Time for change 14 March 2022 at 9:19PM edited 29 September 2022 at 1:40AM in Debt free diaries 320 replies 19.7K views

Adeley

Hi,

I'm Adele - a compulsive shopper that has had enough of letting my addiction to shopping ruin my life. I'm aware that I use shopping as a vice - a plaster to stick over the deep dark cracks, something to make me feel better.

I'm embarrassed that I've got my family back into debt. So nows the time for me to take action.

Over the past week I have sat down and cancelled all the non essential subscriptions ( apart from one), contacted HMRC to claim tax back on various things and now comes the time for me to tell my money where to go.

Debts to date

Loan  £7k
Credit plan - £2.5k
Overdraft - £1.5k limit
Total = £11,000

I've planned to have 10 NSD from now until the end of March. 

Being a week in I'm finding it really hard, I feel low, fed up and recognise that at times like this I'd usually buy something as a pick me up, but I'm resisting. I want to get myself ( and my family) out of this mess.

I'm married with young children. We have one income through choice ( which makes me feel awful for spending).

That's enough for today.

Another day making better choices under my belt x

LeeXenon

Congratulations on opening your debt free diary, I look forward to hearing your updates.
I'm in the same situation with a little over £20K debt, I've opened a diary also and set a target.

Each day I find myself resisting, I like to work out what my disposable income will be once debt free, and what quality of life changes to expect. It helps with the motivation side of things for me personally.

Wishing you the best of luck.

Adeley

Thank you LeeXenon, any support I can get is greatly received.

I've just sat in bed ( heating is off) with a cuppa and watched a bit of TV. It's funny I've always said I'm not a TV person but only because I was busy spending instead or planning on spending money. Its been nice just watching a programme and knowing I'm taking steps in the right direction.

I will definitely subscribe to your diary too, I like the way you consider a better quality of life. Such a great incentive.

I'm off to bed now but I'm going to do regular updates to keep me accountable.

Smalls wins for today 
NSD 1/10
Cooking Tuna pasta bake with stuff we have in instead of doing the full food shop as per routine
Walking to work and back and not taking car
Deleting Amazon app even though I have 10 days till prime is cancelled

This week's goal -
Do a budget
Start planning to save £1k emergency fund before snowballing debts

Aaleigha

I am no longer in debt and also have savings

Yes I know it sounds like I am lucky but I worked so hard to get here 
You will find it hard I know because I to am a compulsive buyer 

One suggestion I have for you is to unsubscribe to all selling sites emails so you don't get their advertising 
Another is to log out of all sites you have bought from in the past 
So you have to log in BUT only after things have been in your basket for three days then next month make it four days etc 
I found it quite rewarding when I started to realise I didn't NEED to buy 
One of the first things that my husband and I found really helped us was menu plan then buy food shopping with the list but online 
It meant we didn't do impulse buys 

Tomorrow make a fridge freezer and larder list 
And stick them on the  doors eat menu plan from those first 

I have more ideas but don't want to overwhelme you with ideas 

I have not been on here for a couple of years now but will follow your progress and help when and where I can 

Adeley

Hi Aaleigha,

Thanks so.much for the suggestions. I have unsubscribed and logged off, deleted passwords and auto save option on my bank details.

Strangely although I'd say I'm a compulsive buyer, we do live minimally, I meal plan each week and write a shopping list each week.

I have an inventory of my cupboards, fridge and freezer and try to eat everything we have so there's very little waste.

It's great to have other people who can relate as sources of support, I really appreciate you stopping by.


So, for today's updates

I have done an updated budget, set up a spending record and withdrew some cash for the food shop. When we get out of debt a few years back I found paying cash to be my saviour.

I budgeted £40 for the shop and spent £30.79 in Aldi then £6.50 on a birthday, mother's day card and a token box of chocolates ( I will hide them in the loft so I don't eat them) - all which was factored into the budget.

Husband and I resisted a coffee and have enjoyed one at home instead with lunch.

I'm feeling very focused and know that last time I felt this way we got out of debt very quickly. Anything we save this month will go towards out £1k emergency fund.

I'm celebrating a good day and another step towards gaining back control.

Hope you've all had a nice day too x

FootyFanDan

Hiya, 

Just wanted to pop in and wish you the very best of luck in your journey. The first steps are normally the most toughest and also hardest as you come to terms with how you got in the place you are now, with myself it struck me when I couldn't even afford my main bills because of my laziness or reluctance to budget. I always found paying by cash better as I know if I pay on card I can go above my budget because card will have enough and then fix it later. It does sound like you already do some of the savvy money saving stuff.

Aaleigha

Arley you sound like hubby and I 
But we budget and then get all the money from account on first of month to 
Pay for shopping

And put money by for every category and keep it at home in a safe 

It's envelope budgeting Dave Ramsey style it helped us no end in getting out of debt
We took joint money out of account except 50 quid used that as a buffer

Did a full budget DD and all then split the money eg shopping fuel car maintenance etc 
Gave ourselves an allowance monthly saved every 2 pound coin 
And all change every time we got any any notes we used towards paying off a debt surprising how quick it goes down 

One of the best things we did was open another current account and twice a week go to other account and move the last three digits into the spare account 
So had some money towards MOT new tires etc

Anyway I am waffling

But in two years we cleared 10 thousand and in another saved another 10 which allowed us to move to Wales to retire 

Be careful and take it easy  

Adeley

That's amazing Aaleigha! What an inspirational story!

I'm desperate to start paying off debts above the minimum amounts but I know from experience how important it is to have the £1k emergency fund as Dave Ramsey advises in his baby steps.
I've kept some good habits from the last time we cleared debts but I am where I am now and I'm going to keep taking baby steps towards the first step.

We had some good news yesterday - DH will be getting a bonus in this month's pay so that will give us our emergency fund and some extra to overpay the smallest debt and attack it! 

Also like everyone else we are awaiting news of the council tax rebate, I've already increased our monthly payments by £40 pm to try to minimise the huge bill I'm expecting in summer. Somehow we managed to just turn the heating on for 2 hours yesterday morning and it's been off since. Lighting a fire helped and milder weather.

Right I'm off to start the day now. Hope it's a good one

Aaleigha

We only have heating on for a couple of hours in the mornings 
We live in a very cold cottage it was built in 1826
Son no cavity walls just think stone Wally 
Wood burner goes on at four as we do need to try and keep some heat in the brickwork

Our lounge is north facing as is the dining room 
Thank goodness for a South facing kitche with room for a table to sit at

If we get cold in the day it's extra layers then blankets which the dogs jump on so jab

Ve hot water bottles we don't need to w

Heat water for 😁

So how did today go 

Adeley

Hello,
Today has been colder and we've run out of logs so heating was on 1 hour this morning then 3 hours this afternoon evening. If we didn't have young children I'd struggle through but I can't let them get cold and thankfully we're not on.the breadline.

Today has been an eye opener - Husbands car went in for service. I'd budgeted £180 and an additional £100 for repairs... unfortunately the repairs were £190. Thankfully we have an overdraft so we've had to dip into it. It's just reinforced the need to have an emergency fund. 

It's Wednesday so I've done my two loads of washing and it's drying on the indoor heater which I'm lead to believe is very economical. An average of 6p per hour but this was reference in 2019. Who knows what the rate is now.

Wins for the day - walking to the local shops and buying a wispa duo to share as a treat then spotting some chocolates on offer. Mother in law loves lindt but this year her mother's day gift is based on what we can afford - so that's mother's day sorted. I've even brought myself a box an instructed Hubby to let the children give them to me. I must put them in the loft and hide them.

So all in all another good day.

I've got to write my meal plan and list earlier than usual this week so will put that on my to do list for tomorrow. 

I'd usually be at work today but have taken this week as holiday. 

I hope you've had a good day and have lots to be thankful for.

A x

Aaleigha

Well at the end of my day I have had 540 pound in rent from son and got another 100 from bank so need to get up have a nice soak in the bath then dress hair etc and come and do the budget late 
But we managed ok for the first couple of months so should be fine 

I will let you know tomorrow if budgeting goes to plan 

Sleep well and be ready for the morning when it's going to be all go