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Debt free diaries

A place for MoneySavers to share their journeys towards debt-free living.

£40k debt, no end in sight. Total mess at the moment.
Hello I’ve been reading these forums for a while and have been on to StepChange and CAB, learning about the various options and consequences for each, and then i finally took the step of signing up and posting my story. In short, i feel like i’m in a totally hopeless financial position and i need help. I can’t do any legal…
How I got out of crippling debt
Posting this as advice which worked for me. TL:DR - I was in so much debt every time I got paid every penny auto left my account. I opened up a new bank account, diverted my wages there and paid everyone back one by one. It took years. HOW BAD WAS IT? Payday would come and the money would be taken out immediately by my…
Plan of Attack
Hi Guys, As promised here is my new diary. The plan is to become debt free (AGAIN), and then get a deposit together to buy an house, getting myself on the property ladder is my number 1 priority now, you could say I have become obsessed with it, but as Rome wasn't built in a day - or so the saying goes. Some of you may…
Confessions of this Shopaholic
Hi guys, I’ve been lurking on these boards for a while now building up the courage to start my own diary. Unfortunately, I am a self-confessed shopaholic. It is getting out of hand now, which is saying something when you actually recognise it yourself! I’ve always been a spender, but I am now spending beyond my means. My…
Almost at the finish line (original post closed)
Hello, it's been so long since I was here last that my original diary has been closed, oh dear! Well, that's how long it blimmin well takes to clear debts 😁 I wanted to update here that I've nearly done it. 2 more payments to go and I will be debt-free. I'm weirdly nervous! It's still hard! This community & keeping my…
Building The Goode Life
I've written and rewritten this post so many times, explaining exactly how we got to this position. Our debts are relatively low now, around 3K, after years of fighting a 15K monster. I wrote how the debt isn't our fault, how other people's actions left us with no money to pay the bills and feed our children. That's mostly…
Starting again ... again
Hi all, Welcome to my brand new DFD! I used to frequent this forum under another name but decided to delete that account and all its threads because I realised I had posted some information that would make it easy for people who know me to identify me. So I planned on starting again, but left it for months and months, and…
New Habits Needed...
So having been hanging around the forums since 2015 and starting a short lived diary in 2019 and really not getting much further in my debt busting ways I thought I would start a new diary. I follow several diaries and I am so inspired in many ways and have acquired new habits just from reading these diaries that I want to…
Finishing the race
So, I used to bounce around these forums quite a bit around ten years ago. Mine was a common story on here: I had a terrible credit rating, I was ducking county court judgements by the skin of my teeth and had defaults flying out of my ears. Total debt came in at around £23,000. Fast forward ten years and I’m in a much…
Finally debt free
Hi all, First time poster, long time lurker. One year ago today I visited these forums for the first time as I finally felt overwhelmed by my debts of around £9k (loan and credit cards). I make a decent living as a single person (50k per year) but was in that awful habit of somehow “mysteriously” always being broke and…
The Bones - Take 2
Morning, I hope this posts ok. I had trouble logging on once the upgrade happened as it kept freezing and throwing me out :( I have a work laptop now, so I'm hoping it's sorted itself out. So I'm back with a new diary, or I will be until I get thrown out again :D Here is how things are debt wise in the Pmo2 household -…
The long road ahead
Hi all, I'm wanting to start my diary to keep me motivated on the long road ahead. (I hope this is the right place to post). Had my scary LBM in July when mine and my husband's debt reached a scary £43,600. This is due to a combination of moving house, doing a Masters, fluctuating mental health issues and burying our heads…
New Year, Newly Single, Time to Get Rid of Debt
My rather bullying and emotionally unavailable other half left me just before Christmas - the relationship had been rocky for a while and he refused to get counselling so it was always going to be finite, but the way he did it was really uncool. He'd not really had much work or contributed financially for many years so the…
Finally the penny drops ...
Hi All, Like many others on here I am a long time lurker who has been reading others inspiring stories to debt freedom & frugal living. I thought I had my LBM a while ago but in all honesty I've been kidding myself as I am still a horrific shopaholic who just spends for the sake of it when there really is no need! So a…
Giving Up/Cutting Down Alcohol Thread Part 17
Welcome!! Here we are again, time for a new thread, new starts and new challenges. Let's take a trip down memory lane and remind ourselves of In Search Of Me's original post on February 24th 2008 in Part 1: And here's what she started!!! Part 16 is HERE Part 14 and 15 is HERE Part 13 is HERE Part 12 is HERE Part 11 is HERE…
Feeling positive about banishing a decade of debt
Hello there - first post! I’ve (we’ve) been on this debt free mission for the last year now and I’ve only just found this forum. I wish I’d found it earlier but it’s reassuring me that I’m on the right track at least and I’m finding everyone’s journeys to being debt free very inspiring! I’m hoping a debt diary will really…
Debt free in 18 months!
Hi all, First post here, but I know full well that I would have LOVED to read something like this when I was in the depths of my problems which I hate to say were entirely self caused through poor financial planning and over reliance on credit once my income fell below the level I was previously used to. I won't go too…
For a Simpler Life!
Hello to everyone! I have been reading through the diares for some months and gaining lots of helpful tips and ideas. I thought it is probably about time I commit to my own diary. I dont expect it to be the most interesting of reads, but I am hoping it will help to keep me more focused and accountable. A bit of background…
Reel around the fountain
I’m not one for grand entrances so I’ll just slip in quietly and see how it goes. I had a previous diary and toyed with resurrecting it, but decided to start afresh. I’ll try to put on a link but to save you the trouble of reading, here’s a potted history of how I got here. Early 2013 – hit lowest point with debts of…
25 year old with autism debt diary
It's time to take responsibility?! Hi everyone, I have been reading some of your diaries and am so inspired and in awe of you all and your commitment to solve your debt. My debt isn't very large, (couple of thousand on credit card or so and thousands to parents), but it's big enough for me to worry about as I don't work…

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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.
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 Payments 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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Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
Winter Fuel Payments will be reinstated to all pensioners in England and Wales this winter – but will be clawed back automatically from those earning over £35,000 a year, the Government has confirmed. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis.
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Winter Fuel Payments to be extended to pensioners earning £35,000 or less – here's what we know so far
Winter Fuel Payments will be extended to all pensioners with incomes of £35,000 or less this winter, the Government has confirmed. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up.
Winter Fuel Payments extension confirmed for this winter – watch Martin Lewis' instant response and his message to the Chancellor
Winter Fuel Payments will be extended to more pensioners this winter – though not to everyone – the Chancellor has today confirmed. However, exact details of who will now qualify still remain scant. Watch MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis give his instant response, as well as his key message for Rachel Reeves.
Nationwide Fairer Share: Free £100 bonus confirmed for 2025 – here's who will get it
If you bank with Nationwide, you could get a free £100 paid into your account in June or July as part of the building society's 'Fairer Share' scheme. The bonus will be paid to millions of its current account customers who also have savings or a mortgage with it.
Forced onto a prepay energy meter? You may be due money back as 10,000s to be compensated
If you had an energy prepayment meter forcibly installed or your smart meter was remotely switched to prepay mode without your permission, you could be entitled to compensation of up to £1,000 and may even be eligible to have your energy debts written off.

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Debt free diaries

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