Chasing Freedom!!

chasingfreedom

We still have it, just popped outside for 20 minutes in the sun and its beautiful. I didn't want to come back in


I'm looking forward to a weekend with half decent weather and I might even finish painting the fence I started a few weeks ago and I ran out of paint 4 panels from the end, lol. I bought the new paint but not had the right weather to get out in the garden since. It's multi tasking, painting and tanning, lol.

chasingfreedom

Hi everyone, well, I feel like my daily obsession with this diary has disappeared a bit over the last few weeks. I think its a combination of being busy, lovely weather (and therefore time in the garden instead of on the computer!!) and having overspent in May on my days off so not being able to overpay as freely or as much this month.


I'm waiting till nearer payday to get an idea of what is left and then hopefully will get a few sneaky overpayments in


This payday will be my first without my massive loan. wowzer!! all that extra cash!!! I should really start seeing the benefits of the extra money in the overpayments soon, can't wait!! I want to make a big overpayment to my credit card this month to combat any damage done in May when I was spending. Don't want to pay any unnecessary interest.


My hubby is working so many extra days at the moment, bless him. It's his way of helping us out and it's great having the extra money. He's doing 1 or 2 days overtime each week and we're going to try and keep that up the whole of this year. Summer holidays might prove a bit difficult though as we struggle for childcare then!!


I'm building up a bit of a buffer in his account at the moment so we aren't always down to zero each month but I'll soon be able to start overpaying with his overtime too. I'm also keeping a bit in there towards holiday expenses for August and I have enough for my stepdaughter's birthday present as well. We want to pay for everything in cash from now on so no expenses on the credit cards!!


I'm still very much on board with becoming debt free even if I'm not on here as much. Work is a bit quieter as well and I need to keep my focus so I'll be back on here more regularly. I've definitely found myself planning shopping trips and thinking of spending money more often without my regular visits to the forum. I almost went to Ikea at the weekend and was planning to buy new furniture!! Then I was planning buying a new camera for my birthday present from hubby, I got as far as putting it in the basket but felt like I was wasting money as I have a camera already even if its not necessarily the one I want. What a stupid thing to do that would have been!! It really goes to show it doesn't take long to slip back into bad habits if you aren't consciously thinking all the time about not wasting money. I don't want to get back on that road, before I know it the catalogue balances and card balances will be back up!! I'm proud that I managed to stop myself, I wouldn't have cared before and just done it anyway!! I might not be perfect yet but I'm on the right track and trying hard to behave like a responsible adult for a change, lol.


Hope everybody is doing well xx

mumstheword***

I bet its nice to have the loan repaid! We are a long way off paying anything off to the extent that it impacts our monthly outgoings!
I find the less I pay off at the moment the more disheartened I become. Well done on putting the camera back that's willpower!!!

chasingfreedom

Thank you, yes I was very close to clicking I had a mental argument with myself, lol


It's amazing to have the loan gone and the pressure is released now a bit. Even though I know I am going to be using it to overpay so not going to see any benefit yet, its reassuring to know if there was an emergency I have that 300 quid (if necessary) spare. Honestly though, it took me 7 years of paying and I never felt like the time would come so I understand it feels like a long way off. It really isn't though I bet


Is there anything you could target yourself that would help with monthly outgoings? I know its best to target high interest first but sometimes mentally targeting something with a bit monthly impact spurs you on. Personally, I would rather pay a bit more interest and have a bit more freedom monthly as long as its not too extortionate!!


I did a food shop last night and spent 50 quid but that did include a few bags of compost and washing powder etc and not had a 'proper' shop for a while so its not too bad. Tonight I'll be mainly doing pots in the garden (with free plants from father in law, woo hoo ) while hubby is bbqing with reduced price sausages etc that we picked up in the sale bit of the coop, lol


It's 20 odd degrees here today, bloody lovely!!


Hope everyone got a bit of the sun today x


P.S Just getting some updated statements/balances through for this month's payments and only 30 quid off getting into the 37's. I'm off to pay 30 quid off something so I can update my signature, haha

mumstheword***

I've done a big of jigging about and now have about £2k on 0% interest over 2 cards, one is only 6 months long so that is currently the target!
Then the 2nd 0% runs out in March. We just have so much going out on a monthly basis that its ridiculous, and I go 4 days a week in 2 weeks time and although my wages stay relatively similar despite losing a day - I will be paying more out in childcare because of the hours I will be working.
BBQ sounds lovely! Can't wait to get home, am picking the girls up from the childminder who I am meeting in the park. Then home to dinner quite possibly also a BBQ and painting the shed after dinner to get it on ebay! I sat in the sun overlooking the cricket field at lunchtime was lovely - almost didn't come back!! Long may it continue!!!

chasingfreedom

haha, I popped to the shop at lunchtime and sat in my car for a while because I didn't want to come back in either!!


Good idea to bash the 0%'s while you can, you are working really hard and will soon be feeling the benefits. In Feb of this year we owed 42k and as of this second (haha, had to do it for my signature!!) we are now in the 37's!! I know it's still a ridiculous amount of debt but there is progress. Don't lose hope!! At one point including household bills, childcare and all of our debt we were earning 3500 a month between us and only left with 150 after bills!! Things are definitely getting easier and will for you too xx

kittycatfan

Hi just to say your doing great , i never understand how people get there food shop our shopping for four is always between £100 - £120 a week and yes we shop in aldi and then pop to tesco for bits aldi doesnt have

kittycatfan

Sorry i meant to put i never understand how people get there food shop so cheap lol

chasingfreedom

Hi Kittycat and thanks


See I'm the opposite and never understand how people spend so much. There is a guy at work who lives with his girlfriend and they spend 150 a week!!! How the eff jeff is that possible? lol


We eat really well too, meat most days in some form or another. I try not to waste money but I easily spend less than £200 a month. In fact if my hubby didn't drink it'd be even less!!! (have to let him have beer or he'll go on strike!! haha)


I usually bulk buy toiletries when they're on offer and keep a stock in the bathroom cupboard till the next sale so only buy shampoo/toothpaste etc every few months too. (not from aldi!!)


What would you buy in a normal weekly shop? x

kittycatfan

My normal wkly shop is fresh chicken breast , mince meat to make a chilli sausage which we have with veg and gravy, pizzas , porkchops chips and peas , soup and normal stuff bread toothpaste etc and catfood and dogfood but thats normally under ten pounds so i dont understand it really