Becoming debt free within 18 months

Getridofdebt66

Today has been somewhat successful, i didn't get to buying school shoes, i did take dd to get her nails done, i had promised werks ago and forgot about the appointment £10 spent and thats all for today. Done 2 loads of washing and dried outside, i have one more for tomorrow.

Had an afternoon around the house and a mini nap...like 15 minutes not sure if it really counts have done sw all day a few syns for a drink this morning and some cheese on home made burgers for tea, still well under for the day.

Tomorrow's plans 
Out with dd and oh for a walk tomorrow, will be a couple of hours walk
Washing and dry outside
Keep to sw
All food from stores
General housework 
Put washing away
Nsd
Do some surveys
Oh to put the blind up
Look for some wood for second blind that needs to go up to finish the front of the house.
Weeding - maybe il see how i feel after the walk.
Make weekend plans, may go to mums holiday home for the day as oh is working most of the weekend.

vampirotoothus

Morning, I just wanted to say if you post any cheques you must write your account and sort code on the back.

You also mention living abroad as a dream, why not start learning the language. I use Duolingo, it's free, a mixture or written and verbal and about 10 to 20 mins a day depending on how much I am concentrating. It will be a free step towards your big goal. Good luck Vx

Getridofdebt66

Well after a weeks break, I am back. I havent been on holiday i just needed a little reset and break from the lists. It has been a msd week tbh, i took dd out on Friday for a big day out, £80 spent, yesterday i met up with a friend for food, £18 spent so whilst i have been spending we have actually done things which we havent most of the holiday. Mum guilt setting in that we haven't done enough as we havent had the money, on the plus side we haven't got further into debt to have multiple big days out...

Anyway bills have come out today and jts looking very tight now for the rest of the month...but whats new? At least dd has had a nice day out this holiday. I still need to buy school shoes and a new bag for dd but il go in the week. 

Today is a nsd and i plan on pottering around the house for the most part but list is below:
Nsd
All food from stores - following sw
General housework 
Washing and dry outside 
Take dd to club
Take a parcel to the shop (item i have sold on vinted) 
Do some weeding on the front garden
Change beds
Do surveys

I think thats enough to get me started back on the straight and narrow for today.

Getridofdebt66

After nearly a month away i am back on the boards. 

Home and work life have been hectic and have taken its toll on me, had a wobble this week and its knocked me back. Feeling very overwhelmed atm and worrying constantly about money, things are just too tight atm and i am not sure if there is light at the end of the tunnel. Feel like moneywise im worse off when actually altho my credit card isnt going down or the rest of the debts i am making progress by not adding to my debt. Think with dds birthday coming up its an additional stress and worry, tbh we spoken with her about expectations (and she never asks for anything anyway) she knows it wont be the usual ridiculous pile of items. Managed to get some things from Vinted heavily reduced so defo saved a few hundred on some of the items! 

I think I just needed a break from lists etc, still been plodding along but not as much as with the list, i think its all or nothing but i need to have a middle ground.

Plans for the week, i get paid on Tuesday so have a bigger shop ordered for then and tomorrow will have a "get us through the last couple of days shop" although it does feel like that's my life atm. 

Also need to put clean clothes away, again stressing me out having them around. General housework and i want to discuss some jobs for oh to making a start with this week as again they are lingering on and wont take long once he does it. 

Trying to eat all food from stores but my stores are now nearly bare, tomorrows shop cant come quick enough 

Work has been manic and i have a horribly busy few weeks coming up and I am not looking forward to them. 

Right that's my little check in hopefully be back tomorrow x

jusferbrowsing

Hope things are going well for you x

Getridofdebt66

Hello @jusferbrowsing hope all is well with you and your parents?

I ended up having a break from posting, the lack of money and general keep going really impacted my mental health so bad. OH is now earning more and the weight has been lifted that I feel i can return and focus on getting my life straight. 

So last week I got a nasty court letter saying an old debt are going to start the proceedings for a CCJ in all my years its never got that bad, a month ago i am not sure how I would have felt or dealt with it, but i know it wouldn't have been good. Anyway i called them and made a payment along with agreeing for £400 a month for 4 months, this is the extra we have coming in so I need to still be careful with money but a big debt gone by February, so i will actually look at a plan to be getting my debts gone it may not be in the way i originally planned but getting there bit by bit.

I am also struggling a bit atm, constantly tired and playing catch up in all areas, hoping having some control on my finances will help relieve some stress. 

Right im off to bed but I will try and catch up over the weekend just wanted to have a soft return.

LadyWithAPlan

I am very impressed by your successes, your diary and your ability to tackle this old debt issue so quickly.
You are doing brilliantly and you obviously have changed your whole mental attitude to debt.

I can see its a hard slog now but I have no doubt you will win.
Do you have a chart at home where you colour in each £100 or £50 or £25 of debt you pay off thats never coming back again? I found that v motivating in the past - I even did a silly dance and yelled woohoo each time I coloured in a square .. I am now doing it for saving. On these long slogs  we all need to keep cheering ourselves on

Getridofdebt66

Thank you @LadyWithAPlan whilst I am not a complete comvert and spend no extra money, my mindset of needing to spend every penny has gone, this has been a prob for many years as I wouldnt recognise i didnt need something, i would work out to the pound how much I had left after bills and that was the amount i needed to spend immediately, then be watching the pennies each day until payday and spend again. Currently I am feeling the opposite i have £150 left until payday in 2 weeks, and all i will need is around £80 for shopping next week and petrol, its nice having that extra little bit in there and I am trying to see how much money I can have at the end of the month. I am really trying. I havent got a chart i colour but i do have a list on my phone and I will reduce the amount owed each month but the starting total is at the top...thats an eye opened.

I have my shopping coming later, i have got a big joint of beef for half price, its going in the freezer and boxing days dinner is sorted, i started a last week buying one or two things a week for Christmas, it gets opened after tea in Christmas eve, some goodies and the sundries for the dinners. This helps take so much money stress off me by Christmas that I hardly spend anything. 

This year again me and oh have decided we are buying dd, we hope to have a little left over for some of the younger nieces and nephews but we are focusing on dd first. Again we are trying to reduce our stress and thats when we panic buy for the sake ofnit with money we dont have.

I am currently fighting off a cold, felt horrible all week but without the blocked sinuses (thankfully) but have no energy to move and feeling very sick but need to take dd to club but then coming back and pottering about at home in my pjs! 

Oh I also received a 40% discount from one of my debts yesterday....looked at my money and what i had and i had enough to pay it off. It wasnt a huge debt and I was paying £5 a month off it, so spent £79 yesterday but paid a debt off. I have also paid nearly £1000 in 5 months off my gas and electric, i know I wont be able to pay much ober the winder but once I am feeling better the heating wont be used as much hopefully and that should tame it a little bit. I am just happy that whilst i still have lots of debts, i am making some headway and recognising that altho its not where i want it to be in the end its going in the right direction.

Getridofdebt66

Ive just sat in bed and looked through my debts to see how things are going, they are much better than I anticipated, as I said I have been ticking over and trying not to focus on it as the lack of money was stressing me out so just getting my head down and doing what I can. Well below is my current debts, whilst it is around the time I wanted to be debt free for, as with life there have been lots of plans change and its not been possible but I am making big progress. I want to be debt free by Christmas 2024. I am going to work out my figures and see if this is possible and how I can do it.

Natwest overdraft £2000
Zopa £0
Safety net £394
Capital One £185
Capital One £274
Aqua £1371
Loan £1439
Lowell £151
Lantern £595
Eon £496
Vanquis £522
Jd williams £152
Car finance £0
Total £7579

Getridofdebt66

I am back!

My phone broke and lost my login details. 
We have had a lot of money going out, between a debt i lost and making an expensive payment plan, nearly £400 a month its been hard but will stop me getting and ccj and 2 more payments to go but thats the big chunk of my debts gone. Things have been tight but were getting through it it just means i can't over pay other things but were getting through it.
Then my car broke, £600 gone from my payrise. But we made it through Christmas, no debts were increased to pay for Christmas and dd had a lovely day and thats what I am holding on too. Me and oh got each other token gifts.

So my plan for the rest of 2023 is to not spend anything i dont need to. We have more than enough food, offers of lunch with different families which I am taking up, free food and nice company is always a winner. I will need petrol this week but beyond that hopefully nothing. My budget is £25 for the next week for petrol and anything else. I also plan to check in each day and start with my lists again it definitely helps my motivation and focus. 

Todays plans
Already done my cleaning.
Visit inlaws
Relaxing bath
Nsd
Do washing and drying 
Put washing away
Thats all my plans for the rest of my boxing day....plan on starting as i go on!