Ongoing Journey to being a Frugalista..

Seasidegal58

Well done on the collapsing dominoes!  It must be a great feeling. Nearly there now with the CC!😀

jwil

Great news about the windfall!

brizzlegirl

It is...completely fantastic. So pleased. We also got our quarterly FiT payment for our solar panels, 'only' £114 but its always lower as its from the winter period and whats even better is that as we have now almost paid off the original cost (panels, installation and some roof reinforcement work) its all upside (environmentally and financially) from next year, for the next 15 years - yay

So..last month. May was a good month, a very good month for debt payments. Another CC went and another is almost gone. We spent 86% of OH's salary on debt repayments, which whilst shocking (just think what we could do if we hadn't burned through all that cash over the last few years (although had some pretty amazing holidays, new garden etc so never regretting it really) that kind of % is also inspirational for showing me and OH that there can be another way and in addition to those repayments we also made a massive quarterly payment for uni accommodation for DD1. Can't quite believe it. 

Groceries was high but less than April. We had some takeouts to support our local businesses (and to lift our spirits!) and quite a few virtual lessons and classes for DD2. We also got phone upgrades for 3 of us - the iphone 5s and 6s were beginning to struggle - and I had to pay an accountancy bill to do with the company tax returns etc. 

Where on earth am I thinking, are these savings coming from? I need to look much more closely as over the last 3 months there will be a tale and a half and I love a bit of trend analysis but I do think the having 'nowhere to spend' on the discretionary stuff, the coffees, travel, eating out, holidays etc makes such a difference. Lessons have dropped back for the girls, nothing on clothes and birthday last month was considered. My hair!!!! Thats a fair whack every month that just isn't happening. I am running instead!

So all in all, its going great. I am very sad at how C-19 has destroyed some people's lives and how different and challenging it is for many others. But I can also only be grateful for how many silver linings there have been for me and my debt busting. I could be free at this rate by September

beanielou

3 months would be just fab 

Sun_Addict

Obviously it’s a tragedy this virus happened, but there are some positives coming out of it for many people. Great that you’re working the situation to your advantage 👍

Seasidegal58

What a great post brizzle. You've said it all really. ⭐️

Roll on September?😀

PurpleFairy26

Love your amazing positive post. Definitely take all the positives you can get from the situation. I’m sure lots of people can see things they can do without (whether that’s physical, monetary spend, routines, activities etc...) that they may not be rushing back to when the world opens up again. 

DF by September - do you have a date? - think we should pencil (or ink if it’s definite 😜) in a DF virtual party 🎉 🥳 on this thread to cheer all your fabulous work (and Mr Brizzle of course) 

Will you then be on track for MF December 2023? That’s even more exciting! 

XSpender

How brilliant to be debt free by September!

I can also see positives from this awful situation.  We have been able to save a significant amount of money, probably more than we have ever done before, and DH and I have really got on the same page financially.  Seeing all that extra money in my budget motivates me to find ways to maintain the surplus when I am out of furlough.  Even though my job is now at risk and, if I keep it it will be changing significantly, those changes would never have happened before the pandemic and will have a hugely positive impact on my work life balance.

lucielle

Just catching up.  Amazing amount of running and the debt busting is also brilliant.  You can do this!
L

greent

Brilliant news on yet more debt busting, brizzle! - fantastic that the end is now so close! x

Totally unrelated - my DS2 has been working on Bristol, social deprivation and the regeneration of Temple Quarter for his Geography - I'm finding it interesting (probably more than him!) because it's only down the road, in reality - and I and DH worked in Bristol for quite a while, too Made me think of you when we were researching some stuff about Bristol this week