A new debt free journey

lcc86

I've been feeling really weird over the weekend. I've been tempted on countless occasions to just go and splurge on something, and I can't put my finger on why. :huh::think: I keep feeling unsatisfied about 'life' in general. I keep looking online a campervans, land rovers, horsey stuff, basically all the stuff I would probably buy if money were no object! :rotfl: I'm not sure why this is happening now. I've noticed this happening more since I started looking at flats about a month ago. I've cancelled all the email alerts for properties so that sorts that issue out. But I just keep browsing at stuff I 'want', stuff which I think will make me happier and more satisfied, but which, in all likelihood won't do that at all! I thought I'd moved away from this obsession with the material, but something is a bit 'off' at the moment and I don't like the way it makes me feel!! Perhaps I should post on here a little more and read other people's diaries to help keep me on the straight and narrow while I have these feelings.

I've also been giving some thought to my Masters course. I'm starting to have doubts about that too. Perhaps this is why I'm feeling a bit weird in general but I have a gut instinct telling me something isn't quite right about it. By that I mean something is telling me it's not right for me. For a start, the financial side of it really concerns me. I know thousands of people have student loans but it just seems so at odds with everything I've been trying to achieve in becoming debt free over the last few years. Also, the more I research it the less certain I am that it will actually improve my job prospects. A large part of me thinks it won't make much difference at all. If I do it, I'm really only doing it for me, because I'm interested in the topic, and if I'm honest, I think there are better ways to further my knowledge of my chosen career than spending £7000 on a course which might not make a notable difference to me. I also think that my previous foray into postgraduate study ended so badly and this is concerning me I.e. I couldn't do it then, what's so different now? And perhaps coupled with the general odd feeling I have at the moment it's all just giving me doubts. I waver from day to day, one minute I want to do it, the next I don't. And I don't think that's good enough in my own mind as it demonstrates I clearly have some doubts somewhere.

I think I just need to sit and have a think about things and what I do actually want to achieve over the next few years (apart from becoming debt free!!). Ultimately I can't do the things I tell myself I'd really like to do until I'm debt free anyway e.g. Perhaps have a horse share, own a campervan, move house etc. So I have plenty of time to think things through! I need to think a little more short term though and focus on the little goals I can achieve. Maybe go back to my monthly targets? Or quarterly targets? I seem to have drifted somewhat. I'll have a little think and see if I can get my focus back where it needs to be instead of daydreaming and almost splurging for no good reason!

lcc86

Back again, twice in one day, there really must be something wrong!! got a couple of targets I've thought of which I want to stick to between now and the end of June:

1. Don't look at anything car related unless it's something I NEED for my own car (there are genuinely one or two things I need, such as tyres).

2. Research jobs and careers and make a final decision about the Masters course.

3. Try to spend less than half of any "spare" money I have next month.

Hopefully this will help get me back on track somewhat. Fingers crossed!

lcc86

Been reading through the earlier pages of my diary today, an "interesting" read, I was not in such a great place! This time last year I had only paid 6% of my debt off so I've made massive progress since then! :beer:

Reading through has given me some ideas for things I need to do. I definitely need to kondo my belongings again and just have a general spring clean. I also need to review my budget spreadsheet and see where I could make some savings. I'll try and make time for both of those things over the bank holiday weekend.

Haven't looked at anything car related so far today. Have done some job based research in respect of the Masters course. Still not sure. Part of me feels I have to do it as I just bought myself a new laptop and printer last month because of this course. But then I think the course isn't going anywhere, if I can't decide then I can always wait!

BettyBones

HI LCC, if you're in two minds about your Masters then maybe you should put it off for another year or two? I was in two minds about a course I wanted to do a couple of years ago. Ended up paying the £1500 to do it and then never had the time or inclination to actually get on with it. These days I don't bother with any expensive courses. I look around for free ones. I've done quite a few of the free online Open University ones and some cheap ones run by local providers.

As for wanting to go and splurge. Don't do it! lol There's been countless times when I've wanted to splurge but I always have a think about it and then go find something else to focus on that's cheaper, or free! e.g. I really enjoy going to the gym but I can't afford a gym membership for the foreseeable so I rounded up some free exercise equipment from freecycle and a cheap (£35) rowing machine and I occasionally manage to bag a free trial membership at local gyms too. So now I'm no longer frustrated that I can't afford a gym membership. I'm as happy as the proverbial pig! lol Anyway, my point is... you might not be able to afford the actual thing you want right now but that doesn't mean you can't have a free or cheap alternative. Don't fall off the wagon...stick with it ...you're doing great! x

lcc86

Hi Bettybones, I'm pretty much thinking along that line of thought, if I have doubts they're for a reason and I should listen to my gut instinct.

Re the splurging, I couldn't do it even if I wanted to, I reduce my credit card limit each time I pay off £1,000 in total and so it keeps me from being tempted as I don't have loads of available credit!! It has kept me on the wagon, but doesn't stop me feeling tempted. Now it's just down to me and my willpower.

lcc86

It's been an interesting couple of days. Firstly I got a rejection letter for the parking fine appeal I sent in a YEAR ago :eek: I won't bore everyone with the details here as I have a separate thread for that, but I will still fight it as they haven't acknowledged any of the appeal points I raised. If this company want to take me to court then so be it.

Secondly, the plans for the major redevelopment outside my home have been released and it's not good news. Essentially everything my local council promised me would happen hasn't happened and it looks like it's going to be a much more negative thing than I'd been told. I'm going to end up losing natural light to my flat and that's not a good thing. I am desperately trying to find a lawyer and have been leaving messages but nobody is getting back to me, it's so frustrating. I only have until the 8th June to object. I'm now starting to regret my decision to stay here and not move when I had the chance. I just don't know what to do. It's consuming me all the time and I just find it so frustrating as I know that me, as one little person, can make no real difference. I don't think any of my neighbours care because they all rent out their homes and it's probably unlikely to affect their ability to do that.

Anyway, apart from that, nothing really to report. I'm working from home but am having computer problems so it looks like it's going to be a loooooong day! Gym later, need to work some of this frustration off!! Hehe.

lcc86

Have got into work very early this morning so have just been checking my payslip for payday on Tuesday. Looking good, I forgot that I had some expenses owed to me which have been included so that's an additional £15 or so which I hadn't accounted for, happy days! This means I can 100% finalise June's budget now I know what I have coming in. It was 99% finalised beforehand but I always like to check my payslip before confirming it all just in case! £300 budgeted for debt repayments - £200 to the credit card and £100 to Very for my laptop and phone.


I took part in an online discussion with my prospective university yesterday where I got to ask all kinds of questions about what the uni is like and how students find it etc. I found it really informative, and am now being swayed towards doing the Masters again! I have a while to 100% make my mind up, the postgrad student loan application doesn't start until July so I don't need to make my decision for a month. If I was making this decision solely from a personal/professional interest perspective, I'd go for it all day. It's just the concerns over time management and having a student loan that I think are holding me back. But when I think about it, it's 2 years out of my whole life. It might help me get a better job one day (then again, it might not), and by the time I have to repay the loan, I will be debt free. Food for thought.


Plans for tomorrow are to go to the gym in the morning followed by London Tattoo Show with OH - booked it ages ago, just a bit of fun really. Sunday I am volunteering so that's the majority of the day done there, will probably just chill and have a nice warm bath after that! Monday I'm horse riding and generally just pottering around, have some jobs around the house that I need to get done so will do what I can there on Monday.


At some point this weekend I WILL post my current budget and see if there's anywhere I could be saving money. Happy Friday all!

lcc86

Today has ended up being a bit of a waste (even though it's not only 2pm!). I've had conjunctivitis recently and it flared up massively overnight to the point where I can barely open one eye, so all plans to leave the house have been cancelled I've sent OH off with a friend to the tattoo show instead, no point wasting the tickets. I've dyed my hair, will be cutting my guinea pig's hair and nails soon and generally tidying while watching Netflix, so a nice day in instead.

No time like the present to post my budget

Income 2200 including OH 'rent'

Mortgage 306
Electricity 40
Service charge 100
Council tax 151
Internet 22
Phone 25
Food 220
Pets 60
Petrol 125
Contents 5
Savings 25 (emergency fund savings)
RSPCA 3
Howard League 4
Virgin 200
Very 100 (for the next three months)
Parking 65 (just to park outside my own house! :eek:)
Microsoft Office 6
BHS 6 (British Horse Society membership, includes insurance)
Netflix 6
Horse riding 70 (occasionally less)
Gym 30 (occasionally less)

Total = 1569

That leaves me with £600 a month to spend, give or take. I haven't included things like budgeting for birthdays, Christmas, car insurance, holidays etc as I take these from the £600 in the lead-up to needing it i.e. my car insurance is due in September and should be approx. £300 so I've started putting aside money from June.

Anyway, if anybody can think of anywhere that money could be saved, please give me some hints, I'm all ears! On the face of it, the budget seems good, I think where I struggle is that I tend to overcommit myself financially. For example I've had 2 holidays in May/June to save for, and didn't save early enough. I've also been trying to save for legal fees and car repairs, and I guess £50 here and there all adds up. Still, I know I'm in a much better position than I was when I first started this journey so there's much to be grateful for. I think I just get complacent so it could be helpful to have someone cast a critical eye over my budget.

crazy_cat_lady

I wonder if being unwell has made you not feel 'right' in yourself? I quite often wonder what's wrong with me then end up getting a cold or something. If you have conjunctivitis then you won't be 100% - I got it 3 weeks before my wedding and it wiped me out.
Plus you have quite a bit going on, and big decisions to make. The flat, the course, the parking fine. You could just be burning out a bit. If you can, take a bit of time to yourself to do nothing much other than rest and relax a bit. Sorry if that sounds boring, but I appreciate time to myself doing nothing more than ever these days.

lcc86

Thanks ccl, yesterday I did end up just pottering and pampering in the end. Got some household stuff done too which helps! The eye is still swollen but nowhere near as itchy thanks to some cold compresses yesterday. Volunteering today so no rest for the wicked but nothing too taxing. Weather looks good too which is a bonus after spending all day inside.