Debt-Free Wannabee Book Suggestions

MSE_Martin

As some of you will have seen on this thread I have provisionally agreed with my publisher that there'll be a debt-free wannabee book (all my proceeds to charity) written off this forum, to follow the soon to be published MoneySaving Old Style Book.

Once its all agreed I will be employing a journalist to compile thread and info, so I thought while everyone is excited about the project I would ask for serious suggestions and links to some of the best and most useful DFW threads.

The aim

The hardcore MoneySaving will come from the debt section of the Money Diet, and the DFW board used for tips, hints, practical solutions and case studies.

I want the humour and the spirit of DFW to be captured, and as one poster puts it, the feeling that you're not alone. I'm even mooting thinking of a 'seeing the funny side' chapter, which I think'd be a great help - and a good balance to a 'the darker side of debt' section.

How you can help

Please put suggestions and links to some of the best discussions and threads here. If we can keep this one serious and mostly banter free to make it easier that'd be great

Thanks

Martin

Molanole

I think this is a wicked idea. Not sure what others think but perhaps some case study SOAs would be good as they are always the starting point on DFW and offer real advice about how to make savings on day to day things.

Cantdance_2

Great - excellent idea.

I think this book should be a one-stop shop for all the ideas and sugestions that come out of this board, in order to help anyone who wouldn't normally come onto a web forum but could really use the advice!

I posted this on the other thread but:

I think it would be nice to include some people's stories - i.e. 'This is how I got in debt', and then how they managed to get out of it and turn their lives around, like a case study type thing.


When I first joined the site and wrote up my story people said I should send it into a magazine to get some cash but if you're looking for case studies then I'd rather donate it to the book as a good cause!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....html?t=159868

If you're interested in doing this kind of thing I can post an update to the end of the thread about what we eventually ended up doing and how we helped ourselves to trim £500 a month off our outgoings in order to stay afloat.

It's not exactly typical in that I never actually posted a detailed SoA but if needs be for the book I can do a 'before' and 'after' SoA. I know there are a lot of people's stories on this board but I think it would be nice to have a selection of different stories - people who cut back to help themselves out and avoided going under (as we did), people who went onto DMPs, people who did IVAs, people for whom bankruptcy was the only option...

Good luck!

James

Starry-eyed_surprise

Definitely a mention of the phenomenon of 'the lightbulb moment'. Its effect and impact. It really is a no turning back moment. whether it begins as a gradually dawning glow or a zillion watts interrogation spotlight. It really is a pushed out of the plane with a parachute moment - and MSE is the parachute.

overbudget

Great idea! SOAs would be really important - and typical places where savings can be made (seems that there are some that crop up all the time - phone, insurance, food shopping etc). Also a useful chapter would be on how to make extra money - eBay, Amazon, car boots etc, second jobs and home working (with suggestions for things people have done), quidco and other cash back sites, mystery shopping etc. Some of these I'd never heard of before MSE!

linniestorm

I don't know how well it would transfer to a book, to I think a debt 'signature' is really important (though I think I've become a bit obsessed by mine!). Even if its just a poster on the wall.

Just something with a summary, a little less scary than an SOA to be faced with day to day, but something that you can update every month and you can actually see the debt go down! And though I don't have it, the earnings from other things on there like amazon, quidco, £2 savers can give it a positive slant. I can't wait to update mine every month, and it really spurs me on.

Might need a bit of thought to translate practically to the real world but I wouldn't be without mine now!

linniestorm

Oh and I can't remember who suggested it now, it was someone on the DFW board, but for online banking transferring your pennies across to loans/cards. Amounts you won't miss but will cumulatively make a difference to the debt on the other account.

E.g. Current Account £41.04 (Transfer your £1.04 over to loan) you won't miss it from current account but if you do it five or six times a month that's an extra tenner off the loan!

southernscouser

If you want a bit of humour then maybe a small chapter especially for the inevitable lapses people have on their journey!

Yes I am talking about the car mats! :rolleyes:


I don't know how tricky it would be to portray the sense of community in a book but that is probably the biggest single thing for me and this board. There are so many threads that I've forgotten half of them that I could mention but off the top of my head Mozzie's 'Too Scared To Work Out What I Owe' thread is a glowing example.

lynsayjane

I personally think that one of the most important things that could be stressed in the book is that getting out of debt is a rollercoaster, a bit like life in general. once you have your lightbulb moment it's not all good and although it will get better it won't happen overnight. You WILL have bad days/weeks when it feels like there is no point in trying anymore, you'll go out and spend a few pound here and there that you really didn't need to then feel guilty for days after etc etc but you just need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep on trucking!

Oh and advising that if your having a debate with yourself over whether its more dfw to buy something reduced that you don't need yet but will in future or leave it to save money now, NOT to have it out loud in the supermarket, the folk in asda musta thought i was crackers argueing over quarterpounders last night :rotfl:

linniestorm

You can tell I'm having a quiet-ish day at work can't you!

Following on from SS's suggestion about Moozie's thread, though it's not relevant to me in my situation it will be to a lot of people, is telling your partner about your debt.

There have been some really touching threads about agonising about this from some DFWs on here and the fallout or lack of fallout and outright support that follows people confiding in their partners. I think that would be an excellent thing to include.

Queen.Bess

I'm just thinking about what things I've found out on here that have helped me. Just a couple to start with:

*Using fuel/insurance comparison websites to help. If specifics can't be mentioned, then just encouraging people to look at whether they have the best deal should point them in the right direction!

*Don't do consolidation loans! Before coming on here, that was my plan, but not anymore!

*Writing down everything I spend has helped, so keeping a spending diary could be encouraged.

I'm really looking forward to these books - Well Done Martin and his book publishers!!