* Breaking The Habit.... Hopefully.

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  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    So... post number two: The non-Budgetty Stuff.

    * Debt Free Day = 12.12.14!!

    * Budgets = See Above.

    * 15 Spend Free Days.

    * Quiet Reflection Time (I do this every work day anyways as I reflect on what has happened and what I will do differently).

    * Make Money - probably will do more surveys.

    * Learn Something New - not sure yet. maybe a language.

    * Food Bank Donations - consider it done.

    * Exercise 5 Times A Week - need to lose weight so will use this as an incentive.

    * Weekly Challenge - can't remember what it is but will my best.

    * Fruit n Veg Challenge - probably not going to happen. I don't eat five fruit and veg a month, let alone in a day so I doubt I will achieve this one.

    Feeling really positive for this month. Just hoping OH remembers he was going to pay for half the holiday so I can put it towards my credit card (used it to pay the deposit for the accommodation).
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    Got a bit of a conundrum and not sure the best way to solve it... I am wanting to put in a driveway (having some problems with my neighbours), however after gaining planning permission, we have now found out the cost is going to be double what we expected (£2000). My dad has offered to loan me the money to pay for it but it's £2000.

    I really want the driveway so that I can feel more comfortable at home but I don't want to sink further into debt.

    I cheekily asked if he would delay starting the payments until I had finished paying off the credit card but he wasn't keen to do that. (He is saving for his retirement next year).

    Anyways, promised this thread would be positive so here is the positive bit... I have lost my budget account card!!
    :rotfl:

    As a result, I have had a grand total of £100 plus smush to spend. £60 into the shopping budget, £30 into our xmas pot and £10 for my luxury spends. The smush equalled about £4 as I used it to top up my luxury spending amount.
    However, it means my £400 remains intact in my account. I know I need £40 for petrol but apart from that, the money is not set for anything. Hoping to put £300 to my credit card from that alone.
    :grin:

    Soooooooooooooo... not sure how to proceed. I am beginning to get annoyed at the limitations that having my LBM has brought on. I want to go on holiday but I need to pay off the credit card.
    One positive, is that I no longer spend my whole £400 before the 15th of the month which means I could easily save for a holiday... if I didn't have the debt.

    I wonder if other people get this slump thing. I am kinda hoping so (which sounds really selfish and negative).
    So holiday abroad in April is out. But we have a National Trust for Scotland pass and there seems to be a heap of stuff near Stirling so I think we might take the bongo down there instead. Either that or head to the Western Isles for a spot of wild camping.
    I do love the bongo and it is always a blast travelling around Scotland so it would be a lovely trip.
    :)

    Anyways... a lovely big long story tonight with some highs and lows but a fair bit of pondering. Still not sure what to do. I just want to get rid of this debt. Perhaps, I need to start taking it more seriously than I have been. I have spent a year trying to get rid of this debt yet I have still used my credit card and not really paid any of it off. Hmmm, quite a lot of growing up to do I think.

    Don't worry, this may sound very disheartening but it is just me trying to think my way round everything. It's kind of my way of dealing with stuff.

    I wonder if you can have light bulb moments after your main light bulb moment 'cause I think I just have.

    Hugs to everyone.
    :happyhear
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    Two posts in one night... wow.

    So, having read my post back, I thought I should maybe try and explain why I am frustrated.

    Obviously, I enjoy travelling. Not quite as extravagant as Kat (I don't mean that in a bad way, I just mean that I could never leave home for months at a time), but just wee weekends away exploring other cities.
    The old me would have picked a place (any place that interested me) and put it on the credit card without even thinking, the new me is spending all evening thinking about credit cards, the existing debt and the 18.9% interest.
    :eek:

    I am thinking about changing credit cards to the tescimo one... would the company I am with just now charge me for leaving?? You know like mortgages have early redemption charges??
    :undecided

    Anyways... need to have a big long think about my debt-free date cause December is just not going to happen. Will probably need to change it. Stupid as I have had over a year to clear it so December was a completely do-able DFD.
    Will need to think about the plan and come up with a plan of action. Can't go back to being the way I was, getting further and further into debt but at the same time, can't keep slowly plodding on waiting for some miracle to land in my lap.

    Time to get realistic and do some maths. Really wish they had done finance training when I was in school.
    :think:
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
  • tootallulah
    tootallulah Posts: 2,197 Forumite
    Hi Stewby you are making good progress. Re the slump, I think everyone gets those the difference is that in the past you/me/we would have ignored the debt and spent more when you are determined to be debt free you just have to ignore the temptation. Is there any chance of getting your debt transferred to a 0)% card it would make such a difference in getting it paid off. And here is some tough stuff. I needed desperately a new drive, and garden terrace at a cost of £7k. It took me six years to save for it because I love holidays and time with friends which I wouldn't sacrifice for the drive so I lived with it. Got it done at last this year. You could give yourself a target like debt free and £1k saved by June and then get your drive done. June will be here quickly.
  • Everyone slumps. It's a long haul journey and we all have bad days. Re the drive, how long will the planning permission hold?
    Mortgage at 01.01.14 £119,481.83:eek: today £0 Emergency fund £5.5/5.5k & £200/200 cash.:jWeight 24/02/19 14st 7lb now 11st 9lb determined to stop defining myself by my mistakes. Progress not perfection.:T100%through my 1% mortgage challenge. 30.15% through my pb challenge.
  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    Sorry about the delay in getting back on here... work was mentally tiring so my brain has not really been working at all afterwards. So I apologise if you have been waiting around for a response.
    :embarasse

    My dad isn't sure when the planning permission runs out but he is quite keen I get the work done before winter in case the price goes up any further.
    So, he has offered to pay for it just now (£1900) and then I can pay him back at £100 a month.
    He doesn't want to leave it until June as he is retiring then and wants all his "ducks in a row". which is only fair really. I am very lucky that my parents are in the position where they can help me.

    So... in other news: I have a new debt free date which I must stick to... 12th April 2015.
    From May 2015, I am planning to start saving for the wedding. Spoke with the OH and from April, he will start paying £250 instead of £200 each month and that will go straight into the wedding fund. I am also planning on putting £250 a month into the account. So £500 a month from April.
    Which means I have 6 months to clear this credit card. Might be a bit tight but I am going to try my hardest.

    Plan is to try and pay at least £500 a month to the credit card although I am hoping for more.
    It's doable!! I just need to be positive!!
    :D
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    So I did it. I have changed my credit card to the tescimos one with 0% balance transfers and 0% for 10 months. So it cost me nothing to swap and I will save over £200 in the long run.
    :D

    It also means that my dad is now "debt-free" which makes me feel a bit better too.
    :)

    So... a little bit of fantastic news... I have completed paying back my parents. Hooray!!
    :j

    I have decided to go for the driveway. I know that I should be sensible and wait until I have saved towards it but my neighbours are causing me a lot of stress and this will alleviate a lot of it (until they find something else to complain about anyways).
    :doh:

    Right, so where does that leave me??
    * £3480 in debt but on a 0% card so all money goes towards the debt and none towards the interest.
    * £1900 from bank of mum-and-dad which will get paid off at £100 a month. This is for the driveway.
    * A budget account of £400 each month which I will need to save in order to pay for incoming car bills (November is a steep month in car-land).
    So all in all, I am not in that much of a horrendous position.
    :)

    New Debt Free Date: 12.04.15!!
    :D
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
  • Debt free with a nice drive and lots of lovely tesco points.
    Mortgage at 01.01.14 £119,481.83:eek: today £0 Emergency fund £5.5/5.5k & £200/200 cash.:jWeight 24/02/19 14st 7lb now 11st 9lb determined to stop defining myself by my mistakes. Progress not perfection.:T100%through my 1% mortgage challenge. 30.15% through my pb challenge.
  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    Feeling really good about the debt today. I finally feel like I have it under control and have a clear plan on what I want to do.
    :j

    So today is a good day in relation to my debt... so good infact that I decided to go back on to my diet and weighed myself this morning.

    Weight is awful. 217lbs in total and I want to be 147... that's 70lbs I wish to lose. I know it sounds stupid but 70lbs sounds easier than 5stone (I know it is the same amount).
    :(

    OH is having some problems trying to get an airline job. It's the same with everywhere nowadays. They want experience but how can a new person get experience if no-one gives them a chance!!
    :wall:

    I am still feeling guilty for taking the driveway but I feel like I need it. I have been looking at houses and we can't afford to move. Besides it seems stupid to move just cause of one neighbour. According to my other neighbours (who don't hate me despite what this neighbour said), they are not very nice to them either. The joke of it is that they are moaning at me for my cars (we have one each but OH works in the city whilst I work in the village so we need the two cars) yet they have more cars than me. Anyways, I promised this diary would be positive so....
    :embarasse

    Thanks for the reponse in need of direction, I am very grateful. Makes me feel less crazy when someone replies.
    :p
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
  • stewby
    stewby Posts: 1,206
    Combo Breaker First Post Debt-free and Proud!
    Forumite
    Had fantastic news last night... there is a new company come on the go and they are quoting me £1200 for my driveway. That is like £700 less than what we were going to pay. Absolutely thrilled.
    :j

    I was a bit cheeky and due to work giving me problems, I have put in for two hours that I have worked extra. Won't be a heap of money but it makes me feel a wee bitty better.
    :o

    Credit card is now sorted and I now owe £3840 to tescimos. However it is 0% for ten months so feeling much better about paying it all off.
    :D

    Need to save for several things but hoping to do this over the next three months using my budget account (£400).
    * Alton Towers
    we are meeting up with friends for the weekend and taking my niece to alton towers as a treat.
    * London.
    we are heading to london in October to see the really pretty poppies.
    * Car month.
    November is evil as it involves sorting out the MOT, service, etc and I need two new tyres.

    So that is the plan... keeping my fingers crossed I can avoid the debt dip. Positivity is key.
    :p
    Mortgage: £0/£80,329.91
    Savings: £0/£6400
    :love:
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