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Debt free diaries

Archives for May 2022

My Debt Free Journey
So, took a recent stockade of my debt situation and realize how bad things have gotten. I've had pretty high credit usage for a number of years but constantly just swapped to 0% deals and never took a great concern towards it as it was always more than manageable. My debt was around 11k around the time the pandemic started…
Drowning in £16k of poor decisions
Hi All, I thought I would start this diary for some accountability and I am hoping that as things start to slowly improve I will also be able to see the progress I am making. A bit of context - I am in my 30's with two children (7 & 12) and working full-time, whilst I have a good income I have made very poor decisions when…
Washing Away My Debts By 2024
I have spent sooo many hours on this forum reading such a brilliant collection of people's debt free wannabee diaries and I have never felt more inspired to tackle my batch of debts head on instead of waddling on by every month paying off the minimum hoping that one day they will simply vanish. My current debts are as…
desperate to sort my life for last time
Hello Bit of background, been a serial debtor all my life....into debt £10k....clear it all ....into debt £110k....IVA and clear it all after 3 years then remortage ( paid back 80p in the £ ....into debt and now DMP me £36k OH £19K...please no judgement as to where all the money went as could not actually tell you although…
Help advice needed
Hello I'm looking for some advice with no judgement :( I've always been bad with money grew up in a single parent household whenever we got money it was spent on good things because we could never afford them but I seem to have developed this into adult hood. I've been in debt in the past and got out of it any many ways...…
Debt and Caring
Finances are a bit off the beaten track at the moment. Currently I live in the Republic of Ireland (some figures will be in EUR). I am living in the family home where I support my father full time. He has dementia. Living here means the majority of typical bills are covered by my parents' income. I don't pay for groceries,…
Debt and Caring
An unprovoked attack on my ankle by a metal workout bench has me lying down with a foot up this evening. Which makes this the ideal time to start this diary. And possibly to declutter some exercise equipment... Yesterday I was £9993.61 in debt. Today I have made a £1500 payment to one of my credit cards taking me down to…
Not far off.....
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Debt free by 40? I hope so.
Well, this is a big step. I’m honestly not sure how I have ended up with so much debt, it is scary, and I have racked my brains and the only thing I can think is that I have been living beyond my means and have absolutely nothing to show for it. No fancy car, no nice holidays, a house in desperate need of updates…
Balancing the Books and My Life….
With the increase in the cost of living, I really need to take my head out of the sand and start focussing on driving my debts and living costs down. Up to now I’ve been ambling along living payday to payday but I really need to start taking action and paying off my debts once and for all. For background, we’re a family of…
How to stop notifications
Can anyone help me stop receiving notifications on posts I’ve made? At the notifications settings I can’t see one to stop them. Google junk and spam settings doesn’t work either. 😖
And so it begins for Lemonade
I was on here a long long time ago, and stupidly thought I knew everything so I stopped logging in and in turn stopped being accountable and so I've found myself in a little bit of a pickle - at £50k debt kind of pickle. Things like a huuuge reduction in salary, writing off my car and me not checking on my accountant…
Hoist finance accounts removed from my clearscore, is that it?
Good afternoon all sorry if this isn’t the right area but I’ve read and read but can’t find a clear answer so I’m asking for a little help if possible. I had 2x Hoist (ex barclaycard) both debts around £10k mark. I won’t bore you with all the usual stuff but I’ve been through it all addiction etc etc I’m proud to say I’ve…
New job, new start!
Hi all, thanks for reading! I had a diary on here for a short period of time last year, but a lot has changed since then, so I’ve decided to start again! I recently moved jobs after a big promotion - still waiting for my first payday later this month as I moved organisations to get it. My wage has gone from 32k to just shy…
Frittering funk to Frugal fantastic - well that’s the plan…
Morning Diaryland So I’ve been on these boards a long time and just recently started a new diary which I’ve abandoned for this shiny new one. So this morning was scary money wise… I opened my NatWest account and was minus £500 and I don’t have an agreed overdraft!!! Totally freaking I transferred savings to the debt and…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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Debt free diaries

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