My journey to a debt free life

Willowtree222 · 21 February 2019 at 9:20AM

I am an emotional spender too, as my blip last year showed. It is amazing how much a little spending can make us feel. I know I have got 100% better since having this, but still have the occasional time where I need to have something bought. I am able now to recognise it and I turn it into a coffee, or a bath bomb. Something small to keep me going.

Do you have anything left to declutter? I am surprised you still have rooms left to go! I love how you are tackling everything though.

Hopefully you are feeling up to painting. if not, relaxing sounds just as good. xx

Onebrokelady · 21 February 2019 at 1:39PM

Cherryfudge wrote: »

I occurs to me that if you declutter any more your house will echo amazingly and the sounds from next door will reverberate around the walls.

I'm glad there's some sort of help for next door, it certainly sounds as though it may be needed. Could you perhaps plant bamboo or something equally quick-growing as a sound break?

Hope you feel better soon.

Don't worry Cherryfudge the walls are paper thin so we can hear everything anyway:rotfl:
I haven't noticed an echo yet:rotfl:

Onebrokelady · 21 February 2019 at 1:46PM

Nicnak wrote: »

I am an emotional spender too, as my blip last year showed. It is amazing how much a little spending can make us feel. I know I have got 100% better since having this, but still have the occasional time where I need to have something bought. I am able now to recognise it and I turn it into a coffee, or a bath bomb. Something small to keep me going.

Do you have anything left to declutter? I am surprised you still have rooms left to go! I love how you are tackling everything though.

Hopefully you are feeling up to painting. if not, relaxing sounds just as good. xx

I used to be terrible but I'm so focused on not buying things I don't need now so hopefully won't fall into that trap again,I still get that little spark of excitement when I think of buying anything but I'm able to walk away now,I see things I like and think I should buy it but then remind myself that in a few weeks there will be something else or something better I want to buy,I'm also using the 30 day rule,if I see or think of something I want or think I need I'm making myself wait for 30 days before I buy it,this gives me time to decide if it's worth it,if I actually truely need it and if I can afford it

I've still got lots to declutter,I haven't finished my room or the spare room and I haven't even started on the kitchen yet:rotfl:

Onebrokelady · 21 February 2019 at 1:55PM

It's a lovely day here today,I've actually managed to peg some washing out
The people have been and collected the chest of drawers so thats another item decluttered,I've tidied around downstairs and I'm just off to take DDs desk apart so we can assemble the new one when she gets home from uni

I'm not going to do the painting today because I'm still not feeling 100% so I'm concentrating on doing little jobs that I can do sitting down,I'm just having a coffee before I get going again

Today I'm hoping to get another bag of stuff for the charity shop together,I can then take it to the charity shop at work in the morning,I'm also definitely going to sort out my wardrobe floor because the storage boxes I want to use are on the floor in my room and they look untidy,I'm using one for my shoes and one for photos,the photos will go on the bottom with my shoes on top,that will mean another box of stuff has gone from the spare room

Onebrokelady · 21 February 2019 at 4:42PM

Yay my wardrobe is finished,I've cleaned the floor and put all my shoes in the storage box so they don't get dusty, I don't have many pairs just a couple for special occasions,a couple of pairs of sandals and a couple of pairs of flip flops,I do have three pairs of boots though but they are kept in the shoe cupboard downstairs
I've just boxed up the photos for now but I will sort through them at some point because there are probably some I could get rid of,I've got a thing about family photos though and do like to hold onto them
I had a load of black and white photos of me my mum and my sisters from when we were little copied several years ago and I've got them on thewall in the living room in three long narrow frames that hold five photos each and they look really nice

I've also taken DD desk apart which was interesting,they will have fun putting it back together,I've made sure all the screws are in the relevant holes so they know where they go but it's got metal legs with a cross bar underneath and it has to go together in a certain way,I'm sure they will figure it out,we found instructions on the Ikea website so they should be ok

lm just having a tea break before I carry on

HairyHandofDartmoor · 21 February 2019 at 9:55PM

Well done with the decluttering OBL :A you're definitely inspiring me although I'm not doing as well as you are. It makes you feel so much in control of your life if you can get rid of clutter and control your spending

.

With regard to spending I always get an urge to spend if I'm anxious or feeling sad as it does make me feel better unfortunately

. But like you I try to limit it to something small, like a coffee, a second hand book, or a mug in the sale.

Spending really is very strongly linked to our moods so I can quite see why spending almost nothing for three weeks would make DD depressed. This is why I think a small pot for treats is essential, otherwise you can feel like life is all work and no play. DD has learnt a valuable lesson though and if she goes for as many NSDs as possible instead then she can probably still save up for a deposit over time

.

Willowtree222 · 22 February 2019 at 8:49AM

I am inspired too. I thew away one of little one's coats yesterday! I do need to go through her things and have started to do a little bit.

I can't do it when she is awake so will always wait until she is alseep. I have a box in the conservatory full of stuff ready to go in the bin. She just thinks it is being stored, but I know she wont miss it. It is her birthday in a few weeks and I need drawer space for new toys she will get.

I am doing the odd bits, but will see how it goes.

The 30 day thing seems good. My problem with that would be that i only every buy sale items and i would start to panic they would sell so would always buy them. I can see me doing it now! Maybe that is a good thing though. x

redofromstart · 22 February 2019 at 8:56AM

I get that with the emotional spending and the little buzz, although with me it tends to be little treats for the boys. I over compensate for my relatively frugal childhood I think.

I've been a lot better at managing since I've put more thought into it, and the refusal to buy 'it'll do'.

Onebrokelady · 23 February 2019 at 10:40PM

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

Well done with the decluttering OBL :A you're definitely inspiring me although I'm not doing as well as you are. It makes you feel so much in control of your life if you can get rid of clutter and control your spending .

With regard to spending I always get an urge to spend if I'm anxious or feeling sad as it does make me feel better unfortunately . But like you I try to limit it to something small, like a coffee, a second hand book, or a mug in the sale.

Spending really is very strongly linked to our moods so I can quite see why spending almost nothing for three weeks would make DD depressed. This is why I think a small pot for treats is essential, otherwise you can feel like life is all work and no play. DD has learnt a valuable lesson though and if she goes for as many NSDs as possible instead then she can probably still save up for a deposit over time .

Thanks Hairy
The house is starting to look very tidy now and cleaning takes less time because I don't have to move things to do it, the living room looks lovely and I'm now thinking about decorating ideas,I haven't painted for quite a while so it does need doing and once I've finished decluttering I will get started on the decorating,it's going to take a while because of budget constraints but the good thing is non of my walls are papered so it's jut a case of buying paint
I'm also considering saving up for wood flooring downstairs because having carpet with pets is a pain in the neck,I had a cheap laminate down for a while a few years ago but it wasn't laid properly so I had it taken back up and carpet fitted,the carpet is now way past its best so needs replacing,I can't afford it at the moment though so it will have to wait

DD doesn't really spend much anyway so always manages to save up quite a bit each month,she is going to be staying with me for a year after she graduates and will hopefully get a job at our hospital to begin with, if she stays at home she is going to pay me rent so I will be able to save that up for things I need to do to the house hopefully

Onebrokelady · 23 February 2019 at 10:48PM

Nicnak wrote: »

I am inspired too. I thew away one of little one's coats yesterday! I do need to go through her things and have started to do a little bit.

I can't do it when she is awake so will always wait until she is alseep. I have a box in the conservatory full of stuff ready to go in the bin. She just thinks it is being stored, but I know she wont miss it. It is her birthday in a few weeks and I need drawer space for new toys she will get.

I am doing the odd bits, but will see how it goes.

The 30 day thing seems good. My problem with that would be that i only every buy sale items and i would start to panic they would sell so would always buy them. I can see me doing it nowMaybe that is a good thing though. x

This is where I am naughty as I very rarely buy things in the sales,I go and look at clothes but it's all usually such a mess I can't be bothered to look through it all

I'm just so determined now not to buy anything I don't need,I have enough clothes so don't need to go and look at clothes now,I know if I do I will be tempted to buy something,I'm only buying clothes if something needs replacing, I will definitely be buying some more socks in the near future because I got rid of a load that were wearing thin and I cant stand wearing socks that aren't really comfortable,I have a thing about looking after my feet, think it's because I'm in so much pain a lot of the time and I spend so much time standing up that I like to make sure my feet are healthy so this means lots of TLC and decent socks,I can feel like rubbish when I wake up but a decent pair of socks can really cheer me up :rotfl:

My journey to a debt free life

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