Fighting debt alone- the sword is out

Blackberrycurved

I'm taking my lunches to work and that's working out but I still can't seem to do without my morning coffee £2.55. I'll work on it.
I have £271 towards £1700 overdraft. I will remove it from my account when I've paid it off or if that is too scary reduce it to £800. Decluttered one room totally omg what a difference and I want to work in there all the time. I am going to tackle my office technically the morning room on Thursday night. I have stuff I can e bay but maybe only for buttons and I don't feel mentally up to photographing writing the blurb and listing everything, the buttons add up but I can do an extra shift in that time. Giving myself one last week to use the council gym and if I don't I'll cancel next week I will need to replace it with something though for sanity and health. My mum has dementia so it keeps me sane I think maybe the debts have built up as I'm trying to escape the grief at home and the caring situation. Thank you for the support.

doingitanyway

May I ask where you have your morning coffee?

I found mine hard to stop when I worked in the city so I compromised. I took my own coffee cup (the planet thanked me) and got a 50% reduction or a double stamp. Pr3t is the cheapest as I got a filter coffee so it cost me 49p a day instead.

Well done on the room being decluttered

newlywed

I have a leakproof travel mug and so now make my own filter coffee to take on the bus to work. Expensive brand coffee is £5 a bag and lasts me about 2 weeks (and I make it quite strong) but usually only have 1 a day

Blackberrycurved

Gosh coffee it is my nightmare spend. I spent years and would never have gone to coffee but now it seems like my one luxury. I go to Neros and sit in a big leather chair listen to classical music and wake up it opens at 7am. I'm a freelancer so I am up and down from place to place and I can get through the day without another as i don't have a kettle anywhere. I'm not sure about the saving on my own cup but it is a thought. I stopped buying bags of filter because I was drinking too much at home but yes it was cheaper. I mostly have a flat white or latte Neros don't do filter.

other than coffee this week is going okay. i made a big sweet potato curry on Monday and I've had variations of it all week. I've got extra work rubbish pay but just thinking about the money and paying the debts off. My only spends have been on bills and food so I can't do better. Tonight I have to do my accounts instead of decluttering which I hate so no spending tonight. Tomorrow, I'm going to a free class then to friends so no money spent again. Saturday I am decluttering again. I'm feeling really tired all the time but I think maybe the stress of debts and money does that.

newlywed

If that is your one luxury that keeps you sane then just budget for it....

If I have an afternoon off sometimes I take a bus to a small town (live and work in a city) and then sit in a coffee shop watching the world go by. So I totally get it!

Buffythedebtslayer

Also, don't underestimate how exhausting decluttering is, all the decision making at once is tiring.

And I would stick to the coffee, we all have something. I seem to have had a lot of things..

XX

Blackberrycurved

One luxury yes but £50 a month I’m thinking about it. I can’t sleep again really really tired but I can’t sleep

stressed.mum

Hi Blackberrycurved
Do you have the Nero app on your phone? I think if you use a reusable cup you get an extra stamp, there are also often bonus stamps so you may find you get a free coffee regularly. 9 stamps and the next drink is free. They have a referral which I can send you if you want which will give you a free drink when you buy your first one.

Stressed xx

savingholmes

Just popping along to wish you good luck on your journey. Sounds like you are taking positive steps. 10 weeks of firm work sounds positive. Decluttering is good too - I need to get back to doing mine more regularly so relate...

[Deleted User]

Delurking to ask if you’ve thought about asking for a Nero gift card for birthdays/Christmas?

I have one for another chain and it really helped me stop feeling guilty when I bought a coffee whilst debt-busting. People don’t tend to buy me gift cards any longer but will give me a £5, £10 etc specifically to top up my coffee fund I have it as an app on my phone, it’s very easy.
I’m a less frequent coffee buyer than you (no judgment, you freelancers need an outlet!) so this might not work out as too much of a saving for you, but might assuage some of the guilt?