Going, going...still going! 16 December 2018 at 3:29PM edited 29 November 2019 at 8:03PM in Debt Free Diaries 973 replies 71.1K views

doingitanyway

Well done with your NSDs. I too have a target of 20. I am on 7/20 so not doing great. Must try harder.

BlackCoffeeNoSugar

Again, so resourceful, GAP - I'm very glad you're in better days now (and still canny as then)

I'm not too far ahead of you on the NSD front, doingitanyway! Still time to rack them up though

Today I amused myself with a little daydream at work today - it would be very financially irresponsible, and just irresponsible in general, but if I had enough to get by for a month or two, I couldn't help thinking how nice it would be to just walk out and leave the nonsense behind. I actually love to work, but a month to reset and recharge sounds very tempting... but not. at. all. feasible Maybe one day... :rotfl:

NSD today, and should be for a few days longer....[STRIKE]Unless I buy a lottery ticket.[/STRIKE]

Pentacle

A daydream I think many have at this time of year, you're not alone. It's the yearly slump after xmas. Keep dreaming though, find the little daily positives, spring will be showing signs before too soon, days are getting lighter. My daffodils are emerging! Perhaps plan a little treat for February. It helps me.

girlatplay

Pentacle wrote: »

A daydream I think many have at this time of year, you're not alone. It's the yearly slump after xmas. Keep dreaming though, find the little daily positives, spring will be showing signs before too soon, days are getting lighter. My daffodils are emerging! Perhaps plan a little treat for February. It helps me.

I love when the daffodils come out. Always makes me feel happy

BlackCoffeeNoSugar

You have both made me smile - spring is around the corner after all, and the mornings are definitely getting lighter too

I've had a wee flurry on PA recently, so had £9.23 cashed out today. I've got another £1.22 (ish) clearing, but I like cashing out when I still have a little more to clear, so then when it does clear, I have a wee head-start, and I'm not starting at zero again It's the little things!

I was intending to put it to the EF, but it feels like it's been quite a long month, so I took a detour home via a posh wine shop and asked for the finest bottle of wine they could sell me....without spending more than about £8 (because PD got a bag of Dreamies ) I fully expected to get laughed out the shop, but they were so enthusiastic about it and I've got a lot of bang for my buck! I got a few pointers too, which I love. There's something so endearing about people sharing their knowledge about a subject they are so passionate about. Not sure anyone feels the same when I talk like that about PD (who is currently dramatically draped across me, like some aging Hollywood starlet on a chaise-lounge) but it doesn't stop me
Here's to the weekend :beer:

BlackCoffeeNoSugar

I have forgotten the downside to having the slow cooker on all day - it's only 11am and my flat smells amazing Just 8 hours to go.... :rotfl:

NSD yesterday and today - a friend is popping round later, but as we both drink black coffee, there's no need to go out for milk

Budget all ticking along, and will be fine until payday. I think I need to reset my YNAB though, as I can't work out what's going on. I'm tracking my EF in it too, and I think that's throwing it off, although it didn't do that whilst I was debt-busting, so not sure why it's being odd now. Hmm. :think: I will tinker with it this afternoon.

I also need to do some general budgeting and SOAs as I've heard some news about a potential job through the grapevine. It sounds pretty great on so many levels, but it would mean a pay cut for a couple of years I need to do some soul-searching and some serious spreadsheeting. Whilst I'm pretty certain I can make the budget balance, it would dramatically cut into my savings plans. On a positive note, this is not something I could even think of considering when I was debt-busting, but I'm just not sure I've got the strength of character to go through 2 or 3 more years of enforced frugality, when things have been so tight

Wouldn't it be nice to have a wee glimpse into the future to see how things could turn out? Off to make a coffee, lure PD away from sniffing hopefully at the slow cooker and crack on with some number crunching

mark55man

I would trust your reluctance- you will need strength of character both to live on less money and to stay in a job you don't love as much. BUT
* you don't really know what the new job would be like
* I find strength of character responds well to money
* there is a better job out there for you - but you need to let your confidence and self worth build with your savings then strike out new you style - don't go back to being having no money as a way of life

HTH -

slow cooker sounds lovely. I had more immediate fun by making vegan coleslaw in the blender - 20 mins of high intensity whizzing and 5 days lunchboxes set aside

girlatplay

It's a lot to consider, taking a pay cut to progress. The good thing is you now have no debt to consider so it's easier to make choices, even if the choices themselves are not easy.

I do agree with this though:

mark88man wrote: »

...don't go back to being having no money as a way of life...

Pentacle

I wanted you to know, today I am officially debt free! Made my final payment £410 to my last card and the balance is ZERO. I have £300 in my emergency fund to start building on. I was very lucky in that when I had my LBM, I was able to increase my hours of work, and all extra earnings were used for my debt.
I want to thank you for being my pace setter and support, every time you made a payment, I did too, including your little morale boost payments, I tried to match them as well. You have no idea how it helped, knowing someone was working through the debt with me.
Even better, changing my mind set about money, I have lots of saving pots for xmas, the car, birthdays, etc. I am in control! And now enjoy seeing the pot balances go up, instead of spending.
THANK YOU, BCNS :j

girlatplay

Congratulations Pentacle!