Dear Diary - help me be Debt Free

Lucifa73

dumpy wrote: »

and I haven't disatster yet (waits for disaster to happen..........)

Isn't that some kind of challenge to the Gods? I'd be vEEERy careful this week :rotfl:

sammy115

Motivation is only high for me at the moment because of impending exams:rotfl:

I really must start posting on here more regularly after the exams, my debt busting has gone totally out of the window.......:p

Oh well, I can practise what I preach later... going into town with a friend who is a shopaholic, I think I will just watch!

Lucifa73

Good luck with the shopping. I find its not much of a spectator sport and inevitably the purse comes out!

As for the study, my exams are about 5 months away but its all self study so I really need to get myself sorted!

Lucifa73

Well, 3 no spend days in a row.

Today my budget was £4.10 for the commute to work but I missed my normal train. The next one was an off peak train so I manage to get a cheap return for £3.20 saving 90p!!!:j

Not sure being late for work is a sustainable savings plan tho...:rotfl:

Now - do I put the 90p in a jar for collecting 'under budget' savings and see how much it adds up to throw at the debt or do I just keep going to the end of the month and 'sweep' any excess in my salary account into my overdraft account?

Lucifa73

Woohoo :j Updated sig today as regular payments for ccs and loan have all gone through. Overall a reduction of £351 in my personal debt and that's without the benefit of the LBM changes! Just think what I'll do [strike]when I put[/strike] know I'm putting my mind to it:T

The aim is to have the total down by £450 by the end of June (baby steps remember). Once I've plucked up the courage to e-bay (I have an entire library's worth of books I'll never open again for starters, not to mention closthes, jewellery, CDs) things will hopefully move quicker. If I get hooked Hubbles will have to start hiding his stuff:o I might make a new rule

- if its not put away its eligible for E-bay:rotfl:

(it even rhymes:p )

This might even help with the housework. I'm on fire!:rotfl:

tigzem

Hi

Well done for such a flying start... you sound really positive. It gets addictive doesn't it? Although I need some motiviation right now....:o

Will keep reading if ok x

Lucifa73

tigzem wrote: »

Hi

Well done for such a flying start... you sound really positive. It gets addictive doesn't it? Although I need some motiviation right now....:o

Will keep reading if ok x

Hi tigzem, welcome aboard ('athread' perhaps )- the more the merrier and if I know people are looking it'll keep me going.

It is totally addictive though I'm sure there'll be days I feel like saying F&*k it! I'm sure part of the entusiasm is because its all so new.

Being an accountant (the shame:p ) I'm a bit nerdy about tracking things and this thread gives me the perfect opportunity to do just that. Combined with my 'slightly' competitive nature I'm hoping to be debt free ASAP (haven't worked out a date yet as not quite sure how to go about it )

Right - lunch time so off for some fresh air. TTFN

Lucifa73

My husband is testing my DFW mettle!!:rolleyes: He meets me in Borders by the magazine section (I have a weakness for cooking and running/gym magzines) and then proposes we go to Starbucks for a hot chocolate (weather here still utter pants - wet and cold).

I passed the magazine test but failed the SB hurdle. I felt obliged to buy him a drink as he paid for yesterday's. I told him it was the last one this month though otherwise everytime I bought him a coffee I'd deduct the cost from the amount I budgeted for his Xmas and birthday this year:p .

Still a £4.40 overspend:mad:

Today's budget:
Commute £4.10
Friend's leaving gift £10 (she deserves it for being a star!)
2 cinema tickets £6.50 (Orange Wednesday)

Today's spend
Commute £4.10
Friend's leaving gift £10
Hot chocolate guilt trip £4.40:mad: :mad: :mad:
Cinema tickets £0!!! (see next post)

Lucifa73

Had a really nice evening with Hubbles last night - we went out to look at bikes (insurance money cleared in bank now) and go to cinema but ended up going for dinner after looking at bike shops (Hubbles' treat which he (now) budgets for once a month).

We had a really long chat about plans for future and we agreed we'd both really like to go to Australia for a holiday to check it out with a view to emigrating in the next 5 years! This brough up the subject of money. I pointed out we would need to have cleared all our debts AND have some savings to make this work and he agreed!:j

As a result we had a good long chat about where we can cut back - Sky, food, car (HP up in Sept and we're replacing car without getting more finance - he has £3k saved already towards this) and unnecessary 'treats'. and remortgaging as our fixed rate deal has recently expired.

We don't smoke and only drink very occasionally and we don't really go to bars or clubs very often. Most of the booze in the house is stuff others have brought and left behind. Most of our socialising is at friends' houses. Our group have mostly just got married and/or bought a house so we're all in the same pennypinching boat! Once he's replaced the car he'll be able to put more to savings/overpayments to pay of the 0% card (with my debt on it) that he's paying off.

He's also happy to give ebaying a go to get rid of DVDs, books etc and a car boot sale (or 2) as well.

We also agreed that there was no pint in moving in the meantime as it would be a bunch of fees for no real reason. One of the reasons he's been pushing for a move is to let me have a garden but I pointed out there was no point in me spending 2 years to establish a good veggie garden if we were going to abandon it. I'm going to look into getting an allotment again instead. Also, not moving means we are actually well within our means and once the debt is one we'll be able to live very comfirtably AND save to emigrate

So its full steam ahead on this route for now. If we are lucky enough to be surprised with a baby at some point along the way we'll reassess then(there's a strong possiblity that I can't have a baby because of some bad stuff in my past and he may have issues as he played rugby and has had his tackle mashed on more than one occasion so we're not 'planning' for a family as such )

Anyway. He's bought into it and his enthusiasm and determination is as strong as mine plus he's a lot more disciplined so looks like we're firmly on the path to the good life!:j

Luc xxx

Lucifa73

Today's Budget:

Commute 4.10
Thermal mugs 5.00 (instead of Starbucks we're going to make tea/coffee at work and sit in the park at lunchtime on nice days or go round shops (looking not spending) on yucky days

Today's spend
Commute 2.65 - Going home with Hubbles tonight via another bike shop