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Moving on
Welcome to my new thread: my old one is here: Cherry takes the reins — MoneySavingExpert Forum and my very old one is here: Coffee and chocolate — MoneySavingExpert Forum Quite a lot changed in 2023, and now it's time to move on. I left the job and career path I'd followed for many years and don't feel I can or should go…
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Living Large, on a Small Income, by the Sea.
I am living by the sea in a beautiful house. (I can’t believe that sentence is about me) I have spent two years living in other people’s homes. I ended up on a sofa for several months. The joy of my own home, my own key, my own bed…it is indescribable. I had to go to the top of my budget to buy the house, but it is exactly…
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From debt to freedom...
For a couple of months I have been lurking and reading diaries which have been helpful and inspiring. I thought that I would start a diary to keep myself focussed on getting rid of the debts. I am a working mum, recently separated from my husband. I have a large family which makes for an interesting and busy life! I have…
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The Cutting Down Alcohol Challenge for February & 2026 :)
Welcome to the Cutting Down Alcohol challenge for the month of February and for 2026! This challenge is all about helping people cut down or even give up on their alcohol consumption, mainly for health reasons, but it can also save a lot of money, because the cost of buying alcohol really mounts up over time and sometimes…
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Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations
Time, I think, to start a new diary. My first was about removing our debts, paying off our mortgage and working towards, and through, the first few years of not working. I don't call it retirement at that point, because a wealth of volunteer activities were taken on or continued, and a number of hobbies aspired to or taken…
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Moving on with things
I have debated posting this for a few days or so. One of the main reasons I wanted to post an update is because recently I said goodbye to my car for good having made the decision to lease another electric car through my business. A decision I simply think I wouldn’t have made without having been on here. My wife and I are…
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Need fresh eyes on my budget!
Hi all! I'm starting a brand new diary to break down my current situation and take a fresh look at things - what I was doing isn't working 😳 About me... I'm in my forties (late forties but we'll not dwell on that!) and live alone in a rented housing association house. I've had a very unstable period in the last six years…
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Debt and Caring
An unprovoked attack on my ankle by a metal workout bench has me lying down with a foot up this evening. Which makes this the ideal time to start this diary. And possibly to declutter some exercise equipment... Yesterday I was £9993.61 in debt. Today I have made a £1500 payment to one of my credit cards taking me down to…
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Resourcefulness: The budgeter's friend
Happy New Year to readers old & new! Well, it's time for a new chapter. My old diary ("Put away your purse & become debt averse") achieved pretty much what I intended. I shared the story of how I got into debt at the age of 19 & stayed that way until a pretty enormous lightbulb pinged on during my early 40s, I've shared…
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Road To Financial Recovery
Ah, time to get back into the race so to speak, can’t believe I am doing this again.It is time to start taking finances seriously again. It is a rubbish feeling to be back in a position where I feel my finances are back in a mess. There isn’t any major debt so that is a positive of course but feel like a plan is needed…
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A new chapter, An empty nest, Drama school & Last year of Uni
I've been on these boards for many years and a long time ago did start a diary when we'd had a windfall and cleared some debt and I'm not sure what happened but 'life' got in the way. Today starts a new chapter of my life as my youngest has just left home (albeit temporarily) for her to access a drama course in a different…
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An in-between phase
I am largely starting this thread so as to not rudely put a long whinge on the lovely @foxgloves and @EssexHebridean threads! I will talk a little more about my slightly unsettled life situation in due course, but for now, just whinging 😂 Today I have been trying to switch to a more money saving phone contract. It has been…
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Fresh Diary for 2025! & Carrying on for 2026
Hello those who follow along! Last year goals; - Get debt gone (didn't complete) - Buy my house - COMPLETE - Meal plan/prep - Sort of - Cut out Coffee (I gave this up on 22nd November 2023) - Didn't complete - Have savings of at least 2k! - didn't complete Am I annoyed I didn't complete some goals? no. I can try again!…
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10 years later yikes
Hello all Here again for round 2… my first diary https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4529627/can-i-do-it/p1 I’ve just looked back at this and as much as I really thought I knew what I was doing, it’s crazy to now see 10years later here I am. I was in my 20’s and ambitious and honestly looking back on it now how…
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YNAB robber needs help to execute the plan
Right, I am going to finally start a diary on here. I am being supported financially by my OH to allow me to help my sister care for my 90 year old father. I have an expensive event in Feb that I need to save for. I have been using YNAB since Feb so I have an accurate record of my spending for 6 months. It's not pretty. I…
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Default me
Well, where do I start? I have been in debt for my whole adult life, since I was accepted for my first store card at 18. You would have thought I would have learnt by now how to manage but again, in the same month that all of my previous defaults have dropped off my credit file, I am about to default on all of my debts…
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Busting this debt before 42
New year, new car and new loan, equals new diary. Why am I doing this s**t agin? Right…because last year I had a midlife crisis and succumbed to the ‘shiny new car’ syndrome. Buggers. I very much enjoyed the challenge of debt busting last year so lets gooooooo round two! My finances so far: Sinking Fund: £252 Shiny Fund:…
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Busting this debt before 40
Time for me to de-lurk on this thread and start my own dairy. Long story short ish. Away on work last year all my co-workers talked about pensions. Then realised that I wouldn't get my state pension till 67. Also my work pension doesn't kick in till 67 either...(There's like a mini pension for when I've done my contracted…
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15months to debt free - I hope
Well I thought it was time I started a diary having put my two pennorth into several others. Brief bit about me. I am a retired careworker having done other things as well. I have a husband who has mental health issues and 3 old dogs. A 15 year oldJack Russell X who has heart and kidney failure so I am not sure how long we…
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Should itsthelittlethings spend less on coffee?
Hopefully this works as an all new diary for me. Will add my debt into my signature and keep track of how I do going along.
