It's all fun and games until ...........

scotdebs

So it occurred to me that just sitting about waiting for each payday is going to make this debt busting journey (& diary) just a tad uneventful.......
I know that our biggest over spends are
- grocery shopping
- takeaways
- meals out
These 3 things are constantly the reason I don't make the maximum overpayment that we can each month so it's time to take them in hand. And so yesterday I wrote out a meal planner :eek: I then went the supermarket with.........a list :eek:
This is bit of a first for me, I always used to find the thought of meal planning and knowing on Monday what I'll be eating on a Thursday a bit soul destroying. But I'm fed up spending a small mortgage on food and being mega disorganised and throwing together dinners.....
So all I need to do know is go and find said planner so I know what I'm meant to be making tonight .......

scotdebs

It's shuffle time again- the mbna card debt that I moved on to the 40 month 0% deal have just sent a letter offering a years balance transfer at 0% so another 8k about to be moved:j
My credit card tracking sheet of balances, rates and when the transfers expire is turning into quite a work of art 😁

So other news is that so far I have managed to stick to my meal planner so far this week - yes I know it's only been 2 days but that's a 100% improvement on my previous attempts:rotfl:

This weekend I will stay out of shops and restaurants we had naughty meal out with the kids last weekend £78:eek: and I will de clutter my wardrobe which will hopefully in addition to bringing me a zen like state of mind may offer up some items for eBay ????

brizzledfw

Hi scotdebs...think our paths have crossed before..and the debt and income levels you mentioned on Forward Thinking's thread reminded me to check out your diary..

Have subscribed and here to cheer you on your way.

Lodgers, summer students, renting out our motorhome, Bay of E, YNAB and curbing my 'food and eating out' tendencies have made a huge difference to our money situation. Now both part time and I am freelance..couldnt have done that a few years ago and survived.

scotdebs

Brizzledfw hello indeed think you subscribed to one of my earlier diaries/attempts at debt busting as you can see from my signature there was not a lot of progress in my time away from MSE:(
But I'm back and within the next couple of months pretty much all my debt will be on 0% which is a big boost in getting the dastardly cards down - also company announces if we get a bonus tomorrow so keeping everything crossed - away to find your diary - I have some catching up to do:rotfl:

*snow*white*

Hi wishing you well on your journey.

I know what you mean about meal planning I had always resisted it but since new year have been doing this and must say its been working a treat. Made shopping trips much quicker and less stressful no trying to think what will go with what and chucking stuff in the trolley.

Subscribed and cheering you on

getmore4less

BE carefull as you go down the list at some point the BT fees will be more than the interest you save by just paying something off.

You may benefit from a bit of feedback on a full SOA.

The going out and spending, can you create a different distraction?

If you don't have any TV package what about a NowTV box and a voucher for movies or entertainment(£20) and do a load of movies or a few box sets.

scotdebs

Welcome aboard Snow White I think the meal planning is just going to be a habit I have to learn to adopt - at the moment I'm not planning for weekend and just letting that be a bit more casual but without resorting to takeaways and meals out

GM4Less good point on the fess but I do always check it makes sense for example the 8k I moved was at over 20% apr and I would never have paid that off in a year so have saved well over 1k in interest ( am ashamed to say with all this debt I actually work in finance ) . My SoA would send horror into the very heart of the MSE forum....... There is a lot of discretionary spend on there:eek: ( golf and gym membership, sky package etc) that we could in theory live without however we can also overpay by a decent chunk each month as long as I get control of the grocery shopping takeaways and eating out......... This was not the case when we were "in the poo" and everything did get cut to the minimum - I know that just wouldn't be sustainable for us

crazy_cat_lady

It's taken me quite a long time to get into the habit of meal planning, and I still slip up occasionally. But it is worth it, and does save money.

scotdebs

So the title of this evenings post is "don't get complacent"
So having done my SOA identifying overspends, making some changes re spending habits etc etc and finding out I will get bonus I was feeling super confident that the cc debt days are numbered......... Then I read the 2 previous diaries I started on here. I recognised the same determination, focus, enthusiastic approach to debt busting I have just now - and how quickly that bubble burst - and every time - yes you guessed it folks- the debt has increased

So yes financially in terms of income we are in the best place we have ever been but my own position is still very uncertain and now is the time to make changes in a lot of our habits........

getmore4less

Discretionary spends are fine if they fit the budget, we each make our own choices how we spend our money.

IT might help to look for new goals once the debts are gone to keep you on track,
Maybe start with real savings to cover any breakdowns even just £1k sitting in an accout to cover any white goods, cars save up and pay cash.

Look at the things that took you off budget previous times and just save for those in case you need/want something.

if renting a deposit, if mortgaged a year off the mortgage

if nothing short/medium term what about retire early.


Any of these things could help you check the balances every now and then to avoid any runaway.