Our Journey to a Debt Free 2016

PinkPoppies

Yep, I'm the same Igamogam, don't really count it. I think the fact it fluctuates quite a bit each month and through the month makes it tricky to add into debt totals too.

Have now realised that we don't actually pay fees on the first £1k of the overdraft, but once we go over that we pay steep rates on the full whack. So, we have been totally shooting ourselves in the foot by transferring money out of that account to 'keep safe' in our joint account :doh: Oh well, easily remedied but will make keeping track of our spending more of a hassle (I'm a simple minded girl!).

Another £60 off the CC yesterday...

Going to make some homemade tapas type things this evening to nibble on in front of X-Factor. Going to spread the weekly Lidl shop over two visits today make the most of the weekend voucher! :cool:

PinkPoppies

Urgh, what miserable weather- it's vile out there!

Bit more transferred over to the CC since my last post.

Big batch of chilli bulked out with lentils and onions on the cards for tonight, should warm us all up!

Can hardly believe that we are nearly halfway through October already, this year is whizzing by! Every month is another step closer to our DFD but I'm starting to get twitchy about Christmas. We aren't planning anything fancy but it will definitely slow down our progress a bit in December. A bit of extra spending isn't the end of the world and we won't need to get further into debt to it, it just means less off CC... and when we have been sooooo focused I feel like I don't really want to put the brakes on! Perhaps I can get some extra work in over the next couple of months.

Celticmiss

Hi Pink.feeling the same about Christmas but it will be ok just a bump that will put a little bit more time on journey.xx

PinkPoppies

We will just have to make sure we enjoy the bump won't we!

Not much to report here today. Going to put a whole chicken in the slow cooker to have this evening I think...

PinkPoppies

Didn't get round to the chicken slow cooker thing yesterday so we had pasta instead. Good job we all love pasta so much- super cheap and easy!

The whole chicken has been bubbling away in the slow cooker today though! I chopped a very ropey looking old lemon into chunks and chucked it in, along with some onions, garlic, and thyme from the garden. Smells fantastic!

Had a good de-clutter today and threw away a big bin liner full of toys and junk. No financial benefit but cathartic nonetheless!

Spent a lot of time staring at my spreadsheet today... on the one hand the situation feels so depressingly long-term all of a sudden but on the other, the amounts are coming down month by month.

Need to keep reminding myself that if we keep going at the rate we are going we will:

• Get under £32k within the week.
• Get under £30k at some point in December (or maybe January, depending on Christmas impact).
• Be left with only £13k of debt this time next year.

Now, I know that £13k is a LOT of money, and more debt than a lot of people on DFW are faced with from the start- but it looks like such a tiny number compared to our starting point, and that makes me smile Months seem to be flying by and I know deep down that the next year will whizz by before we know it.

Focusing extra hard on being frugal for the rest of this month as I don't think the payments I was expecting for the work I have done are going to come through before November. Think we might go for a big grocery shop at the weekend and try to make it last until the end of the month. Aiming to have a 'cupboard/freezer' week on the last week of each month.

Igamogam

PinkPoppies wrote: »

• Get under £32k within the week.
• Get under £30k at some point in December (or maybe January, depending on Christmas impact).
• Be left with only £13k of debt this time next year.

Now, I know that £13k is a LOT of money, and more debt than a lot of people on DFW are faced with from the start- but it looks like such a tiny number compared to our starting point, and that makes me smile

Exactly - this time next year more than half your debt gone! Amazing!! Keep going:D

PinkPoppies

Thanks Igamogam!

DH and I were chatting about it this evening and both agreed that actually, our quality of life now is no different to what it was before, not really. When you consider the things we have given up... they aren't really things that add proper value to life?

It's hard work being so focused but when we look at where we want to be in 5-10 years time (nice family home, overpaying the mortgage) the debt is just the tip of the iceberg. Makes me wonder how anyone can afford lots of foreign holidays and the latest technology? All of a sudden life feels so short! We are in our mid-thirties and I wish our LBM had come so much earlier in life!

crunch_time

I feel exactly the same with all of the above!!


Its just convincing husband sometimes that that meal out of takeaway aren't of value compared with camping holidays and activities for the kids in the future.


Im sure people with lots of foreign holidays and latest technology are all in debt and probably more than us!!

PinkPoppies

Perhaps you are right about others being in debt crunch! That's what I'll keep telling myself anyway!

PinkPoppies

Whoop whoop! Just got a cheque in the post for some work I did! :j Means we should be able to hit our £900 CC payment target by the end of the month!

Also, looking at my spreadsheet, if we can knock another £900 off next month we will come under £30k before December! :beer: