The Edcawber Principle

edinburgher

£70 paid off CC, now under £13,000.

I am feeling guilty about using CB money to repay debts again, even though we will pay back every penny and growth, it feels wrong

Brodiebobs

I know its been said a 1000x before but you shouldn't feel guilty.

Its the Govt contribution to her upbringing, ours just goes in the bills pot with rest of our income, we don't save it for them or use it for anything in particular, as im sure most people do the same, so the fact you will repay it is more then mine will get and i don't feel guilty for that

beanielou

Do not feel guility

edinburgher

£5.41 paid off the CC. Less than a fortnight to payday :j

edinburgher

£5.35 paid off the CC - 9 hours 'til the long weekend

Have a lovely day all :coffee:

Suffolk_lass

When we were children, my parents were very hard up and my Dad worked a second job at the weekends. There is no way they could afford holidays but my Grandfather's affluent cousin (a stock-broker) did some tax deductible stuff that put a bit of money in trust for us children and gave control to my parents. He made it clear that they were to decide how best to use the money. I recall a great long debate when I was 11 about whether I was to go to the local girls school or be sent to the private school, using this money. Then there was the question of whether it was to be invested for us or used. In the end we used much of it to pay for family holidays. These were life-enhancing new experience happy memories that are precious to this day - both family trips and the school trips that could not otherwise have been afforded.

Please don't beat yourself up about the CB - I tried for several years to do the same for DS but after DH was made redundant and was not working while he retrained as a teacher, it was vital we use it to making ends meet. Then we used it and the holiday pot to pay for the orthodontist to straighten DS's teeth - for which I am truly thankful.

edinburgher

Thank you SL, as always you have something thought provoking to add

I was a conceited little !!!! growing up and what I remember most about my incredibly privileged private education was feeling poor compared to my peers. I didn't see the sacrifices my parents were making, only the shame of patched blazers, non brand name clothing and luxury holidays we never took.

Ridiculous I know, but it has made deep marks on my psyche. Aside from the exhaustion , one of the main reasons we haven't rushed to have a football team is because I'd rather raise one child in relative material comfort than several in dire straits. We will need to strike a balance, but are watching siblings live life across the materialism/number of kids spectrum and to date I wouldn't swap with any of them. I think we've reached a nice level, I'm not wanting to aim "higher", but I'm not willing to go much lower. I think I differ from many MFWs in that regard - I wouldn't say we're thrifty, but I also don't consider us spendthrifts :think:

edinburgher

£193 or so of CC payments over the last 3 days. Largely budget re-jigging.

2 day week and a conference - mustn't grumble

Karmacat

edinburgher wrote: »

I was a conceited little !!!! growing up and what I remember most about my incredibly privileged private education was feeling poor compared to my peers. I didn't see the sacrifices my parents were making, only the shame of patched blazers, non brand name clothing and luxury holidays we never took.

Most parents keep that stuff away from their kids on purpose! And as for private schools - my sister taught in one private school or another for her whole career, and the children usually have a very different frame of reference from most of the population - thats just how it is. Its what they *do* with that, as they grow older, that matters, attitude is all, and we know where you stand on that

Ridiculous I know, but it has made deep marks on my psyche. Aside from the exhaustion , one of the main reasons we haven't rushed to have a football team is because I'd rather raise one child in relative material comfort than several in dire straits. We will need to strike a balance, but are watching siblings live life across the materialism/number of kids spectrum and to date I wouldn't swap with any of them. I think we've reached a nice level, I'm not wanting to aim "higher", but I'm not willing to go much lower. I think I differ from many MFWs in that regard - I wouldn't say we're thrifty, but I also don't consider us spendthrifts :think:

Then you've got it right for you and yours, Ed, which is exactly what mfw is really about, not ultimate thriftiness but measured overpayments in tune with family life

beanielou

Sounds like a great balance to me.
Great going on the cc payments.