I've Got Problems - Need Ongoing Support

Hiraeth · 25 October 2016 at 6:11AM

I found this forum although living in Australia - can't find anything similar over here!

My problem - I am in debt in the amount of $12,000 or about Pounds Stirling 6,000. It is all one credit card debt and that is all I owe. Obviously my husband and I have the normal outgoings - phone, land rates, medical insurance, electricity etc with a bonus being that we do at least own the house we live in so have no mortgage or rent.

I got into debt while helping one of our children. He is helping to pay it back on a regular basis but can only afford a small amount - but I know he is genuine as even though small it comes on a regular basis every week. Of course being small it is not enough to cover the payment due so I am making the difference up as well as adding as much extra as I can each week so I am not paying it for years and years and years.

I know when my son is in a position to do so he will help by paying more but at the moment I cannot guarantee when that will be

My husband and I are both pensioners so we are living on our fortnightly pension - which is not much at all and doesn't allow for savings. At the moment as I try and pay what I can I do not have two pennies to rub together, but I am prepared for this as long as I can see the balance drop.

I cannot tell my husband - but I do need some support as I go down this long journey to a zero balance - what a time for it to happen, with Christmas coming up, but I am determined that hard as it is I am not going to let it derail me and will not splurge. Although it might mean that over Christmas I will not be able to pay as much weekly I will still pay something and then once Christmas is over I will pay more - well as much as I can.

I would just like to know that there are people out there lending support - even if I don't know them I will not feel so alone with this.

I do not know how long it will take me to get rid of this debt and I can cope with not knowing as long as I see the balance go down. Of course each month it goes up with interest charges and I can't swap to a 0%.balance card because not having an income other than our pension I do not qualify - but this is fine (well sort off!) as I am prepared for it and as the balance goes down then so will the interest. So that is it.

Today I owe Australian Dollars 11,400 and I look forward to this amount going down each time I post.

Thank you for listening.

Pablosammy · 25 October 2016 at 6:43AM

june45 wrote: »

I found this forum although living in Australia - can't find anything similar over here!

My problem - I am in debt in the amount of $12,000 or about Pounds Stirling 6,000. It is all one credit card debt and that is all I owe. Obviously my husband and I have the normal outgoings - phone, land rates, medical insurance, electricity etc with a bonus being that we do at least own the house we live in so have no mortgage or rent.

I got into debt while helping one of our children. He is helping to pay it back on a regular basis but can only afford a small amount - but I know he is genuine as even though small it comes on a regular basis every week. Of course being small it is not enough to cover the payment due so I am making the difference up as well as adding as much extra as I can each week so I am not paying it for years and years and years.

I know when my son is in a position to do so he will help by paying more but at the moment I cannot guarantee when that will be

My husband and I are both pensioners so we are living on our fortnightly pension - which is not much at all and doesn't allow for savings. At the moment as I try and pay what I can I do not have two pennies to rub together, but I am prepared for this as long as I can see the balance drop.

I cannot tell my husband - but I do need some support as I go down this long journey to a zero balance - what a time for it to happen, with Christmas coming up, but I am determined that hard as it is I am not going to let it derail me and will not splurge. Although it might mean that over Christmas I will not be able to pay as much weekly I will still pay something and then once Christmas is over I will pay more - well as much as I can.

I would just like to know that there are people out there lending support - even if I don't know them I will not feel so alone with this.

I do not know how long it will take me to get rid of this debt and I can cope with not knowing as long as I see the balance go down. Of course each month it goes up with interest charges and I can't swap to a 0%.balance card because not having an income other than our pension I do not qualify - but this is fine (well sort off!) as I am prepared for it and as the balance goes down then so will the interest. So that is it.

Today I owe Australian Dollars 11,400 and I look forward to this amount going down each time I post.

Thank you for listening.

Thanks for the post, and good luck paying it off! The Debt Free Wannabe section of the forum in particular is brilliantly supportive and unjudgmental, I hope you get what you need from it.

Hiraeth · 25 October 2016 at 11:14AM

If I have not posted this to the correct thread so I get maximum help could the list owner please move it for me. Thank you.

Bobarella · 26 October 2016 at 10:17PM

Good luck with your situation June. It sounds very difficult for you.

If it is long term support you are after and somewhere to update things month on month or week on week, there is a Debt free diaries section which you should find above the Debt Free Challenges section which is where this post is currently. Why not start one for your own special place to write down everything you care to.

For general advice if you want it, a post on the main Debt free board would probably get you some more people seeing your post. However the fact you are in Australia might mean UK laws and advice won't be so relevant.

Good luck with everything.

Bob

Hiraeth · 26 October 2016 at 11:53PM

Thanks for the post. I don't actually want ideas as such because I know where I am, how I got here and what I have to do to get out of it.

What I am actually after is somewhere I can post how I am going, I will then get pleasure and some kind of help from knowing there are other people similar to me ( maybe not as bad), who have been where I am and are doing something similar to what I am doing. Hopefully I will just get a bit of a pat on the back when I am doing well, and maybe a comment of support if I do occasionally slip.

I have no-one here I can discuss it with and I thought that this forum might help.

Azzzaa · 27 October 2016 at 8:10AM

You have come to the right place

start a debt free diary on the debt free diary thread section, you get lots of motivation from comments on your own posts and by reading others diaries, I am currently paying off a £23,000 personal loan plus £1,500 to my parents! So I know exactly how you feel!

If you ever need a chat or to just get stuff off your chest you are more than welcome to message me directly via my profile!

Aaron

Hiraeth · 27 October 2016 at 10:31PM

Thanks for your reply - good to know someone is listening!

I have gone to the challenge section and posted on there and we will see what happens.

It's an awful feeling to be so much in debt, but feels much better to have faced the issue, looked at what I actually owe and making a plan to get rid of the debt.

I think my problem has been that I have known I am in debt but have stuck my head in the sand because it's been too frightening to look at the actual figure I owe. Because of this lack of acknowledgement of the debt I've continued overspending. I don't buy a lot of wasteful stuff - its just been lack of budgeting and also thinking that 50 dollars here and there won't matter. But goodness me how the 50 dollars add up over time.

So now, head is out of the sand and I feel calmer knowing how much I owe as well as having made to pay it off as soon as possible. Just to see it going down a little at a time will be motivation.

Thank you.

Bobarella · 27 October 2016 at 11:21PM

June _ did you start a diary? I couldn't see it in the diary section.

Saver-upper · 27 October 2016 at 11:33PM

Bobarella,June has started a diary:
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5547047

June,I love your determination,and I believe you will succeed in becoming debt-free.Keep posting,and you will get lots of support.
I wonder,though,could you not talk to yuor husband?It sounds like a real burden to carry around by yourself,and he would probably be upset that you felt you couldn't share the worry with him.

Good luck from one Aussie to another x

Hiraeth · 28 October 2016 at 4:59AM

Thanks to the people who have responded, feel so much better not being on my own ie - having someone to share the burden with. And someone who will not be judgemental.

It has left me with a feeling of wanting to post just to keep in touch even if I really have nothing to say.

Thank you

I've Got Problems - Need Ongoing Support

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