565.24 POAMAYC 2016 £8000.90 POAMAYC 2017 £7278.80 POAMAYC 2018 £13208.18POAMAYC 2019 £13309.28 POAMAYC 2020 £15026.050
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Most definitely cancel the swimming Steph...its a lot of money but it also disrupts your Friday evenings when all of you could do with a sit down.
Give yourself a break from all that running around, not only will it save money it will also give you time to sit down and relax yourselves.
It probably costs you say £30 at a guess per month in fuel maybe less plus even if you only spend a tenner on a treat that equates to over £100 per month..a lot of money Steph.
Give the lessons a break until you are debt free and then possibly pay for an intensive course for your kids which would save you driving the roads every week.
take care0 -
I'm another one voting 'ditch the swimming'. Give yourself a break on a Friday night. xLBM 1st Feb 2015 £18182 to go
my diary: time to step up to the plate. SPC#0790 -
If you have a potential Olympic swimmer, then keep up the lessons. If not, give them up as you can restart anytime and you can take them for a family swim once a month. I'm just delurking to give my tuppence as I went out of my way loads, dancing, swimming etc and looking back I could really have done with a rest instead. There are so many activities for them today, that unless it's something they really excel at, I would say have a break.OSWL (start 13st) by 30Jun20 6/10
£1/day Xmas'20-62 £214/£366 saved
Grocery Challenge Jun £742/£320 spentHomeowner wannabe by July 2020 - WooHoo!!
Starter Emergency Fund £1000/£1000 saved0 -
Ugh to activities on a Friday, almost as bad as a Saturday!
so yeah cut yourself some slack.
And I would think about sorting the mortgage first as well. I do that with my rent. Annoying but necessary.
XXXNevertheless she persisted.0
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