Flo's Debt Free Diary

abba1772

Happy anniversary xx

Seasidegal58

Happy anniversary Florence! You’ve done so well since you started. I think you deserve some champagne!:D

Hope the confirmation on the job is forthcoming soon.

Florence_J

Hi all,

As this will be my 1800th post on MSE, i thought I would visit my diary.

Still not started the job yet, a few more hoops to jump through.

I went to my Dad/Stepmum's house yesterday and leave tomorrow for a short visit which was nearly 100% because it was the best opportunity and option I had for bringing down the presents. They were all mostly of the breakable and heavy variety and I managed to get a last remaining advance ticket so it didn't cost too much (I can almost guarantee the postage would have been more).

Financially I have paid all but one bill for the month and have money left so not doing too badly. It is money I borrowed though, but having some left may prevent me from borrowing more.

I get to see the new Star Wars film tomorrow so yey!

I get to see Queen and Adam Lambert this weekend so triple quadruple yey!

I am pretty much set for Christmas. I can't believe I survived this year, I feel proud, but deep down I know part of me is desperate for this year to be over so I can have a psychological boost from starting afresh in 2018.

I have been making full use of the exercise bike and making better food choices so I have lost some weight, but to be honest over the last 18 months my weight has fluctuated up and down between the same 18 pounds, so until I reach the magic 19th pound lost I think I may be doomed to yo yo.

When I gave up smoking I tried several times to give up and always failed on the 9th day when I cracked and smoked. One day I reached the 10th day smoke free and I haven't smoked since and that was over 2 years ago. So I think my weight may be similar, until I reach a new record weight loss I may just yo yo.

I wish you all a happy December.

Seasidegal58

Well done on your 1800th post Florence!

Hope you have a lovely time at the Queen gig - it should be fantastic! And enjoy the new “Star Wars” as well!

You must feel relieved that you’re just about set for Christmas. I think most of us are looking forward to setting our goals for the new year - mine are floating around in my head already!

Florence_J

Seasidegal58 wrote: »

Well done on your 1800th post Florence!

Hope you have a lovely time at the Queen gig - it should be fantastic! And enjoy the new “Star Wars” as well!

You must feel relieved that you’re just about set for Christmas. I think most of us are looking forward to setting our goals for the new year - mine are floating around in my head already!

Thanks SSG!

So we went to see Queen and Adam Lambert in Birmingham last night, staying overnight at a travel lodge. Queen have been my favourite band since I was 12 (I'll admit for someone born in 1989 this is a bit unusual). Unlike my other favourite band at the time (S Club 7) Queen have stood the test of time.

As this was something like a 16 year dream come true, something I didn't dare believe would ever be possible as I would be too poor to ever see them live after they started touring again, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong. I pictured every scenario from me falling ill, to bad weather, to the hotel losing our booking, I even began to worry after the Manchester Bombings of something similar happening...

The only thing that went wrong was we came into the arena with backpacks, then left to look at the merchandise and when we tried to go back in we found out that we weren't allowed back in because we both had rucksacks, and obviously after the Manchester bombings this is now a security issue. That was a small price to pay for safety, but it led to about ten minutes of going back and forth between staff members trying to find where we needed to go to leave our bags. I was fretting a little as it doesn't take much to make me fret, but it was all fine. Absolutely nothing went wrong, it was the best gig I have ever been to and was a dream come true. Adam Lambert gets my seal of approval as a stand in Freddie Mercury.

In true Rock and Roll fashion OH and I were back at the hotel by 11 ish to have a cup of tea and watch Match of the Day.

Sadly as we got our coach back to Cardiff this morning we found out about the horrific and multiple fatality car crash in Birmingham, in the centre and not far at all from the Coach station. I am so sad that whilst I had the best night of my life, so many people lost theirs.

As readers of my diary will know I borrowed the money to pay for both the tickets and the hotel from my OH, and I agreed that I would pay for all costs as he can take or leave Queen and this was very much a night for me. This caused enormous financial strain around the middle part of the year for me, and sometimes I really doubted whether I should have indulged like this. But I dramatically cut back my spending, I sold just about everything and anything that could be sold from guitars to kitchen appliances to my bike and I worked my bum off and last night was 100% worth every second of struggle.

Also it marked a notable thing for me. I have never been away with my OH in the whole 6 years of our relationship alone. We have gone on holiday with friends, or family (and usually the family have paid) but we have never been away and financed a trip just me and him. I felt like I was an adult at long last and also I did have to struggle to reach this point, but I wouldn't have been able to even consider this financially as little as a year ago.

Florence_J

Hi all.

In further evidence of dreams coming true, last night my football team Bristol City beat Manchester United in the Carabao cup and have gone through to the semi finals.

OH was at the game, I wasn't due to lack of finances. It would have been very difficult to get a ticket anyway, and I would not have been sat with him which might have caused me anxiety.

So I tried to find someone to go to the pub with me to watch the game as it was being shown on sky sports, but there were no takers. I wouldn't have been brave enough to go to a pub on my own so in a flash of 'why didn't I think of that before?' I bought a 24 hour to sky sports and watched it on TV. £6.99 but I would have spent at least that in drinks if I had gone to the pub so it was all worth it.

Typically I was in the kitchen getting my dinner when the first goal was scored, but I saw the winning goal in the 93rd minute. Ya hoo.

I then stayed up as I was waiting for OH to come home and I listened to the Wurzels as they are the Bristol city band.

I am now watching Love Actually on Netflix waiting for OH to come home (again) as he is at his work's Christmas lunch.

I am pretty much set for Christmas, just need to pack for when we go to OH's family, but I don't have to do that for another couple of days really.

All is good.

I have approximately £60 to my name. About £25 of that is in my ISA (my attempt at an emergency fund), £10 in my wallet and £25 in my current account.

I do technically have £5 in paypal as well.

In theory I would be pleased with that amount at this stage of a month, BUT I haven't paid for all but £8 of OH's family gifts, which in total will be about another £78-85, I haven't paid for a gig ticket OH has bought, so another £44, and there was the £1000+ I have borrowed off him to pay bills.

Hmmmmmmmm

I know what OH is getting me for Christmas, he is giving me money. He also got me a token gift, which is a Queen scarf he bought at the gig (I was with him) which I can't have till Christmas day.

The deal is any money I borrow from him up to Christmas Eve I have to pay back, any money I borrow from Boxing Day I have to pay back, but whatever I receive on Christmas Day is a gift, it doesn't have to be paid back. So in theory if he gives me a large amount then I can pay my bills debt free.

I have no idea how much he is going to give me.

I really don't like being in this situation. I grew up to Independent Women by Destiny's Child. I take it as a point of pride that I pay my own way in life. But I also know my life would be very different if OH wasn't helping me out.

Do you think I use him as a crutch? Like, maybe if I didn't have him as a 'security blanket' of sorts I might have sorted out my life job wise by now? I seem to only survive because of OH, is that fair?

I really wish I could figure out my job situation. But I don't want to get down. A new year, a new hope.

Seasidegal58

I would just try and enjoy Christmas for the time being Florence. The New Year can be your time to re-assess your goals. I hope both you and your OH have a lovely time.

:snow_grin

Seasidegal58

Here’s to a very happy New Year Florence and all the very best for 2018 to you and your OH.

Florence_J

Thank you SSG,

As some of you may be aware by now, I have taken the decision to start a new diary, it is called Flo 2.0 and I believe if you follow this link you will reach it.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5771925

But I am not brilliant at posting links so it may or may not work.

I have decided to start a new diary as I want a fresh start and I want to begin this year anew. I want to focus on building up an emergency fund of at least £1000 and I feel that I have finally banished my shopping addiction demons after the no/low spend year I did in 2017.

Although I have had a few low days recently I feel like my mental health is the best it has ever been, so new year, new diary, new Flo.

I hope to see you all over on my new diary!