Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

mizmir

Those things in your purse are brilliant. I have them on my phone but the purse is more immediate when you are tempted to spend. But I would need a bigger purse (mine is tiny!). Maybe I just need a note saying "Before you buy that check your phone!" :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

maddiemay

Some amazing motivators on your list and great carrying it with you.

I think I should add a post it note to my debit card asking "Do I Need This" or "Can this Wait"

Although we had some very tight times when younger, I am fortunate in that OH and I are OK financially nowadays and can afford all the necessities and some of the luxuries too, but it has not always been so, and I was raised in a poor but very happy country family, the good thing was that the majority of people that we knew were the same. It is only when talking with my Mum in recent years that I realised how tight it was for her and Dad bringing up 5 of us! Being in the country meant that we had big gardens and most of the Dads worked hard at growing fruit and veggies.

I guess that I would describe myself as being extremely frugal in lots of ways:money: and very extravagant in others:o

Lots of rain earlier, with spells of snow, but sun out now, need to shift myself and walk into town for some salad and veg, a helping of fresh air and exercise. Lots of worrying flooding in my county, but thankfully not here. Stay safe everyone.:D

debtfreewannabe321

I love the list of things in your purse! I should make one too :think:

P.s well done for nearly completing the feb mini-goal :T we're not even half way through yet so that is great

Anyway I best get off I was supposed to be hanging out the washing and walking the dog. I've hibernated next to the radiator with MSE instead

StressedSteph

mizmir wrote: »

Those things in your purse are brilliant. I have them on my phone but the purse is more immediate when you are tempted to spend. But I would need a bigger purse (mine is tiny!). Maybe I just need a note saying "Before you buy that check your phone!" :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Morning Miz, Maybe you need a post-it-note stuck on your debit card.:). Anything that will work xxx

maddiemay wrote: »

Some amazing motivators on your list and great carrying it with you.

I think I should add a post it note to my debit card asking "Do I Need This" or "Can this Wait"

Although we had some very tight times when younger, I am fortunate in that OH and I are OK financially nowadays and can afford all the necessities and some of the luxuries too, but it has not always been so, and I was raised in a poor but very happy country family, the good thing was that the majority of people that we knew were the same. It is only when talking with my Mum in recent years that I realised how tight it was for her and Dad bringing up 5 of us! Being in the country meant that we had big gardens and most of the Dads worked hard at growing fruit and veggies.

I guess that I would describe myself as being extremely frugal in lots of ways:money: and very extravagant in others:o

Lots of rain earlier, with spells of snow, but sun out now, need to shift myself and walk into town for some salad and veg, a helping of fresh air and exercise. Lots of worrying flooding in my county, but thankfully not here. Stay safe everyone.:D

Its so good that your hubby is frugal with money, it really helps. I planned to sit down with hubby and explain YNAB to him and show him whats happening in the coming month with money etc, but he just doesn't seem interested, and I think his dis-interest has played a part in our debt problems. Its never a good idea to have the impulsive spender being completely in charge of the family finances

Oh well, I am doing my best now, better late than never,

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

I love the list of things in your purse! I should make one too :think:

P.s well done for nearly completing the feb mini-goal :T we're not even half way through yet so that is great

Anyway I best get off I was supposed to be hanging out the washing and walking the dog. I've hibernated next to the radiator with MSE instead

Hi DFW
Nearly achieving the Feb mini goal feels good, and that's exactly why I set it. I need quick moving, easily achieved motivators to keep me going.
Not sure what to do for March, Tempted to say get under the 18k mark, but not sure how easy that will be. Will wait and see how much I get under the 19k target as will definitely get quite a way under it. If any of this makes sense??

StressedSteph

Morning Diary,


Woke up with a stinking cold this morning, boo hoo.


Have had a fruitful morning though. I have switched our Electricity supply, only saving a meagre £5 per month, but better in my pocket. Have also just called SKY to see if I could shave anything off our package. Currently pay £49 pm for Entertainment and Sports package (Hubby will not be parted from it:mad:) . I would happily survive on Freeview, and this is a bone of contention between hubby and I and we are at a stalemate. So......I begged the woman if there were any discounts etc and she has knocked £5.50 off the Sports Package for 6 months.
£5.50 better off in my pocket than SKY's I suppose.


Best friend has cancelled Cinema trip planned for tonight . the viewing is quite late at 8.10pm and she works early in the morning, so going to go next week when she has Thursday off.


Abit puzzled really because I now have £41 saved up in my FUN money pot. NEVER had spare money just for me, and not sure what to do about it. Part of me feels that if I don't need it, maybe I should pay it off a credit card. But then another part of me thinks that I haven't hardly got any clothes so maybe I should buy an item of clothes.


On the clothing point, Poor dd barely has any shoes. She has school boots, but shoes for home, she has none. She is currently wearing ds hand me down trainers. I had promised her we would go and buy her some home shoes during half term so imagine my FUN money will go towards that.


Will inspect YNAB to see if I can spare the money from anywhere else. Resisting using Littlewoods catalogue, Children Shoes are super expensive and terrible quality. I must use available cash not credit :mad:. Hard to break habits of a lifetime.

debtfreewannabe321

Do you have an a$da or t3sco near you? I sometimes get the kids shoes in there, they are usually around a tenner and depending on how hard the kids are on shoes they last quite a while. My DS2 is really heavy on his feet so I always get clarks as they def last longer in my opinion. He started school in September and his shoes are still going strong. I bought them for less than a tenner on e3ay. I took him to the local clarks and asked them to measure all the kids and then told them I would be back a week later when we were paid :rotfl: of course I went straight home and searched on line for a cheaper pair DD I got from FB selling page for a fiver and DS2 from fleabay :T both cost around £12 together and were practically new! Perhaps that could be an option . I already have the next size up for ds2 ready in his cupboard someone was giving them away free :eek: I snapped those up as quick as you like :rotfl: and again are clarks and hardly worn!

Do you have money for half term put aside? Perhaps you could use your fun money for a day or two out with the kids? My pocket money always goes on the kids, which is why I rarely buy anything for myself but always seem to go through all the pocket money anyway lol

StressedSteph

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

Do you have an a$da or t3sco near you? I sometimes get the kids shoes in there, they are usually around a tenner and depending on how hard the kids are on shoes they last quite a while. My DS2 is really heavy on his feet so I always get clarks as they def last longer in my opinion. He started school in September and his shoes are still going strong. I bought them for less than a tenner on e3ay. I took him to the local clarks and asked them to measure all the kids and then told them I would be back a week later when we were paid :rotfl: of course I went straight home and searched on line for a cheaper pair DD I got from FB selling page for a fiver and DS2 from fleabay :T both cost around £12 together and were practically new! Perhaps that could be an option . I already have the next size up for ds2 ready in his cupboard someone was giving them away free :eek: I snapped those up as quick as you like :rotfl: and again are clarks and hardly worn!

Do you have money for half term put aside? Perhaps you could use your fun money for a day or two out with the kids? My pocket money always goes on the kids, which is why I rarely buy anything for myself but always seem to go through all the pocket money anyway lol

Hi DFW


Good ideas there on the childrens shoes. Love the idea of getting their feet measured, then going to Fleabay. We have a Brantano's quite near which tends to be cheap. Might try there as well.


Really annoyed about Dd's school boots. I few weeks ago I decided to get dd some fur trimmed winter boots because her little school shoes are not much protection from winter cold winds etc. I naughtily went online to Littlewoods and ordered a pair which looked nice and cost £32. Anyway fast forward two weeks and the fake rubbish leather has peeled off both toes and they look a mess :mad:. Dd isn't usually tough on her shoes and out grows them way before they look scruffy.


Just another example how buying on the catalogue is an expensive way of living. Another debt cycle I had gotten myself into.
I plan to break that cycle now, buy budgeting for shoes and physically shopping around for them.


The only money I have for half term is cinema tickets, although having a boy & a girl is sometimes tricky. Ds wants to see the new Lego movie, but dd reckons it is a boys movie :undecided.


Thanks for your reply, It's gotten my brain working on solutions xx

debtfreewannabe321

If she's only had 2 weeks worth out of the boots I would be calling littlewoods customer services and sending them back for a refund! My DD cheapy boots have just broken from a$da but she's worn them every day for a few months now (even off school) i'm hoping some superglue will hold them back together though as it's just become a little loose at the back.

I've got a teen, a girl and a smaller boy and trips to the cinema are a nightmare! Every single one of them wants different films. So generally I tend to choose, buy tickets and say we're off to the cinema and this is all that is showing at the time we can go . I really want to watch the lego movie myself and told DD that there are plenty of girl superheroes in it and she's quite keen now so all good so far xx

StressedSteph

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

If she's only had 2 weeks worth out of the boots I would be calling littlewoods customer services and sending them back for a refund! My DD cheapy boots have just broken from a$da but she's worn them every day for a few months now (even off school) i'm hoping some superglue will hold them back together though as it's just become a little loose at the back.

I've got a teen, a girl and a smaller boy and trips to the cinema are a nightmare! Every single one of them wants different films. So generally I tend to choose, buy tickets and say we're off to the cinema and this is all that is showing at the time we can go . I really want to watch the lego movie myself and told DD that there are plenty of girl superheroes in it and she's quite keen now so all good so far xx

Thanks DFW,


Will double check the delivery date of DD boots, sure it is only about two weeks. Might be worth a call to Littlewoods


Good idea about the Lego movie. Will tell Dd there are lots of girl superheroes, see if I can talk her round. Kids!!!

StressedSteph

Just had to post this to show you my latest Frugal money saver.

Really love my old pair of gardening jeans, but a few weeks ago both knees ripped .

I left them in my wash basket, not really facing throwing them out. I am getting to the point where a lot of my clothes are ripping and breaking, but I have no budget to buy more.

So yesterday I decided, that there is no shame in gardening in patched jeans, so I sewed on some blue floral patches.
Now I love them, and can't wait to get out into the garden and test them out. Not today though, weather is horrendous.

Ps. The old me would have thrown then out and started wearing a decent pair of jeans for gardening. Which would then make me go out and buy another pair for best.
Cost avoided :T