F.I.R.E. Starter, the journey begins 4 August 2019 at 8:32AM in Debt free diaries 58 replies 5.7K views

FIRE_starter

Half term here. No big spends just catching up with their friends and some home chill time on my days off with the kids. 

We paid off the CC2 last night which you can imagine felt great! It has also reduced our required monthly over payment for the rest of the year to £444 from I think £553 monthly when I started! 

Next month we have a weekend away (which is in April) with parents to pay off. This may be tricky.

I am only 2 months in but I am so excited to be debt free by the end of the year. I can’t imagine just saving and improving our position without debt pulling us back! 

Have a good week. 

FS

FIRE_starter

Aimingforthegoodlife said:

Hi FS! Sounds like you have a great plan, amazing work with the gritter OP! How exciting that you will be wiping one credit card debt completely, thats such a good feeling. Just remember to go easy on yourself, spending on lunches/food out when you work so hard and we are in a pandemic isn't the worst, these things happen! Take care!

I think you’re into something here. I know work especially will improve when covid cases die down and therefore the staffing improves so I need to be kind to myself until then. I’m so pleased we’re still moving in the right direction! 

FS

FIRE_starter

Bluegreen143 said:

Love your “no guilt or investigation” approach to your overspend. Always important to remember the relationship is more important than the money (I sometimes lose sight of this 😆). Sounds like you did a good job identifying the problem areas and coming up with an approach together to deal with it.

I’m the same normally but I’d highly recommend this way. Dh never gets involved in the money but this week suggested we review again without me asking so I’m taking this as great progress! 

I hope life with your little one is treating you well. 

FS

FIRE_starter

Pay day came and went. Everything’s sitting where it should be ready for 1st of the month. No overpayment this pay day as we never have any spare in this week of the month. 

I’m out tomorrow with the ladies of the family on a spa day and lunch which was a Christmas present. We do secret Santa for the adults to reduce the stress at that time of year, financially and time wise. Will only be the cost of lunch and most of us are driving from all different areas so I don’t imagine it’ll be expensive meal out. 

Hoping for a quiet, cheap week. I have a meal out on Thursday which may become a meal at mine if DH ends up gritting. DH and I sat down with our pinch of nom cook books to inspire us to get back to enjoying eating at home. 

We have set ourself a goal for the week to put a couple of bits each on FB market place to get some bits shifted but also to make a little bit extra cash. We have a final payment on our Easter holiday trip to Wales so that with overpaying as well is a bit tight. I’m determined to do it, or give it a good go! 

No doubt I’ll be on on here again Tuesday to update signature with all the 1st of the month payments! 

FS

FIRE_starter

Managed £112 overpayment this week. Hoping if we’re strict we can get another £430 paid off by the end of the month. Just need to be organised, the covid cases are going back up with the staff on my ward so I’m going to be in for a rough few weeks until everyone returns from isolation not to mention the added work associated risk assessing etc. I know that this added stress normally means I cook less and buy more so I’ve had a look and made a simpler meal plan and hope this helps. 

Will update signatures later. 

FS 

FIRE_starter

Our CC had gone under £3k and by my calculations the loan will go under £10k this month! On track to be paid off before the end of the year. 

Found a new cheap day trip to London. Found some places that are free parking on a Sunday. Drive up pay ULEZ charge only which is under £15 then science museum which is free admission! The kids loved it and they have a ‘picnic area’ so we bought lunch from home. I think it’s a bit beyond their age group but they loved running around and seeing it all and talking about it so maybe it wasn’t. 

We did decide to pay to go into wonderlab which is probably a little more exciting part of the science museum for their age and had all the bits you could touch and play with it was £40 for 2 adults and 2 kids or £48 for the year so decided to do that and now have access to fill up the holidays etc. Feel now that that was my donation to the wonderful resource that is the science museum. 

Managed to make Overpayments to the CC of £760 this month. Which means we are ahead of plan for the year but I sadly gritting standby payments stop this week for DH so probably the end of large over payments on debt but in June once the sunny holiday is paid off we will get back to it. 

Worrying times with fuel and energy prices so more determined than ever to get debt free to have more wiggle room in our budget. Wish us all luck! 

FS 

FIRE_starter

Everything has disappointingly slowed down this month due to DH being self employed and is going away for a long weekend and the Easter bank holidays and as a result spend was put on the credit card. 

It has reminded us why it is so important for DH to change jobs. He has started a new role on a as they have the staff basis but in the last month or so staffing shortages meant they could only do this twice. He is one of only a few people at the moment with the HGV licence and all the required tickets to do his job so I fear he’s a victim of his own success and they will never be motivated to permanently promote him. DH had come round to this same conclusion (this situation has been going on since November when they first told him he should apply for the promotion) and has now started to look for work externally. Not expecting overnight miracle but think it is time to start looking. 

In positive news, I have managed to pay off the last payment of our abroad all inclusive holiday meaning we now only have to buy a few holiday clothes nearer the time so the kids don’t grown out of them by then and it’s all sorted. 

Feeling quite overwhelmed recently with the sudden desire to completely change our lives. I want to change jobs and industry to be honest but don’t know what to do, want DH to move on but no it’s not a quick fix. 

Debt of course limits options as I at least for now can’t afford any pay cuts or rises in childcare costs. I’d love to do something I could do from home but honestly am lost where to start. 

FS

Bluegreen143

I don’t know what you do, but lots of jobs are home or hybrid based now. I work from home except one day a week (I’m part time/four 6.5hr days - if I was full time I’d go in twice a week). I work in communications and would earn £31k if full time (but obviously earn less as I’m part time) which I think is similar to you based on your opening post. Not suggesting to change to work in comms but just that switching to home based doesn’t necessarily mean a pay cut because there are so many more home/hybrid jobs now. Most of my friends in all different office type jobs now work either one or two days a week in the office and rest from home. 

I totally get where you’re coming from, what I find hard is I want so much and want it all now!! But all my goals are contradictory 😂

For instance I want to throw everything at achieving FIRE and yet I want to spend as much time with my kids as I can (contradictory aims as I’d reach FIRE faster if I worked full time) AND I’d love a third child but it’s not really possible without an enormous lifestyle upheaval and financial sacrifice AND I want to change career/do something more fulfilling but achieving FIRE will be easier if I stick at my current job... I find it so hard to know which goal to focus on!