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Working Hard Debt Diary - Here goes

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Comments

  • Ok I feel so much better now. How sad is this but I've brought my spending diary upto date. I'd got a few weeks worth of stuff to put into the spreadsheet and it was lovely to have it all done.

    Ok my plan. Well after a good few weeks of feeling quite down about everything and not feeling very motivated I've taken a good hard look at the figures and how we are living to see what we need to be doing to stay on track for next year when we'll be DF (not counting car loan and mortgage).

    So this year has been all about spending every penny we've got on reducing the debt - great and fine and haven't we done well. Its been hard though and we've definately cut back on how we live. We didn't live extravagently to start we but clearly we were overspending :o . Being DFW has been good but we need to start changing the focus a little. So...

    From Jan we'll be paying £1600 pm off the debt, about £1300 net which is not including the loan. We think that is good whack to be paying off and hopefully reducing int rates by CC shuffling etc will up the net reductions and bring the DFD forward. We should be all goes to plan and OH gets his bonus be DF by November 2009 :D .

    However I certianly need to feel as if we are living a little more than just debt bashing so with that in mind we've decided than any extra income from ebay, amazon (when I get the hang of it), mystery shopping, matched betting (again when I take the time to get my head around it again) and any extra shifts (which won't be many since I'll be working 4 days per week all the time) will be saved for nice things.

    This is of course whilst we stay on budget. Our budget has really stretched over the past year or so since I first posted up and as those who've read my thread will now I've adjusted a lot of things where my lovely spending diary was showing me I was spending more than the budget. Clothes, cars, childcare, food, holiday to name but a few.

    So this changes the focus from the extra bits and pieces I'm doing from negative (positive I know but its how it feels) debt busting to saving for nice things. For example I have rather recklessly agreed (whilst I was cross with OH!!) to take my DD to London in Feb to see Oliver. This won't be cheap and certianly isn't in the budget so I'll have to work hard to get the extra to afford it. This means I will be doing a few things which are nice to do without the guilt of spending money I cant afford - gosh how I remember that feeling :o .

    So the debts are we aiming to clear are 5 credit cards at various rates totalling about £25.5k:eek: . I've not the time or energy tonight but I will post how they stand at present so that any suggestions can be made.

    i hope that this all makes sense and isn't too boring..I'm looking forward to being a more positive DFW but not losing the habits/tips and savvy I've learned in the last 12 months
    Working Hard to be Debt Free - one day :A soon
    DFW Long Hauler 74; Mortgage overpayments MFiT-2 challenger 100
    Total Nov07 £36000, Sep10 £1623:o:)
  • Flowers, wine and chocolates - you are a lucky lady, one would be nice, but all 3!
    Yes, I agree that a problem shared helps, I joined here in August 2007 (under a different username) and was doing quite well, but then our situation worsened again, not due to overspending, simply due to surviving and I felt totally downhearted about it all, feeling that we were doomed. I read a lot of financial freedom books and the like and they all share a common thread, that being positive and focusing on a goal helps, so I re-joined with a brand new attitude ready to kick this debts as*!
    I have to be honest though, my OH doesn't really 'get' this online community thing, he calls me a techno geek :rotfl:

    Yeap I was lucky although I've not had a drink or touched the choccies yet - am I ill. My OH doesn't get this stuff either and he'd probably be horrified that he's mentioned on here but hey ...

    I lurked on the boards for ages just reading other peoples storied before I came on board. Its really about what works for you and I have found it invaluable just to post up a few positives in a day/week rather than getting overwhelmed with the size of our debt. Its also nice to be able to rant about issues which go wrong as well.

    I find it so helpful to be able to share my worries as well since none of my friends know our situation and seeing my OH's car probably think we're doing OK:o . Lets face it we all keep each other going don't we :T
    Working Hard to be Debt Free - one day :A soon
    DFW Long Hauler 74; Mortgage overpayments MFiT-2 challenger 100
    Total Nov07 £36000, Sep10 £1623:o:)
  • Not boring at all! - You really need to focus on what is in front of you which is that YOU WILL BE DEBT FREE BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR That is amazing to say what debts you started with.
    And you should live a little too - We are a long time dead, and whilst I wouldn't advocate going wild and running your debts right back up again, you have to look at the big picture, which Hypno kindly put into words earlier when she said "Its only debt"
    Make your plans to go and see Oliver and Don't feel guilty for one minute, at the end of it, your memories are worth much more.
    Thank you for sharing your plans
    MissO x
    Emergency Savings Fund - £1100
    2015 Mortgage overpayments = £
  • We will all get their eventually time effort and hard work......Off to have a choccie now I think and save the wine for tomorrow night :D
    Working Hard to be Debt Free - one day :A soon
    DFW Long Hauler 74; Mortgage overpayments MFiT-2 challenger 100
    Total Nov07 £36000, Sep10 £1623:o:)
  • hypno06
    hypno06 Posts: 32,296 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    **chuck us a choccie**

    :EasterBun
    Successful women can still have their feet on the ground. They just wear better shoes. (Maud Van de Venne)
    Life begins at the end of your comfort zone (Neale Donald Walsch)
  • Consider them shared :hello: :D
    Working Hard to be Debt Free - one day :A soon
    DFW Long Hauler 74; Mortgage overpayments MFiT-2 challenger 100
    Total Nov07 £36000, Sep10 £1623:o:)
  • hypno06
    hypno06 Posts: 32,296 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    thank you!

    Happy Friday - hope it is a good one!
    Successful women can still have their feet on the ground. They just wear better shoes. (Maud Van de Venne)
    Life begins at the end of your comfort zone (Neale Donald Walsch)
  • lucielle
    lucielle Posts: 11,587 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I like nut ones if you have any left.
    L
    Total Debt Dec 07 £59875.83 Overdrafts £2900,New Debt Figure ZERO !!!!!!:j 08/06/2013
    Lucielle's Daring Debt Free Journey
    DFD Before we Die!!!! Long Haul Supporter #124
  • Well I was feeling very positive unless a warning light came on in my car !!!:mad:

    What is it with me and cars at present. So its booked into the garage on Monday - no doubt that will cost!!!

    My choc's haven't been opened yet but tonight is the night they will be attacked with avengence...

    Hope Friday was a good one for you guys...
    Working Hard to be Debt Free - one day :A soon
    DFW Long Hauler 74; Mortgage overpayments MFiT-2 challenger 100
    Total Nov07 £36000, Sep10 £1623:o:)
  • Right the positives:
    • The car was in the garage and was released (:rotfl: ) after me paying the £135 bill. Not as bad as I was expecting so I was pleased with that.
    • DS1 broke his school shoes this am :mad: . So I took them to the shop who offered to replace them which was a result :T . They were only 8 weeks old and I didn't relish the idea of having to buy a new pair when I need to buy some for my DS2 for January when he starts school.
    • Picked up a mystery shop for next week
    • Sold an item on ebay for £10 :T
    • Getting paid this week and I should get extra for the days I worked in October which I think was 3?:D All of that will be going off the target cc.
    • Bought a present for my DS1 on ebay for less than half the price new so that has helped the Xmas budget:D
    All in all a good day so feeling positive.
    Working Hard to be Debt Free - one day :A soon
    DFW Long Hauler 74; Mortgage overpayments MFiT-2 challenger 100
    Total Nov07 £36000, Sep10 £1623:o:)
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