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We will get this debt down & the savings up
Several years ago I joined MSE with a different user name, but then it all went a bit wrong with losing job and other things, so I sort of fell by the wayside. Now I have created a new profile and am starting again with more determination. I have read so many people's diaries and can see that it helps you focus and it is…
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Three Years of Tears to Yippee I'm Debt Free!
Hello All... This week I have finally faced my debt demons and I know I have to do something about it. I am 59 years old, married and financially, to the outer world I look like I am doing well, I have a good income, I go on nice holidays, drive a nice car and live in a nice house but I have been for the last few years…
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Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations
Time, I think, to start a new diary. My first was about removing our debts, paying off our mortgage and working towards, and through, the first few years of not working. I don't call it retirement at that point, because a wealth of volunteer activities were taken on or continued, and a number of hobbies aspired to or taken…
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Small Business, Big Debts
Hello all Debt free wannabes! :) I posted on these Forums over 10 years ago, and it made such a huge impact on my (successful!) attempt to get debt free, but a LOT has changed in the last 10 years, so I’m back again! The accountability and kindness I received back then was invaluable to me, so I hope to bring some of that…
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Time to banish the debt.
I've been a lurker on here for a while now and kept meaning to start my own diary but for some reason or not I haven't, I now know it's probably because of the shame I'm feeling. I've had some kind of debt for as long as I can remember but never to this extent. 8 years ago I had just paid off £3000 on my credit card and…
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A Ditherer's Diary (again)
I'm baaaack. When I started my original diary "A Ditherer's Diary" My kids were littlie's aged 5 and 15 months. Nothing except their age and the amount of debt has changed, it's all got higher! They are now 11 & 7. Having had a quick read through, a lot of it was me coming and going with a few months/years in between. I…
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Road To Financial Recovery
Ah, time to get back into the race so to speak, can’t believe I am doing this again.It is time to start taking finances seriously again. It is a rubbish feeling to be back in a position where I feel my finances are back in a mess. There isn’t any major debt so that is a positive of course but feel like a plan is needed…
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Flying solo
I previously had a diary (well actually I've a few) but in June I had a big life shift which meant I disappeared for a while! I've had a few attempts at trying to pay off debt, made great progress and then progress stopped and the debt increased again. But this time I seriously mean business and I am determined to get this…
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Fresh Diary for 2025!
Hello those who follow along! Last year goals; - Get debt gone (didn't complete) - Buy my house - COMPLETE - Meal plan/prep - Sort of - Cut out Coffee (I gave this up on 22nd November 2023) - Didn't complete - Have savings of at least 2k! - didn't complete Am I annoyed I didn't complete some goals? no. I can try again!…
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The Sea is Calling
Hello there fellow wannabes! Starting a brand new diary for my lofty ambitions. It's me, my husband, our cat (plus an extra one who eats his food and sneaks in to sleep in our house but won't let us go near her) and we live in a Victorian terrace of an East Mids town. We are bookish and musical, and very social peeps, and…
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The Mental Debt Struggle...
I've known that this diary needed to be started... But I've run away from the idea as the accountability made me nervous and I didn't think anyone would want to read it. But then I realised it would be financially and mentally therapeutic for me, and that's the whole point after all. I've read other diaries and gained so…
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Here Goes
So, I have been lurking for a while now and seeing everyone else make progress has spurred me on. I'm 38, with a 7 year old daughter and a dog, her dad lives abroad and flits in and out. He doesn't contribute anything financially. I pay every bill, activity, Xmas amd bday, but when he does visit he helps with pick ups etc…
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Finally taking back control after a decade of debt
Hello, Long-time lurker, first-time poster. I've had CC debt ever since moving to London after university around 9 years ago. Coming here for work on a very low wage, I quickly ate through my savings and started racking up debt on credit cards, without any real means to pay it off. Came to a bit of a head when I ended up…
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Here's to the Fools Who Dream
I will be 60 on March 2nd 2026 and I am an old fool who is dreaming that the best is yet to come! I loved the film La La Land, always felt this song was about me ....... The Fools Who Dream (Abridged Version) "She captured a feeling A sky with no ceiling, the sunset inside a frame .... A bit of madness is key To give us…
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The Frugal Hearth: Stories of Simple Living and Living Well
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…
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Countdown to Part Time…
I’ve been inspired by your diaries so decided to start my own. Firstly, I am going to say I know I’m in a privileged position of having paid off my mortgage and that although I’m in debt, my financial position is really quite sound. BUT I am bad at living within my means and I allow credit card debt to rack up, then take a…
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Busting this debt before 40
Time for me to de-lurk on this thread and start my own dairy. Long story short ish. Away on work last year all my co-workers talked about pensions. Then realised that I wouldn't get my state pension till 67. Also my work pension doesn't kick in till 67 either...(There's like a mini pension for when I've done my contracted…
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Sorting my life out (again)
Blimey, it's been about 5 years since I've used this forum and my life has completely changed. 2020 = married, 1 DS, full-time job, debt-free, £9k savings 2025 = divorced, 1 DS, 1 DD, full-time carer for my DD who is disabled, £7k debt, £0 savings Luckily my debts are relatively small and 0% interest... apart from the car…
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Debt, Diet and Decluttering - The Lifetime Diary
Does anyone else get the urge to sort every single issue in their life at the same time, get totally overwhelmed then bury their head in the sand or is that just me? I can't just focus on one thing at a time, my brain will not allow it so here I am again tackling the following; * Pay off £7,450.68 - Lloyds CC * Pay off…
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Juggling mum/work life, whilst looking after my future self, both financially & healthily
Hiiiii, So I thought it was time I started a new diary as my old one got a bit complicated. A little about me. I’m a mum in my 40’s, my husband works away a lot, I work full time, and I have 2 children a tween and a teen. Along with 2 noisy cats. The last few months have been hard financially, and my work is teetering on…
