Day one of my new debt-payment lifestyle...

Christine1611

So today is the day I finally added up all my creditors and how much I owed - £23,799.98, don't forget the 98p - very important! So actually I lie - last week I decided to actually open my mail and send all my creditors a nice wee letter detailing the fact I am in financial trouble and taking steps to deal with it and would be in touch, not bad considering i've been in denial until now! Then today at work - I am that busy - I went to the CCCS page and done their debt remedy plan thing and I am now waiting to get my stuff in the post and sort out my DMP!! It will be a long hard road to pay it all off but for once I actually feel positive and that I am eventually dealing with the situation!

Don't know what else to say now! No doubt I shall bore you all in the coming years (oh my) with my updates!

x

kyleweb

Congratulations on what I assume is the hardest step (just in the process of taking it myself and stop burying my head in the sand).

Imagine you must feel pretty liberated by it all?

LilacPixie

Congratulations. The tallying up the debt is always the hardest bit. Once you know your exact position you will bbe surprised how focused you become.

Personally i found the first few months hard while i adjusted to budgets and we seemed to be making alot of sacrifices for very little gain but now I am seeing my debt total tumble by 1k+ a month I am very very happy.

Bowski_1011

Well Done on what you've achieved. I'm glad you already feel better, just imagine how much better you'll feel when you see your debt amount going down. I'm sure you'll have highs and lows but at least you'll have plenty of encouragement from this lot on here.

I'll look forward to reading your updates! I don't usually post I'm more of a lurker but your updates will be inspiration to people that don't have the courage to do it themselves. Me being one of those people!!

Good luck with everything

StressedSteph

Hiya

Congratulations on sorting things out, it is really scary adding it all up, my debt is a similar amount to yours and its very daunting.

The thing I find the hardest is sticking to it. I always find things i "Have to have" that ruins my budget :-(

Good luck with everything.
xxx

Christine1611

Thanks guys - yeah I actuallyfeel like a huge weight has been lifted already by just admitting the situation and taking steps to deal with it! I have worked out a proper budget and hope to get on track as soon as! I have told my closest friend about my situation and she has been a great source of support too! So lets hope all these pesky creditors accept my DMP!!

I have always flitted between periods of having debt and then paying it off and continuing the whole cycle - but due to one thing or another I have just got more in to debt, but looking towards a brighter future now!

I should do one of those snazzy little debt tot up things at the bottom of my posts so I can see it reducing as the months go by, slowly but surely!

katymags

Hi - curious to know from LilacPixie - hope you don't think I am being nosey - tell me if you do, is it 'easy' to find £1k a month to pay off debts? My very small monthly repayment worked out by CCCS will take some 20+ years to pay off. I have nothing over at the end of each month now due to bills, mortgage etc all going up and now eating what was my 'spare' money. I am seeking ways of earning more on top of my full time job but struggling.

Any advice you can offer would be most welcome.

Robbda

Welcome! i owe the same as you roughly! my DMP is winging its way to me :-)

Ex-Spendaholic

Hi Christine and Robdda

Well done in taking your first steps. There are many of us in a similar situation and there is a thread on here called the DMP Mutual Support Thread. Do come and join us. We all know exactly what you are going through.

Dithering_Dad

Hi Christine,

Just to mirror what the previous posters have said; congratulations on taking this first and most difficult step. Good luck with the future and please remember to update your thread as your go along. The DFW diaries are a real inspiration to other DFWers.

I'm sure that once you get going, especially with the help and support from this board, you'll soon whittle that debt down!

hypno06

Welcome to the mad house