Any Debt free success stories!

Moneytroubles_2

Hi,

I'm still fairly new and as yet I'm not seeing any "dents" in my debts!

Would love to hear of anyone who has cleared one of their debts or even all their debt!

How did you do, and how did it make you feel

Thanks!

Moneytroubles X

charlie2517

Hello there,

Sadly I have no story to tell...YET but I do hope!

Have you viewed:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=291326&page=11

This (if I've copied it correctly) should be the debt free roll of honour this might be the sort of thing you're after...

Best of luck in becoming debt free! xx

Moneytroubles_2

ooo your signature tells a dif story! Well done to you getting from 21K to £8783.31

That really is amazing! how did you do it? X

poorandindenial

I have a long way to go but am proud of how far I have got so far (even if things have been a bit iffy of late) going over half way was an amazing feeling.

Mine was all cleared by just lobbing every penny I could at the debt and taking control of my spending. The snowball calculator and my spending diary were my first tools; now i set mini-targets for myself, my next one is sub £15k/£20k cleared which should be soon. Getting back into cooking from scratch worked well, but I need to get back into doing that again, I have been a wee bit lax of late

Good luck with your debt free mission Moneytroubles, how are you planning on getting it gone?

incesticde

Moneytroubles wrote: »

Hi,

I'm still fairly new and as yet I'm not seeing any "dents" in my debts!

Would love to hear of anyone who has cleared one of their debts or even all their debt!

How did you do, and how did it make you feel

Thanks!

Moneytroubles X

Here goes then ....

Been in debt since i was 19 and started going to uni, lived beyond my means until i was 26 and then lost my job in london (1999).

1999 - 2000 : Hit rock bottom, was living off handouts from a mate and sleeping on his sofa.
Couldn't find a job for nine months despite being a programmer with a degree, debts hitting 21 K now. eventually have to move home

Finally find a job in 2000 and start making token payments to keep creditors off my back...still spending beyond my means

2004 : Have my LBM and start making an small attempt to clear my debts quicker

2006: find this site and get a plan sorted. Become serious about being debt free

2008: Debt free!!!!

2009: Saving about £800 a month, £15 K in the bank

No more looking back, only looking forward. It's hard to describe the peace of mind being debt free gives you, the whole journey has been empowering. Can walk into a shop and pretty much buy what i want now,i just choose not to unless i really want it.

I know what's important now.

Being debt free isn't a figure, it isn't a milestone... it's a way of life.

I tried most things in life and can say the feeling of becoming debt free is one of the best 'highs' I've ever had (only being in love is a better 'high')

charlie2517

Hey again,

Just realised I posted on your other query too! :-)

You're gonna wish you didn't ask....I guess I got control of my finances if you know what I mean, before MSE I couldnt have told you what amount my Direct Debits or Standing Orders were, couldnt have said when they went out, didnt know I was paying £40 plus a month in overdraft interest. etc etc. I was blind.

I spent and didnt really think about repaying. At 1st it was scary, I bought my flat, changed from self employed to employed and so there was only 1 pay check a month and I was forced to take account. In 07 I took a fixed rate mortgage at just over a grand a month, and I just had to get my act together.

Once I got used to not doing the silly things eg buying a coffee every day on way to work, stopped spending silly money on nights out etc etc and started throwing as much as I could at my debt I began to see a difference. Slowly I've paid one debt off and then could throw more money at another.

If it's not nailed down have sold it (well not quite but you know what I mean), I do surveys like a woman possessed, I use vouchers when I go out, socialise in far more sensible ways now like get my friends over for dinner I cook main one brings dessert and the other say wine. As I say I reckon am just smarter with my money. I use cash back sites for EVERYTHING I can.

I am much happier now than when debt was at it's worst mainly as I feel in control and my big plan now is (fortunes willing literally) is to be debt free by June next year which means chucking all I have at my debt (thank goodness the mortgage fixed rate has just dropped by 773 per month so that's a big help).

Are you still awake after that....?

by the way WOW at the PAD you've done since 16/08!!!! V jealous!

What's you're plan of action (if you have one) on the debt busting front?

Best of luck and hope things go well. xx

Odette

Although I only had a small debt and only on ODs that wernt bothering me about paying them back yet as they were student Ods I managed to clear 3.5k. Im proud of myself, especially as I paid it back within 6 months and 4 of those I was on JSA! Okay so Im tooting my horn a bit but I was very ruthless with my money and it was a hard slog but worth it :beer:

Moneytroubles_2

Thanks for the replys everyone, I just wrote a very long message and when I went to send it, I lost it, so I wrote a second one and the same happened again - arrrrggghhh!!

So i'm really sorry but I'm going to post my debt plan at a later time if thats OK, as I cant bare the thought of typing it all AGAIN! lol

Moneytroubles X