New Year, New me

bigbeff

Feeling on top of things and it's half term. Just got home as it's my half days at work, collapsed on the sofa in a heap 😊 cup of tea time and meal planning 🙂

LittleMissDetermined

Hurrah for half term! Enjoy xx

bigbeff

I had a lovely half term, bit of walking, bit of running, just generally some good times for myself - I needed a break from all the negativity (not on this forum!) so I stayed away from the internet and news and social media for a bit, feel much better, sometimes I feel like all anyone wants to do is moan and I need a bit more positivity. I’ve been slowly ticking away at my debt, 70% now paid and still going. 

Reflecting to remind myself how far I’ve come in my finances -
1) 70% paid off
2) tax bill paid a month early without stress
3) A good size emergency fund built - debating building this further or adding payment to debt
4) Feel generally much more secure in my finances 🙂

I’ve been looking at my spreadsheet for a debt free date - if I’m conservative and pay about £600 a month it’ll be October, but I have been paying a couple of hundred more a month generally so I’m hoping for July… but I’m not fussed, I’m into a good habit. What will I do with that money when I’ve finished paying the debts?!

Happy Tuesday! 

LittleMissDetermined

Morning Beff! When you're on the final count down it's so exciting! You will be debt free in 2023 and that's a great feeling    

I think if you feel your EF is at an acceptable level then there's no reason why you can't put the extra towards debt repayment and aim for July.  Even if it spills over, there's no harm as long as you're on interest free. 

Glad you've had a great half term and taken some time for yourself, that's my plan for next weekend.
LMD x

bigbeff

You are flying through yours @LittleMissDetermined ! 

I just worry - after Covid when I lost about half my income overnight due to exams being cancelled, I worry - although things are much more stable now, I just feel like I need a back up plan in place - which I probably now have 2 months of tutoring income. I think I'll just keep building on this for now - I'm in no hurry, I just need to feel stable. 

LittleMissDetermined

You definitely need to do what is best for you in terms of how you're feeling.  With me, hubby is now earning more so I feel a bit less pressured but previously I know I would have been in the same position. 
Keep at it, you're doing amazing!
LMD x 

bigbeff

I've been a bit AWOL for a couple of weeks, but still plodding along nicely. I've been doing some prolific surveys - I'll update amount shortly, I've been keeping my regular work up and together. I have just started creating some videos for a tutoring website which I'm hoping might create me a passive income once all set up... It might not, but even if I make £20 a month, that will be a takeaway and isn't taking away from my other roles. 

Going to refocus on debt, I've been plodding along making no special effort so I am redirecting my focus. 
Aim today: sort wardrobe and list any items I haven't worn in the last 12 months on vinted. That'll be a nice way to spend a rainy day! 

bigbeff

I seem to have fallen off the wagon for the whole of march, spent more than I should, haven’t paid much extra off my debt, been unmotivated in respect to it all and just feeling a little down on myself. So todays plan is to sort that out. I have no money until payday, but I am going to reorganise my budget, get back on prolific surveys and stop stressing myself out so much. These things happen and I’ve just got to remind myself how far I have come and if I refocus, I can be debt free by the end of the year (possibly with some savings). I think what happened is I overstretched myself so reevaluate and rather than pile everything extra at debts, I’m going to set a proportion of it in a spends account for me (all psychological!) and at the end of the month if I haven’t treated myself to something special, it’ll go on debt. I think I just need to know not everything is going that way! 

So here to a restart in April! Budget will be planned and I Will get this debt down!

vampirotoothus

Hi, re-frame it as having had a holiday, which I hope you enjoyed You have done a great job so far, and are now re-freshed and re-focused. Some spends money each month, with no guilt attached is essential. Just put it by if you don't use it and then you can have a treat at a later date with no guilt. Have a great week V x

LittleMissDetermined

Don’t beat yourself up about having a bit of time off, dust yourself down and re-plan.

The good news is that you’ve come back on here. Unlike me the first 2 times I tried! 😂