Working Hard Debt Diary - Here goes

hypno06

You sound like you need to recharge your batteries a bit - take care of yourself......no point in getting debt free if you are too tired to enjoy it!

Compingirl

I agree with all of the above! - take care & try to recharge, you dont want to be ill over xmas.

I would send the items back & buy from your friend. TBH I keep all my receipts and if I see something ive bought at full price I buy it and return it with the full price receipt! It goes through me when youve scrimped and saved and then there they are at half price 3 days later.

Glad your heating is working again and lucky you xmas concerts - enjoy! cgx

Compingirl

Are you sitting down? Well they say luck runs in 3's, how's this for a nightmare:
1. My car glovebox broken by fiddling kids - £119
2. Expensive trip to the dentist again for me quoted £300!
3. OH car making funny sound when braking - are you ready for this - he needs 2 new disc brakes, 4 pads and 4 new tyres £950!!!!!!

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year! I'm off to drown my sorrows with whatever I can find in the kitchen! cgx

In_my_dreams

Compingirl - you poor thing, hope you found something in the kitchen to assist x

lucielle

Comping, feel for you, similar situation ourselves.
L

Verbatim

Crikey that's huge.
Sorry it's all gone wrong and at the same time.

beanielou

Comping girl I feel your pain.

WorkingHardDFW

Blimey so do I feel you pain CG - nasty nasty car!!! Don't you just love them:eek:

I've been really out of sorts the last few days....I determined today it was stress related: feeling under the weather, kids, family, Xmas, work, OU course ..........:eek::eek:

I took some control today, then had a really rotten row with DS1 (end of term tiredness kicking in I think for us all ). I 'd stopped exercising (walking the hound) which doesn't help the brain space does it?

Anyway I've had a rant, had a cry, talked to some friends and now I feel still pressured but slightly more in control with a plan to finish off my OU work and take time off over Xmas....

I would have swapped the above pressures for the car bills I think!

Onwards

hypno06

(((hugs))) to anyone that needs them x

WorkingHardDFW

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and New Year. I can still wish everyone that since technically its still Christmas although our decs are down and the house is getting some semblance of order (!!) again!

I've got to apologise for having dipped out of the MSE for a while. Life got the better of me for a while. Doing too much, trying to push myself and ending up in a snotty heap - not very pretty all round really. Anyway I imploded, talked to friends, talked to my GP, talked to OH and my Mum and came to realise that I'd been doing too much. I think what was a copable (word?) balancing act (work, kids, Xmas, finances, OH....) became too much with the addition of my college course!! Luckily this implode co-incided with my Xmas break from work so I've really had the chance to rest and whilst I'm not back at 100% I'm on my way up...:o. The start of Hypno's new post really resonated for me ('ve only just caught up with it) so thanks H:D.

Xmas was more expensive than the budget which will result in less to pay off the debt next month. This will have the effect of pushing our DFD until Feb I fear but its happened. I think that I took my eye off the ball (see above) and we both felt a little indulgent to the kids hence the overspend. Next years budget has been increased to prevent this happening again although not quite as much as we overspent this year.

Tax bill has been paid today. Money was sitting in a savings account and it was a lovely feeling to just pay it off. I need to get some put aside for this years tax bill. My extra sources of income, bar matched betting, all stopped in November so I need to cover this gap.

One more CC has been paid off last month. The RBS card was cleared and now sits with a big fat zero balance. :T I am chuffed although at the time I paid it I wasn't really focused. This leaves us with just one CC outstanding, blimey I can't believe we've just got one, with an outstanding balance of £2827 which is now out outstanding debt . This is now going to reduce slower than previously because we are now overpaying our mortgage by £500 per month. This sounds illogical but the debt is a 0% and the mortgage isn't clearly so overpaying the mortgage is the most cost efficient way of doing things. Allowing for quite a lot of our budgets having gone up now to a comfortable level we're still paying off our debt at £500 pm without any extras. This takes our DFD to March (offseting o/s debt against our emergency savings!!) which is a while off but not too far. I've have given a lot for that level of debt 2 years ago so I am definately not complaining.

We've also booked a holiday over Xmas. Again we've pushed the budget up slightly (we blew the budget last year). The deposit is being paid tomorrow and once again its lovely to know we've got the money squirred away.

2010 will be the year we become DF, however like Hypno has already said I need to look after myself to support everyone else. I need to ensure that I make time to exercise, having leisure time for myself (:p), keep in control of the finances, accept that my focus has to chance (this unbelieveably was part of my implode, I'd focused on getting DF for 2+ years and suddenly it was here ...nearly), enjoy my life, my kids, OH and studying (until April :rolleyes:). Not a tall order but achieveable....

So here's to 2010 and all you fellow MSE DFW's who work so hard and achieve so much:beer: