Paranoid's Debt Free-Wannabe Diary!

Paranoid124

Thanks findingmyownway!

Yeah thought I was going about it the right way!

As for my 0% expiring, two of them are student accounts which the banks have just never removed the offer from...they send me letters saying they will but for 2 years now nothing has changed, so will definitely go down the interest-making route once I've cleared everything off this November


And dah-ling, I don't know what in heavens name you mean about the self-portraits, I'm a stunning figure don't you know?

Paranoid124

Well training at work was cancelled today as the organisers didn't bother to show up :j . But then that means no free lunch :mad:


Because I'm not assigned to a project at the moment I'm just expected to do some online training by myself unsupervised today and tomorrow, easy life huh? Planning to train myself up in all DFW methods

Weirdest thing happened yesterday, I was on the tube and picked up the morning's metro, only to find a whole article about online !!!!!! addiction! It talked about how there were forums for all sorts of addicts - alcohol, drugs etc. but there was no publicised support groups for those (much like myself!) who suffer from this socially debilitating and financially ruining condition!

Basically some guy had the same problems I've been going through and decided to do something about it himself - using some psychology tricks and what-not he managed to overcome his addiction and having documented his method the popularity has caused him to quit his day job and focus on providing counselling to others.


Given that its been over a week since I installed those web blockers and with that physical constraint in place I haven't even attempted to go back since, I don't think I would call my problem a true addiction. However, once I get a chance tonight I will be checking out this guys website: www.porngameover.com

It's just good to know that this isn't a problem I've made up, and that others have faced the same difficulty (the article said the problem stemmed from boredom and loneliness which is so true! But the solution is to think about what your addicition is stopping you from doing instead of it). It was just really weird to happen across it on the tube!?!:A

Paranoid124

Been going ebay crazy these last few weeks, and just checked out how much cash I've actually made from my sales...

Imagine my surprise when I realised it came to £208! And I've still got a load of stuff to go, including some big sellers (Nintendo Wii and Apple Mac laptop!).

Pretty confident that I'll make a major impact on my total debt by end of this month, and thats after taking account of my holiday to Rome next week!

Work is also sending me out to Chicago for some training in September, so looking to take an extra week's holiday while I'm out there to finally go and visit Vegas! I've wanted to go for years, and having fiddled the figures for this year's financial plans I can still do it and meet my November DFD...all thanks to these money-saving/earning activities I'm doing here and now!


Aaaah, feels like its going to be a good month in April

Paranoid124

Aaah, can I just say its great to be sitting here lounging around my flat after 6pm, and still seeing nice sunny blue skies outside Its just so refreshing!

Updated my sig a bit prematurely to show where I stand at the moment. After throwing a wobbly earlier this month, I'm alot happier with things now. I've worked hard to save money at all costs day to day, and then gone on a relentless mission to sell the contents of my flat on ebay!!

The result is I'm still on target for November, and I'm still going on holiday to Rome with a far greater budget than I've ever had before (some £800's worth!)

I still have some big sales in the pipeline on ebay which should see my total debt reduce by another £500 in a week or so, and then from next month onwards I'll be saving £1000 each payday, thanks to my new promotion! Thats the bit I'm most excited about actually, is paying off such large chunks and knowing that those large chunks will eventually be SPARE cash that I can spend/save/do as I will with!

Hope everyone else is good out there! Thanks for all your posts, they are a great source of motivation!

Paranoid124

Two days until I'm off to Rome! Desperately trying to plan out my finances for the 8 day trip as I don't want to get carried away and spend all of the budget I've set myself (saving some of it to go into my Credit Card is just too tempting!!)

After accommodation I've got £500 to spend on food and entertainment for 8 nights...I mean seriously I'm going to struggle to spend that surely??? At the moment I'm planning to stick to DIY lunches, get a paid dinner, and then obviously enjoy some of the vino.

Add on day tours etc. I reckon I'll spend £400 - fingers crossed!

If anyone's got any holiday tips for DFW's please add them to my blog for reference (free net at my hostel so will be checking on here!), going to go and scour the Travel forum now

Paranoid124

Hey All!

Well its been quite a while since I last posted an entry here!

I have returned from my break to Rome, as well as an extra week's break back home. The bad news? I lost complete control of my finances!!

After reducing my mobile to the lowest tarriff, I ended up with the highest ever bill (£120!!! 4x my normal bill!), so I've now raised it a bit again and hopefully things should be better this month!

Prices in Italy are extortionate when you take into account the exchange rate! I was spending £5 on a packet of crisps and a drink at one point! :mad:

Just updated my signature and find it hard to believe that I've only reduced my debt by £300...kept adding up the totals and it never changed once! :eek:


The thing is, my focus is completely on wiping out the Credit Card first and foremost, as everything else is interest free (and I've now maxxed them all out!). If I look just at the CC, I've reduced this by £1k which is very encouraging!

I also believe I'm still on track for my DFD (fingers crossed!).

Well its back to work next week, will be sticking with packed lunches and hopefully May will be kinder to me!

chevalier

Just been reading your diary and well done on your efforts.
Also well done on tackling one of the root causes of your debt. It takes a lot of guts to own up to a problem of any sort. You mention that you are in a lot. So maybe it is time to ensure that for one night a week you are able to go and do something that involves meeting other people. I have no idea what, flower arranging, kung fu, whatever then you will have something to look forward to other than work!
chev

Paranoid124

Yeah thanks Chev,

My goal for the last year has been to make promotion, so now that's been ticked I've started looking further afield. Signed up to a Touch Rugby club, got a 10k charity run in July and looking into setting up a karting league...so hopefully one of those will get me out and about a bit!!

thepinklady

Hiya, welcome back. I hope you loved Rome, its an amazing city. I think it was a little cheaper when i went 4 odd years ago!

Brilliant news your still on track for your debt free date, good luck.

Paranoid124

Thanks Hayley, good to be back

Rome was brilliant, although nearly got run over 50-odd times...never understood the rules around their zebra crossings!!?!


Been spending tonight adjusting my financial projections, still a bit annoyed at myself but need to be patient I guess, I just feel I'm living for every pay day to see the numbers come down!