Debts & Debt free date

$17mma

I have not included our mortgage and was wondering If I should have..I am glad that this has been confirmed and thak you to the OP for asking this..

ReportInvestor

Thanks for your replies, everyone.

A fascinating set of replies - much more variation than I had originally thought. Good points about a mortgage as an "unavoidable" debt (and also the requirement to pay rent instead if you do choose to avoid it).

I appreciate that most people leave off the mortgage so that they can see a more rapid rate of improvement and feel more in control from day to day. Have I read that right?

Even if I haven't, keep up the good work. I would like the national press to cover this whole forum as it has so much worthwhile to say to Jo/Joanna average .

The idea of mutually supporting each others' self imposed targets is just brilliant :kisses: (Sorry about that. No other smillie available on 14 Feb .)

jomish

I was always very frugal with my money until I went to university. Then it all went wrong and somehow I ran up around £35,000 of debt. When I moved out of student accommodation and into a 'normal' house the bills such as council tax and water hit me badly. After a few months I was virtually bankrupt. My parents were kind enough to lend me the money to get out of the debt but they took control of my finances for a few months. I am 26 now and I am wondering where some of my 20s have gone, having so little money to enjoy life.

I don't really have any reminders of the spending I did - I sold all of it on ebay but to keep my motivation going I just have to remember back to the time my parents first found out about my debt and I certainly do not want to go back to that time.

I moved my loan recently to Nationwide which allows me to add extra money to pay it off quicker and save! I have a monthly budget planner and a yearly overview so I can see where I am aiming for.

I would like to be debt free by around April 2007 so I can begin to save for a house but this last year is proving to be a struggle. My wage has gone up this year but the extra I have planned to give to my parents to pay off my car quicker just seems to be going on essentials - food and petrol. I have now exhaused my ebay 'junk' so do I need to get another job!?

Any 'last year' advise?