Finally found the strength to get debt free 💪

Cherryfudge

You are making great progress! Well done on rethinking the PS4.

I really like your idea of park meet-ups. Hope the weather stays fine for you.

Angela84

Thanks! Was a beautiful day today and had a lovely meet up with some other mums in a nice park. Picnic packed and £0 spent. Woo!

Angela84

Pleased with how Tuesday went, had 24 children and 9 adults round, everyone brought something, I spent £30 on food and drinks and we all had a great day. One good frugal victory was 1 big tub of ice cream, one box of 24 cones, total cost £2, 24 happy children!
The 2 days after have been quiet and nsd's and I'm hoping to continue with the nsd's for as long as possible!
Rent day tomorrow, all planned for and covered and also ready for all the bills on 1st August.

Cherryfudge

You do sound so in control - and Tuesday seems like a big success. Unfortunately I could really eat cheap ice cream now that you've mentioned it!

Angela84

Have caught a bug from the children and have been up all night. But it hasn't stopped me from paying down these debts.
Today I got my summer bonus and I planned to send that straight to the credit card, and I didn't let myself down. Nearly £3000 paid off since January, wow!
Lots more nsd's coming up and can't wait to finish August with only 2 debts left.

glass_half_full

Just read your diary and wanted to say well done on staying so focused, you are doing so well, stick with it, it will be worth it in the end!

Angela84

Thank you Glass half full!

All the bills find out this morning, nothing unexpected. I keep a note on my phone each month so I can no longer be surprised at anything and I can plan ahead. I'm so invested in this debt repayment process now there's no way I could stop, that debt free date of June 2018 feels so close and so achievable now I'm £3000 in already.
I think another thing that's motivated me is with some new friends I've made and seeing their finances. Constant d/ds bouncing, phones being cut off every month, borrowing from family each month, not a penny in their purses or accounts for a week sometimes. I've tried talking to them and helping but they don't seem to want to change.
It's made me realise I used to be similar (not quite so bad though!) and I don't want the worry ever again if I can afford to feed my children this week!
Another motivation is tracking my credit score. I have one on my barclaycard app that updates every 2 months, one on here that updates monthly and I downloaded ClearScore too. I feels like a game I've got to try and get better each month!

Angela84

Another park meet up today with a picnic so another nsd and gets the children out the house and seeing their friends. This is a lovely park with a splash pad too.
Yesterday the boys climbed the apple tree in our garden as shook all the apples down so I'm going to peel and chop them up and freeze them in bags to make crumble for the winter. Going to get the boys to pick some blackberries today at the park and that's our Sunday puddings ready!

Another frugal thing I'll do today is check my wardrobe for outfits for a hen party i have in a couple of weeks, all the girls are meeting to go shopping but I'm sure i have at least a couple of dresses, even though my wardrobe is very minimal.
Joined bootcamp yesterday again as well to try and feel a bit better before I go to the hen party. The PT still owes me a few sessions from when I paid upfront in January so I don't have to pay and I can take the children and it gets us out the house by 9.30 which is good.

Angela84

My sister visited this week and I went a bit crazy in town with her and spent on a credit card. Silly and weak of me but cant turn back the clock, I haven't seen her in a year and won't be for another. Back on the wagon now and contemplating simply cutting my cards up to stop any temptation.

Went to the horse races last night, the money that people were throwing about! I couldn't get my head round it, have never gambled and couldn't understand the buzz. Didn't spend a penny!

Angela84

I am so psyched for becoming debt free. It's something I've carried around with me for the whole of my adult life. 15 years. And it's going to take me just over 15 months to clear it.

The one thing I cant get used to still is feeling 'skint' each week. I know it's been my decision to try and make this process as quick as I can manage but looking at each week knowing I have zero 'spare' money is so boring and I have to fight with myself not to fall off the wagon and treat myself by convincing myself that I deserve it.

I feel lucky I have very little that I need, I'm happy with my home and my life and we live in a wonderful community where lots of things get paid forward. I also have found I have more time to do other things now I've no interest in wandering around shops I can't buy anything in.

I just want to look forward to next year and be able to start putting money away and saving up and being able to afford things again, things I've been planning for a long time like a family trip to Lapland.