My last ever DFW diary!!

E2006

Because this time I actually want to achieve debt freedom! Ive hung around on these boards for years - mainly lurking, but I have had a couple of diaries in the past. DH and I managed to get the debts down to 3k from about 15k, but then took our foot of the driving pedal and slowly slipped back into bad habits. We now owe 7k over 2 cards but Im devastated that we've more than doubled what we previously owed, and Im terrified that we're back in 'that' rut and on a downwards spiral again.


We need to nip it in the bud and get rid but the journey isn't just about becoming debt free, its about learning to remain debt free. I know that now. I also know that the pipedream that our debt repayments will become our savings contributions in due course just wont become reality if we don't, because we will continue wasting our money and living beyond our means.


The maximum DF date is August 2017 and that's if we pay the minimum payment we can afford (not the minimum cc payment). Realistically I would like to be debt free by September 2016, but anything sooner than that would be just fantastic.


We want to start putting some long term savings away into our ISA (currently empty!) and will start to put in around £100 per month from January.


The short term plan for now is just to get through the rest of the year because we have a lot of expenditure coming up (not including Christmas!).


Almost three weeks until payday so I cant cross any £'s in my signature off just yet! Grrr

E2006

NSD yesterday. It was a work day for me so I didn't get in until almost 7pm - just in time to give little lady her bottle and get her into bed. It was cold and wet and I was shattered, but when DH suggested we get an Indian takeaway for tea (to warm us up! lol) I stayed strong and instead made a home made Chinese style chicken curry with egg fried rice and hm chips. It was really yummy too :-)


Its my day off today so not much planned other than taking little lady to play group once little man has been safely deposited at school, then some housework later and maybe a trip to the library after dd's nap to tire her out. Tea tonight will be chilli from the freezer with baked potatoes and roasted veg. Im running low on fruit but determined to hold off a top up shop for as long as possible other than popping for some baby wipes for DS which should only cost £1, so a LSD planned for today.


Ive checked my bank account but as I have a large(ish) bill due at the end of the month, I don't think I will have any extra to pay off the cc's until payday on 21st.

E2006

Hello diary. I'm just enjoying 10 minutes peace whilst little lady has her nap, so I've checked the online banking and worked out what we need next week for DD's party (its her naming celebration so food, and venue etc to be paid for) and I'm going to withdraw that from the bank when I pop to the shops later and put it in an envelope.


I still haven't been to the shops yet! Last nights dinner was bacon and pepper pasta in a cheesy sauce. Tonight its king prawns cooked in garlic butter with roasted veg and rice. Ive also meal planned until next Friday and should only need potatoes, milk and some bits for packed lunches including some fruit. I have an a*da gift card with £20 on it so that should cover the food shopping. We've saved so much already just by staying away from the shops and not ordering takeaway when we cant be bothered to cook!


Little man has swimming tonight after school so I will need to feed him straight after school, then he will have porridge or something similar for supper when he gets back. I've promised him that I will take him to the cinema this weekend because I'm finding that he's a bit clingy at the minute, especially when he knows I'm off work with DD and I think he just needs a little one to one attention at the minute. Its only £1.50 each on a weekend morning and I will take some popcorn (25p from home bargains) and juice with us, and DH will stay at home with DD.


I rang the mortgage company on Tuesday as our mortgage deal comes to an end at the end of December, but we aren't ready to move to a new deal just yet as we want to have some work done to the house which we will then want to incorporate into the new mortgage deal. Thankfully we can just continue with the same company for not much more each month until we are ready to move, so DH and I have decided on a six month time frame to pay a chunk off the debt and get started with the work we want to do to the house. Its given a bit of breathing space and so yesterday during my lunch break I worked out what I need to pay each month to pay one of the cc's off completely and reduce the other one by a decent amount whilst still being able to put a little aside for emergencies. Its taken a little bit of the panic away that I had been feeling when I thought I only had until the end of the year to shave a chunk off the cc's. Being able to do it though is all dependent upon sticking to the budget and watching the pennies.


Oh well, off to eat something before monstermunch gets up...


E x

crunch_time

welcome back to the forum!


With such positive thinking and sticking together im sure it will be no time before you have paid down that debt!


You have inspired me to do some meal planning and stay away from those shops!!


Subscribed.


Good luck with your journey!
Crunchy x

E2006

Aw thanks Crunchy. My biggest battle has always been sticking to the meal plan and is one of the reasons we have so much debt - buying food, then deciding that we want something else and ending up in the shops almost daily! Its shocking!


Anyway, Ive been doing some sums, and to halve the debt in 6 months I need to pay £600 ish every month. With other expenses to be met, I cant pay this straight out of my wage. I can pay £400 most months then will have to find a way to find another £200 each month, or £1200 spread over the term. Need to get my thinking cap on.....


The cinema was full this morning when I went online to book tickets yesterday, but thankfully they do the same deal on a Sunday morning so I have tickets for DS and I for tomorrow. Today therefore will be a trip to the park and then a bit of pottering about at home finishing off the last of the plans for DD's naming ceremony next week.


Need to cement the mealplan that I drafted earlier in the week then will stick on here to keep me on track. I have around £70 to last now until 21st (after paying for next weekend) so will need to do just a tiny shop and make it last.


Have a lovely Saturday


E x

White-as-Snow

Hi E2006
Good luck on your debt busting. At least you got back on the wagon now before your debt got any worse :T
Subscribing if you don't mind.

GunWharf

Food was always my downfall! Takeaways here and there but now i use vouchers. I f you go to Burgerking websites etc, always get some great vouchers!

Good luck on your Journey!

E2006

White-as-Snow wrote: »

Hi E2006
Good luck on your debt busting. At least you got back on the wagon now before your debt got any worse :T
Subscribing if you don't mind.

Hi White as Snow - thanks for subscribing. It was definitely snowballing out of control. It all started because I needed to pay for some private treatment quite quickly so we got a card for the account we already had as that was our only option at the time, but once we had that card it was like the little spending demon had been released again. The only way we've managed to stop it is by cutting the card up and making sure we get through the first month without relying of credit, even if that meant beans on toast every night!! hehe


E x

E2006

GunWharf wrote: »

Food was always my downfall! Takeaways here and there but now i use vouchers. I f you go to Burgerking websites etc, always get some great vouchers!

Good luck on your Journey!

Thanks GunWharf - will have a look into that. I'd hate to work out how much of our debt has come from takeaways and those frequent midweek shop visits.


You have done fantastically on the PAYDBC2014 challenge. I started that but with falling off the wagon, the debt actually went up never mind anywhere near being paid off (if the smilies were working I'd insert and angry one and an embarrassed one here!!)


E x

E2006

It should be a LSD today. Off to the cinema with DS but the tickets are already paid for. He has some popcorn already but I will need to call in to HBargains for a bottle of juice, which will only be around 40p.


We're off to mum and dads for Sunday lunch after that then home to get organised for school/work. Hate the Sunday night rush!


Ive decided to make some PAD's to the big cc, even if its just £1 per day, just so I feel like I'm doing something during the middle of the month. So this morning I've paid £1. Its only a small amount but over 6 months it works out over £180!


Ah well...off to get the washing on then dressed and out with DS.


E x

E2006

Day off today, but DS is off school too as he has had that horrible vomiting bug. He was off yesterday too but because they were confined to the house, both kids are climbing the walls already today and its only 7.40am! I cant send him back to school until tomorrow even though he says he feels fine so I think I will throw our coats on in a minute and go for a walk along the sea front. Its chilly but if we wrap up warm, its some fresh air if nothing else. I can also pop them to the park before heading home for DD's nap.


I've made a few more PADs, and have decided to make them to both cards rather than just the big one, so the balance so far is £7. Other than that I haven't really made much progress with debt busting as m waiting for pay day. Just five days to go though! :-)


Ok, DD is pulling the plates out of the cupboards...must go...