Hello, I'm a newbie, but thanks to you all I know I,m not alone

elsie52

Hello,

I have only just registered but have visited this site many times.....and this is my story in a nutshell.

We have been on a DMP for the past 9 months, and at last we can sleep at night. We started with debts of £74k and to date we are just under the £60k. I wonder how many of you have told family....I know that we havn't told anyone at all, we just work through it. We are just about managing our finances, but live in fear of anything breaking down....aghh.... Xmas is stretching us to the limit and yet we are proud of the fact that whatever we have bought has been with cash and not credit. We have had to change our shopping habits drastically, as I am sure many of you have had to do also.

We are hoping to be free of debt in Dec 2011, and I can honestly say that not another penny on credit cards or finance will be spent by us. We now adopt the policy that if we can't pay cash for it, then we do without. I regularly shop for clothes in charity shops, and my family would be totally shocked if they knew.

Thanks fo all the tips and advice that everyone has given on this board, and it really helps "newbies" like me to know that we are not alone....:T

**Amy**

Hello and Welcome to DFW xx

Just thought I would pop on and say well done for posting, and wow for the amount you have already paid off. Thats a brilliant achievement.

I am with you on not telling family. I have only told my mum exactly how much i owe, and that is because i now owe her the bit thats left.

Thats it really, just wanted to post and say "Hello"

x

elsie52

Amy,

Thanks for that....its very hard admitting that you have debts of any kind.....but feel better for doing this online....It's a bit like weight off my shoulders. Thanks for the support of everyone, and good luck to you.

halight

Hi
Thanks:beer:
Its great that you are dealing with you debts and that you are copeing with everything now.
Iv been on a DMP for 4 years and iv only got 10 months left now. Its been long and heard but it really is worth it:j .
Im not saying that i would never spend on a credit card again por have another loan again. But if i buy e.g. a new TV on a card then thats it for me i wont put anything else on it untill the card is paid off. I know it will always be hard but never agin will i load up with debt.
One thing at a time from now on.
I now buy second hand or seconds and stuff thats been reduced if it and were i can there are some real bargins out there if you are willing to look:j :j

I wish you all the best keep us posted on how you get on. and dont forget if you neeed any help all you need to do is ask and ther will be loads who are willing to offer help.

Good luck

elsie52

Halight,

Thanks for your message.....it does give me hope when I hear from people like yourself. i.e. someone who has gone through the same thing as us. 4 years seems like a very long time to be in this situation, and I feel as though I am wishing my life away, but hey....it took us years to get the debt in the first place, so its not going to be a quickfix to get rid of it.

It is a good feeling to be dealing with it though. I am always open to new ideas on how to save money and reduce our costs, so thanks once again

dancingfairy

Hi - no defnitely not alone - in fact I reckon probably in a majority in this country.

Anyway why not post an SOA go to makesenseofcards website and fill in the SOA and then post it on here. People will then get a much better idea of your situatin and can give constructive advice and see where you might be able to get better deals or rearrange things. I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't knock quite a bit off your debt free date to be honest.

Also a spending diary is also enlightening - writing down everything you spend really makes you question it and it all adds up every chocolate bar/can of coke/dvd/cd/piece of clothing/lunch at work/makeup/cigarette etc.
Anyway sounds like you have made a fab start already.
df x

SazM030306

Hi, it sounds like you're doing a good job so far, keep up the good work!

We haven't told any family we're in debt, in fact my mum keeps saying how she's so proud of me for not getting into loads of debt!!! Which kind of makes it harder to tell her lol. So I don't. The only person who knows is a good friend who only found out cos we're both on this board for the same thing!! (Hi MoM!!)
Take care and well done
Saz xxx

elsie52

Hi,

Thanks for all advice, I am certainly open t any ideas etc....although I have become quite a fanatical shop-arounder....... I have cut our car insurance down by over £200, and I also shop around for any other kind of insurances etc...I only wish I had done this years ago instead of feeling any loyalty to existing companies....I have now realised that looking after "number one" when it comes to financial matters, is the most important thing. The main problem we have is getting Lloyds TSB to stop charging us interest on our credit card, or at least reducing it, but to no avail. The card stood at just short of £15k and is our main creditor, we pay £333.51 per month off it and have done via DMP for the last 9months, but they are still charging us around £235 in interest every month.... We have spoken to PP several times and they have contacted Lloyds, but still they continue..... We live in hope that they will reduce interest at some point. Is anyone else having the same problem?....

Saz,

I understand about the family thing......the only thing with us, is that we are old enough to know better. and we have children in their 30's...so we would be devastated for them to know, but its through putting them through Uni, and a period of my own ill health, that contributed to us being in this position. We feel that we are fighting against time, before retirement looms, and we certainly woul have no way out of this......But, positive thinking is called for, and at this time, we are both fit and healthy and in full-time employment, so we are determined to clear our debts.....anyway, I'm rambling, another sign of old age......

Good luck all, and thanks again for chat.

:T:T

taplady

Hi elsie - well done for all you have achieved in such a short time:T we have
a debt free date of August 2010 and its great to be able to have the end in sight!:j keep up the good work, theres lots of advice about cutting food costs and lots of recipes on the old style board if you havent already been there!

elsie52

Thanks Taplady,

Will have a look at that board later today.....Just gearing myself up for a day out "shopping" with a family member. I have £25 in my purse and will spend on xmas pressies,,,as many as the budget will allow. Family member doesn't know my financial situation so its quite a stressful few hours, and I don't intend her knowing.

Will post later with update, and hopefully proud of myself......xmas is scary.:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:.

How is everyone else doing with pressies?...