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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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Progress not Perfection
Happy New Year! I thought it was about time I started a new diary. I've been on these diaries since 2008. My last diary is here Things
can only get better My first diary is here Champagne Lifestyle Lemonade Budget and the one after that here Looking for the Silver Lining. That's a hell of a lot of waffle over the years 😆…
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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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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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The Cutting Down Alcohol Challenge for March & 2026 :)
Welcome to the Cutting Down Alcohol challenge for the month of March 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 you…
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2026 - consolidation and calm
I've decided to start a fresh diary for 2026. 2025 was a bit of a rollercoaster year for us: * My post being put forward for redundancy at the end of 2024, though it was then reinstated thankfully * Restructure at work meaning many great colleagues (and loads of knowledge) going * DH's redundancy at work, then finding a…
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One eye on the future ..one eye on the past
New Diary think I got lost in space.Debts are slowly reducing,I sort of have a three year plan ongoing which should mean we are very comfortable in the middle of the year 2023.I'm resigned to this being my abode ...hate my house ..hate my neighbours For that time I want to be in a good place financially to move at that…
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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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Hopefully debt free before Mortgage renewal in June 2026
Hi, So, My mortgage is due for renewal in June 2026. I bought a house for £190,000 with around a £48,000 deposit on a 5 year fixed rate of 1.63% interest which comes to an end on 30th June 2026. I currently owe £129,363 and pay £517.72 and i have 25 years and 6 months left to pay (i will be 68 when this ends). I know…
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The Frugal Hearth: Stories of Simple Living and Living Well
Hello, and welcome, one and all to my new debt free diary! My Journey I started my old diary at the beginning of 2020, a couple of months before the pandemic hit the UK and we went into lockdown. That diary can be found here…
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taking responsibilty to get me where I want to be
Good morning MSE'ers I have been reading diaries for the last few months and have found peoples stories so inspiring that I am hoping for some company on my own journey , this will be my own log which hopefully will motivate me at times of bleakness so I can look back on any progress I have made My sitituation is quite…
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Back in debt after clearing it in 2013
Here I am again, back in debt 😩 I cleared 17.5K back in 2013 using the suggestions on this forum, but life (and a complete inability to manage money) has led me back to being in debt. Granted it's not as bad as before, at least the LBM was quicker this time around 😆 but it needs sorting. I did start doing a payment a day,…
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Looking To The Future With Hope
After reading @Onebrokelady thread I feel so inspired and in awe of how someone can be so positive when they’ve faced such adversity that I’ve decided to start a diary. Now, I can’t promise that I’ll keep this up, as I do have a tendency to start things full of enthusiasm and then I stumble and give up, but we shall see.…
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2026: The Final Year
Hello debt free wannabeeees! It's been a while since I have been on this board. We paid off our debts a few years ago. I then started a Mortgage-free diary of which I have since paused, as we then decided life was a bit too short and wanted to do some other things first. Well, we now both want to get going towards…
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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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Turning Straw into Gold: Creating Long Term Security & A Solid Home
Hello, I am joining you on the debt free journey, for a couple
of loans that are giving me anxiety and also my mortgage. I have been reading
these diaries for inspiration and it’s time to start my own. I hope to get to
know many of you as time goes on. I moved into my home last April and I have some
loan repayments that…
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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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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.
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Need to stop spending and chasing dopamine!
Hello! I’m creating this diary to hold me accountable, as I’ve been trying to pay this debt off for 3 years now and I just keep kicking the can down the road so to speak. The good news is it’s all on 0% interest. The bad news is I need to have the most boring year next year (aside from a holiday) to be able to pay it all…
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My Off-grid and need to be frugal diary
New year, new start - trying to save in 2025.