pickle me's diary

eco_farmer

well done pickle great to see you are still on track to mean your summer deadline. perhaps that will be the time to up the mortgage DD to use some of the "free cash" you will have?. I'm sure you have used the snowball calculator to see how much the overpayments would save you in interest. it can get quite addictive! happy new year.
eco

pickle_me

Thanks eco farmer I think we will increase the mortgage dd a little - the big plan going forwards will be to save £10k per year in mid- to long-term savings (to put towards in no particular order the mortgage, my husband's student loan and a family holiday to Disneyworld :cool: ) but paying a little extra each month won't hurt, and if it's by direct debit we won't even notice it.

Better save my November signature before updating to December and then January in quick succession, whoops ...

November 2014: £0 :j / £2540 / £2960 Total £5500

So inevitably I've been reflecting over the last year, and 2014 for me has been all about debt-busting and really learning about money: the value of it, how to save it, how to make the most of it. I've learnt that I can manage our finances and that I actually enjoy it :eek: I'm amazed how our attitude to money has changed get, how much we've learnt and how many of our new habits have become totally ingrained. Our money goes so much further than it used to and we really aren't depriving ourselves of anything.

I'm so glad I started this diary - looking back at my first few entries reminds me how grey and miserable it felt holding on tightly to every last penny. Now we're looking ahead to 2015 and the uncharted territory of being both debt-free and money-savvy - and I know I have more to learn. I'm looking forward to it!

NHS_worker_bee

Great work, pickle me. How encouraging to be able to say that you will be debt free this year

pickle_me

Thanks bee! It really feels like we're on the home stretch now and it's great.

So December's signature:

December 2014: £0 :j / £2490 / £2910 Total £5400

Now we're under £5k :j And CC2 is under £2k :j

I didn't exactly avoid the sales altogether but I only bought one top, at £22, which I don't think is breaking the bank

pickle_me

Look at all those little jumping men :rotfl: There are going to be a lot of little jumping men by the time I'm finished

pickle_me

You know what though? While I am relaxed about our debt because I know we're only a few months away from paying it off, we are totally committed and we've paid a load off already ... seeing the total £4500 in bold like that, it's still a lot of money and it's still too much.

NHS_worker_bee

That's exactly how I feel (I've paid some off, but it's still a lot of money owed) but that is why we are on this debt free journey, and you're doing great, I look forward to next month's signature :-D

Magsnoodle

pickle_me wrote: »

You know what though? While I am relaxed about our debt because I know we're only a few months away from paying it off, we are totally committed and we've paid a load off already ... seeing the total £4500 in bold like that, it's still a lot of money and it's still too much.

Hi Pickle Me,

I suppose the thing is to continue the intensity as you have been, as there is a possibility at this stage in the game that you might lose a bit of momentum. Keep posting on here and you will continue to make the brilliant inroads into this debt that you have been.

Well done and come on you can do this....

TTFN xx

pickle_me

Thanks Bee, and Magsnoodle

Definitely no losing momentum here, Mags - we got our statement for CC2 through today and my husband said he's itching to make the next payment :rotfl: We're so close to the end now there's no way we're deviating.

(Barring major unforeseen disaster - touch wood ... )

pickle_me

Letter through the post today from CC2 increasing my husband's credit limit from £3,300 to £8,500

An increase of £5k - which he didn't request - all because he's started to pay down the balance and they're afraid of losing him. Almost tripling the limit :mad:

And a letter through from CC1 pointing out all the benefits of using the card *rolling my eyes*

Still, it's nice to know we're doing something right - the more debt we pay off, the more begging letters we get. They can go whistle, we're never using credit again