Learning to live within my means

astrocytic_kitten

Thanks everyone! Still in a flare so celebrating with a hot chocolate and an early night 😂

CL21

Congratulations!!! How exciting to be debt free. Very inspiring 

astrocytic_kitten

Pay next week should get me back up to 6 months emergency fund for my current flat. I’ve been signed off work for a while, the flare I’m in has just got worse and worse, so after this month’s pay my income will be dropping. I’m relieved to be debt free with much lower outgoings this time round, I’m pretty sure I’ll be ok for a while and not have to dip into savings. 

I know that financially I would have been in a stronger place right now if I’d kept the savings and paid off the debt more slowly, it would have been gone by the summer regardless, but emotionally it’s still a relief to have it gone. 

So far my only debt-free celebration purchase is some cosy socks 😂

savingholmes

Sorry you are having a flare up. Hopefully things will settle now you are off. Great to be debt free and have a fully funded EF

[Deleted User]

oh wow amazing that you are now debt free - well done!!  Sorry you are having a flare up though.  I love cosy socks!

astrocytic_kitten

I have permanently cold feet and I’m obsessed with keeping them warm and dry. And yet I’ve only really got onto the cosy sock bandwagon over the past year - I don’t know what I’ve been doing with myself up till now to not realise what a joy they are!

[Deleted User]

I think there are so many little things that can bring joy.  For example, I just ate a chocolate muffin with a gooey middle alongside a cup of coffee.  That has brought me joy today.

enthusiasticsaver

Well done on getting rid of the debt and what a good time to be debt free if you are having to reduce hours. Cosy socks sounds like a wise purchase.  

astrocytic_kitten

That’s a very good point on small joys @[Deleted User], I used to be really good on looking out for those and keeping a gratitude journal but it’s fallen by the wayside lately, I’ve been struggling to stay positive while my health nosedives. But I definitely need to get back to noticing small joys, it makes a big difference and I have a lot of positives in my life ☺️

astrocytic_kitten

My credit card balance is currently £722 which I know seems like a classic paying off debt only to run it up again pattern, but it’s not as bad as it seems and it will be paid off in full I promise 😂

It’s a combination of some home purchases that have been budgeted for and I’ve been saving for them in a pot for a few months.... and some online shopping clothes orders where the vast majority will be returned. I hate returning loads and I know it’s bad for the environment and always feel guilty about it, but that doesn’t seem to stop me doing it once or twice a year. So there is a pile of parcels in my hall waiting to be collected. I’m actually only keeping £60 worth of clothes and I have the money for it waiting to be paid off.

To be honest I’m really nervous myself that this is the start of me running up debt again, even though I know I’m going to be paying for what I’m keeping in full (I’ve put payment through for some of it today but I’m waiting to get into March to pay everything so the payment goes in on the March payment cycle, just in case it takes
more than a month for the returns to be credited back). Funny thing is it’s not the first time in the past couple of years I’ve had a balance on the credit card that will be paid off, the timing of this one just makes me a bit wobbly. Everything is literally sitting in the hall waiting to be returned too. Hopefully in a month or so when I haven’t run up my card I’ll trust myself a bit more. Also posting here for accountability!