Got here by luck, intending to stay by judgement.

Dalradian

I once took the free trial with experian, and discovered i had managed to overpay a credit card by £2000. Still not sure how i managed to do that, as usually pay by dd, but there you go. Slightly mitigated by forgetting to cancel the experian membership, but still quids in.

MrBloater

Good to see you over here other Mr B - and glad things are looking clearer for you - why not start up a MFW diary? There's some very wise heads over here and they don't sugarcoat anything - and that's exactly what I needed to be confronted with. Not sure I'm a "completely changed person" - some days are better than others, I'm just trying to direct my positive energy into things that will make a difference rather than wasting time on pie-in-the-sky plans. Doing what I already do, but better and more efficiently will get this mortgage paid down early, instead of spinning multiple plates and yet standing still. Or something like that.

gallygirl

Not sure I'm a "completely changed person"

Hmmmm, I beg to differ.

I'm just trying to direct my positive energy into things that will make a difference rather than wasting time on pie-in-the-sky plans.

I rest my case .

juststuff123

Just Caught up with your Diary! I'm really impressed! :TIt sounds like you've had your paradigm shift (Light bulb moment) :idea:! You just need to keep up the good work. No sliding back into bad habits. You know you'll get told off by the other MFWs. The others are right - set yourself mini targets to keep you focused and motivated.

I can't tell you how good you'll feel when you have a bit of a safety net (Emergency fund), it's lets you breath! :whistle:

What has helped me to watch the pennies is to make a note of everything I spend during the course of the day, whether it's new clothes or a 10p packet of biscuits. Then add them into a monthly spend spreadspread balanced against my budget. It keeps you focused and less likely to splurge if you know you're going to be accountable later. It get's addictive trying to beat your budget every month. It might be trickier for you with a family n' all but if you can manage it, you may find it a valuable tool.

Just remember all those little bits - £5.99 for Now TV Etc. add up. "Take care of the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves"

MrParr

Hi Mr B.

Just read your diary and I wanted to say thanks for sharing with us.

You've inspired me to start my own MFW diary actually after lurking for so long!��

Keep up the good work and don't forget to come back here if you ever feel like something is slipping again. ��

Peace out ✌

Mr P.

MrBloater

Have not had the best 48 hours since my last posting but am hauling myself back on track. I love the heat, but I think it's added to the general lethargy I feel after a sustained period of positive activity - whether it's debt repayment, running or weight loss, it seems to be that after some good results I get bored, and when I get bored I'm at my most dangerous and seek out alternative buzzes which tend to be wine or other unnecessary spending. And then the self-loathing kicks in, things slide and then it's back to square one again.

So I've decided to cut out the self-loathing part and rejoin the circle earlier - in all honesty the last couple of day's lapses were not major and would barely have constituted a lunchtime in the old days, but were significant enough for me to lose sight of the big picture temporarily. So despite yesterday evening just wanting to sit and rest I galvanised myself to undertake a much needed tidy-up of the chaos that the kids had left the house in and sorted out the annoying things that unsettle my 'OCD' world (like overflowing bins, wrappers and food on the floor, etc etc) but seem not to trouble the little Bloaters whatsoever, and hence I'm up at my favourite time of the day again now, have updated the spreadsheet and despite my worst fears, things are still looking good. I need to get on with doing the things on my list and getting that first (financially small but psychologically massive) overpayment done on the mortgage tomorrow.

I need to keep this diary up, I think I've just sidestepped a major wobble, but there's always going to be another one around the corner.

gallygirl

You're right Mr B, there is always another one round the corner. Getting through it and a coping mechanism of tidying up to get back on track isn't a bad strategy though :T.

Before I embarked on an OU degree I said to someone that 6 six years was a long time to commit. He told me 6 years was a long time anyway so I might as well have something to show for it. That phrase kept coming back to me and really helped. When I then turned my attention to paying off the mortgage I adapted it to say '6 years is a long time, I may as well have NOTHING to show for it'. It worked :T. Think of your progress towards the end goal .

MrBloater

Positives
- Opened a Stocks & Shares ISA - not sure that my initial £1 investment is going to steady a nervous market in light of the Greek Drama, but it's a start.
- Got my Equifax / Experian credit reports (and the resultant cashback from TCB) - very dull and unsurprising (which is lovely - finding any surprises on there would have been a negative) - just need to remember to cancel in three weeks time.
- Used the Tesco Clubcard points to get the fuel price down to 99.9p a litre to fill up Mrs B's car - we would have lost the points had we waited til tomorrow morning - first time I've filled up a car in months - it's previously been just a desperate twenty which would max out one of the cards.
- Ran out of milk and so just bought milk at the supermarket. Didn't get sidetracked or tempted by any unmissable offers.
- No man, woman, child or 35 degree sun is going to stop me tomorrow making my first overpayment on the mortgage. I will ring them after work, go through whatever clunky procedure they have in place for OP'ing, and put some amount down. Not a massive amount, for there are other fish to fry first, but some amount. And then I'll be able to say I'm overpaying my mortgage. And then maybe I'll realise I am waving now, not drowning.

in_need_of_direction

I'd overpay the amount that the points had saved me on filling the tank.

MrBloater

3.45am and I was planning on sitting on the patio with my cup of tea ready to catch the first rays of sun from what could be the hottest day of the year. But it's raining. And a lot darker than I thought it would be.

Been up for the last hour sorting out the utilities switch - going to a dual fuel deal which should save us about £21 a month. No brainer as it's backed by one of the big 6 suppliers (I'm not trusting enough to go with the little energy firms based in their stepmother's shed), and additionally comes with cashback and Nectar points.

Why couldn't I have been more like this when I was sinking under the weight of massive debts - I guess the mental energy went into surviving rather than adapting. This is getting quite addictive - the shopping around, the utilising of loyalty cards and cashback sites. The initial effort of getting all the paperwork organised into folders has been well worth it as I have everything to hand - no more excuses about account numbers or missing bills.

The pleasing thing about the credit reports I got was that I have already addressed the major issue they had with me - and hence why my 'scores' (worthless I know) were so 'fair' - the stupid amount of credit agreements open to me. When the next cycle of credit reporting is done I should be in a far more favourable position - ironically at a time when the last thing I need (or indeed want) is more credit.