Freedom and Independence.

BudgetingBelinda

Two drawers decluttered. 

Finances gone over again! Groceries- I miss calculated somehow/sometime- but I am 244/400 & I need to watch that. The voucher will cover next week; but still… for the future?!? I need to work on that. I seem to be still spending too much on groceries.
I am on track with overpayment pot and budget for the rest of the month. 

Plan-
•NSD/AFD: Mon/Tues/Weds’ - at the bare minimum. 

•w/b 22nd transfer overpayment pot to DMP- 11 steps.
•End of month. Online shops scheduled, meal plans in place, feb budget done. Wardrobes decluttered.

BudgetingBelinda

Another day, another do not spend.
Mon-Thurs busy days with work and after school logistics, so should be easy to have NSD. Just avoid temptation and any negotiations from the boys that they neeeeed x,y,z.. and myself. Must stay out of the co-op/tesco/little shop this week. My budget will thank me. That will be such a WIN for the week if I can make that happen! 🤞🏼 Changing the bad habits! 

No cheeky cigarettes, no wine, no needless spends. 8-10 months of the same and no emergencies and I can be debt free!

debtfreewannabe321

Well done Budgeting Belinda, you've made an amazing start. It takes a while to get out of bad habits so don't be too hard on yourself. It took me a couple of months to get the hang of want vs need lol but once I got there and saw my debts coming down it spurred me on no end DFW321

BudgetingBelinda

debtfreewannabe321 said:

Well done Budgeting Belinda, you've made an amazing start. It takes a while to get out of bad habits so don't be too hard on yourself. It took me a couple of months to get the hang of want vs need lol but once I got there and saw my debts coming down it spurred me on no end DFW321

Thank you! I’ve just done my first overpayment to DMP. That spurred on vibe is happening! Best of luck with your mortgage overpayments 💪🏼

BudgetingBelinda

A productive day again.
NSD/ AFD
sent £60 = 1 step to overpay DMP. Possibility of doing 12 steps this month. But so far 8.5/100 is enough to keep me motivated. And thinking that’s the £50ish I’ve been spending weekly on the ‘little’ shops. Now I’ve sent it off there is no money for the co-op! I’m trying to train my mind in these ways!

The fridge got the brunt of my declutter tonight. 

I’m sleeping better, feeling better and have a very positive outlook at the moment. I’m finding the threads and challenges here so inspirational. I know it can be done, I am doing it. 

Things have been such chaos much of life and even with the regular amount of life chaos I feel like I have a very secure and stable place to work from now. It’s been a lot of hard work and lots of reflection, I am seeing the results though. The debt coming down is just very symbolic. I think I’ll be very emotional and proud when it’s paid off, and I can’t wait to find out that feeling! 

I’ve had times where I’ve been through having money, and times where it’s been very difficult, and times where I had money but it was also very difficult (where I didn’t earn the money it was inherited, which came with a lot of emotion) and even when I had savings I had debt and was juggling/overspending. 

I got my first overdraft account at 18 I think- now it’s one of the accounts in my DMP, 22 years later. Glad to see the back of it! And the rest! 

BudgetingBelinda

Work, avoid co-op/tesco etc, repeat.
leftover madras for dinner.. all produce in and accounted for. 

Mustn’t go t’shop! No need. Pay off that toxic debt! 
💪🏼🤞🏼

debtfreewannabe321

I have gotten back into bad habits of popping to the shop and coming out £40 lighter. Everything is so expensive these days you can't even get a basket of food for less than that. Really demoralising when you spend that much on so little too.
I am also avoiding the shops today, as I very nearly decided I would grab some poppadoms to go with my leftover curry later- I see you have a curry too! I am leaving my purse at home so when I walk to work, even if I am tempted I am unable to buy anything   
I am like you in the fact I was in debt all my adult life. I had my first son at 19, I had to get catalogues to clothe him, loans to pay for a car so I could work.....and it was all downhill from there. I have paid the debts off totally may times but without a sound emergency fund you always end up back in them. After splitting with my husband and him leaving me with three children and another £12k of debt all my savings were cleared out pretty quickly....I am overpaying the mortgage after having paid off most our debt (what we have now is 0%) but I am concentrating on the emergency fund as being just as important as the overpaying. Because life likes to test us, over and over until we learn...finally at the grand age of 44 I am learning now- be financially prepared it took me long enough huh! These boards are fantastic for when you feel like you're going to crack and spend in the wrong way, you see everyone else here doing their best and it inspires you to do the same! Good luck avoiding the shops! DFW321

BudgetingBelinda

debtfreewannabe321 said:

I have gotten back into bad habits of popping to the shop and coming out £40 lighter. Everything is so expensive these days you can't even get a basket of food for less than that. Really demoralising when you spend that much on so little too.
I am also avoiding the shops today, as I very nearly decided I would grab some poppadoms to go with my leftover curry later- I see you have a curry too! I am leaving my purse at home so when I walk to work, even if I am tempted I am unable to buy anything   
I am like you in the fact I was in debt all my adult life. I had my first son at 19, I had to get catalogues to clothe him, loans to pay for a car so I could work.....and it was all downhill from there. I have paid the debts off totally may times but without a sound emergency fund you always end up back in them. After splitting with my husband and him leaving me with three children and another £12k of debt all my savings were cleared out pretty quickly....I am overpaying the mortgage after having paid off most our debt (what we have now is 0%) but I am concentrating on the emergency fund as being just as important as the overpaying. Because life likes to test us, over and over until we learn...finally at the grand age of 44 I am learning now- be financially prepared it took me long enough huh! These boards are fantastic for when you feel like you're going to crack and spend in the wrong way, you see everyone else here doing their best and it inspires you to do the same! Good luck avoiding the shops! DFW321

Absolutely agree. On all!
I hope you enjoyed your curry and the £40 in your pocket and not the shops for those ‘would of worked out expensive’ poppadoms! I’ve got some essentials now on subscription on Amazon so that I shouldn’t run out and actually *need* to go to the shop. The extra bits I want not need I am just turning the tide on wanting them, what I actually want is a debt free life! 

I’m really inspired by everyone’s journey. Thank you for sharing too. The emergency fund is certainly a priority I’ve always overlooked really. 

I’ve had credit cards before and used those. Coming to the end of my DMP I haven’t had any for a while and I really don’t want any. I’ll maybe get one to build credit score and pay it off but tbh I feel like I’d rather have a bad credit score than go near a credit card again! I had an emergency fund the last few years but a new boiler took it out and then lots of car issues as I was doing a lot of miles. Now I’m antsy without that buffer. You just know something will come along/go pop! I’m going to hopefully up the EF end of this month alongside overpayment. And as I go along I hope nothing goes pop and I can just then send anything extra to overpay. 

Best of luck avoiding those shops too and with the EF xx 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

BudgetingBelinda

AF 4/10
NSD 8/15
Steps 8.5/100
No de cluttering today out 8:30am- 6:30pm apart from rushing home to walk dog/take him back out with me to do the logistics of picking kids up from x and y. 

Bonus is no time to shop/spend on rubbish. 

Also too tired to want a wine!
Noticed how I was automatically popping to the shop without needing anything. Just as a ritual. Of course they’re things we need but not NEED. I’m now only on the NEED level going in them! I have a list for Fri, usually online shop but have a voucher so will go in store. I’ve made a list/meal plan will stick to it. My Thurs is a bit of a danger zone atm for popping to shop/getting a wine. My last working day of the week on a Thurs. and running low on supplies but also bored/tired. I will check in tomorrow. I’m not going to beat myself up over a spend day the next few days as I know I’m doing very well and I want this to be maintained and balanced. I just also feel quite accomplished and like how it’s going! I am becoming quite keen on not spending money! 🤩
I will definitely have Friday to reflect and enjoy.

BudgetingBelinda

Do you know what.. I did declutter! It was just a long time ago and I was asleep! I did the recycling at 6:45am as it was green bin day!