3rd Time Lucky?!- Attempting to clear £6645.93 of debt in 105days (3months+13days)!!

Hiddenidenity

Eek! That's why I love my 'ping ding ready meals' :rotfl: Plus my littles feel like it's a treat when they get to choose what they want :rotfl:

I use any cookie recipe/biscuit recipe mainly really basic ones because I like to keep things simple. I love the bero book. Also flapjack and things are easy/cheap and last a while once made.

Shelbi

Aww bless them...I feel exactly the same as tje littles tis like xmas also turned out to be a blessing as I manage to get it again as dinner when i got home. OH had the guy's over and made a chicken dish which is was way to spicy for me...:o

Thank you for the help...im looking forward to baking cookies...have flour, caster sugar added to my shopping list...will attempt a batch at the weekend..I'm pretty excited! Thank you Hidden!!!

Today was a no spend day, i managed a couple of swagbucks surveys and got a new signer bonus upto 2014 SB and had £2.92 confirmed with quidco. All in all a good day!

Did a Christmas budget and estimated id need £310 for presents..im trying to cut that right down...is it bad to gift kids chocolate selection boxes? or a tub of hero's for my cousins kids...or is that too scrooge like :rotfl: A very savvy colleage gave me the idea today but Im not sure how itll float... Ideally Id like to pay £200 all in...wishful thinking on my part but ill give it a go.

Other than that nothing really to report...a quiet lonnng day:rotfl:

hope everyone had a great day x

Shelbi

Afternoon MSE,


quick update, yesterday I did a food shop (begrudgingly- came home to no food and fought sod it- result went over budget, armed with my list I still went OTT, though im happy to say it was all meat, veg and cans- the freezer is fully stocked so should take us up to payday came in at £67.79 ..I clearly need more work on this. That takes out my beauty £5 and Xmas Shop (which I will swap with petrol budget if I don't need to top up my car before payday).

Yesterday I received an email from TFL to let me know refund of £131 is on it way to me:j That'll go straight to the loan offset account.:dance:


Plan for the next few months is to try to pay £1138.57 for months of Oct, Nov, Dec to hit loan repayment target.


Well that's it for now. Happy Thursday guys! x

Shelbi

Hi All,

Ive not strayed far or stopped my debt busting, I'm just waiting to be paid again! Weekend was pretty quiet Saturday was spent with family and Sunday OH treated me to a gorgeous lunch...Id missed that a bit so was a really lovely treat!! I was very naughty today and had a shop bought lunch... I had budget for it...but after could've made it myself for half the price..so definitely had a bit of buyers remorse! lol

Got to work on my budget for Oct-Nov at lunch, giving every pound a purpose as they say roll on payday, cant wait to make some more dents in my debt. I absolutely love budgeting lol!

Still no refund on my credit card...have emailed. I created a 100grid to colour off and keep me on track up to 22.95% on my 1 debt vs 100days not too shabby!

just watched some negotiating a payrise thing on 4...Do I feel lucky? lol!
Nothing else to update no other changes..lifes kinda quiet right now

Sx

Shelbi

Afternoon Diaryland,


Just checking in...I'm still here I'm still determined and still on the wagon I just haven't had much movement waiting out the month waiting for payday...I have been reading diaries for inspiration...currently working my way through seasidegal's who paid off 31000 of debt, really helping me stay the course.


NSD today and yesterday.. managed to bring in left overs from yesterday.......god I wish it was payday already lol!


Happy Wednesday guys


Sx

DebtFreeDuo

I know exactly how you feel waiting for payday although I'm waiting for my next student finance which doesn't arrive until January! I'm determined to keep checking in even if I post pointless rubbish in my diary! It still keeps my focus and keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Happierdays

Another one here waiting for payday... seems to be constantly thinking about the next payday!
You are still doing fab 3rd time lucky.. cheering you on :T

117pauline

Hi Shelbi

Looks as though you have started your challenge really well.

But..... I am a bit worried you are making yourself an unrealistic budget. You have cut down your spending to such a degree, there is a serious chance you will rebel. Take an extra couple of months but get there, if you see what I mean.

Just one example... you both had forgotten to take the chicken out of the freezer, you bought 2 M&S £10 meal deals yet you have an Aldi at the end of your road. That £20 is a huge proportion of your grocery bill.

Perhaps you could make your grocery budget slightly larger so you can plan in a couple of "special" meals during the month. Or have a look at the Fake Takeaway recipe book which aims to mimic takeaways and gets good reviews.

My final suggestion, if you have managed this far, is to look back at the last month and compare the spends. I think it will surprise you just what you have achieved and saved.

Have you decided how you are going to keep the "put away" money separate and ready for when you need it?

Also I have a loan to which I can make repayments at any time so I pay off bits and bobs as I get them. This way it reduces the overall interest.

You are doing brilliantly so please don't take these comments as criticisms. I am very much an all or nothing kind of a gal, shame it seems I am more nothing !!

Good luck, take care
Pauline

Shelbi

Hi Happierdays, Debtfreeduo and Pauline117:wave::wave::wave:

Thank you so much for your messages, I always get so excited to read them, I appreciate the support & knowing there are people on the same journey. Its sometimes hard as honestly half my friends I have no idea how they are financially...I mean a few I have a general idea but we don't discuss it in detail..its funny as we talk about everything under the sun..relationships, babies/kids (theirs obvs), work, politics,fashion, celebs...but money...nope not really....I often wonder if they have hidden debts, how much they get paid, if they really are running a family home of 4 and what the hell their secrets are to success & making it look so easy...Why I've never asked I don't know. Its only the last 2 years of our 12 year friendship we all revealed how much we were paid. :rotfl:

Not to wish my life away but if I could fast forward a little sometimes that last week of the month I would :rotfl: saying that I have a few fun bits planned with friends but I really do want to crack on get paid so I can slay some debt.

Sorry I'm rambling a bit, I do that when I'm tired...DebtfreeDuo, I remember those days too...student finance..you can do it...will be here encouraging you to keep on too...will soon blink and it will be January...**I am wishing with you**!!

Happierdays Thank you!! I think waiting on pay day is part of the mse way...I never waited on it when I was using my credit cards...now with out them its like water torture :rotfl:

Did notice on Seasides Blog she set a weekly budget as she reported weekly..i may try that so its not so bad...then I feel im paying off something...then again NSK blog used to say pay it first live on the rest....Both Superb debtslayers :think:

Pauline117 Thank you for your lovely comments, honestly I really do appreciate them, they help me improve and find new better ways to do things...so please feel free I'm a little concerned too on the cold turkey method, honestly It probably would've been better to reduce my spending bit by bit I and taken longer....definitely an all or nothing but this time I want longevity and to clear this once and for all...I have slipped into old habits like M&5 dine in and pret lunches...I absolutely love the idea of special meals budget! Thank you I will add that in to this months budget...My Food shopping definitely needs work, I will up it and I think I need to refine this meal planning thing for sure...I am getting good using up food and eating left overs...our food waste has gone down for sure:j Fakeaways I will look into that see if I can source a book! That is a brilliant idea!

My loan doesn't allow for extra payments (I wish it did) so I'm currently putting the additional funds in a separate bank account which I can transfer into and out of but don't use via card withdrawals (as i forgot the pin):o...I thought Id have been tempted with this but I genuinely haven't touched it...just enjoying trying to top it up, leaving it to build up until there's enough to pay off the loan and close the account.

I wont lie and say that I havent been thinking that I need this or that...Yesterday I was eyeing up a chest freezer and today was picking out a new work wardrobe...I have problems..but I didnt buy either reasoned the freezer can wait until im not 10k in debt/or the old one dies and the new clothes I snubbed as didnt want to buy any new clothes until ive dropped a dress size...I wont say until im out of debt as that wont happen I enjoy shopping a bit....still I spent hardly nothing this month and next month will allow myself some well thought out piece's in budget..I need some winter jumpers..

I think this month compared to the last month my bank accounts has seen a massive difference...I havent used my credit card, Ive spent/saved less than ive earned...if only just! I'm also really eager this time to do it right...I know i'm prone to binge spending and throwing away money...I really want to be in a position where i'm weird as Dave Ramsey says and I don't owe anyone a dime or penny n my case

I feel like I've wasted so much time and set myself back so much with my previous behavior and if I don't change now I'll never be out of it!

I genuinely welcome any advice you guys have as I really want to make it, I'm so eager to have the loan and card paid off, then an emergency fund built up and just have some peace...I also want to stick to something for a change...I want to be better at this money thing..so please know I am really grateful for any help, tips cheats

Round up of the day- was good, a non spend day, another non smoking day...another im waiting for payday day lol!

night everyone sorry for the long post...Im over tired...hope you have a fab day tomorrow..G'night X

DebtFreeDuo

I think money is one of those topics that people just don't talk about, people like to appear a certain way and talking about their finances might take away from that. I certainly don't talk about my position to anyone, not even my family unless I really need to.

Thank you, it is tough on student finance as you have to budget for the next 3/4 months rather than the next one month and if I miscalculate something then I will be in a mess for a longer period but I'm getting there. I have already done my budget for Jan-May, have included all birthdays and virtually put that to one side and worked out how much I can overpay. I do have the comfort that if I do overpay too much then I do have a 0% overdraft I can dip into but I will only do this in an emergency and it would be a lot less than the overpayment I had made.

It is dangerous not being able to overpay and having to do it via saving to pay the whole thing off instead, I think it leaves a little more temptation but it sounds like you're doing great. Why don't you consider giving yourself a pot that you can add to each month for when you feel you really need to buy something for yourself? This will help keep any temptation of dipping into your loan repayment account.

You do sound more ready now than before, I think now you know that its going to be a longer process and it requires a change in your mindset rather than not looking at all areas of spending and wanting to pay every penny but then leaving yourself short. I think we need to remember that we can still allow ourselves treats but we must budget for them or earn extra to cover them.