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Original poster

Debt Free 2007?

551 replies

Flamesparrow · 28/11/2006 17:42

Keep thinking about this since yesterday...

Am thinking that my aim for 2007 is to be in a decent(ish) money situation next Christmas BUT I don't wanna take the swing out of the budgie's cage completely...

I need to work out how to save money, pay all the bills, but still be able to have the odd treat here and there.

I thinking:

  • Decent food budgetting/planning
  • uswitch (I think I am on the cheapest anyway)
  • s/o for savings AND a s/o for treats
  • Work out the birthdays that will be coming across the year and make sure I put aside enough each month to cover the hell months.

What else should I be doing?

OP posts:
FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 06/12/2006 09:36

Won £10 on the lottery on Saturday

PinkTinsel · 06/12/2006 10:38

gambling away your money flame.... tut tut

good for you, what you gonna spend you big winnings on?

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 06/12/2006 10:55

F*ckin dentist for DH The guy who always has perfect teeth - not needed em touched for years.... I thought we could stretch to the £15 or whatever for his check up... turned into £57 because he needed fillings (oh and he told me that he opted for the cheaper silver ones - too bloody right he did! If I have to have a mouthful of silver so does he ).

I begged him to wait until after Xmas, but noooooooo he had to go now.

Lottery is a DH thing too Would save us £4 a month - but then this month we have gained £6 (taking out the £4 spent)... I dunno, can't be arsed to argue.

PinkTinsel · 06/12/2006 10:59

lol, theres no stopping dp doing it when it oes over a certain amount either!

poor flame's dh and his teeth, dp had to have a load of work done over the summer, about 8 filling and 2 removals luckily the medical card coered it and the dentist gave him white fillings on it so looks quite good now.

shame he money has to go on that, i always feel cheated when i have to spend unexpected money on mundane things like that.... poor flame

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 06/12/2006 11:04

I have announced that I can't have any more dental work done unless I am pregnant

expatinscotland · 06/12/2006 11:05

Being debt free is like having a pension to me - something I've given up on entirely.

The times we've been debt-free, something has always happened to where we need to go back into the red again.

So I just carry on.

PinkTinsel · 06/12/2006 11:07

lol expat... i think i'm sinking into that frame of mind too, everytime we've come within a coupl of hundred quid of having everything sorted something new and expensive pops up.... drives me mad!

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 06/12/2006 11:09

I like having a goal... even if it is unrealistic

expatinscotland · 06/12/2006 11:19

Believe me, Pink, life's much better for me now that I've just sort of let it go and keep dodging along.

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 06/12/2006 11:20

I've done that with owning a house Expat - DH is still all upset and desperately wants a house price crash so we can "have our own place". Me, I think we're livin in a nice house where someone fixes our problems for us

expatinscotland · 06/12/2006 11:21

Me, too, Flame.

I don't even care about that anymore.

Besides, the last thing I'd want is a house price crash.

Why? B/c it means a downturn in the economy - high interest rates, high unemployment, recession, depression, etc.

NO thanks! Been through some of those already. Not fun.

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 06/12/2006 11:27

Yup, if we're meant to own a place, it will happen in its own time, in the right way - not a way that hurts lots of other people.

PinkTinsel · 06/12/2006 11:28

lol flame, i always feel better when friends have huge expensive household emergancies and i thinkto myself, well thank god we rent

HoHoHorsewoman · 06/12/2006 12:30

DH and I were never in a position to buy a house when prices were more reasonable (Rural jobs, paying peanuts, local house prices in desirable village WAY beyond reach). Whilst I am a bit disappointed we will now never own our own home, the house we have (which goes with DHs job) is nice (even if it needs total cosmetic overhaul), anything substantial will be paid by someone else. However, you can always rely on something else going wrong, either with the car, washing machine, TV..... It seems that every month I have some 'unforeseen' expense of a major nature, That is what throws me off-kilter. My family have got this idea that I am some kind of spendaholic because we can never save any money and live mortgage-free, but DD2s childcare is over £400 per month on its own (mornings only!!) - never mind all the other 'additionals' we have to contend with. I buy most of the DDs clothes off ebay, and don't even stop to browse the women's section of clothes shops in case I see something I like and then feel aggrieved that I can't buy it! I have tried setting up standing orders for savings, but had to stop because I was just taking them out again the following month! DH had a job from Aug 05 to Jul 06 in which he rarely got paid on time, wages cheques bounced and our rent wasn't paid, so we got through all our savings that year (about £8,000) and have found it hard to get back on track ever since. I will be very interested to see how you all get on with your initiatives and give me hope that it can be done. If my belt was any tighter at the moment it would cut me in half! (And I still haven't got any money...)

CranberryJelley · 06/12/2006 12:46

We do own (Owe the bank for) our house, which means that we will never be able to afford to move, and will be here forever. I do like it, but we have no garage (dp is a self employer carpenter and hoards tools which are spread all over the place) and only 2 bedrooms (3 children).
If things got really bad we could sell up, rent and live on the profits for a while though

DP casually mentioned that his 2 co-workers were told they have to take the next 4 weeks off today! No work=no income, so I'm praying they don't say the same to him. Now is not a good time to get work for him.

My idea of debt free 2007, is actually just not to have bigger debts in 2007, none at all is not realistic for us.

CranberryJelley · 06/12/2006 12:46

We do own (Owe the bank for) our house, which means that we will never be able to afford to move, and will be here forever. I do like it, but we have no garage (dp is a self employer carpenter and hoards tools which are spread all over the place) and only 2 bedrooms (3 children).
If things got really bad we could sell up, rent and live on the profits for a while though

DP casually mentioned that his 2 co-workers were told they have to take the next 4 weeks off today! No work=no income, so I'm praying they don't say the same to him. Now is not a good time to get work for him.

My idea of debt free 2007, is actually just not to have bigger debts in 2007, none at all is not realistic for us.

kslatts · 06/12/2006 13:23

We have a mortgage and a few other debts, by the end of 2007 I would like the other debts to be paid off. We have also booked a holiday for next summer and need to pay the £2000 balance by the end of May. For 1 week dh and I wrote down every penny we spent as we knew we wasted loads of money on things we didn't need at the end of the week we reviewed and were shocked, only about 2/3 of the list were things we really needed. I had spent £6.65 on coffees in our staff canteen even though we can go to the kitchen and make our own instant coffee for free.

ska · 06/12/2006 15:05

well see below for my really miserly way of saving money at work! i had to go to a job yesterday (i work freelance ) and spent so much being bored on the train that I vowed to take my own little bag (Like i make the kids have!) for the nexttime!
My aim is to be overdraft free by next christams ad to have PAID for our one week's summer holiday, not put it on the credit card! anything else will be a bonus. doing quite well at the moment but we shall see if we can stick it out....

JollyOldSaintNikkielas · 06/12/2006 19:21

ska- I always take a bag of stuff when I go on trips/appointments etc, always have a book with me too, if I am early I will sit and read rather than wander the shops orbuy a mag!

EdieMcredie · 06/12/2006 19:46

I definitely need to join this. Im in lots of debt although lucky that I have quite a well paid job and as it's NHS there is always plenty of overtime to be had!!

Me and my DP spend about £50 a week on food shopping. We have a mortgage, but I really need to get rid of my credit card and loan...

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 07/12/2006 09:44

I agree that debt free isn't realistic for us either CJ - just hopefully less debts and "living within our means" more.

asleep · 07/12/2006 13:14

we've done our weekly food shop. it was £51. i'm happy with that. our target is less than £60. will try to last the whole week with just buying some extra milk, bread, fruit & veg.

i made a 4 week rota menu plan. it's on the fridge, DP was impressed with it and i will try it out for the next month.

i did my budget for this week. all outstanding bills are paid. and there is money in the account for the direct debits.

i'm feeling very positive

FLAMEinEckItsYuleAgain · 07/12/2006 13:49

Its a good feeling isn't it? I had to take £10 out the other day, but didn't use it all, and I have been obsessively writing down whqat every 50p is going on - DH thinks I'm nuts but its working.

JollyOldSaintNikkielas · 07/12/2006 20:47

I am not being strict about this til Jan as I still have so much to buy for Xmas but am certainly more concious of it .
I ahven't taken any money out this week and have only bought petrol (£22 will last 2-3 weeks!)

CranberryJelley · 07/12/2006 20:54

dp averages £50 a week on petrol!