Life Moves on

creditcardshuffler

The consequences of going BR are often voiced on here and so I would just like to raise a few positive things that have happened to me.

• A recent pay rise means that I actually benefit from it now that all my wages are not being swallowed up just servicing my debts.
• A backdated payment of this pay rise (it was due in April) was a welcome boost for my families holiday spending money.
• For the first time in years a family holiday has not led me into depression afterwards due to the new level on the credit cards.
• The families new money conscious approach to life has meant that we came back from holiday with spending money left over!!
• We are now saving for Christmas, we are determined to make the first Christmas without debt a very positive experience. By saving up and only spending what we have managed to save we will still have all the trappings of a wonderful Christmas without the credit card blues that always followed on January.

Without the bulk of my earnings going on debt repayment and not wanting to enter into any debt ever again has meant that we now only buy things if we have the cash, we save money each week for essentials( Christmas, Birthdays and holidays etc.). The value of a properly constructed Budget that lists everything (even the things that get forgotten like new school shoes and uniform) has helped enormously. The completion of the SOA forms where the consequences of forgetting items of expenditure would be the difference of being able to survive after BR with too large an IPA or not has helped me focus on the budgeting side of living.

My Bankruptcy has left me with a new confidence in my own abilities to manage my financial affairs. I have learned a lot about myself and my family (a rough ride at times but we are stronger for it), some so called friends have been cruel yet others have surprised me with kind words of support, totally out of the blue. (One colleague even commended me on my "bravery" and wished they could do it too)

Over all I would not wish this last few years on anybody, but now I can draw a line under my past financial mistakes and move on. Credit was so easy to obtain and I fell into the "trap" (well not fell more sort of slipped and slithered). I am fairly intelligent and thought I was managing things well, all it took though was one or two unexpected expenses to arrive to upset the apple cart then the slippery decline into borrowing more and more and extending loan periods just to survive. Every last penny was accounted for and Extras were purchased with yet more credit......The usual story I am sure.

I have learnt my lesson ( I learnt it before my BR started) and will not go there again. Life is looking a lot more positive now, family life is different (less consumerism) but much more enjoyable, buying things for cash or with savings is very rewarding, and we can now look forward to a prosperous future.

To all that are still dithering......If the only thing holding you back is what others may think, forget them, you owe it to yourself or your family to take that step and deal with your financial problems. It is daunting and often lonely but in the end life is not worth living under a cloud of financial worries, a readjustment is necessary afterwards but it is not something to be feared, it should be a welcome challenge, living life within your means is very good for the soul.

This forum has been my only saviour at times, I would like to express my eternal gratitude to all the regular posters, all of whom have helped me, either in answering my own specific queries or by reading their replies to others. If I knew your real identities I would nominate you all for knighthoods in the queens birthday/new year honours lists.

Thanks for reading my rambles
:cool:CCS

december

It;s so good to hear that your life is on the up. Here's to you and your family :beer:

December

welshpaula

what a fantastic post and echoes my sentiments totally ! well done and good luck paula x

fermi

It's posts like yours that are the reason I am still here 2 years down the line.

Hearing how your life has changed is fantastic.

Bankruptcy is not something I would wish on anyone, but if it enables you to get your your life back (as it clearly has in your case) then it can be an enormous positive step rather than a negative.

SkintyMcFlinty

My BR date is 4 September and its posts like these that really perk me up and make me see the light at the end of tunnel. Thank you so much for a very well-timed (for me) post. Good luck x x

dalip

I was just advising someone to come on here and maybe ask advice from you lot, i will now tell them to take a look at your thread. Well put,well thought out and above all well done to you and your family.Good luck in the coming future.DX

MammaCas

What a fantastic post, I wholeheartedly agree.

:beer:

MC x

fiveyearplan

What a wonderful post - thanks for taking the time to post it.

Merry_Gentry

Very much appreciated - thank you.

Scarlett.1974

What a great post and thank you for taking the time to type it out

I can't really add much to it (I was pratically like a nodding dog all the way through it!) apart from a couple of other small positives:

- not having that horrible "just gone over a bridge" feeling in the pit of your stomach when the phone rings.

- not having to dread the arrival of the post or, in my more paranoid moment, the knocks at the door.

Just a couple of additional points that have made a BIG difference to my life since going BR

debt_doctor

Wow. Thats very powerful. Im sure that many on here will know exactly what you are saying ( and agree with Scarletts addition too. )

Im sure that will give great hope to those just starting the journey. Really glad it all worked out.

Best

DD