5 years to finally clear these debts

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning all

So, tidied up spreadsheets for February. February has been a strange month because I have done some 0% balance transfers which make my bank account figures look odd. However, without debt repayments my February spending looks like this:

Essential DDs £1091.70
Boys (inc physio DS1) £338.33
Food £303.11
Diesel £143.26
Birthdays £53.43
Meals out £89.75
Savings £60.00
Haircuts £50.00
Other £162.97
Total £2292.55

We had family visiting for a few days hence the meal out and other spending. "Other" also includes things like work tea and coffee fund, a couple of books from the charity shop, some tights for work etc. This will come down in March.

I have had a bit of a revelation over the last month. Getting out of debt for us is about so much more than resisting the temptation to buy new shoes. Its about changing our lives completely, finding new ways to spend our weekends and holidays from work cheaply, planning ahead so that we can celebrate birthdays and Christmas frugally, keeping the house and garden looking nice without spending a fortune. To make this work we have to completely embrace this and be happy doing it, knowing that we are not living beyond our means and that we are clearing the debts, and at the same time planning for car breakdowns or other emergencies.

I used to think that living frugally would be miserable but now I know that it doesnt have to be. We have loads of camping gear, nice bikes and hiking gear (paid on the credit cards of course) so we have the opportunity for doing lots of fun things very cheaply. (Yes I know we could sell all this stuff and use it to pay off debts but that is one decision that I am not going back on!)

We also have plans to make our decent sized garden nicer. DH says we cant do this without spending but I think we can be creative about it.

So lots going on here and lots of plans which are both exciting and slightly scary.

Oh and I just had an email from Argos (card now cleared) saying "refresh your home for Spring and spread the cost". I dont need my house "refreshing" thank you very much.

Igamogam

Use fr**cycle for any garden stuff - hard landscaping to plants to decking. well our local group is always full of people offering and asking for garden related stuff!

EsmeWeatherwax

Igamogam, I'm going to steal that idea!
My garden needs some serious TLC, and I have no budget!

Well done on resisting temptation Yorkshire Lass!

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi all

Been a busy few days at work so not spent much, yet another invite out for a birthday meal tonight but there was a special offer on in the pub so it only cost £37 for food for the four of us and DH and I split the cost out of our spending allowance (currently £20 a week each).

I have listed a few bits on Ebay today. We have a bike that we bought for DS that DH is doing up to sell, wont be worth a fortune but it all helps. Have booked to go away for Easter weekend (£51 for 3 nights camping). DH does football bets on a weekend, keeping to his rule of no more than £3 for a bet, and has accumulated £220 since the start of the year so we have decided to use this for a holiday fund.

Oh and I need a haircut but have stretched it out as long as possible - but if I dont go next week I am going to start looking decidedly scruffy!

YORKSHIRELASS

Morning

So, lots of money saving going on here. I have cancelled my contact lens subscription, due to problems with my lenses I am only wearing them for the gym/cycling so I have enough lenses to last me for about 6 months, then will go onto daily lenses. I will have to invest in some prescription sunglasses I think, I bought some last year from one of those cheap online places but they are terrible.

Have sold some things on ebay for £197 but bought DS a new blind for his bedroom as the old one is broken. He has an odd sized window so cant just buy one off the shelf, this cost £76.

I am also decluttering my home office and have bought some new storage, but there will be some of the ebay profit left, possibly to go in the new kitchen sofa fund (£17 so far!).

Have struggled a bit with my food shopping this month, think this is mainly because DS1 has been at home a lot. I have also slipped into the habit of avoiding doing a "big shop" then calling into our local convenience shop. Next month will be easier as DS will be back at college.

I am working a lot on "loving what I have, instead of buying new". This has meant a lot of spring cleaning and decluttering the house and wearing clothes that haven't been out of the wardrobe for ages. This has been a really positive experience.

Wont be going far this weekend I dont think, weather is terrible!

jwil

Sounds like a really productive time. Great idea to love what you have rather than buy new :T