Time to get the monkey off my back!

Willow1403

Hello!

My first time posting here, have been a lurker for a long time, but after reading the most amazing diary over the weekend by @EatingBeans, I'm ready to start my own.
I have spent most of my adult lift in debt. When I had hardly any money, I managed it brilliantly, debt free, staying within my means, but as the money went up the mindset just changed, and the "I deserve this" mentality crept in.
Cue many years, many credit cards, consolidating twice and here we are.
This isn't quite the beginning of my journey. My light bulb moment was in March (24th to be exact). It was monumental in an awful way, where I just realised things were so bad I felt that there really was no way out. It really was a huge realisation that things change immediately, or this is it for life. Not one to turn down a challenge, it was time to take control.
I've been a budgeter for a few years now, so I had those skills down. BUT, I was kidding myself about the debt. Moving things around to feel like I was making progress. I was not.
I started in March, at -£39K and today stand at -£32.5K.
So this is me. I want to keep myself accountable and not lose the momentum I'm gaining. 

doingitanyway

Reducing your debt by £6.5k since March is fabulous.
You sound knowledgeable and motivated. A great combination! 
Well done for addressing your debt

ellenvan

A great start.
Posting here every day might be just the motivation you need.
Also you could post a SOA if you want anything looking at from another person's view.
You can do it!
Looking forward to reading your ongoing story.

LzzyIsGod

Wishing you all the best!

I find diary land inspiring, motivating and very cathartic (even when im talking to myself haha) ! 

Willow1403

Thank you all for your kind words. 
To be honest, I wasn't expecting anyone to read!

Right at this moment, I'm so motivated and I know that at some point I will hit debt fatigue, and this is when I will need this diary. Both for seeing my progress and knowing it's not always bad, and also to hold myself accountable.

I am of the mindset that I need to do something each day to move forwards, even if it's a tiny baby step. Yesterday I made three payments to the credit card I'm working on. 1 was paying some coins in to my bank account, 1 from selling on vinted and 1 from surveys cash out. Total of £23.01.

I have set myself a goal to get this credit card payed off by August 25th. I have learnt I'm quite competitive, even with myself! So, I have 28 days to pay off £895.81.

Off work at the moment as it's the summer holidays. I work in a school (not teacher), and work term time plus some additional non-term time days. I will be popping in to do a few hours here and there over the summer.
Today I have already been out to pick up an Olio order, and I'm just about to walk the dog to the InPost locker to get rid of 1 (of 4!) parcels I need to post today. Then in to town to do the rest. 

Have a good day everyone

Debtfree2026

Ahh a new diary to read!  Thank you for sharing your story with us!

I'm similar - in debt all my adult life, I'm now 42 married with two children and just really wanting to set a good example for the kids and get out of debt!  Life bulb moment November time last year and since then really just learning about finances and researching a lot.  Two immediate changes - I was paying just above min payments on my credit cards for YEARS and literally paying mainly interest.....so I'd be making a payment to one card for £170 and the interest was £80.  And I did this for literally years!  I didn't think I'd be able to get another card and do a balance transfer but I tried and was successful.  So now I'm getting that paid off whilst its at 0%.  The second change - I just let my house insurance auto renew every year without bothering to shop around.  This year I changed it and saved £188 a year, plus I get a free Greggs coffee every month and I got a £20 Sainsbury gift card!  

I have a diary on here too and you are absolutely right - it has helped me when I'm feeling debt fatigued! I reread my diary yesterday and it made me realise that although time seems to be dragging (I just want the debt gone ASAP!) it also feels like days since my first post in December!  Not months!

We got this!  Have a great day.

Niki x

Willow1403

Hi Niki,
Thanks for reading
I will certainly go over and have a read of your diary. It's so inspiring to read the journey of others.
It sounds like our stories really are very similar. The minimum payments sound so familiar... We have just moved most credit on to 0% cards, which really feels like sticking it to the banks after they have made so much profit out of us.
Haven't paid for anything with a credit card for months now either, so the balances really are starting to go down.
We most certainly have got this! x

Middle_Aged_Guy

Hello @Willow1403 , I love nothing more than a fresh diary  

Have bookmarked and will be cheering you on from the sidelines! You've got this!

Willow1403

Another reading! Hello @Middle_Aged_Guy!

To be honest, I didn't think anyone would be interested in my ramblings. Doesn't really make sense, seeing as I spend ages reading other people's

Busy morning today, have been in to work and done a few of my non-term time hours. It's great with no one else there, can get loads done! Plants are all watered and the fish and snails are taken care of too.

Made good progress on my goal credit card yesterday too. Had a few vinted payments come through and cashed out almost £30 from Prolific. Have also got a parcel getting collected today, loads of books which I sold to We Buy Books. Don't get much, but they are out of my way and it's better than nothing.

Really having a great declutter at the moment, just getting rid of so much and it's making me realise just how much there is here I don't want/need. Also the resale value of things is so painfully low, it definitely helps with any spending urges! 

Going to spend this afternoon in the garden I think, it really needs a tidy up

Have a good day everyone! 

FootyFanDan

A new diary to read along is always a welcome addition
You have already made some great steps, looking forward to following your journey. Good luck.

Willow1403

Had a good day, but really tired out now!

Managed to get all the weeding done, those annoying weeds that grow in the cracks between the edge of my little front garden and the pavement. It's looking better for it out there though. 

Made a loaf of bread too. Years ago I thought I'd have a go at making bread, turns out that everyone in the house loved it so much I couldn't go back to shop brought, so have been doing it ever since. It used to be much more effort, when were a house of 5 (three hungry boys!), but now there's only 3 people here I don't have to bake two at a time anymore

One more job this evening which is chase up tesco for a home delivery substitution which hasn't been refunded yet. It's for cat biscuits, where they tried to give me two smaller bags which added up to less, for more money! Erm, no thanks! Cat still needs food though, so have to get that money back to buy another bag. Almost at the end of the month and the pet budget line is empty (YNAB people, you'll understand YNAB broke...!). He's got enough here to last a few more days though so we're all good.

Hope everyone has had a nice day