Mum always knows best!

A question about : Mum always knows best!

Just thought I would share a little nugget I worked out today.

My mother has always said 'money attracts money', and I never really knew what she meant...until now!

12 months ago when I was in the mid-DMP nothingness that gets everybody down at some point, I literally would have no money left at the end of the month.

I still don't...but that's not because I'm spending more than necessary, it's because being in debt, and working through debt, has taught me the value of saving and always having some money in reserve.

Sitting during my morning glass of water at work I suddenly felt the need to add up all of the cash I could have available to me if the worst happened tomorrow. Even taking away the Ј70 I would need to pay off the credit card, I was staggered to realise I had over 5k in one form or another.

I don't think of myself as an obsessive saver, but I have pots that get put away straight after payday, so I'm not tempted to touch them. I know a large part of this is my new job which is generously paid compared to my old one. But as a DF-er I knew that this wasn't an opportunity to live a more lavish lifestyle, but the chance to make sure I don't put myself back where I was 4 years ago.

When you have nothing, despite your best efforts it's very easy to still end up with nothing, but have a bit of savings or additional disposable income (I did start saving Ј10 a month while I was in my old job as that was all I could afford) and it seems to multiply and become real, tangible security very quickly.

Of course my mother could have always been talking about millionaires marrying other millionaires, but why should they have all the fun. Being debt-free is more fun for me than a lottery win!

Best answers:

• That's fantastic Kirsty.
  I have just completed my DMP but saving was something I have always struggled with so have just started...stupid I know.
  Its good to have a emergency fund behind you. Keep going, you're an Inspiration.
• I found that too - when ever we paid something off we would use that money to pay something else and so on until once we were finished we would put that money aside (Ј400 a month at the end) and divide it into savings/xmas/car/holiday and before we knew it we were in a great place -the best part tho is that because we had scraped ourselves up from the bottom we were very cautious with our money and valued it more so didn't blow it as much and always had a just in case fund as we remembered the no heating / no food / no petrol or bus money too well.
• Absolutely Tink. I will never ever forget the day that I first realised the implications of being in debt. It was when I had to stop driving because I just couldn't afford it. The car became illegal to drive anyway because the MOT and tax elapsed. I was fortunate at the time to be working locally, but not driving in the past 18 months has just not been an option. I'm so glad I got the debts under control before I was in that situation!