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Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

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  • StressedSteph
    StressedSteph Posts: 2,834 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    edited 4 February 2014 at 4:00PM
    I feel slightly that I am losing focus on all the jobs I need to do around the house and farm, and almost feeling over-whelmed so much that I actually get NOTHING done.

    So I have decided to make a list every Sunday night of jobs that could do with being done during the coming week.

    Every day I must attempt to do at least 1 job from the list.

    I am starting abit late this week but here it is:-

    • Finish two Draught Excluders
    • Work 3 hours clearing the Polytunnel
    • Clean house windows
    • Tidy Utility room
    • Hoover whole house (Tuesday DONE)
    • Sort paperwork

    Not a massive list but enough to get me started. I have tried assigning jobs to each day in the past, but I am a fickle individual and if I don't FEEL like it, it often does'nt get done.:o
    So..I am allowing myself a choice. As long as I do something from the list and COMPLETE it, then that is fine.

    Hoping this is setting myself an achievable goal so that I don't just end up mentally beating myself up when I don't get everything done.

    As you can probably tell, when I am home on my own, I have a tendancy to achieve nothing, and in the blink of an eye, my day is over and I haven't achieved anything.

    This will hopefully give me some direction.
  • misstara
    misstara Posts: 4,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper I've been Money Tipped!
    Hi Steph, this sounds like a great idea to keep you focused on what needs done. I often feel like this as well and so end up just sitting on the sofa feeling guilty about everything that needs doing but not really knowing where to start.
    Mortgage 26.4.25 - £108,500  1.9.25 - £105,664.31
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  • misstara wrote: »
    Hi Steph, this sounds like a great idea to keep you focused on what needs done. I often feel like this as well and so end up just sitting on the sofa feeling guilty about everything that needs doing but not really knowing where to start.



    Wow we are very similar in that respect. I get very easily overwhelmed, feeling like I will never get through the mountain of jobs, where if I just got on and did one EXTRA job every day then that mountain would soon disappear (or get lower). But all my sitting round panicking just makes the mountain even bigger.


    I do get very annoyed with myself sometimes :mad:;):o
  • I am also very similar. Recently I read a great book "begin with yes" that has really helped me with this problem. You should look it up on Amazon, its only a thin book so don't be put off ;)
    Credit card £4461.15Home mortgage £137117Buy to let mortgage £83,000
  • I am also very similar. Recently I read a great book "begin with yes" that has really helped me with this problem. You should look it up on Amazon, its only a thin book so don't be put off ;)



    Hi wantabetterlife,


    Did the book help with motivation?. Thinks that's what I lack.
    I get very annoyed with myself :mad:. I will look it up xxx
  • Morning


    Popped out this morning and bought four sacks of animal feed which should see my ducks & geese through February quite comfortably. It came to £31.84. I have managed to budget for this and I am glad I have managed to afford a months worth. I previously have been wasting a lot of fuel, having to drive to get 1 sack per week.

    Also popped into local food shop while I was out and spent £3.34 on a bag of chocs and a bottle of coke. I am spending some of my FUN money tonight, on an Orange Wednesday Cinema Trip, and thought I would smuggle my treats in, rather than either have nothing at all which is miserable or spend a ridiculous amount on popcorn and too much coke. Going to watch That Awkward Moment which looks really funny. Can't wait.

    I have lit the fire and not planning on going out again until school pick up, it's horrendous outside.:(

    Just re-done my Snowball calculator. Working out £800 per month to pay against debt, but now included my overdraft payments that I agreed with B#rclays. Got to get back within my authorised amount of £2500 within 6 months. Going to pay £150 per month.

    Debt free date is coming up with June 2016 :o. Looking like I will be nearly 41, rather than 40 by the time I am debt free, BUT, and this is a BIG BUT, I have decided that this is fine, because at the same time I am also putting away £15 per week to the following pots (Birthday, Christmas, Car & Emergencies), I also want to put any left over into the Bank Buffer pot to hopefully eventually get a month ahead of my bills.

    I think this will be the most sensible way of doing it. I could pile EVERY last penny into paying off the debt, but then when I get to Christmas or Birthdays I always end up broke and relying on Littlewoods catalogue for presents. And I have no clue what to do in the event of an emergency.

    At least doing it abit more steadily, I should hopefully be able to avoid adding any extra onto my debt, unlike my previous attempt at debt busting.


    Hope you are all in the warm and dry this morning xx
  • maddiemay
    maddiemay Posts: 5,139 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Motivation - I wish it was available on prescription:rotfl::rotfl:

    My get up and go went off somewhere and didn't come home:eek:

    I am starting the 15 minute thingy, where you choose one of the (many in my case) things that need doing and "do it" for 15 minutes, it really does work for me, and even if it needs more than that I can choose to continue or break it up into chunks.

    The other little trick is to see how much of something I can get done while the kettle boils, I am going to see how many of the cupboard doors I can wipe down NOW,

    See you later, keep warm and dry!

    MM xx
    The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. (Abraham Lincoln)
  • maddiemay wrote: »
    Motivation - I wish it was available on prescription:rotfl::rotfl:

    My get up and go went off somewhere and didn't come home:eek:

    I am starting the 15 minute thingy, where you choose one of the (many in my case) things that need doing and "do it" for 15 minutes, it really does work for me, and even if it needs more than that I can choose to continue or break it up into chunks.

    The other little trick is to see how much of something I can get done while the kettle boils, I am going to see how many of the cupboard doors I can wipe down NOW,

    See you later, keep warm and dry!

    MM xx


    Good idea MM, I often try and get the dishwasher emptied before the kettle boils ;).

    There are a million jobs I should be doing here, and hubby even jokes that I just roll around on the carpet all day :mad:.

    The house does stay in a general state of tidiness, I am not a complete slob, but there are a lot of extra jobs that need tackling which I can never seem to work up the enthusiasm for.

    Glad to hear I am not the only one that struggles.
    Hope you managed to get your cupboards wiped down xx
  • maddiemay
    maddiemay Posts: 5,139 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Whilst kettle boiled plus 15 minutes = 11 cupboards + D/W front:j

    Quick vac up of dog hairs in sitting room and hall, then get ready to go to knit and natter, the weather is foul, but it is my main social thing and don't really want to miss it. We have a lot of fun.

    I phoned a friend in Bridport earlier, although a mile inland, she had been woken at 4 am by the noise of the wind, lots of trees down and roads closed, so pleased we are tucked up here in the middle of the country. We have a couple of very big trees in our garden and I get a bit worried when it is windy:(
    The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. (Abraham Lincoln)
  • Well done for the wizz round MM, hope you have a fab time at your Knit and Natter, I am quite jealous.

    Bridport is about 30 minutes from us, its a lovely town isn't it. Must admit to not sleeping all that well last night because of the howling wind. Our children trampoline is on its sit in the hedge this morning, but thankfully not lost any more trees.

    Over the Christmas period we lost an ancient old Damson tree and a huge branch fell off our sycamore tree.

    Looking at my list I think I will get on an finish the two draught excluders. Seem to have lost my sewing mojo lately. think I burnt out over Christmas. I know that when I get back into it I will love it, but seem to not want to get started for some reason.

    Anyway speak later xxx
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