Shopsalot - does exactly what it says on the tin..

Toto

Of course you have the right to be here, I'm debt free but I still hang around. It isn't a competition and you don't need to be desperate or destitute, people will help. You have to want to be helped though. I don't see any anger or dissaproval, just people offering their opinion, which after all is what you have to expect if you post on a forum. Everything has been said to help you, but if you honestly don't feel you will gain anything by hearing a different view then keep us in mind and feel free to come back when you feel differently. Good luck.

jo1972

Shopsalot, I don't think you should leave the board, I think people do genuinely want to help. There will be some people that read this thread with jealousy as your budget for treats is more than theirs but it is as you say all relative.

As was previously mentioned why not stick your SOA up so that we can see if you can save in other ways and bring your debt-free date a bit closer.

Good luck whatever you decide

pania

no disapproval at all shopsalot, people here will point out that there is a need to look at your spending and work out why you are spending as much as you are. You don't need to be in dire straits, and i understand your desire to curb the spending. But that would mean cutting out the unnecessary spending to a certain level and i'm not sure you are willing to do that.
We all deserve a treat from time to time and you most certainly deserve the right to enjoy your hard earned cash. If you are serious in paying off this debt than go all out for it and you'll be debt free in a year and can then spend as much as you like!

pania

ps nothing was said with jealousy on previous post and wasn't meant to come across like that at all.:o

jo1972

pania wrote: »

ps nothing was said with jealousy on previous post and wasn't meant to come across like that at all.:o

Pania, I hope that you didn't think that when I mentioned jealousy I was aiming it at you hun, I was just talking about in general the people that will read this thread, whether they post on it or not.

Lindsay-Lou

Hi Shopsalot,

Please don't go giving up on the site/fourm/posts. Everyone means well - and there's no-one more zealous than a convert (or something like that)

Even if you haven't reached a point where paying off your debts as quickly as possible is top of your to-do list then at least you are aware of the debt and and are beginning to trying and curtail it. I'd say make full use of the budget planner and demotivator etc., be clear on the plan you're happy with and go for it.
Sometimes I think if you to see the small successes through minor actions your enthusiam for being debt free moves higher up your priorities list and you can focus more of your effort on paying everything off. (i play such mind-games on myself all the time )

pointypenguin

Can I ask

• What changes have you made to your spending since you decided you wanted to reduce it?
• What are you willing to live without if you had to?
• What can't you live without / are unwilling to cut back on?

redrabbit29

I have no idea why you think that some of the previous posts were negative or jealously-driven.

As others have said, we're all just trying to help.

Do you do much online shopping? If you do, maybe you should give quidco, pigsback, etc... a try, they are excellent sites.

Tustastic

Hi shopsalot, I hope that you do stick with the DFW board. There are loads of people on here who have very high incomes but also high outgoings and lots of debt that they are aiming to bring under control.
I'm happy to think of you spending your hard earned money on things that you like. It won't make life any worse (or better) for the other DFWs for you to do this.
If you've got lots of clothes and electronics, why not have an absolutely massive clearout and eBay marathon, rather than selling a couple of bits and pieces here and there? Toto's idea of funding your upcoming spends through eBay sales sounds good.
It would be a great idea to post your statement of affairs so that you can get help to make sure you aren't wasting money on needlessly expensive insurance, mobile contracts etc etc that could be better spent on your true shopping passions.
HTH and good luck with reducing the debts in your own way and at your own pace.

grumpy_grizzly_2

Hi shopsalot,

I know exactly where you're coming from as I've been there too. If you're earning a decent salary it can be easy to let money slip through your fingers. There also tends to be an element of peer pressure, you're expected to wear smart suits, socialise etc - it's all part and parcel of being a professional.

There's no easy solution, I'm afraid. What eventually did it for me was the fact I'd run out of space! I eventually got fed up of having to fight with my wardrobe, or trip over things, and it started to annoy me and make me unhappy, so I cut back. Like you, I had debt I could comfortably handle but the moneysaving came more by accident rather than design.

After that, I actually found I enjoyed shopping far less as I found it stressful. I now shop far less than I ever used to, and generally tend to be more focussed when I do. I now have certain shops I'll go to and I seem to just ignore the rest.

The other thing I did was to set up spreadsheets tracking lots of things. Most of my bills are paid by dd but I still like ticking them off on the spreadsheet each month. I also have a spreadsheet for daily expenditure, and I keep an eye on how much I spend on certain things, eg clothes, daytime eats, petrol, that sort of thing. I try not to spend more than 400 quid a month on clothes, and if I do I'll trim it back the following month.

Top tip: use conditional formatting on your spreadsheets! It's amazing how a box turning red makes you stop and think when you're at the shops at lunchtime! :rotfl:

The other thing that happened was that I looked at the reasons I was spending money. It was because I was deeply unhappy with various things in my life. Buying something nice would cheer me up (still does, LOL, but I now need cheering up far less than I used to!) I ditched the things that were making me unhappy and have never looked back!

Final thing I did was to look for other ways of filling my time. I joined a gym a year ago and now use it religiously, every day. I've noticed in my many months of lurking on all the forums that many DFWs seem very against gym memberships. For me, it means spending a smaller amount to save a large amount so is well worth it.

I do ebay occasionally, quite frankly I find it a pain in the neck, but it does make me feel less guilty.

I hope you're not put off by some of the more negative replies you've had to your post. TBH, some of them look like petty jealousy. People get into debt for many reasons and yours is just as valid as anyone else. It always surprises me, for instance, that no one criticises DFWs for having a family, when to me that seems the biggest waste of money of all, but that's just personal opinion. Not everyone will agree (though some folk will). Other folk get into debt because of redundancy, illness, alcohol, relationships, just overstretched themselves, expensive hobbies, whatever else. No person's reason is any more or any less 'noble' or valid than anyone else.

Good luck!