Keep me on track!

pineconesjay

Needing a bit of motivation to keep going - got the debt down to $5,500 now, but I'm fighting the part of my brain that's telling me the kids 'need' a new bunk bed. DS is 7 and has a single bed, DD is 3 and has a single mattress on the floor. I hate that her mattress is on the floor.
I have been prioritising paying off the credit card debt and so haven't been saving up for a bunk yet.
I keep lowering the credit card limit as I pay off the debt but haven't done so for a few weeks as I tend to do it per $1,000 - so there's $500 available currently.
I am sorely tempted to use that to just get the bunk bed, but I don't have a physical credit card - I wisely shredded it months ago. I'd have to ring the bank and order a new one.

Someone tell me that I should instead ring the bank and reduce the limit again so that there isn't anything 'available'. (And that it is ok for a 3 year old to have her mattress on the floor for a few more months - it's very montessori, right?)

Petal88

Your 3 year old will be perfectly happy with a mattress on the floor! Besides, lots of people (and the Montessoris!) do it anyway if they've got kids that fall out of bed all the time.

If you feel guilty (which you shouldn't), you can always drag it next your son's bed and make it into an adventurous sleepover (assuming they're not already in the same room) or hang a sheet above it to make it into a cosy den that's more fun to sleep in, or put pillows all around it and pretend it's a fortress and she's a princess etc.?

pineconesjay

Thanks for your reply.
Yes, they do share a bedroom. We also have a 3 month old that will eventually join them, which is when we will truly need the bunk bed. That's still at least 6 months away though.

What do you think about my idea to call the bank and lower the limit again? Do you think they'd have a problem doing it so often? Will it affect my credit score to do this? (Not that I care too much about credit score - not planning on going into [non-mortgage] debt ever again.)

jenny+luke

Hi,

I'm sure your 3 year old isnt bothered

have you thought about buying second hand, my friend recently got bunk beds from ebay, they were in great condition and only cost £35. Might be an option, that way you can continue paying off your cc and also get the bunk beds.

Think the bank will be fine with you lowering limit, dont know about impact on credit score.

good luck

andyfromotley

Dont worry about yr 'score'. Bank couldnt care less if you rang them every day.

This is it, this is one of those crunch moments in your DFW journey. You can choose to have lovely shiny new bunk beds, which in your head will make your and the kids life so much better....... or you can be a kick a.s.s. DFW ninja!!!

Choose carefully pinecones... bunk beds.?........ debt free ninja??

pineconesjay

Totally ninja

I have spent all day looking at bunk beds - considering cost, quality, future needs.
IKEA is affordable but has the appearance of being flimsy.

Have found a local manufacturer with a 30 year reputation for being the best quality bunks you can buy, and lifetime warranty to boot. Also all their designs are essentially interchangeable with a few extra parts - meaning they are flexible when your family grows (as we hope ours does) They also have a layby service.

I am carefully considering looking into their layby terms, but having had a friend who have bought from them before, taking over a year to pay in full, and highly recommend them, I am positive I could spare $10/week until the debt is paid.
Mentally, I need to know that I'm depositing money towards the cause, however slowly...

andyfromotley

Ah Ah Ah pincones....... That is not the ninja way!!!

$10 per week is also 10% of your total credit card bill. You are also doing that typical spendypants thing (that we all do when we want something!) of deciding that the the perfectly good ikea bunk beds which have sold in their millions and retail in the uk for £130 'look a bit flimsy' and you simply have to have / deserve the bespoke luxy and much more expensive one you have found. Baloney!!! if you desperately need them put your debt repaymnets to the minimum and buy the ikea ones. They will will still be going strong when your children bring their grandkids to stay with you (and you know it!!)

So borrowing a bit of advice from Mr Money Mustache..... Go into your garden, run around shouting I am a huge spendy pants and i have bunk bed fever!! then soak yourself under the hose for a minute or two!

Bunk beds?? Ninja???

angelaf_3

What about putting an add in Freecycle or look in the charity shops that do furniture see if you have a 'recycling' centre near you that sell furniture that is too good to scrap. Even if it is only till you are debt free and/or can save for the Ikea ones or whatever you want?

tallyhoh

my son slept with his mattress on the floor for 15 years with no problem. I would advise turning it often though to keep it aired.

pineconesjay

Thanks Andy!

I needed a big kick in my spendypants

There were more reasons why the IKEA ones aren't preferable, however, my brain is in bunk bed overload so I'm committing to forget about bunks until they're needed - which at the moment, they're not. Heck, with my little ones a trundle might be the better option for space saving... fairly unlikely to end up with broken arms falling off those... and if tallyhoh's kid can spend 15 years on the floor, my kids can wait longer too.

Plenty of Asian countries do have a tradition of sleeping on the floor - Japanese tatami/futon style and Korean Yo come to mind.

tealady

Hi
As well as trying freecycle put a request on streetlife ,or an ad in your local shops. Tell everyone you know as well. You never know someone may be moving house or even updating a childs room.
HTH