Can I Fix This?

ciarasdreams

I am just getting ready to leave work and meet the boyfriend which still feels like a really strange and unatural thing for me to calling somebody for a few drinks so I will report back later if anybody notices whether I smell of cabbage or not. I am meeting my sister after and we are going to one of the out of town shopping centres so that I can complete my homework assignment and buy myself some new clothes so please get ready for my guilt ridden ramblings over the next few days.

Tustastic

ciarasdreams wrote: »

I am just getting ready to leave work and meet the boyfriend which still feels like a really strange and unatural thing for me to calling somebody for a few drinks so I will report back later if anybody notices whether I smell of cabbage or not. I am meeting my sister after and we are going to one of the out of town shopping centres so that I can complete my homework assignment and buy myself some new clothes so please get ready for my guilt ridden ramblings over the next few days.

Ooh, you'll have to post a detailed description of the clothes. And leave out the guilt-ridden ramblings - they're bound to spoil the cut of your jib!

boredofbeingathome

ciarasdreams wrote: »

I am just getting ready to leave work and meet the boyfriend which still feels like a really strange and unatural thing for me to calling somebody for a few drinks so I will report back later if anybody notices whether I smell of cabbage or not. I am meeting my sister after and we are going to one of the out of town shopping centres so that I can complete my homework assignment and buy myself some new clothes so please get ready for my guilt ridden ramblings over the next few days.

:rotfl: :rotfl: So long as they are cabbage smell free ramblings:rotfl: :rotfl:
Any designer outlets there? Apparently a trouser suit- well cut is back in, and i too have lost weight since they were last in fashion:o

ciarasdreams

It all went really well with the shopping trip yesterday and I now have clothes for work that actually fit me which I am very proud to say did not cost me nearly as much as I had thought that they would. But I still do feel a bit guilty about spending the money on myself when I am supposed to clearing my debt. I bought mostly dresses and skirts and tops because I find it quite difficult to find trousers long enough for my legs in the cheaper shops although New Look seem to finally be stocking jeans that do not look like cropped trousers on me. We did what my sister always does and started off by going to more expensive shops to scout out the clothes that I actually wanted and then we went to far more reasonably priced priced places to look for items that are almost the same or in most cases identical. I also got a few shirts and smart tops for work as well and I managed to get change out of £200.00 which I am really proud of because a year ago I would have struggled to get a complete outfit let alone a complete wardrobe for that.

slug2000

Phew! Well, I've just managed to read through the whole thread ... at work

First off Ciara - WELL DONE! I know you keep saying that you've done nothing, but of course you have - you've changed your attitude to money, uprooted yourself and moved in with your sister, sold your car, and everything else you had ... and you are now so close to being debt free! Your sister will love the fact that you are getting sorted and she is helping you do it, and you've repaid her some already by looking after her when she was injured over Christmas ... and I'm sure you'll be called on for lots of babysitting when the baby arrives!

I do understand your feelings of guilt - as you can see from my signature, all my debt (well, nearly all but the remainder is at 0%) was paid off after receiving some inheritance money so I didn't feel I'd earned it or that I deserved to be debt free. I still feel a bit like that but, I'm also trying to remind myself that, OK, I haven't had some of the struggles that plenty of people on here have, but I have learnt some vaulable lessons about money and I know that I NEVER want to be in debt again - and at 26, I think it's a good attitude to have - and one I hope to pass down to children in the future.

Also, I can totally identify with your feelings of mistrust about blokes, etc. Last year I had a pretty rubbish time of it, but in December I met the most wonderful man, I'm totally smitten, he's a real MSE (doesn't come on the site but seems to just know how to get bargains and hates spending money on stuff that's not necessary) which will really help with my all-new attitude to money ...

So, after all that rambling, I guess what I'm trying to say is please please please stop beating yourself up too much - you've done amazingly well and, as many have already said, you are an inspiration to loads.

xx

ciarasdreams

slug2000 wrote: »

Phew! Well, I've just managed to read through the whole thread ... at work

First off Ciara - WELL DONE! I know you keep saying that you've done nothing, but of course you have - you've changed your attitude to money, uprooted yourself and moved in with your sister, sold your car, and everything else you had ... and you are now so close to being debt free! Your sister will love the fact that you are getting sorted and she is helping you do it, and you've repaid her some already by looking after her when she was injured over Christmas ... and I'm sure you'll be called on for lots of babysitting when the baby arrives!

I do understand your feelings of guilt - as you can see from my signature, all my debt (well, nearly all but the remainder is at 0%) was paid off after receiving some inheritance money so I didn't feel I'd earned it or that I deserved to be debt free. I still feel a bit like that but, I'm also trying to remind myself that, OK, I haven't had some of the struggles that plenty of people on here have, but I have learnt some vaulable lessons about money and I know that I NEVER want to be in debt again - and at 26, I think it's a good attitude to have - and one I hope to pass down to children in the future.

Also, I can totally identify with your feelings of mistrust about blokes, etc. Last year I had a pretty rubbish time of it, but in December I met the most wonderful man, I'm totally smitten, he's a real MSE (doesn't come on the site but seems to just know how to get bargains and hates spending money on stuff that's not necessary) which will really help with my all-new attitude to money ...

So, after all that rambling, I guess what I'm trying to say is please please please stop beating yourself up too much - you've done amazingly well and, as many have already said, you are an inspiration to loads.

xx

Thank you for reading all of the way through all of my ramblings and moaning and complaining which I am totally ashamed of now all of the way to the end where I have hopeful managed to become a bit more tolerable. The most embarassing thing about my sister being in hospital is that sick as she was she was still doing all of the looking after and organising for and supporting both her husband and me which is just not how it is meant to happen but it finally fully confirmed my long held belief that she was in fact born to be a military dictator. :rotfl: It must be the year for decent men who are good with money because for once they seem to be in abundance or maybe it is that they are just available too. Congratulations on your inheritance because no matter how you are feeling just now you must know that it was meant to make you happy and make your life a bit better in some way which becoming debt free hopefully has done for you. :beer:

slug2000

It was a very interesting story - I quite like coming across someone's diary who've I've not read before and reading the whole thing - it's like reading a book! And I was so pleased when you found your bloke, and the amount you've knocked off your debt is incredible!
Thanks re: congrats - it's a weird one because of the way I've come into it, but it does feel amazing - it's two weeks til pay day, I've got £600 in my account, £500 in savings (which will have a further £750 added to it in the next week or so) and all my credit card balances are zero. In fact, I've closed all but one which I'm only keeping for work and have reduced the limit to £500. It feels so good!
Your sister certainly sounds amazing, and reminds me of a friend's sister actually ... your turn to look after her will come!

Ellidee

Great post slug but what a :eek: name you call yourself. !

ciarasdreams

slug2000 wrote: »

It was a very interesting story - I quite like coming across someone's diary who've I've not read before and reading the whole thing - it's like reading a book! And I was so pleased when you found your bloke, and the amount you've knocked off your debt is incredible!
Thanks re: congrats - it's a weird one because of the way I've come into it, but it does feel amazing - it's two weeks til pay day, I've got £600 in my account, £500 in savings (which will have a further £750 added to it in the next week or so) and all my credit card balances are zero. In fact, I've closed all but one which I'm only keeping for work and have reduced the limit to £500. It feels so good!
Your sister certainly sounds amazing, and reminds me of a friend's sister actually ... your turn to look after her will come!

I cannot wait for the days when I can actually call my wage my own again and I hope that I appreciate it as much as you do otherwise the whole getting debt free process will have been worthless. I love my sister lots and she really is the most amazing person (or superhero) that I have ever known or I think am ever likely to know and I am just really lucky to have her around because I know myself well enough to know that I would never have managed to get anywhere close to where I am today on my own. As for my boyfriend I find it quite ironic in a way that I met him while my brother in law was gambling to try and make me a profit to put towards paying my debts off but that does not change the fact that he is absolutely wonderful and totally amazing.

boredofbeingathome

Well done on the cabbage free clothes:rotfl: sounds like some great bargains were to be had.:T