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Debt free diaries

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

Overcoming anxiety to become debt free
Hi all :) So here's where my story begins... My starting debt is more than £15k, which is pretty horrifying. I knew it was snowballing out of control, but seeing the figures in black & white really is quite nauseating. It started with one credit card intended to pay for a holiday. M&S gave me £3k, and when that was maxxed…
Such a mess
OOOHH guys who the heck have I become. Got paid yesterday and ive gambled all the money away. This is not me, what am I doing!! that's it, ive contacted some of the companies I owe money to today to get payment plans set up so that's one thing sorted I suppose. ive deleted all the gambling sites...NO MORE!! It was nice to…
Single Mum Losing the Debt!
Hello! I have done a diary on here before but couldn't find it :o so thought I would start 2019 (almost) with a fresh one! So a little bit about me.... I am 25 years old and live with my son in a rented house, I become a single mum 2 years ago when my son was 3 weeks old. He still sees his dad a few times a week and does…
Wittering my way to simpler life
Good Afternoon, I have been lurking around these parts for some time and decided to not only join MSE but to actually create a diary! The reason for this being that it might help me stay motivated in reaching my goals. I'm in the fortunate position of not being in debt. However I do not possess an emergency fund and have a…
My Journey To Freedom From Debt
Ok here goes. *Deep Breath* So I am a male who turns 40 this year and pretty much since I left school and started working I have never had a financial mind set. When I turned 18 I got given about £2000 from my mother, when I was younger she took out some kind of insurance policy for us kids that paid a lump sum when we…
There may be trouble ahead......
It looks like there may be trouble ahead at work. There have been rumours around for a while, but they're getting louder and more specific about departments affected. I'm definitely spooked. If anything does happen it's likely to be between now and Xmas. My situation, as at this morning, is savings £0 and debt £9394 :eek:…
Hoping to crack it this time
Hello...hope this is the right place to post this. I am currently just about holding my head above water. My husband left me 4 years ago and due to his own poor financial state gives me no maintenance for our two school age children. I work part time 22 hours per week and with childcare outside of school hours being a…
Mrs Hide My Head in the Sand
Well Hello There :) After many many years of hiding my head in the sand, ignoring letters, phone calls and just not getting through to the end of the month I have decided to take some action. From looking at my credit report I am around £21,000 in debt :eek:and some of them I have no idea who to contact so I have started…
Doing it for myself....
Hello, Total newbie here... well newbie to subscribe before I joined I had been reading everyones fantastic diaries and thought id do my own for a few reasons. Firstly I am in debt, been one of those people who liked to enjoy life by winging it sort off..... what I mean is being a minimum type of payment girl, not…
Debt Free Determined!!!
Hi everyone :wave: Starting a diary to encourage myself to be realistic with where I am financially, stop burying my head in the sand and address all the things I waste all of my money on... :mad: My current debts are as follows; Credit Card 1 - £3491.16 Credit Card 2 - £3981.71 Catalogue - £708.27 Overdraft - £2350 Car…
My Hubby hid his debt from me for 18 months!
Not really sure how to start this but here goes..... Over the Christmas and New Year break my husband decided to confess to me (whilst planning a holiday) that he was in quite a bit of trouble with money. When I asked how bad the response I got was astounding, he said he had 5 or 6 credit cards and about £30k across them…
This time will be the one
Hi all I have tried to clear debts a number of times and always seem to fail, but this time it has got to be done the stress of it is just getting too much. I have about £10,000 to pay with 3 different places all of which are on minimum payment so not really getting anywhere. Have 3 kids which is where most of the money…
Splishsplash’s diary
Hi all I’ve been reading other diaries for inspiration for a while and thought I’d start my own as a way to motivate myself and pick up tips hopefully! About me: debt wise I’ve got three loans which total just under 13k. I’ve worked out using a snowball calculator that if I overpay by 200/month in the correct order I can…
The end of procrastination and disorganisation.......
.............and the above are the reasons for virtually all of my problems in the past and present, be it debt, weight, careers and the state of the house.:eek: I have plans, big plans which I don't have time to pop on here right now, but I intend to use this diary to sort me out once and for all. It's going to be…
Ann finally getting into gear at 47!
Hey everyone, Just wanted to track my debt reduction here and hopefully start saving for a deposit for a flat. I have posted my SOA on the main DFW thread and will keep revisiting it. I am hopeless with money and haven't really thought about it under recently, was a definite ostrich and it was made worse by nearly all my…
Tired of playing catchup!
Hello, I'm new to the forum, although have been reading for a while. Thought I'd post to see if there are others a similar situation or with similar goals who may have some advice as I'm finding there isn't really anyone I know in RL in this position. In summary, I feel like I am in a very precarious position financially…
When your world crumbles around you... thats when you open your eyes!
Well hello everybody! i thought i would make myself somewhere to store my thoughts and my debt free journey! Nothing like a major wake up call to make you realise you need to sort yourself out. financially and emtionally. Il try and keep this short. This all started last year... i managed to bag myself a well paid job (to…
Starting Over
:cool:Hi all, I’ve taken the plunge of facing up to the demons I’ve amassed over these past three years. This is going to be my therapy of some kind, I guess I better had introduce myself and give some explanation. Time to hold myself accountable.. I’m SJ, I’m 27 and I’m starting my life over back at my mums with a 5yr old…
Living to be debt free in 2019!
Firstly I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! :j:j I have been a follower of various diaries and DFW board for a few months now but have only just signed up today. From a young age, my mum was out of work which meant I was single handedly running the household with rent, utilities, her debts, food etc. I would alway…
Getting out of this debt sharknado
Over Christmas OH gathered together the paperwork for his various chunks of debt and revealed that his total unsecured debt comes to a horrifying figure of £97,400 (£73,500 on credit cards and a £23,900 loan). We are 6 weeks into an 8.5 year journey, although I'm going to do my best to trim that down where I can. I'm…

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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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