I've just worked out that if we can come up with an extra £250 per month...

Jacks_xxx

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

Arrrrrggghhh..got to p5 and no more. Jacks what happened?

How much of the challenge did you complete?

Did the bras fit?

Did you manage to fix the tap?

What about Ebay?

Sheesh.

Bob x

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Blimey. It's true! I never did reply to these. How rude of me. Sorry Bob!

Ok. Challenges. Hmmm. The me and Toto one sort of fizzled. When they brought the new rules in about how much info you could have in your signature I had to cull som of my challenges - and somehow if they're slow moving ones and they're not sat there looking at me from my sig then I seem to forget all about them.

I joined the 20k by Christmas 2008 in March 2008 and made that one by the skin of my teeth (I was only about £40 over.)

The Grocery Challenge has been the making of me! I think I rejected all the housewifely things when I was growing up out of a sort of feminist desire not to be stuck doing all the domestic chores so I have had to re-learn all the tricks that my Mother and grandmothers tried to share with me and learned ever such a lot of new stuff along the way as well. Old Style Rocks! :dance: :dance: :dance:

I used to do the Moz and Pap's weekly spends challenge as well. (Until i got so good at it that i didn't really need it any more.

I am currently loving the NSD Challenge. I didn't see how it could work at first but ever open-minded I decided to have a go. It's fab. It really re-trains you out of mindless habitual spending.

Bras. They fit and are still going strong WooHoo! My boobs need to be comfy and inthe right place or else how would I ever get anything done?! :rotfl:

Taps Hubby patched the bath taps up temporarily and removed the basin taps and they stayed that way for 11 months... We finally had the dosh to call a plumber in November 2008 and it's a great relief now not to have to run the shower in order to wash my face at night or to have to turn the taps on with a pair of pliers. I don't know how I survived so long - especially as the loo didn't flush properly either! :rolleyes: :mad:

eBay is still going strong. (My Feedback score is 3901!!! :eek: ) I sell a few things every week and once a month I try to have a big push and list loads. I'm so lucky every time someone I know has a clear out they donate it all to me so I've always got stuff to sell.

There we go! Better really, really late than never huh? :rotfl:

Love Jacks xxx

Jacks_xxx

crazyaboutsaving wrote: »

Congratulations Jacks! I saw your post in Martin's email and have occassionally stopped in to read your thread. It's such an inspiration to see someone become DF! It IS possible and it CAN be done! It's a great reminder to us all that there is light at the end of the tunnel and we can do it!

Cheers my lovely! :wave:

It's true. It can be done. Luck played a big part in ours but hard work and getting everything onto the lowest interest rates possible was also dead important.

I think keeping an eye on the light at the end of the tunnel is vital. It keeps you focused and gives you hope. Every month I'd check the numbers to see how much nearer our Debt Free Date was. Occasionally it got further away but I triued not to let that deter me.

When we started this The Snowball Calculator said our debt free date was in 2028. :eek: :eek: :eek: Just shows you huh?

Love Jacks xxx

Snaggles

Hey Jacks lovely lady, you're doing so well! :j

I just don't know how you manage the NSD challenge - I struggle with one in a row sometimes... :rotfl:

Kerfuffle

Hello everybody,

Hi Jacks - I've been reading through your thread all morning and almost at the same time that I came to the end you've put the update which is brilliant timing.

Congratulations on paying off your debts, it's an amazing task, and the starting figure being what is was makes it absolutly stunning. Well done.

I'm looking forward to your siggy being changed as all the way through the thread I was wondering why there is still a debt figure there, it's like reading a novel and having a cliff hanger all the way to keep me hooked :rotfl:

All the best for the future and I hope we'll see some savings figures making an appearance.

Toodles

Little_Chicken

Amazing. Well Done. xxxxx

Jacks_xxx

Keeping_Motivated wrote: »

:A :A :A

I'm sure some new people would benefit from you reflecting that in your signature so they can see what can be done with sheer determination and hard work and taking control.

Well done you deserve it. Now I hope your OH gets a job he enjoys and life settles down to a future of much less stress and enjoying life :T

I was thinking about putting something in my sig cos I'm proud of it and I'd like to be able to give someone else hope, but I wouldn't want it to look as if I was bragging or shoving it in people's faces.

And also, I wouldn't want to mislead anybody about what's likely or possible in the current economic climate.

I think there's a strong argument for Bankruptcy over paying it all off if you have our level of debt - as I shouldn't think the lenders would be anything like as helpful about freezing interest etc at the moment. From what I can tell the first sign of trouble these days and they hike up your interest rate not reduce it! (Gits)

I'm all in favour of taking control of your own finances though. The first step of doing that can be asking for help on here, from CCCS, or down at the CAB. Taking the reins needn't mean going it alone.

I'll have a look at the siggy later honey and see if I can make room for something LBM - DFD.

Cheers sweetie,

Love Jacks xxx

sam010185

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

Thanks ever so much for the congratulations honey.

I'm still half expecting to slap my forehead Homer Simpson style and realise we've forgotten something, and we still owe somebody money. :eek:

Ask away if you want advice my lovely but my two top tips would be to make a plan... And then rather than just sticking to it rigidly, keep returning to it every couple of months and seeing if you could do things better . I found my mindset changed as I went along on my DFW journey and as I tried things out and worked out what MSE style worked for us.

and Get a little p/t job when your OH can handle the childcare . Even the small amount that you could earn doing afew hours on a saturday morning makes a huge difference over time. I paid off several hundred pounds worth of debt selling books on Amazon for £3 and £4 a time. Everytime I sold abook I made a little payment - it soon adds up! :j

Take care chick and let us know the plan!

Love Jacks xxx

I am always on the lookout for a little p/t job however my OH is in the Army so is frequently away or working odd hours so you can bet your bottom dollar that I'd get a job in the evenings or weekends then he'd go away for 2 weeks on exercise leaving me stuck for someone to look after the little monkey! I'm currently doing a childcare course and doing volunteer work at a local nursery so I am looking to the future and hopefully being able to childmind from home but it's just in the meantime that we're a bit stuck!

Is Amazon the best place to sell books? I have alot of practically brand new children's books that I need to shift but am a bit reluctant to sit and list them all on ebay if they're gonna either not sell or only sell for a few pence!

gonnadoitwannadoit

Thankyou for your reply Jacks.
I can see how much trouble you go to with everyone and i am sure that has a lot to do with your success as everyone supports you on here.
I am also astounded by the sheer determination you have show, well blown away by it as it is like a mortgage you have paid off. Well done again.

In_Search_Of_Me

LBM 01/08/06 (£97,600 :eek: ) DFD 01/03/09 ...look at that when you wonder f it can be done. It can. And it has!

hello gorgeous!! Now listen ere - I thought if you today when I saw how much yankie candles thought and tutted to myself...naughty girl its such a waste of money and literally goes up in smoke! Get yourself down to the range and get a nice flavored one for an eighth of the price! Smacked bum from me....:p
Keep us posted re the job situation. It is worrying times for people and I can vouch forthe basteward banks putting interest up - MBNA wanted to go to 34% and same with egg...now have 17% till I pay egg off but now really, really loathe them...talk about kicking people when theyre down, then having another go as they get on their feet :mad: :mad: :mad:
Anyway jus popping in to send a hugs.. like the new avvy but bet prawn munching puss is put out that his moment of fame is a mere memory...give him a sloppy kiss from me. One of my lovelies was sick this am and didnt realise until I stood in it ...yeugh!

DoWhatULove-LoveWhatUDo

Jacks, I could barely believe my eyes when I saw that you're in the email. Now you know you've arrived! It is faintly amusing that you appear to posting more often in your DFW diary now rather than when you actually had the debts.