This Duo's debt free journey

ladymay

You're right - you can absolutely do this! Great news on the SOA update. I just caught up on the recent updates, welcome back! x

DebtFreeDuo

Thank you both, thanks for stopping by ladymay, I will head over to catch up with your diary once I have some coursework out of the way.

I'm thinking of some challenges for 2019, the following are potentials

List/sell/clear an item a day
Savings challenge
Spend free days - maybe 150 over the year
Surveys to pay for Christmas
I was thinking of a pot or something similar for change but I already round down my account and pay this off my loan once it's built up a little
Stick to the budget set out in my SOA

I'm thinking if I set myself some realistic challenges then whatever money I have from whatever challenges I decide on then I can use this as some kind of treat for me and for DS and then also some into savings, maybe a 25/25/50 split.

I will put a little more thought into it and come up with some solid plans, I've asked for an organiser or similar for Christmas so I will plan it all out, hopefully I will do better at sticking to it and won't end up in a continuous circle.

Any other ideas on the challenge front are welcome!

Willowtree222

Some good ideas there. I can't think of anything else at the end, but if i do, I will let you know.x

DebtFreeDuo

I know its a little early but it will give me a little time for any adjustments so here is my plan for 2019

160 NSD

52 week savings challenge - I'm not going to follow a set plan but I will have a list of amounts from £1 - £52 and cross off whatever I can afford that week until all amounts are crossed out.

Sell/clear an item per day - I have a lot of things to clear and there is a possibility that I will be moving next year so this one is very important.

Stick to SOA - I will learn to stick to a budget but I won't kid myself that this will be easy for me.

Surveys to cover Christmas - I did well earlier in the year but none of the vouchers really made it to Christmas, next year any vouchers will be saved purely for Christmas, if I do use any for anything else then I will replace the voucher amount with cash from my budget.

Debt free by April 19 - This was my original DFD I believe but I bought it forward, I'm still aiming for that date to clear everything. I won't put too much emphasis on this as I feel its more important that I start to learn to budget properly and stick to it so will prioritise the different pots I have for annual bills.

I think that's everything that I have come up with for now, excited to get going.

Willowtree222

Putting me to shame. I so need to get organised for 2019!!

DebtFreeDuo

Must remember not to go to the supermarket whilst hungry! I needed milk, bread and some fruit and ended up spending £11.

A few little wins today though:

Handed in a piece of coursework that has been really bothering me, was going to treat myself to a hot chocolate as a reward if I got it handed in today but I resisted so I saved myself over £3 there.

Pulled up at the supermarket and checked an app on my phone, not sure why I checked, but there was a reward for a free advent calender from that very supermarket. Downloaded the voucher and it turned out to be a £1.50 e-gift card so instead of picking the advent calender up I used it towards my shopping!

Is it me or is the temperature really dropping? I turned my heating down to around 14 whilst I was out of the house, I have just got back home and the heating was on so it must be really cold in the house. This isn't good when I'm trying to cut my energy bill.

Willowtree222

I'm cold too, but that isn't unusual for me. I have always been a cold person on the outside.

Bonus about the £1.50 that is a good deal. I wish I could cut my shopping bill, but it is £2.75 for a loaf x

DebtFreeDuo

I didn't have a very good night last night, couldn't sleep as I had too much on my mind. I'm thinking of starting a journal or similar so that I can get my thoughts down somewhere but I'm unsure at the moment.

Only spend today was car parking (£2) which I couldn't really avoid. I had £280.38 in the account where I send the bits from rounding my account down so I have sent that over to the loan so that I can sort out my December budget. Total debt cleared this month - £441.

I have decided to start the budgeting from December rather than waiting for January so I now have a spreadsheet for all my pots. I will send this money over to the account that I just emptied and anything left over from the groceries and entertainment pots will go over to the loan each month along with any money moved over from rounding down. Will list my monthly pots below and update as required.

Started back on the surveys yesterday and already have £2.30 in my PA acount. I also have around £7 in my SB account, will start back here in December to build it up towards next Christmas.

DebtFreeDuo

Clothing - £50 Nothing needed in the near future so this should get built up a bit
Fuel - £16.19
Car - £80 To cover insurance and maintenance, will probably use all of this up straight away with the new tyre I need and then another 2 new tyres shortly after but will have to wait until next year
Home - £0
Hair - £15
Holiday - £50
Presents - £16.76
Groceries - £85.17
Entertainment - £184

DebtFreeDuo

Just checked my energy account and it looks like my warm home discount has been applied which means I am in credit by just shy of £230! Have cut my monthly payment down by £10 per month so it currently stands at £37 per month.