georgiasmum
Regular Member
I've been thinking about this for some time as I've been fat and in debt for a long time. On a daily basis LL enabled me to control my spending because £66 per week was a lot of money and because it stopped me from having those small but hardly insignificant treats! I really had to budget to afford LL which was no bad thing.
I started on my road to debt freedom about 2 years ago, and like my dieting road it hasn't been plain sailing, but a very enlightening and painful journey at times. I made a firm commitment to rid myself of debt and planned it in the most anal way. I have lived on cash only, no new credit, rarely take my debit card with me and slashed my household expenses to the barest essentials for a comfortable life.
Some of my debt has been necessary - study, mortgage, trips home to Oz for dying family etc. I don't feel entirely guilty as it isn't all due to shoe fetishes and hairdos . (Those that know me can testify to the lack of style...) However, if I'd been more disciplined then I would have had the cash to see my dying Pa rather than Barclaycard, I could have finished redecorating my des res (not - lol!) rather than waiting for this or that to be done first!
Like my diet, I haven't been perfect. My car service this month is a case in point - living so frugally I grossly underestimated how much the massive repairs would be so I've left myself short and have had to go cap in hand to my husband. I feel a failure doing this but hey ho!
Anyway, the good news is that I have the ability to clear all of my outstanding unsecured or 'stupid' debt by the end of November/early December. Aside from the mortgage I will be debt free and the mortgage doesn't make me guilty - it is a necessary evil for ordinary folk like me.
How does this link to my diet journey? Well, I have had to examine my life. I can see the connections between the way I have used food and money to reward or 'feed' myself or my neediness in some way. I can acknowledge the feelings of worthlessness, unworthiness and despair I have felt at different times in my life. I will admit that I have been painfully, desolately lonely at times and I have filled that void in the wrong way to the detriment of ME!
I still have 60lbs or so to go. I still have a month and a bit of debt repayment to go but I have been on such a journey. I don't need food or things. I LIKE food and nice things, and that is ok too - but I am going to begin my maintenance journey now with a large calculator and a vocally self aware voice saying 'do you need to eat it or buy it? What are searching for?'
Self awareness is such a gift for me. I thought I was a pretty insightful person anyway but the last 2 years or so have changed me fundamentally.
When I look at food and money I am aware of how many of the poorest people have the worst diets and whilst I don't want to instigate the crap income/crap food debate here I really wanted share my joy and learning the money/food/fat/debt secret that has slowly unravelled itself to me.
I wish you luck on your journey. I also want to say that if you think you can't - YOU CAN! If a fat, lazy, worthless Aussie girl can turn it around and become slimmer, active and worthwhile. You can too.
PS The diet maintenance won't start yet- got to get rid of those pesky 60lbs... darn.
I started on my road to debt freedom about 2 years ago, and like my dieting road it hasn't been plain sailing, but a very enlightening and painful journey at times. I made a firm commitment to rid myself of debt and planned it in the most anal way. I have lived on cash only, no new credit, rarely take my debit card with me and slashed my household expenses to the barest essentials for a comfortable life.
Some of my debt has been necessary - study, mortgage, trips home to Oz for dying family etc. I don't feel entirely guilty as it isn't all due to shoe fetishes and hairdos . (Those that know me can testify to the lack of style...) However, if I'd been more disciplined then I would have had the cash to see my dying Pa rather than Barclaycard, I could have finished redecorating my des res (not - lol!) rather than waiting for this or that to be done first!
Like my diet, I haven't been perfect. My car service this month is a case in point - living so frugally I grossly underestimated how much the massive repairs would be so I've left myself short and have had to go cap in hand to my husband. I feel a failure doing this but hey ho!
Anyway, the good news is that I have the ability to clear all of my outstanding unsecured or 'stupid' debt by the end of November/early December. Aside from the mortgage I will be debt free and the mortgage doesn't make me guilty - it is a necessary evil for ordinary folk like me.
How does this link to my diet journey? Well, I have had to examine my life. I can see the connections between the way I have used food and money to reward or 'feed' myself or my neediness in some way. I can acknowledge the feelings of worthlessness, unworthiness and despair I have felt at different times in my life. I will admit that I have been painfully, desolately lonely at times and I have filled that void in the wrong way to the detriment of ME!
I still have 60lbs or so to go. I still have a month and a bit of debt repayment to go but I have been on such a journey. I don't need food or things. I LIKE food and nice things, and that is ok too - but I am going to begin my maintenance journey now with a large calculator and a vocally self aware voice saying 'do you need to eat it or buy it? What are searching for?'
Self awareness is such a gift for me. I thought I was a pretty insightful person anyway but the last 2 years or so have changed me fundamentally.
When I look at food and money I am aware of how many of the poorest people have the worst diets and whilst I don't want to instigate the crap income/crap food debate here I really wanted share my joy and learning the money/food/fat/debt secret that has slowly unravelled itself to me.
I wish you luck on your journey. I also want to say that if you think you can't - YOU CAN! If a fat, lazy, worthless Aussie girl can turn it around and become slimmer, active and worthwhile. You can too.
PS The diet maintenance won't start yet-
got to get rid of those pesky 60lbs... darn.
