Our Journey to a Debt Free 2016

PinkPoppies

Hi killerpeaty! I hear you...we are having treats now and again- ended up deciding on a big roast dinner with lashings of wine this evening so a pricey big joint of beef is sat in the oven and I just poured a glass of red Hopefully the meat will stretch to another meal or two too.

That said, grocery wise I don't think we have ended up enjoying food much less having really knuckled down a lot with our supermarket spending- so many lovely meals can be made on a tight budget and even just a couple of super frugal meals a week (like pasta and pesto with some veg mixed in- the kids love it!) make a huge difference. All too easy to nip into Waitrose at the end of the day and spend £20 on one evening meal and a bottle of wine (a habit that has definitely contributed to our situation!)

I think I can be a bit 'all or nothing' sometimes so I'm either 100% focussed, or not at all!

Hi pickle me! :wave: Definitely agree on the summer holiday survival spending! Admittedly we have spent quite a bit on various activity days and playschemes over the summer- my mental health is worth the investment though as to you say!!! Lots of cheap days out too. We are lucky to have a company car with personal petrol included so have been able to travel about lots to different inexpensive/free places. Grateful for it, life would be much harder having to consider petrol expense all the time.

Less than a week now until schools go back here, hoping for better weather and some nice cheap outdoorsy days with my children to round off the holidays :-)

PinkPoppies

Happy 1st of a new month everyone! :j

Was hoping to have a nice positive post to kick September off with but instead I'm feeling frustrated and fed up!

Mobile money still hasn't hit my account and worse than that a previously paid off CC statement has come through with £340 worth of fresh spending on it! :mad: Drips and drabs frittered on supermarket top up shops and other bits and bobs. I knew DH had used it for a few bits while I had his debit card but £340!!!! :wall:

Suppose it just goes to show how quickly little things add up... think even he will be surprised at how much has been spent on the card- hopefully a wake up call.

Anyway. I haven't the heart to add the wretched thing back onto my spreadsheet so the first payment that would have gone towards our main CC will pay off the new spending and it'll just be a bigger challenge to get up to our £800 target.

On a more positive note, I posted off a few ebay items this morning and paid my fees (I try and remember to pay them manually straight away otherwise I forget about them and get stung when ebay eventually apply for them!). Should be about £150 profit to transfer onto the CC when the paypal transfer clears.

Celticmiss

Oh Pink, just a bump in the road. Stay positive.xx

PinkPoppies

Hi Celticmiss! :wave:

Yes, hopefully a useful bump in the road- a fresh and stark reminder of how certain spending habits do us no favours! Will just have to try and get creative and earn some money to make up the distance

Paypal money appeared in my account so have transferred the £150 and we are off the CC starting blocks for this month... onwards and debt-downwards! :beer:

PinkPoppies

Mobile phone payment finally arrived and ebay auctions done and dusted so another £100 off the CC today. Was really pleased with the ebay proceeds but a bit disheartened once the fees and postage was deducted! Nevermind, every little helps!

Have paid off the rogue CC now, so that is sorted. DH was as shocked as me at how much had been totted up here and there on it.

So, another £550 to save/earn to hit our £800 CC target this month... I'm feeling determined!!

killerpeaty

You're doing so well! Well done on the ebaying, I'm far too lazy for it

What else are you going to do for hit your target?

PinkPoppies

I have drips and drabs of payments coming through for the hobby-type freelance work I do so will try and transfer as much of those as I can onto the CC... but even if I get all the money I am expecting (which I may not) it will still leave £150 to find.

Going to try and rustle up a little more work, dig around for some more stuff to sell, and work hard to keep spending down in the hope that we have some of our shopping budget left to transfer to the CC too. Unless I have any other brainwaves

PinkPoppies

The children are back to school today, so I have a day of sorting out the house and getting all tidy and organised again.

First things first, nice big beef stew full of veg and pearl barley to go in the slow cooker when I return from the school run!

Hope everyone has a great day!

ETS another £10 skimmed off my current account and over to the CC

PinkPoppies

Had a productive day today! Not so much on the money front but the house is looking nice again, I'm on top of all my laundry and feeling quite organised for the first time in ages. Children had a good first day back at school too.

The stew I made turned out beautifully! My big slow cooker was filled to the brim so plenty left to freeze for another meal or two.

Eaten early with the children today as I'm hoping to go off for a swim once DH gets home from work. I haven't been feeling all that well recently and I'm sure it is all down to me feeling stressed (not about money especially, or at least more than usual, just general stuff), and not looking after myself properly. I've not been eating well and have been drinking more than is healthy to help unwind in the evenings; time to take better care! Hoping a swim will relax tense muscles, give me a nice endorphin boost, and a good nights sleep!

Igamogam

PinkPoppies wrote: »

I've not been eating well and have been drinking more than is healthy to help unwind in the evenings; time to take better care! Hoping a swim will relax tense muscles, give me a nice endorphin boost, and a good nights sleep!

Ditto, except the drinking - I am not one of life's drinkers even when stressed! But I am a great exponent of the swim...........its on my list to do for September..........the bag is packed ready to go just need to make the effort;) A couple of years ago I was going 3-4 times a week and clocking up the lengths and I can remember the feeling - those lovely endorphins - still. Hmmmm this weekend I think. Thanks PP for the reminder:)