Pollgarter's plans to clear up her garden

Pollygarter

Hi all

I signed up to the Forum a few weeks back and have had amazing support, prodding and advice on steps to take to get rid of my debts, clean my act up and start looking after my finances rather than be a total spendthrift as I have been for the last, cough, um, too long.

Since reading more I see that people use their diaries as the best way of tracking their progress and staying motivated.

Shoes are my particular weakness. Beautiful, glorious, money stealing shoes. I have others but this is the worst. I've spent $800 dollars on a pair of shoes I wouldn't wear off the carpet. That kind of silly nonsense has stopped. My childhood days were sensible, and my early adulthood also. But then it changed. Now it is changing back.

After a long and tumultuous marriage with a spendthrift guy who spent money before it hit his pocket, I joined him in spending. Now the marriage is over and I have debts galore.

But. With the help I've been given and with determination to do things differently, I've already pulled my debt down from £12,700 at the worst. I'm currently on £8830 personal debt. There is a mortgage on the matrimonial home and I am hoping a planned move will have a major impact on my finances. In a good way.

Three kids, animals, running a paid for car and travel are my major cost centres! Besides the debts which are all on 0% currently, bar the small overdraft which I should clear this next payday even with extra moving expenses.

A job which isn't as good as it might have been had I not taken years out for childcare is still a relatively good income, some maintenance and a developing eBay selling addiction are my incomes.

So far I've preferred not to do a statement of affairs on here. I had to do that for the divorce process and as I wrote in another posting when you've had your ex, two sets of lawyers and who knows who else poring over your every shoe purchase, aunty's pearls, tins of beans and marvelled at exactly how pathetic your pension provision is when so much cash has just washed away over the years, I feel hesitant. Maybe later!

Still, I have three wonderful children. And had some great times, experiences and holidays. No regrets. Amazed I can say that as it has taken a few years to get here, from the devastation of early days but it has become truly so. Thanks to time, friends and family and a lovely therapist.

Now, to business. The rate at which I can tackle debt is about to stop in its tracks as I increase expenses to get moved. I'm at that worrying stage of the chain not being complete at the top beyond my seller. All well wishing and prayer gratefully accepted for this to happen...if it be the right thing of course according to your particular belief system!! Mine says a much smaller warmer home with a decent garden will be perfect. Let it be!

I will keep up the momentum by sticking with the clothes challenge of no more than £50 a month as stress/and I am stressed, makes me spend in silly ways.

That's quite enough guff for now.

Onwards!

LastFewSteps

oooh shoes, I'm with you on that one
I find my diary helps keep me motivated and accountable for what I spend
Good luck with yours, I see from your signature you've made amazing progress already !

Pollygarter

Thanks LastFewSteps...good luck to you too...I've had a few easy wins to reduce debt with closing some rubbish interest savings and selling off a lot of stuff on eBay...it will get tougher I can see. Which is why I'm so keen to move. That will really reduce my costs. I have absolutely rubbish pension provision and I need to get on that case. Can't do that til I clamber out of debt. I do have a pension with the job but it needs bolstering significantly.

LastFewSteps

I've been thinking about pension lately too, we'd stopped the payments when we were struggling then I forgot all about it so I need to sort that out soon, time seems to be flying by so quickly but the good thing about that is we'll reach our debt free day before we know it

Pollygarter

Today was mostly ebay. Hauling things out of drawers and cupboards, checking them over, packing stuff off to the charity shop for some bits and getting listings up and ready to put up tomorrow evening. Sunday seems to be the best time. I enjoy filling up my basket with parcels of stuff that has been sat around doing nothing, tl get them rehoused via the post office. So much stuff! And my earnings from it inch up and then jump up, and then i sell nothing and cant understand why when its adecent item, in good nick which cost plenty initially. My pictures are not the best. The phone takes ok pix but it dulls colours. To get better pics requires a better camera. Costs money. Self defeating.

I spent nothing today. Popped in at the no spending day challenge and committed to five days this May. Its not many. Those guys are maniacs, some dont seem to spend anything ever! I know I need to not overextend when i try new things. If i cant do them, there is the risk I abandon altogether. My new ways are about taking it slowly in just about every aspect of life. To build confidence. I have listed several hundred worth of household stuff. Lets see how i do.

Rhubarb from garden tomorrow for a crumble. Aged Ps are over and we wll do a few things about the house and go for a walk. Simple. I feel rather peaceful. I wonder if the overspending creates a whirl of activity which dulls the senses. Query does the whirl of activity to sell stuff off do the same. Hmmm.

Bobarella

Hi Polly
I have just subscribed to your diary. You sound so positive and the house move seems just what you need to really make a big dent in your debts. Which aren't enormous by the way. SOA are only useful if you really haven't been through your budget yourself and it sounds like you have.
Good luck Polly. Will be reading.
Bob

Pollygarter

Cheers Bob. How do you subscribe to a diary?
Seems we both plan to start 2016 debt free. I know my debts are not crazy big. My pension provision is absolutely dire though and whilst I do contribute now to my jobs scheme it is too little, too late on its own so I need to seriously sort that out. Can't start that til I clear up ! Am still doing masses of reading around diaries and challenges and feeling thoroughly enthusiastic. Knowing myself, that may wane fast as I have to turn my head away from yet another shoe shop super sale!

Won't it be amazing though to start2016 debt free. I have to focus on that.

Scottishmummy

I have subscribed too. Polly the green banner just above your first post has 'thread tools'. Click on that and it gives you the option to subscribe.

I have tonnes of stuff that I really need to get ebay'd but like you don't have a decent camera.

Bobarella

Hello again. Hope you were able to figure out the diary subscribing option?
Yes it will be nice to be DF. It's such a ball and chain. But I also believe in trying to live a little along the way or you just get sick of it and fall off the wagon.

Pollygarter

A spend free day. My parents popped over bringing lunch with them! How nice was that. Dad helped son no. 2 with his physics as GCSEs start imminently and he needed a bit of help. I did A level Physics long ago last century but there's not much left rattling around up there. My Dad on the other hand started out working life as a physics teech. Whilst his short term memory may be patchy, just get him onto f = m a or whatever and he is sharp as he ever was. Great to see. Did some jobs, ebayed stuff, walked, collected some free boxes from.local free cycle for packing and took the Ps to see the new house and then supper with friends. Feeling very happy. And the purse is firmly closed. My two spendy kids are away. It will not be so easy when they come back and start eating again!

Bobarella

How amazing to have a physics tutor on tap the hourly rate for that alone would be £££

Have a good day.

Bob