The long haul supporters thread...

Jacks_xxx

:wave: Hiya lovelies!

Just thought I'd pop in and see how it's going as my ears were burning! As ISOM says I'll help if I can. I used to be a Long Hauler myself not so long ago.

When we first did the big add up and filled in the SnowBall back in August 2006 it said we would be paying until 2028 in order to get clear - and that was if we didn't get any more debts.

We cleared it all in March of this year though (about two years and seven months) and despite both being out of work for a while - we're still debt free. :j

I'm still a debt free wannabe though and we still do most of the same things we did on our debt free journey. I have joined LoveFilm though - ooh the luxury - and I'm amazed every day at how little money you can live on if you're not handing over hundreds of pounds in debt repayments each month!

I'm very far from a frugal queen though and I failed big style at the £4k challenge. I think we'd spent the £4k by March! The rules of that particular challenge just didn't work for me. Our priorities are different.

And don't even ask me how long I clung onto my salon cut and colour at £120 a time! :eek:

Hubby's just as bad. he refused to shift his car insurance until the second year - and then was completely amazed that this simple act of comparison shopping saved us £400!

So if we could do it....it can definitely be done!

ramblingtree

Hi Jacks,
Thanks for the motivation, I've read you threads before when I was a lurker and you're such an inspiration! Please pop back and keep us going every now and again!
x

chris81418

Hi everyone!

I signed up to the forum months ago, but only logged on and started using it today ...

I’ve just PM’d In Search of Me to see if I could be allocated a Long Haulers number and join ‘the club’ - I've got a mini mountain to climb, thankfully I'm about half way - check out my signature :eek:

Thanks in advance - I'll need the support to keep me in check!

sallymander

Hello again, and welcome along Chirs by the looks of your sig you seem to be doing very well, :T but a little extra help never hurt anyone!

Thanks ISOM I had heard mention of a 50p thread (my kind of urban legend holy grail!) so will definitely be subscribing to that one!

5p soup????? right im going to set myself the challenge of beating that.... maybe once the veg patch has taken off though..... :rotfl:

sally x

In_Search_Of_Me

chris81418(196)
welcome!
For those who may be interested weezl's thread is here;
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1157641
I can verify that she did it as have seen her in action and witnessed the spreadsheet plus made her a cuppa while she almost passed out with the pigs head...discovered that she had a Fergus on board then so that didnt help but have to say the piggy was an experience/adventure I'm happy not to repeat!!! Keep up the good work and thank you for posting lovely jacks..you are an inspiration..although wish I had your energy!!!

chris81418

Thanks for my Long Hauler number In Search of Me, and for the welcome sallymander - you're right "a little extra help never hurt anyone" and this forum is an inspiration keeping me on track - well done Susie54!

My vice is motorcycles - not cheap! My last one was stolen a couple or so months ago; I only had 3rd party insurance as I cut back everywhere to help pay my debts. My insurance against theft was a great big dirty chain and lock, but a number of factors meant I didn't chain it up one night - and lo and behold it was gone the next morning!

This forum is keeping me off eBay though, and looking at the positives, pedal cycling instead keeps me fit, and I now don't have to fork out for insurance, mot, road tax, parts for keeping the motorcycle in service etc!

As long as I'm strict and keep to the plan (see my sig), I can start 2013 debt free - and then the money I use to pay off my debts every month will be mine instead - all £960.08 of it! Just 38 months to go and counting!

ramblingtree

Welcome Chris, gosh, your sig does show some good work already! I'm hoping to be debt free by the end of 2012, although my sig has to be a bit more realistic at the moment, especially after the last few months when things have gone awry.

Today (rather than working hard) I have been mostly doing the budget for 2010 and seeing how it will change from this year. Saving £100 on car insurance starting next month, a whole year with the new lodger hopefully, a whole year with my second (and third!) job hopefully, all of which should be able to go on debt repayment rather than catching up. So, I've been trying to figure out what my amount-to-pay-off aim is for next year. I'm going to try for £25k, which I think could be achievable, if we get a little luck as well.

Also Chris I have been daydreaming about the amount spent on debt. We currently, wait for it, spend a whopping £1600 a month on debt!!! Can you believe it?! Thats a decent salary right there! Crazy. I can't even imagine what I would do with an extra £1600 a month, over £19k a year!!! Maybe I should follow you on the motorcycle theme and get me a classic car...

sallymander

Hi everyone, how are you all doing? I've got to that point in the month when most of my wages have gone out and there's not much left, and theres a whole 20 days to go til pay day!!! Oh well i can always use my overdraft but it will have to be realy bad if i get to that stage. Its amazing how resolute you can get sometimes when paying off debts!!

Thanks for the link to the 50p thread ISOM I had a look on the OS board but kept getting distracted by other threads, went to bed at 11.45 and realised I was supposed to have done a pre-read for my course. :rotfl:

Sally x

ramblingtree

ISOM - I'm with Sallymander, forgot to thank you for Weezls thread. Not sure I could reach her low grocery costs but I'm giving it a go! Spag bol on the hob, would usually last us 2 days but have added enough lentils to make it last three. Its a start! No freezer though, so by the end of the week might be sick of it!

Jacks_xxx

:TBig thanks to ISOM from me - I dunno how you manage to keep up with this thread on top of everything else you've had going on lately. You deserve a medal my lovely! :A