hanging my head in shame

worried_jim

Well it's been four years- maybe time for an update. I did try to find this thread a few months ago after a lovely PM from-savingwannabe
but have stumbled across it today.

I am still with payplan and it will be six years this month. Never had a problem and they are brilliant.

All of my debts have now dropped off my credit report, except one with the co op but I am still paying them all.

Due to this I have been able to obtain some credit again, firstly with a Vanquis card (about 36% APR!) which I used sparingly for a year and had to buy a £600 car with it two years ago and it took me nearly a year to pay it off.

Then something interesting started to happen-I am earning about 20% more than when I first got into trouble but this year there has been unlimited overtime for me so some months I have earned over £1k extra and I started clearing my credit card balances in full, within three months Barclaycard had given me an interest free period and increased my credit limit- not that I needed it. This is the point that I checked my Noodle report and found that nearly all the bad debt was gone.

I never thought that this day would come. I have some additional funds next month so will clear the co op debt in full- its only £300 then the next stage is to shop around for a better mortgage deal as I am paying 4.7% presently and am pretty sure I can get a cheaper deal and then increase the difference to payplan.

I no longer struggle paying the bills every month due to my hard work at work with the overtime and being a consistent performer and team player I get a good annual bonus and pay-rises- but I have had to do 30 hours a month this year to get there.

Amazing to read my first post in this thread and then to be sitting here now. Still want carpets and double glazing, and the boiler will need replacing soon, but I have being investing in the company share save schemes (I am currently in all three) and the first matures next June and I have already doubled my investment so over the next three years I should be able to do all three purchases.

Anyone just starting out on their debt free journey- hang in there, it works, it gets better, it does take time. Good luck. Jim.

hampsterpoo

Glad your doing well Jim , looks like your pretty sorted. How's your old boy neighbour doing. I used to have a chuckle with his comments you posted on here.

mummymandy

nice to see you back Jim, glad you don't have to deliver pizzas as a second job anymore, glad you in a better position now, take care xxx:D

worried_jim

hampsterpoo wrote: »

Glad your doing well Jim , looks like your pretty sorted. How's your old boy neighbour doing. I used to have a chuckle with his comments you posted on here.

Sadly Reg died three years ago this month. It was awful.

It got to a point at home were he stopped eating, said he was unable to swallow. Lots of checks and medically there was nothing wrong and it was perceived to be all in his head and psychological, he had always ate a minimum and said he got no pleasure from food.

Then he wasn't able to swallow even water so he was hospitalised. I went to visit him and it was like looking at a concentration camp victim (I remember this was the day after the excellent Olympic opening ceremony in London and I tried to talk to him bout it) and I thought that there was no way he is ever getting out. I arranged for a local lawyer to visit him in hospital so he could up date his will and get things in order.

Just before this happened his son returned from overseas and lived with him for a short while. I later found out that Reg had let his son borrow his credit card and get a new washing machine for his own flat to help him out so he could move in with his wife. It looked like to all concerned that Reg would never get out of hospital so his son than ran up £10k worth on the credit card- apparently his flat was like Dixon's shop window!

Reg was eventually moved to a mental hospital and I went to visit and he looked a lot better- he was the least mental person in there and we shared a good chat.

By autumn Reg was well enough to come home although he had had a feeding tube attached into his stomach and would be feed by a machine for the rest of his life.

On returning from hospital Reg had been burgled. Strangely they knew exactly what to take and where his money was hidden. This was simply awful not just for Reg but for myself and the other neighbours that had a key and looked after him- if you were family who would you accuse? Turns out it was his Grandson that nicked his stuff, The son of Reg's Son who had already spunked his credit card although nobody knew this at this point, the family on his daughter side are wonderful achievers.

The next day Reg opens his mail and sees his credit card statement £10K. At some point during the day (Saturday- I was at work) Reg falls over and breaks his leg, suffers a massive heart attack (broken heart) and dies. I cant remember the full details but I think someone was with him.

At the funeral I met his son and grandson- at this point no one knew what had happened and the police hadn't concluded their investigation into the burglary- but I knew as Reg had told me about his wayward Grandson. The family all came to thank me.

In the end I was glad it was over, there was no quality of life but I consider it a pleasure to have known Reg and I often think about the Sunday afternoons discussing the stories in the Daily Mail that he had read and me biting my tongue.

I got back from Sharm El Sheikh on Monday this week and I though about Reg a lot when I was there as he has served in Egypt. Made me smile.

When it all came out about the family- His son had his share of the estate cut to compensate for the credit card bill- his reason for doing so was he needed the money and knew it was coming soon so just had an advance. I last saw his daughter in February 2013 and it she said some kind words. There is a new family in his flat- it sold in three days.

We often talk about him and in the summer I would often sit in the garden and think about all the times I would try to get him downstairs to get some fresh air. He was the finest of gentleman (if a little racist) just had an awful side to his family.

worried_jim

mummymandy wrote: »

nice to see you back Jim, glad you don't have to deliver pizzas as a second job anymore, glad you in a better position now, take care xxx:D

Simply the most soul destroying thing I have ever had to do. To spend your evening delivering to doleys on the bennies as they spend more in one night on fast food than you budget for in a week for groceries whilst working two jobs with the reek of cannabis even before they open the front door.

Obviously this wasn't all the customers but I would see it every night. I still pop by to see the owner occasionally and have a friendly chat and his brother now works with me in the same company and is doing very well.

Glad that is all behind me.

savingwannabe

Mr Jim you must keep posting.

Poor Reg. Thank you for being a good friend to him.

Your writing style is superb. I am gobsmacked you posted. Hurrah.

wishus

Hi Worriedjim - I am sorry that I have only just come across your diary, but yours sounds like an inspiring journey, and you sound like a lovely, caring neighbour. You have a great writing style. If you were to start writing regularly again, I'd be happy to read!

zhatorna65

Hi everyone. I'm not sure what brought me back here after several years (the Internet is a strange thing), but it's been great re-reading the posts and seeing how things turned out.

On pay-day next week I'll be making my last CC payment and then I will finally be debt-free! It will be almost exactly 9 years since I realised/accepted the predicament I was in and started doing something about it.

I don't think I could have done it without the guidance and support in here. Thanks, and all the best to everyone on a similar journey.

Great to read your "recent" update Worried Jim. Hope you are well, and thanks again for where this thread went to.

Cheers