Battling Debt and Mental Illness — and (hopefully) Winning!

AspiringButAnxious

Paid Mum £80 and added £20 to fun fund — though plans are afoot... I want to open a savings bond with NSandI, which has to be funded with a debit card. So instead of adding EF money to my main savings account, I will save it in FF until I get £500 and then transfer it to my current account (with the same bank, so less hassle) so I can open the savings bond. Sounds complicated, but the upshot is that I will hit my target of having £1000 in EF by end of the year

Cut down on my impulsive spending recently, but put £30 on the cc today for the best possible reason — a friend of mine was inspired by my Machu Picchu trek to volunteer with deaf children in Africa. She recently started her dream job as a deaf support worker. She had £70 this morning, so I got her to the first £100! It's my way of paying forward the generosity and kindness of everyone who sponsored me, including people on this forum The cc is interest-free for another few months, so I can spread the cost while giving my friend a boost. She also has mental health problems and didn't think she would be able to do anything like this until she saw me achieve my goal, which feels pretty good

This week is going well — blogging, novel writing and volunteering are firing on all cylinders. Want to work on short stories to hit a couple of deadlines, too. Feeling in touch with my values and goals.

Exercise is not going so well: running is on hold because I have hurt my foot. Still walking, though in pain, and giving kettlebells a try tonight. Been comfort eating a lot too, thanks to PMT...

So things are looking up and my mood has improved

AspiringButAnxious

Found out I will get a student loan, so I can do a Psychology BSc with the OU! :j :j

I haven't let myself believe it would actually happen, until now. Though I knew I should be eligible for a loan, I didn't dare hope. I'm really excited about this opportunity and what it could lead to

Hoping this signals the start of another good week. Last week was the best I have had for ages, culminating in my counsellor bringing a surprise to our session — the latest book from one of my favourite writers, signed by her, with a personal message to me! When you do good things for others, good things happen for you

Feel like I'm finally back on track with my life. From now on, I can reduce my debt and save more. I can focus on my strengths, especially fiction and mental health blogging. I can be proactive, working towards a better life. I can finally believe in a better future. Guess the Machu Picchu trek has altered my mindset more than I realised!

crazy_cat_lady

Huge congratulations ABA - enjoy doing the course. My sister is a psychologist and really loves it.
I'm really pleased to read that things are going so well for you at the moment - that's great news.

AspiringButAnxious

Thanks ccl — OU emailed confirmation of my enrolment today Feeling quite excited!

Paid some of my cc, getting it back to £300. It's interest-free until November, but I'm not comfortable when it goes above £300.

Added £40 to my fun fund, which will become ef money when I transfer it — now got £310. Want to transfer to ef when it hits £500.

Been getting some stuff done this week, but wish my motivation was higher and I was more productive.

chanie

That's great news about your course!!!

reality_check

Fab news about the course, you will do great! Everything sounding very positive for you. How exciting about a personal message from your fav author! xxx

AspiringButAnxious

Thanks guys

It's been a fairly good week; not a lot has happened, but I'm running again and I've blogged when intended. The novel isn't progressing as quickly as hoped, but it's still going. Been a bit more anxious, partly because my mum and I are starting a new gym class on Monday. It's ridiculous, since it's the same place (albeit a different room) and the same instructor, but that's anxiety for you...

Paid £5 off cc, because that's the minimum due. Added £90 to "fun fund" which is being transferred to emergency fund when it hits £500 — it's now £400. Think I will feel a lot more secure when I transfer it, because I will have hit (actually, surpassed) my savings goals for the year and can focus on repaying the debt.

So things are running smoothly. Sometimes I get frustrated at the lack of progress, but compared to how I felt at the beginning of this year, it's all good

AspiringButAnxious

Added £50 to fun fund, so it is on course to become £500 in my ef next week

The past week has been okay — finished novel draft, started new gym class (went well; quite enjoyed it), blogged, ran 3 miles on treadmill for the first time in a few years, gave my dog a sock ball for his birthday (very mse!).

Been getting up at 5am, because I kept reading about how it helps people to be more productive. It's kind of working already, but I'm still adjusting to the new sleeping pattern. Most of all, it helps me feel like I have accomplished something just be getting up, rather than rolling out of bed st 8-8:30am, which starts my day on a positive note

Still bit frustrated at feeling more anxious than I have been, and for no particular reason. Exercise is helping me cope, but I always feel I ought to be doing better.

AspiringButAnxious

Transferred most of fun fund into a bond, so now have over £1000 in ef and £20 in ff
This means I have hit my savings goals for the year :j

Now back on focusing on debt reduction...

Still getting up at 5am, haven't been on treadmill this week but did a 6.5 mile walk on Monday (fell down towards the end and grazed my knee!), didn't get around to blogging on Monday as planned. Done quite a lot for my volunteering role — we are launching a crowdfunding campaign on Friday — so that's good, but part of me feels like I should be doing more/better.

Horribly aware that autumn is nearly here and scared that it might mean another dip in my mental health. I say "dip" but for the past 2 years, it's been more of a plummet. Hoping to break the pattern.

misstara

Well done for meeting your savings goals for the year ABA :j and 4 months early as well!

I really hope autumn is better for you this year.

Sounds like you've been getting on with plenty. I could not get up at 5am every morning :eek: