I love blogging. I don't do it anywhere near enough as I would like to, but I'm trying to change this. As hobbies go, it's relatively safe and inexpensive.
Which brings me to this latest update. I have now successfully paid off 3/5 of my total debt. This has not been without it's challenges, as I recently had to get a new car. I would have preferred not to, but my old one was dead - literally dead. It had reached the end of it's life, and there was no hope for it.
I still have £22000 to go, and that should be paid off in the coming years. A good thing for me to remember is that three accounts will be paid off by the end of this year. That means more money for the bigger accounts. I know it's not much, but psychologically it makes a difference to me. £10000 of this is part of my mortgage which had to be separated in my debt management plan, so not really unsecured debt in a round-about kind of way.
I also had to get work done on the roof recently. This cost £1000, which took a lot of hard saving and a visit to the bank of mum and dad. A few years ago I would have, and in fact did, put it off again and again as I didn't have the money. Now though, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and had the confidence to get the job done, especially as it rains here a lot!!
One thing which has helped me a lot is saving my change in a jar. It's simple,and sounds too simple, but for me it really works. Whatever I withdraw from the bank, I save what I don't use in my jar. That way, it can build up and lets me put money back into my account or use as needed. I tend to lose track of debit card or contactless transactions, so a physical withdrawal is important in my mind. It allows for easier counting and budgeting as it comes off the account straight away, not after a few days like card transactions. But it's worth remembering that not everything works for everyone.
So, this is a wee updated as to where I am, and I don't want it to turn into a rambling mess. More will follow soon, maybe even some actual advice from what has helped me!!
