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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
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So very true what you say about the emergency funds. Ours isn't built back up yet, but when we did have one, even when we had to use it, I was very reluctant. Hope the drain clearing turns out to be a long term thing and you don't need any further intervention.Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,524....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £570/£3000
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Studies/surveys August £14.50
Decluttering items 777
Books read 15
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up7 -
Ah, hugs to you foxgloves, I too am plagued with similar whati-if-ery at the minute, particularly about all the things that could go wrong with the house, and using up our relatively paltry savings (paltry in comparison to all the things that could go wrong, that is!) Sigh.6
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We have to not think of these things that COULD go wrong and only think of how nice and safe and in good order, our houses are. The more negative thoughts we have, we will manifest negativity into our lives. I know easier said than done, but I do believe it works. Its called the Law of Attraction.Making the debt go down and savings go up
LBM 2015 - debt £57K / Now £28,524....its going down
Mortgage Free December 9th 2024! 18mths ahead of schedule. Since 2022 we paid over £15K in OPs.Challenges
EF #68 £570/£3000
.
Studies/surveys August £14.50
Decluttering items 777
Books read 15
Jigsaws done 8
My debt free diary...https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6396218/we-will-get-this-debt-d£own-the-savings-up8 -
I was explaining to my son about having a “worry time”
so you are only allowed to worry at 1pm for a maximum of an hour.
If you wake up in the middle of the night you say to yourself, Not Now, its not worry time yet. During the day you push any worries away until 1pm.Then at 1pm you are allowed to think about your worries.It might sound daft but just saying to your brain, Not Now can really help.
My son tried it last night and then reckoned he didn't have much to worry about at his worry time.
Give it a try15 -
I like the idea of worry time.Fashion on a ration 2025 0/66 coupons spent
79.5 coupons rolled over 4/75.5 coupons spent - using for secondhand purchases
One income, home educating family6 -
Hi foxgloves and friends
Glad to hear drain problems are sorted for now. I recently got a slowcooker as a gift from my stepmum so am learning to use it - so far so good, haven't tried spag bol but I will do (veggie version).
I have never had an emergency fund till very recently - mine is currently £200 so I need to build it up to something reasonable. I have been focused on overpaying my mortgage and was just about to do a big overpayment when I decided I should keep some back in case I need to pay extra when i have my car serviced next month.
Worry time is a great idea!
Love Deni xLBM - October 2018; finally debt free on 16 March 2021
2023 Mortgage Free Wannabee #92023 Mortgage free in March 23 !
Decluttering Campaign member 2023🏅🏅 🏅⭐️⭐️
Decluttering Campaign Member 2024 🏅🏅
Decluttering Campaign Member 20258 -
badmemory said:Baileys_Babe said:I have found myself waking in the middle of the night catastrophising about the house in the last few months. I am not aware of anything that should have triggered this. We have an emergency fund for this very scenario so why is my brain robbing me of sleep?
"Worry time" is a lovely idea - I have a sneaking feeling that in the middle of the night though, when my head is whirring about all manner of stuff that is unlikely to ever happen, my brain is not going to play ball in the least with me telling it that it needs to put off worrying until a more suitable time! It's got to be worth a try though!
Deni - that's a good starting point to build an EF. An idea I saw on here ages ago to really aid motivation on this was to set little mini goals along the way along the lines of "Once I've saved another £50 I'd be able to replace my washing machine if it blew up tomorrow" as that translates money in the bank to actual "things" and reminds you of the benefits. Over time it could turn into something akin to the Generation Game conveyor belt though couldn't it as the money builds up!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her11 -
"Worry time" is a lovely idea - I have a sneaking feeling that in the middle of the night though, when my head is whirring about all manner of stuff that is unlikely to ever happen, my brain is not going to play ball in the least with me telling it that it needs to put off worrying until a more suitable time! It's got to be worth a try though!Mortgage free 16/06/2023! £132,500 cleared in 11 years, 3 months and 7 days
'Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.' Ernest Hemingway8 -
Re Worry time
all you have to do is keep repeating 2 words
Not Now
your brain gets fed up of the repetition
eventually the aim is you can get to 2pm and realise you missed worry hour for today 😂
it takes some practice but just keep saying the 2 words
good luck everyone x7 -
@slm6002 - Coincidentally, that is a question I asked Jason the drain person. I had heard that some people actually book in an annual appointment for drain jetting & as we had never done this, I wondered if it was something we ought to be doing. However, he said no, that he couldn't really see any point in doing that, but to get onto it when symptoms of any problems start occurring. Our drains were last rodded out about 20 years ago when the foundations of our conservatory were being built & a a sewer blockage was detected. They have run absolutely fine since then. I'm hoping this was just a temporary thing, but the fact that we are in an 87-year old house with plenty of tree roots, just raises a few alarm bells that there's a defect that will need fixing. Trying not to worry though, until symptoms reoccur.
F2025's challenges: 1) To fill our 10 Savings Pots to their healthiest level ever
2) To read 100 books (36/100) 3) The Shrinking of Foxgloves 6.8kg/30kg
"Life can only be understood backwards but it must be lived forwards" (Soren Kirkegaard 1813-55)9
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