Champagne Chaos

TimeToChange

So hey there i made it through month one....... it's been emotional and i'm not sure i'll make it through April but we shall see

All bills now paid and i can report that for the first time in ages what i owe has REDUCED!!! Not by much but a reduction is amazing. I'm in a bit of a mess about if i can keep going, it just gets so difficult, but seeing the amount coming down really cheered me up! I think the way i was going if i hadn't had my LBM i'd be up over £30,000 by now but some tough choices and some hard work have meant i'm now £989.29 less in debt and my scary total debt figure dropped below £28,000! Now to get below £25,000.......

I have a few goal in mind now - some are really really long term but some are immediate, here i go:

1. Finish April with £20 in the emergency fund
2. Pay off small debt 1 (£385.20) by 31/12/15
3. Pay off small debt 2 (£780) by 31/12/15
4. Keep every reciept for everything, allocate time every Saturday morning to go through accounts and ensure i'm on budget
5. Make £150 extra :eek: not sure how i'm going to do this.....
6. Cut up another Credit Card.
7. Stick to my running/workout programme - i'm all planned for the next 59 days!
8. Buy nothing that isn't essential. Discuss all essential buys with parents to ensure it really is essential.
9. Use the library and research other free local activities.
10. Make an overpayment, no matter how small, every week

Small goals and big but i need to have something to work too.

The running stuff is to keep me on the straight and narrow in a few ways, working out makes me feel better about everything, and is a massive stress reliver of mine - i havent really worked out properly since it all fell apart with TJ - i guess i lost myself somewhere, well it's time to hit the gym and work hard and feel amazing in all my clothes again! Secondly, i'm buying no new clothes until i drop a dress size - i have loads of lovely things to wear and i just need to loose a couple of Lbs so i feel confident in myself again, time to ditch the comfy jumpers and start wearing my skinny jeans again!

Also, i have been reading the 'NOT BUYING IT' thread on here, and it's truely inspiring. I'm just wading through all the posts now but i fell that sitting reading it for a while every evening has really made me think about things and i agree - i want to declutter my life. I want to buy fewer higher quality things, i want shoes which last more than two parties and a washing machine which lasts more than 12 months, i want to food to be fresh and seasonal and from someone who is passionate about what they do, in essence i thinnk i have come to the conclusion that i want a simpler life - where i do not gain my enjoyment and satisfy my emotional needs through a multinational company. Don't get me wrong i do not intend to start growing my own (wish i could) and never participate in social activity again, it's just the thread has really made me think about what i buy and why i buy it. i recommend you all read it!!

Well, i must have bored you all enough by now, this wasn't meant to be such a long post i just got carried away......

Happy NS Tuesday people

CC xx

debtfreewannabe321

Some great goals there :T perhaps to make the extra £150 you could sell anything that TJ gave to you or if you do happen to stumble across anything that was his sell that!

Good luck with the goals!

hummingbird

Ooh great post CC! I meant to ask you, what happened regarding that credit card that you paid too early on last month? Did they sort something out for you or did you end up making that extra payment? Intrigued to know!:D

Thanks for mentioning the NOT BUYING IT! thread, people have been recommending it on our lovely Levi's thread too. I must have a read!

Well done on all that progress you've made and that the amount you owe has REDUCED!!:T:T:T:T

The "make £10 a day extra" thread is brilliant, it should give you lots of ideas for making that £150 extra you want, which works out at £5/day for you over the month.

TimeToChange

No hummingbird they didn't sort it I just had to pay twice which was tough!!! But it's a £190 over payment lol!! I'm going to go look at the £10 a day thread now, I'm always just stuck for ideas! No afraid of hard work but no idea how to go about making money you see??

Can't recommend the not buying thread enough! You and Levi really must have a read. It's long so a bit of time required but I just read a bit at a time

CC xx

monz

Fantastic you are doing brilliant x

Beanie514

Wow CC your doing great in one month you've managed to get what you owe by nearly £1000 thats some achievement. Well done keep going.

Can't wait to see when you start crossing off those goals as done.

Xx

TimeToChange

So it's market shopping day and i'm off out with the girls tonight - what is there to be unhappy about - Oh and i'm off to my parents tomorrow morning for a nice easter break

Todays jobs list:

Work out
Check receipts & consolidate bank accounts
go to market
work out next weeks meal plan
list 3 things on ebay
drop bag of bits into charity shop
tidy bedroom

I'll update this post as i progress, wish me luck

CC xx

TimeToChange

Enjoying a well earned (LOL) break at my parents - and it is chilling me out no end i hope you are all having a happy and DFW friendly Easter

CC xx

Fizzy11

Hi CC, I've just read your diary & you are doing brilliantly. Most importantly TJ has gone & nobody needs them & you can now sit back & wait to hear he's done exactly the same to the new one. I hope you've blocked the 'friend' who said give the TJ's new GF a chance! Sorry but why would you?

Clothes shopping starts with emptying every drawer & wardrobe in your flat & I bet you will find something you haven't worn. We all have them stuffed somewhere. You can go clothes shopping just don't take any cards & actually if you think about it would you really count out 8 £5 notes for that top that you've just got to have or even 40 of those £1 coins. Using cash in supermarkets is scary but saves a fortune.

Sorry if I sound bossy it's cos I'm old & have been there in the past. You can do this & will better for it.

TimeToChange

Thanks Fizzy - i don't think you sound bossy at all!!! And lets face it, maybe i need bossing around a little bit, i have made a decision with one of my friends who is about to start her DFW journey courtesy of us chatting at one of our girly nights in and (it seems more people than you think are actually drowning in debt just to keep up appearances) as we are the same size we're having an open wardrobe policy for the next few months!!! It'll be like clothes shopping but in the comfort of her/my home and like you say who knows what i'll find lurking in my own wardrobe

you never realise until it happens how much these things affect you, i genuinely question everything about myself at times but i think im getting better and i'm totally sure of the fact it will all be fine in the end - it always is!! Only this time i'll be wiser and stronger and not let anyone into my life so much again

Hope you are having a great easter - feel free to drop by and 'boss' me around some more

CC xx