SouthernGuy's Debt Free Journey

Calling14

The party animal has returned. It is difficult to say No if they are good friends.

I am hibernating all February well except for one night out at the end of the month when meeting couple of girls I worked when I was just 17. Bumped into them few times shopping so just meeting for meal/ few drinkies should be a good laugh.

You have done brilliantly in your debt busting I plan to relax my debt busting a bit when I get below 5k and have a holiday.

Set mini targets and reward yourself when you achieve them.

Keep going.

SouthernGuy

Thanks Calling,
Well, I actually didn't go out Saturday in the end as I woke up with a cold and feeling groggy so decided it was best not to go (yes, I used it as a bit of an excuse). I continued to feel pretty rough all weekend but at least it was low spend.

This week I need to buy a card ready for valentines day next Sat. I already have the gift because I took advantage of the AllBoxedUp offer in Martins weekly email a couple of weeks back. I've had an email about it today saying that it's been shipped which is good.

Pay day feels so far away at the moment and I'm desperate to make a payment to the CC for a boost. I've had a look though and making a payment would be silly at the moment as the funds are very low.

In other news the Sainsburys £125 giftcard came through on Saturday from BT so that's a big help, just awaiting the £200 cashback now and that should boost the joint account a little.

lcc86

Just read your diary, some aspects are similar to mine - decided to buy a new car after landing my dream (now nightmare) job as I thought it made more sense, now I'm skint and unable to make overpayments! Trying to take inspiration from your diary and get back on it, will subscribe!

SouthernGuy

Hi lcc86,

Thanks for taking the time to read my diary and for subscribing.

I do love my new car but I am very conscious to the fact that if I hadn't of given in and bought the blinkin thing I would now be very close to being debt free which is annoying.

I've just read your diary and have subscribed, hopefully we can take inspiration from each other

We will get there!

SouthernGuy

Ahhh, here we are again, my favourite time of the week.

It's quite wet and gloomy outside so I have just lit a nice fire in the fireplace and am now getting ready to chillout for the evening.

With various DD payments that have left my account I now currently have £50 to last me 11 days until payday. something tells me there is a good chance I may have to borrow some funds from the joint account. I will avoid it if possible but I will probably need a tank of fuel before payday.

SouthernGuy

Morning all,

I haven't been on the forum for a few days so thought I'd catchup whilst I have my morning cup of tea.

Money wise.... Ok I admit I haven't been particularly brilliant this week and probably won't be next week either...

I have in total borrowed £150 from the joint account until pay day (Tuesday). This was spent on fuel and other necessities as well as some unnecessary spending.
I was off work yesterday as I had booked annual leave to go to Brighton ModelWorld show which I try to attend most years. It was great and I managed to pay just for entry, food, and travel (total was about £35).

After the show I was a bit naughty. I visited the Lego store and purchased the Ghostbusters Ecto 1 limited edition kit that I've wanted since its release. It cost me £44.99. I'm home alone this weekend so it will give me something to do tonight with a beer and a lit fire in the fireplace I have wanted it for a while and I missed out on the last limited edition kit (Back to the future) because I kept leaving it. Now if I want it I'll have to pay more than original retail price.
I currently have £21 left in my account and a crisp £20 in my wallet also to last me until Tuesday.

I am due £49 extra in my Tuesday pay check for expenses claimed from work (if they actually remember to include it, I won't hold my breath) so that will cover the Ghostbusters Lego purchase.

Ok now, about how I potentially won't be very brilliant with money next week... As regular readers of my diary know, I have a hobby/interest with model railways (yes, I'm a geek! haha).

Basically I have been unable to do any actual modelling (or even just run trains) since deciding to move house in June 2013 due to dismantling the old layout in preparation to move.
The idea is to put a nice workshop in our large garden to have solely as my modelling workshop. But as you all know, this costs a lot of money and various things need doing before that. (new fence, new guttering and chimney work, concrete base, etc).

Therefore the idea is to buy a smallish second hand ready made layout to allow me to run trains and do a bit of modelling in the small bedroom until I can get the workshop. This has been agreed by Mrs SouthernGuy as she agrees that it's pointless having all the locos etc if I can't do anything with them...

I have seen one for sale which would be ideal and comes with some additional locos that I have already got. That means I can sell them to recoup some of the cost of purchasing the layout. I'm currently just thinking of the logistics of collecting it and am keeping an eye on it (it's on an auction site). This would obviously mean less was paid off the debt but would also mean I can actually persue with my hobby in the evenings etc. Without it realistically I think it will be possibly another year before I can actually run trains in my workshop.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to fully update on my spending plans, I know this isn't a very DFW post but sometimes you have to live, right?! I won't be adding to the debt, I just won't be paying it down as quick.

SouthernGuy

On a slightly positive note, I've just spent the morning digging out what remains of my old oo gauge model railway collection and have listed it for sale so hopefully that will bring some money my way

lcc86

Hi SouthernGuy,

Sounds like you would get on well with my dad, he has the workshop in the garden for his layout (a retirement gift to himself ).

I totally agree with you in terms of having to live sometimes and having a hobby, plus at least when you're skint you'll have something you enjoy to take your mind off it!

Calling14

Well Geeky lot of spending there. Hey ho only live once and we all need a hobby/interest. If it gives you pleasure go for it.

Your Lego sounds amazing, grandson only on a police station at moment. Why has he not got Back to the Future and Ghostbuster stuff. Gutted!

SouthernGuy

Hi all,

Yes lcc86 it does sound like I'd get on with your dad haha. For a 31 year old I'm a bit of a geek, I work in IT as well so am a proper stereotype haha.

Calling, the Ghostbusters set is great, you even get the actual ghostbusters in minifigure form haha.

Well I got paid on Tuesday thank goodness so I repaid the joint account what I had borrowed.

Sadly I didn't win the auction for the model railway layout so will keep a lookout to see what else comes up. In the meantime that's good for the finances
I've just paid £50 off the CC bringing the balance to £4300 and then tomorrow the DD for £150 should get paid too

I've had to pay £90 out towards a stag do I'm going on later in the year but other than that my balance is looking rather healthy at the moment.

Annoyingly I scuffed an alloy on my car this week, I'm going to see what it looks like after I've got the car washed but I will probably end up paying for a repair at some point, so annoying

I'm looking forward to the weekend now, just one more working day left this week :T