£50k to zero - made it across the finish line

One-step-at-a-time

Drawingaline wrote: »

Onestepatatime, wow, that big payment will really help your monthly budget. Can't believe you have been paying it for a year well done! Don't go crazy next month :rotfl:

Thanks! That year has gone so quickly! Don't worry, I've already adjusted all my payments to reallocate it to different pots - most of it is going to be diverted to debt #3 (the only one left bearing interest), with 10% to the ISA and 10% back to the overall household spending.

One-step-at-a-time

Dottles1 wrote: »

Hi One Step (and all)
I found your thread this morning and have read it from the start. Can I say that I am blown away by your determination and planning in managing your debts. I am also trying to get my final debts down now and have picked up quite a few tips from reading about your journey.
I put all small amounts saved/accrued into one account but have realised this can easily be used for other things without thinking. I'm definitely going to pay over smaller amounts as and when throughout the month.
Need to tighten up my budgets and get myself back onto Eb4y asap.
I feel a sort out coming on!!

I will be following you and can't wait to celebrate your final big payment to the dragon with you.

Well done so far. You are an inspiration

Hi Dottles1, and thank you! It amazes me that people have got the patience to plough through all my waffle, and I'm really happy that some of it has been useful! Best of luck slaying your dragon

One-step-at-a-time

Hello everyone and happy Sunday!

Well, I have to admit I have blown a HUGE portion of the day binge-reading posts and blogs on the Mr Money Mustache site (which I hadn't heard of until a couple of days ago). I don't know whether to feel inspired or completely overwhelmed! Some of the people there are working with salaries so large that the numbers simply do not compute...though the realisation that I am paying 40% of my net to debt and that someday I could theoretically be saving it all instead...well, that's sort of blown my mind.

Back to (my current) reality for a bit, I've sold three more little things this afternoon with a total profit of £10, which are already packed and addressed and ready to go. I do like auctions that end on days when I can deal with them straight away! Every £1 is a step closer to freedom, so I've taken ten steps forward today without even moving my butt from the sofa :rotfl:

One-step-at-a-time

Online window shopping alert!

We make a lot of pizza at home. I've been asking around to see if anyone I know has a Makro/Booker card so that I can buy a sack of 00 flour, but no dice... then I looked on Amaz0n and I can get 25kg for 98p/kg including delivery. That's enough for 150 pizzas, and my only issue would be how long it would keep for if properly stored. I currently have this and similarly large sacks of brown rice and basmati rice on my wish list, we have plenty of cupboard space and I have to admit I am very tickled at the idea of these things being a one-off annual (or less) expense :rotfl:

[Deleted User]

I love Mr Money Mustache, that's what first opened my eyes to the idea of overpaying debts, and the fact that I can actually pay off my debts in the first place. Until then I had just assumed I'd be in debt for the whole of my life. Some of his ideas are pretty hardcore (and like you say, require a bigger salary to fully implement), but it certainly is an eye-opener.

One-step-at-a-time

Moguline wrote: »

I love Mr Money Mustache, that's what first opened my eyes to the idea of overpaying debts, and the fact that I can actually pay off my debts in the first place. Until then I had just assumed I'd be in debt for the whole of my life. Some of his ideas are pretty hardcore (and like you say, require a bigger salary to fully implement), but it certainly is an eye-opener.

Hi Moguline! I think one of the most interesting things I've picked up is the idea of calculating what one day of permanent financial freedom per year would cost, at various levels of expenditure, not least because it gives me yet another excuse for a spreadsheet

I do really find it quite amazing how much my outlook has changed in the last couple of years and reading MMM has cemented things more. As one of the forum posters there has said, I feel like Neo waking up from the matrix and realising he was living a lie.

One-step-at-a-time

Today has involved spending way too much time traipsing around to find one flipping ingredient.
It took me six shops to find somewhere that wasn't completely out of fresh chillies (which DH suddenly realised we didn't have for the meal tonight and wasn't in a position to grab some himself). Annoyingly I had to go overdrawn to get cash out as the place I ended up at was our tiny local grocers on the way home from work and they don't take cards (I'm sure me paying for 30p worth of chilli with a tenner must have been annoying for them, but it couldn't be helped ). I've temporarily transferred a bit over from the annual bills account to prevent the potential 3p of overdraft fees, which feels a bit like overkill now that I've written it down! Meals are now sorted for the next three days and I've ended up getting a little more exercise than I might otherwise have had today, so all is good.

Easy night planned for tonight (just putting a few new auction listings up while the final fees offer is still on).

redofromstart

I stopped bulk buying stuff a few years ago when the mice got to my pasta mountain. You can get weevils in flour too which puts me off. I ended up spending as much again on storage tubs which rather offset any savings.

[Deleted User]

Haha, the Neo thing is such a good analogy!
The 3p thing is funny, but it just shows a change in mindset, and a good one at that!

One-step-at-a-time

Today has been lovely!
DH was in a chatty mood when I got home and we've had a really productive conversation about finances in general. The main difference between us is that he has no fear and is (and always has been) an 'everything will work itself out' person, and I tend to veer in the opposite direction, but since we started dealing with this properly we've been more open to each others' point of view, and it feels like a good team effort these days.