Debt free diaries

I've been on this board for a while and it was invaluable while I was paying down debt and navigating finances while working and juggling 5 children. We followed the Dave Ramsey plan loosely to get us where we wanted and the last year or so we were trundling along comfortably. Unfortunately, a breast cancer diagnosis has…

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…

Welcome to my new thread: my old one is here: Cherry takes the reins — MoneySavingExpert Forum and my very old one is here: Coffee and chocolate — MoneySavingExpert Forum Quite a lot changed in 2023, and now it's time to move on. I left the job and career path I'd followed for many years and don't feel I can or should go…

Hello! I’m creating this diary to hold me accountable, as I’ve been trying to pay this debt off for 3 years now and I just keep kicking the can down the road so to speak. The good news is it’s all on 0% interest. The bad news is I need to have the most boring year next year (aside from a holiday) to be able to pay it all…

Welcome to the Cutting Down Alcohol challenge for the month of October and for 2026! This challenge is all about helping people cut down or even give up on their alcohol consumption, mainly for health reasons, but it can also save a lot of money, because the cost of buying alcohol really mounts up over time and sometimes…

Well… inspired by others I intend to chronicle my own journey through the DMP maze. This is the year I turn 50 and I can't juggle these plates any longer. I earn enough to pay my bills and my debts but there is nothing left for contingency, household or family emergencies, holidays, days out, gifts, car repairs, vet bills…

Happy New Year! I thought it was about time I started a new diary. I've been on these diaries since 2008. My last diary is here Things can only get better My first diary is here Champagne Lifestyle Lemonade Budget and the one after that here Looking for the Silver Lining. That's a hell of a lot of waffle over the years 😆…

Happy New Year to readers old & new! Well, it's time for a new chapter. My old diary ("Put away your purse & become debt averse") achieved pretty much what I intended. I shared the story of how I got into debt at the age of 19 & stayed that way until a pretty enormous lightbulb pinged on during my early 40s, I've shared…

I am largely starting this thread so as to not rudely put a long whinge on the lovely @foxgloves and @EssexHebridean threads! I will talk a little more about my slightly unsettled life situation in due course, but for now, just whinging 😂 Today I have been trying to switch to a more money saving phone contract. It has been…

Good Evening fellow debt busters. Sadly real life caught up with me and I had to start a new diary with a new username. I had a honest chat with my friend about my concerns and they did say they wouldn't follow my previous diary but its been a bit of a reality check for me. I was easily traced by my username as I have used…

Some of you may know me from my last diary, which was on Mortgage Free Wannabe. The truth is, I’ve not paid anything extra off my mortgage for years, I’ve not saved like I meant to, and I currently have £1,000 on my credit card 🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️ 🤦‍♀️ I plan to have this paid off in under 3 months, so I could have stayed on my old…

New year, new start - trying to save in 2025.

After avidly reading others’ diaries over the past five years, it feels like the right time to shuffle in and create a cosy little corner of my own. Following the example of those much wiser, I have cleared a large amount of debt, including a hefty overdraft, student loan, credit cards, bank loans (that were consolidated…

Morning, I have had a diary on here before but had to close it down. I am a single mum with an 8 year old DD. I have found myself in debt since the age of 18 when I went to university and have been in it ever since. I decided to change this in 2017 and then found myself a single parent in 2018 and having to attain more…

I'm doing it again. My 4th and FINAL attempt at sticking to a diary. Sometimes I think I am actually insane when i look at some of the previous choices I've made. I was reading back through my old diaries, i think my first was three years ago. If I'd stuck it out I would have been debt free by now - but back then three…

Hello, I am joining you on the debt free journey, for a couple of loans that are giving me anxiety and also my mortgage. I have been reading these diaries for inspiration and it’s time to start my own. I hope to get to know many of you as time goes on. I moved into my home last April and I have some loan repayments that…

Well here goes, my first diary...After being an avid lurker both here and on the MFW boards over the years I have been amazed and inspired by the success of many individuals and the support of other forum members so hoping to do the same. So why am I here? In the 6 years since DH and I bought our home we have undergone…

Hi, So, My mortgage is due for renewal in June 2026. I bought a house for £190,000 with around a £48,000 deposit on a 5 year fixed rate of 1.63% interest which comes to an end on 30th June 2026. I currently owe £129,363 and pay £517.72 and i have 25 years and 6 months left to pay (i will be 68 when this ends). I know…

Hello, and welcome, one and all to my new debt free diary! My Journey I started my old diary at the beginning of 2020, a couple of months before the pandemic hit the UK and we went into lockdown. That diary can be found here…

Where to start! My life has not been without challenges and I have had times where I’ve had a lot of debt, and times where I have had none. I always felt proud to say I have never missed a payment and always managed to get out of a sticky situation myself no matter what. But this time, I am not convinced I will find a way,…