One of the biggest challenges I have had on my debt free journey is avoiding impulse purchases. MYJAR.com estimates that, on average, we each spend £144,000 over the course of our lifetime on impulse buys. That’s a house! So getting the habit under control is a must if you want to save money, work less…
Viewing category: Debt Free Journey
Your Wealth Depends On What You Spend, Not What You Earn
A big lesson I’ve learned in my journey towards debt freedom is that expenditure is everything; it is so much more important than income. A year ago, my partner and I maintained a pattern of living like kings on payday and paupers the rest of the month. Even though our bills were pretty level with…
My Debt Free Journey: Six Months In
Happy half birthday to my debt free journey! I can’t believe we are actually six months in, and only have six months to go (all being well!). For those of you who are new to my story, I am 32 and live in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with my partner Ryan, known more commonly on my…
Get Motivated, And The Rest Falls Into Place!
The wind is blustery, the mornings are dark and snow is on the horizon. January is in full swing, and the credit card bills are hitting your postbox. Seriously, there is no emoji for this level of depression. I often think it’s funny that January is the month in which most of us set our…
Gift Idea: Pay Someone’s Bills (This Could Be Genius Or Disastrous!)
This Christmas, I was more focused on spending time with friends and family that the commercialism of the season, for the first time ever. Forever, ever. I bought everyone on my gift list a voucher for somewhere I knew they’d spend money anyway and then just got on with having drinkies and sing-songs with family,…
My ‘Why’
When I first decided to pay off my entire debt in one year, it was intended to be a year of financial short-term pain for long-term gain. But five-and-a-half months in, and £8k down, and I have learned so much about myself and where I want to go with my life. About one month into…
Want To Be Debt Free? Here’s My Tips
It’s January and if you’re thinking that what you want to achieve this year is ‘I want to be debt free’ then read on for my tips. Usually, after the Christmas blowout, everyone is super motivated to live their best life. But when reality hits, it’s so much more difficult to implement your goals into…
Give the Gift of Experiences this Christmas
Christmas always feels really chaotic for me; everyone is so frantic and stressed, there is a huge focus of consumption and so much pressure for everything to be perfect on the big day itself. In the past, I have always went above and beyond to think up amazing gifts for my friends and family, and…
Black Friday: I’m Opting Out!
Considering we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Belfast, you wouldn’t think we would be affected by Black Friday either. However, as I walked through Victoria Square yesterday, the shops were frantic with Black Friday pre-sales. Apparently, a pre-sale is a thing now. Who knew? This year, on my debt free journey, Black Friday could have went…
How to Set a Basic Budget
When it comes to debt, budgets are life. Before tackling my debt, while good with setting my budget, I wasn’t so great at sticking to it, largely due to temptation- but that’s a post for another day. If debt freedom is your goal, it is important to set a budget, made as simple and realistic…