How will you celebrate being debt free? How do people stop from sliding back?

Vicky496

Thought about joining the make £10 a day challenge - but feel it's a bit of a cheat as I've already signed up to do exam board marking (been on a waiting list for yeeeears) and I've got a little bit of overtime...
Should make an extra £330 this month (though I don't know if I'll get paid that until the end of July).
If they pay me at the end of June there's a chance it'll be enough not to have to use my overdraft in July... meaning my debt free day would be earlier :j :T

I am going to keep track of my grocery spending in June though - I have not been keeping a close eye on that bit of my budget for quite a while now - might be able to shave it down a tad and save some more towards clearing the debt and saving for maternity (so I don't just go straight back in!).

Vicky496

I had forgotten all about my onepoll account... was lots of surveys there for me to do... made £2.75... pity I'm still so far off the £40 mark!

Vicky496

First day of the last half term prior to maternity leave! Absolutely exhausted...
Silly me forgot my packed lunch today... so had to spend £4 on buying lunch - I should have drunk water though rather than buying fanta.

I don't quite have the will power when I get tired to be that sensible!

Vicky496

Closed my loan officially this morning! It'll take 3-4 days to look £0 apparently, but it's been quicker than that when I've paid in before

Spent £8.29 on lunch with a friend yesterday and supermarket shop delivered today was £65.49.

I started ordering online for convienience at first a few years ago, but I find even though there's a delivery charge (£1) I end up spending less because I go through at the end and take out all the unnecessary things - means I end up spending a lot less!

I don't have a budget set for food for this month - just want to track what I'm spending really.

It's a nice feeling to have all my money/debt in one place (my current account). For the first time since I was about 18 I'll have a positive total amount of money when I get paid at the end of this month! Sadly I know I will be back in my overdraft after bills for 17 days in July, but by my July pay packet I'll be properly out of debt!!!

Still need to think of a way to celebrate on July 25th...

Calling14

I hope to be debt free by March 2015. I just feel it will be so nice to have at least 250.00 spare each month, roughly my minimum payments to my credit cards. Will think twice about spending now, been such a hard road so far. Would like a holiday, budgeted for of course. Spend a wee bit of money on myself, last haircut 8 mths ago, nails and a pamper session.

Would make such a difference to me, be able to relax and stop worrying about every last penny.

Vicky496

That's a good goal Calling44 - I haven't had a hair cut since I treated myself just before xmas!

It's really cheap to get a haircut at our local college, but I've never been brave enough.

I might suggest to OH that we have a holiday in UK this year before the baby comes. We went to Cornwall last year which was so lovely.

We're going to a wedding near Hemel Hampstead at the beginning of August, maybe we could save the cost of more travel if we stay a bit longer near there... not sure what there is to do in that area of the country.

Matilda80

Hi,

Congrats on the loan:T

Babies needn't cost the earth. Shop around for bargains and don't be put off by second hand. Also Ikea is great for bits. I know it isn't for everyone but if you can breastfeed it saves a fortune. I wish I'd used cloth nappies too.

Re the car. I've 2 children and we manage easily without a car. I'm on a very good bus route tho so that helps.

Matilda x

Vicky496

Thanks Matilda!

I did Ikea over Easter and got most stuff I thought we'd actually need. Have made a wishlist for the other things I think we'll need and have been crossing them off when I've thought we can actually do without.

Baby money saving thoughts...
Going to try using slings instead of buying a pram.
Going to try to breastfeed (as you say - much cheaper option and I'm hoping it'll help be get my weight right again!)
Going to wait to buy the stuff on my wishlist until I've got all the promised hand-me-downs and just see what's left.

I've been thinking about getting re-usable nappies - I've seen a sale where you can get a starter set of 5 Pop-in branded ones for £47. We're not on a water meter so it would make sense and these nappies dry fast apparently.
Also our bins (like most people now probably) are only collected fortnightly... who wants stinky nappies around for that long!

Do you know anyone who's tried the old terry cloths? I've seen them a LOT cheaper on the M'care site.

I'm thinking of trying a combination of the Pop-ins, terry cloths and some disposable nappies I think at first (I don't want to shell out for more than one set of pop-ins and then decide I can't be bothered).

How do you wash re-usables? Is it basically just that you put it on a hot wash or do you also have to buy special detergent?

Vicky496

Oooooooo! :j
Just had a bunch of money I'd lent paid back to me

:T Means my DFD will now be 25th June!!!!

Here's to the next pay day! :beer:

Also, I thought of a suitable celebration - I have £16.50 of clubcard vouchers some of which I'm going to swap for restaurant vouchers (worth 4 times as much!) and go out for a nice meal with OH
And some of which I'm going to spend in Tscos on a bottle of non alcoholic fizz.

:j

tootallulah

\Many, many congratulations on your brilliant progress, not long to go now! I don't have kids so no advice there, but if you get a car see if you can pay cash as a car loan plus the expense of running it is the killer cost.