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

Vicky496

Starting to try to make amends for yesterday...

Had a NSD today

Planning to take the whole £89 for the phone out of my £1100 budget for the month. It'll be manageable and will teach me a bit of a lesson hopefully.

October £10 a day challenge
Will still sell my old phone, but will count that towards October's make £10 a day challenge instead. Might get anything from £58 to £69 on it... but need to find the charger for it first.

Reckon what with that and the other vouchers, savings, refunds... need to think of a way of making about another £150 pounds to hit the £10 a day target for October. Bit tricky as I'll be dealing with a new born soon!

Probably the only way to do that is to sell some stuff. I might have to accept that I may not make the target this month as I just don't know when I'll be able to do that - I can't guarantee being able to get to a post office to send the sold items. At least I can continue to put things aside ready to sell. You never know I might do it somehow!

Vicky496

NSD today

Feeling back on track.

Vicky496

Another NSD today... bit worried though as it's because I've not been getting out of the house. Need to make the effort and go out and do something productive tomorrow. I can see how people slip into ante/post natal depression... I feel really unproductive

Stuff I accomplished today...
Made cheese scones (all gone already!!)
Emptied waste paper baskets
Did lots and lots of washing up

I might do a bit of tidying/clear out stuff this evening so I feel like I've done something more.

Vicky496

Today will not be a NSD
But I am going to get out of the house, meet a friend for coffee, hopefully get free parking by going into town after typical lunch time, and buy some top up basic groceries using gift vouchers...

So in theory I should have saved more than I spent by the end of the day at least.

Vicky496

Spends:
£6.48 on lunch
1p in a charity pot

Saves:
£19.18 from using a M&S gift voucher for some groceries and a multi-buy saving.

Vicky496

Not sure how today will end up looking money wise... going to aim for a NSD, but don't know if I'm meeting a friend for coffee at hers or in town yet.

Just read a really interesting article about Parenting without spending money: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/10211090/Successful-parenting-without-spending-money-a-mothers-story.html

I dread to think how much money we've thrown at preparing for the baby over the last 9 months... most of it while I was still in debt!

Not sure you could follow her principles completely for a newborn though - car seats for example... are a legal requirement... and are potentially useless or worse if bought second hand.

On the other hand there is an awful lot of stuff we have that I was given or passed on to me... moses basket, crib, stacks and stacks of clothes (though we still bought some for the fun of it), breast pump, some toys, and there's more stuff I can't remember right now.

But on the other other hand there's an awful lot of stuff we spent money on/got new (sometimes free actually with clubcard points for example, but mostly not!)... bouncer, disposable and reusable nappies, toiletries (cotton wool, baby medicine, baby sized nail clippers/brush etc etc!), baby wipes, changing mat, cot (for when it's older), high chair & baby bowls and cutlery, toys, books, buggy, car seat, steriliser, baby bath, thermometers, monitor, birth ball, hypnotherapy birthing CDs, tens machine, private antenatal classes, decorative stuff (cushions etc!), sun shades, baby carrier, clothes, the list goes on!
This all must be hundreds of pounds... in fact a conservative estimate I've just totted up is around £900! :eek:

I think I'm going to have to take a really hard look in future about what a baby/child actually needs.

I have to seriously re-think my previous(?) attitude if I want my child to grow up with a better grasp of how to handle money. I don't want them to repeat my mistakes.

Edit: Found the original blog. Here are her rules: http://www.freeourkids.co.uk/the-rules/

Vicky496

Oo £5 from Hfax to add to my savings and towards my make £10 a day challenge

Oh, and £1.29 in boots using only points... so will add that to my £10 a day challenge too.

Just had an email saying my Oyster card refund is going through so should have a cheque for that soon.

Vicky496

Not much to report... Friday, Saturday and today were all NSDs.
Put £3.54 into my VSP today.
Oyster sent me an email saying a cheque was in the post, should arrive in the next week (hopefully for the full £20.10!).

Vicky496

OMG 5 more NSDs in a row

AM ON A ROLL!!!

(Until the grocery shop I have planned for Sunday... maybe I can make it one more day with no spends tomorrow though first )

Vicky496

Long time no post!
Had baby :j

Had a LOT of NSDs (including today so far!)... mostly because I was in hospital and then after that people bought food and other things over and then I was just too tired to go out shopping and too busy to online shop!

LOVE my DD Sooooo much it's unbelievable!!! And she is definitely the prettiest baby I've ever seen

Saved £9.64 and £12 on grocery shopping through multibuys and vouchers. Used the MrT voucher thread - £12 off for existing customers was brilliant.
Also got free tea and cake £1.90 and £3.50 in JLewis

So that's £27.04 to add to my make £10 a day challenge... think I'm going to miss the target, but trying is better than not!

Now I'm off to NAP