Coming Clean

rainbowskies

Well, hello!

I haven't checked in since ... Saturday, maybe? Sunday I was in bed with a cold but I didn't have the luxury to call in sick on Monday and had to make do with over the counter cold medicine. On top of that, I decided to work over time as well. The office where I work is open until 9 PM so I worked 8 AM until 9 PM. Crazy, I know. But it gave me a good chance to earn a little more and every little bit helps. That's more cash going towards my debts when I get paid.

This week I have had 4 NSDs. This was mainly because I literally didn't have any time to spend. Since today was Friday and my treat day, I stopped at Tescos on my way hope and picked up a large bar of Dairy Milk, Whole Nut. As it was only £1 - I considered getting something else but decided against this. I need to go into town tomorrow to buy the last bits and bobs for Christmas and decided I will treat myself to a Greggs Christmas pasty!

Due to Christmas, we're getting paid a little earlier. Pay day is Monday! I can't wait. Now that the overdraft is paid off, I don't need to hurl my £500 at it anymore. I can hurl it at the Barclaycard along with the £50 I normally pay towards it. So that's £550 going to Barclaycard on Monday. Take that, you debt!

Going to lounge around for a bit and read my book while I munch of some chocolate. Or maybe I'll watch a nice Christmassy film. Really happy that I can spend some time doing this as it has been so rush-rush this week. I don't have to get up particularly early tomorrow so I will also have a lie in tomorrow morning. Ah, bliss!

rainbowskies

12_month_challenge wrote: »

Hi
Santa brought me a Coffee Maker last Christmas. Its the Krupps Dolce Gusto and I love it. So easy to use and keep clean.

Visitors love it too

You can buy the pods in all of the supermarkets. Latte,Skinny Latte, Chocochino, Caramel Chocochino, Cappuccino. You name it they do it. They are usually on special 2 for £xxx

Hope Santa brings you a nice one

Ooooh, that sounds nice. I like that it gives you so many options and flavours! I will check that out and oh so casually drop it into the conversation. Thanks for the tip! xx

Dalradian

Wow, you sound so much more upbeat and more importantly in control with a target in mind. Paying off your overdraft is fantastic this soon - it was what used to trigger me putting more debt on the cards.

the more you can live on your monthly salary (i spent 6 months just using cash, with only things needing payment protection being added to cards to get in the habit) the hopefully less stressed you will be. I still take cash to nights out, so i know how much i have spent.
Glad you liked my comment about work.

rainbowskies

Dalradian wrote: »

Wow, you sound so much more upbeat and more importantly in control with a target in mind. Paying off your overdraft is fantastic this soon - it was what used to trigger me putting more debt on the cards.

the more you can live on your monthly salary (i spent 6 months just using cash, with only things needing payment protection being added to cards to get in the habit) the hopefully less stressed you will be. I still take cash to nights out, so i know how much i have spent.
Glad you liked my comment about work.

Yes, I believe if you can live on your salary without going into the red, then you'll be okay. The credit cards and loan is just a bunch of debt I have to pay off. I feel more in control now that my account is in the black. I thought I would miss cutting out lots of treats but I don't. As long as I can have a small treat each Friday, I'm happy. And paying off the debt and watching the numbers go down is quite addictive!

I plan to stick things that need payment protection and online purchases (train tickets, Amazon buys, hotel rooms) on the credit card and use just my debit card for everything else. I really don't like carrying cash as I am far more frivlous with it. However, I would definitely only take a little bit of cash out on nights out just in case I lose it or get drunk and buy drinks for the entire bar!

I have your comment about work on a post it which is stuck to my mirror. It makes me smile each morning!

rainbowskies

Good evening.

Spent yesterday shopping for the last few bits for Christmas. Overall spend (incuding the festive pasty from Greggs, I'd promised myself) was just £27.62.

Today has spent relaxing and wrapping up presents while watching Christmas films. I love this time of year!

Totted up the figures again and have worked out, I should be able to pay off the Barclaycard by March, the latest. It would have been February but my car insurance is due! Grrr. Completely overlooked that.

Then in April, I can concentrate on the MBNA card. I'm confident I can pay that off within two months as it can't be any more than £1000 by that time.

And then I can start overpaying on the loan. I may decide to build up a small savings fund as well. The last thing I want to do is throw all my money at the loan and then resort to using the credit cards again when something happens!

It really is going better than I thought it would so I may even try and squeeze in a little holiday as well next year. Paid for by salary and savings and not by credit cards! Maybe a long weekend in a European city, we shall see.

Now, I'm off to wrap the last of the presents!

Hope everyone's had a lovely weekend!

Kitten868

I know it's boring how people always compare debt busting to weight loss but here I go. No one ever teaches people how to maintain a healthy weight, they only teach you how to lose weight. I think this is similar. You are doing fantastically. By all means live frugally for the next few months but I think this for you is just about finding the right rythym for you to have a great lifestyle. It's easy to pay it all off then start having coffees every day again especially after depriving yourself for so long. You can still have holidays and clothes and nice things, you just know how to budget and how to see spending. Well done you! Seriously jealous and impressed! Xxx

misstara

^^^^^^ this is so true

I could probably pay off my debt quicker but I know if I go super frugal and not have any treats, it will just lead to a big blow out. Having (budgeted for) treats as well as paying off debt is far more sustainable.

You're doing fab so far, hope you manage to squeeze in that wee holiday

rainbowskies

Thanks so much, Kitten868 and Misstara! xx

I think you're both right. We need balance! It's all well to pay it off as soon as humanly possible while depriving yourself but as soon as you've paid it off, you'll fall back into bad habits. It's so easy to think, 'oh it's not like I have debt anymore I can treat myself to a coffee every now and again' (which soon becomes everyday) plus little things like snacks and magazines that all add up over time And then add in a few more larger purchases and you're right back in Debt Creek without a paddle!

This sounds really cheesy, but it's not the just getting rid of debt, it's learning the lesson while you're doing it so that when you finally get rid of debt, you don't fall back into it with bad habits. I'm also going to compare it to losing weight, Kitten868.

When I was younger and sillier, I starved myself for two months so that I could look good for the end of school party. I did it and I did look pretty good! I also got a cheeky kiss from my crush as well. Fond memories! Anyway, the point is, after the party, I started eating in my normal pig out fashion again and soon gained the weight back. All in all, I didn't really learn anything during that two month weight loss, starvation period. Paying off debt, is kind of like that. If you mindlessly do it and keep thinking about the end result, it's easier to fall back into old ways when you achieve that goal. Thinking about why you're doing it, really driving that point home, learning how to budget and manage your treats so you don't feel like you're missing out will feel more like a way of life rather than 'getting out of debt' mode. Just as eating healthy can feel like a lifestyle change rather than 'just getting thin.'

I'm sorry. I have rambled a lot about this.

I really need to work on the second issue regarding food. I'm not overweight yet but goodness. It's shocking how all my treats are based around food!

rainbowskies

Not much to report today except it was a NSD and PAY DAY!

And I paid £550 to my Barclaycard and £50 to my MBNA card. Another £355.18 will going out automatically towards my loan later this week. After that, all debt payments are done for this month! Just the normal direct debits to go for things like phone, contacts, Netflix, etc.

Four sleeps to go until Christmas! :j

Kitten868

I'm so glad you understood what I said and took it the right way. I was worried you'd think I was being critical. I'm so pleased for you that you're going to turn it all around like the blip it should be.
Don't tackle too much. It's well known that when you quit smoking you gain loads of weight. Just tackle one behaviour at a time x