Learning to live within my means

anjyeah

astrocytic_kitten said:

Payday this week will take me down to 2.5k which feels like a more ‘acceptable’ level of debt in my head and a figure I’d be ok admitting to people. I’ve carried around such a huge weight of shame about my level of debt for so many years, I’ve opened up to some friends about paying off debt but I’ve always been way too embarrassed to actually name the figure. I think it’s going to take a while to get out of the mindset of feeling like I’m carrying around this big secret.

This is exactly me right now. Although my mum and sister probably already clocked that the number I'm giving them is less than what I actually owe. 

I am pleased to have bumped into this thread - it gives me hope to clear mine. 

Thank you!

astrocytic_kitten

anjyeah said:

astrocytic_kitten said:

Payday this week will take me down to 2.5k which feels like a more ‘acceptable’ level of debt in my head and a figure I’d be ok admitting to people. I’ve carried around such a huge weight of shame about my level of debt for so many years, I’ve opened up to some friends about paying off debt but I’ve always been way too embarrassed to actually name the figure. I think it’s going to take a while to get out of the mindset of feeling like I’m carrying around this big secret.

This is exactly me right now. Although my mum and sister probably already clocked that the number I'm giving them is less than what I actually owe. 

I am pleased to have bumped into this thread - it gives me hope to clear mine. 

Thank you!

Thank you @anjyeah, its funny you say that because I was thinking earlier about when I was where you are now, reading diaries of people who were reaching the end of paying off 20k+ when I was just starting out. It felt like a mountain to climb and that I’d never get to where they were, and I didn’t really trust myself to stick to the journey either.  It now feels very weird to be at the other end of it, and my current position hasn’t quite sunk in after so many years of feeling worried and ashamed and guilty and stressed. 

But yes, it’s definitely possible and there’s always hope! I’ve seen so many people here in similar situations as me and knowing you’re not alone in both building up debt and working to clear it bit by little bit is so valuable. Having a diary has also really helped with the spending urges I still get. Good luck with your journey!

astrocytic_kitten

redofromstart said:

I have to confess I frittered £8 on three months of kindle unlimited and thought of you as a fellow 'books are bare bones, not luxuries' spender.  I could put it through my work expenses as I mainly did it for a couple of employment law books but I know I will get my moneys worth out of trash reading in the bath.

So hard to plan a move at the moment, hope you can wait till things are more stable.

Part of me just wants to get it over and done with so I can get settled, and a much bigger part hopes the perfect place doesn’t appear until the summer when things will hopefully be easier to manage on all fronts. I’ve been very good on the reading, number of unread kindle books is actually going down for once and is just over 200 now... I’m still buying the odd daily deal but am reading my way through the unread ones faster than I’m replacing them.

Though I did power through 4 short stories in a day purely in a drive to decrease the unread number 😆

astrocytic_kitten

Well in case any of us were thinking I might be sorted at the whole finances thing, it seems I accidentally put £53 to the credit union savings account rather than the loan and as the savings are locked away until the loan is gone I can’t just move it back over. I’ve emailed them to ask them if they can move it (and also asking why a random £5 fee has been added to the account) so fingers crossed it’s sorted out easily.

I have been good today though by not buying a pair of waterproof, insulated, comfy boots....I’ve been searching for a pair for ages and finally saw some that look like something I’d actually like to wear. They’re in the sale today but it’s not budgeted for and I’ve given myself a talking to that I’d be buying them for future me going for winter walks, rather than current me who can barely get outside. 

savingholmes

We all make mistakes from time to time. Hope you manage to sort this one. I've given myself (and therefore the family) a real stretch target over the next few months to try and clear debt by May - I am having to be a lot more on the ball with my spending.

astrocytic_kitten

Got the loan overpayment that went to the wrong place sorted out after a bit of faff which is a relief - no need to increase total on signature due to me being daft!

I have a box of books ready to go off which should get me £7, and also waiting on some prolific money clearing so I can cash out. That will leave me about £65 short of paying the loan in full at the end of March. Remaining things up for sale aren’t moving much, though I’ve been having a big illness flare up and I’m really struggling physically so I’m secretly pretty relieved I haven’t had to deal with packaging them up etc. 
 

For once I’ve not spent anything on books this month (though it is only the 5th and I did borrow a bit from this month’s book budget at the end of last month 😆 basically I’m pleased I’ve avoided the monthly kindle deal resets). Though I’ve also decided I very much need a shirt dress, so we’ll see how I fare with temptation...last month I finally started a running list where I wrote down everything I wanted to buy and it worked really well to get it out of my head. 
 
Planning on a very quiet, very relaxed weekend doing as little as possible. Hoping to be able to update my loan figure at some point over the weekend too, the interest should be hitting it soon 🤞

savingholmes

What sort of books do you read?

astrocytic_kitten

Interest has been applied and I’m now at 90% paid off!

@savingholmes, you asking that question has made me realise that I’ve really not read much new recently. I’m feeling so ill  and fatigued at the moment that I can’t really focus on a book or a new story, so I’m listening to Terry Pratchett audiobooks for the gazillionth time. I find them very comforting, and I know the story so well it helps distract me but doesn’t matter if I drift in and out or fall asleep for a while listening to them. Normally I like a pretty broad range of books though, I probably read across most genres apart from horror (also can’t stand horror films). I’ve been lurking on your thread and wondering about your book!

savingholmes

I can pm you a link tomorrow if you like? It's going to go free for a couple of days next weekend as part of trying to get the word out about it and hopefully get some more reviews. I had someone from Germany buy it this week...

astrocytic_kitten

savingholmes said:

I can pm you a link tomorrow if you like? It's going to go free for a couple of days next weekend as part of trying to get the word out about it and hopefully get some more reviews. I had someone from Germany buy it this week...

Yes please!