How has this board changed your life?

irishgal_3

Well, its made me realise how many people are in the same boat as me or even worse off..Its made me value everything i do have a lot more and that i do not really need a lot of 'stuff'!

It has also made me excited to get rid of this debt and happy to overpay so much that i cant wait till payday!

Queen.Bess

It got me obsessed with saving money, getting as many bargains/freebies as possible, making me realise that spending money doesn't make me happy, made me more confident in tackling my debt and given me loads of ideas to help me raise money to help!

Basically it's been a lifeline and I'm so glad I found it by accident on a search engine in February!

La_Tristesse_Durera

yummum wrote:

Just thought I would see how much people have been helped by sharing experiences or getting encouragement from like minded individuals.

Personally I am now far more determined to be debt free, I have a budget that works and know exactly what is going on with all of my bank a/c, c/cards and loans.

For sure, it's made me positive when I've been down (there's always someone with a bigger debt than you!!), I've learned sooo much from the good people who post here, it's nice when you can help others, and it's made me a much better person with my money. Without this site I'd be a lot more miserable :beer:

Although they could improve it with a Football forum! :beer:

newleaf

Thanks to MSE Martin :A , I have woken up to the fact that I was spending money I didn't have. I've been in debt since I was 18 (now in late 40's and planning to retire in less than 10 years) and have wasted many thousands of pounds in interest payments to various financial institutions over the years. Not any more! My debt is now all shifted to 0% cards and is going down steadily each month. I know I may not get it all paid off by the time my 0% deals end, but I will have got a big start, and I'll take advice nearer the time about what the next step should be.
The website keeps me focussed and in touch with reality every day - lest I should have my head turned by some 'must have' shopping temptation! :T

LJD1_2

It some ways I feel more in debt than before as I know my debt down to the last penny. However, I no longer have feeling of dread and sickness in my stomach as I do know exactly what I owe rather than burying my head in the sand. I know I can do it now!

sophiesmum_2

I now consider myself to be much more aware financially.My cc is on 0% and i budget for everything. I don't waste money on "stuff" I don't really need and I shop around for a good deal on everything. I am much more OS with household stuff and shopping/cooking and as a result I have much more cash at the end of the month instead of month left at the end of the cash.
MSE has made me aware of the ploys used by retailers/banks/cc's to get our cash off us - well they don't get much of mine anymore.
I love cashback sites, pigsback vouchers and the freebie board. Have sold books on Amazon and done car boot with stuff I would have given away before.I check my online accounts everyday and can tell you exactly what is going in and out of my accounts and when.MSE has made me obsessed with finances - but in a good way - I am in control of my money for probably the first time in my life and I am 40:rolleyes:
I would recommend anyone to join MSE and get with the programme it will change your outlook completely, and the folks on this site are great.:T

sophiesmum:D

Biffa

This board has changed my life for the better!! I answered a post on here in October last year which led to us being on tv and then going bankrupt! Hurrah! It was the only option for us, but gave us the chance to wipe the slate clean. And it gave me the chance to be open and honest with my Dad about the mess I was in - albeit whilst I was on the train to London to go on GMTV, but better late than never!

Now, at the ripe old age of 32, I no longer feel sick when the postman calls or when the phone rings. In fact, hardly anyone rings me now, which is great!! As a result, it's saved our marriage, we get on better than ever now despite hubby's illness, the kids are happy and we've got more money than we've ever had before.

Thanks MSE!! :T

lizzie12_2

Well, this board has helped me long before i started posting. With the help and tips of many othere I noe have a shopping bill below my budget for 3.
"Think " before I buy ANYTHING.
Cook most meals from scratch.
Leftover change in the pot for bits for Childrens shoe box appeal.
Have friends over for dinner instead of going out.
Have joined a babysitting group. (Be a knitting group next ) Lol
Going on holiday with cash.... no credit this time. Yipeeee
And last but not least:

No more nasty letters or phone calls.
No more arguments over cash
Money in account at end of month
All depts nearly finished.... at last.
And ya know.... all thanks to you guys for all the tips etc .....

freebird65

I've always been good with money, but this board has taught me masses of little tricks I'd never even thought of - I've learnt to look for deals and freebies, I'm now a stoozer, etc, etc and all these things help me to have a good life without spending a fortune. And, of course, I look forward to chatting to the fab people on here.....it's the most friendly and non-judgemental place you could imagine!

Thanks :money:

Scully's_Girl

My husband & I have always been very careful with money. Hence, we had the mortgage paid off and 0 debt when I discovered this site. But like freebird65, its the tweaking that I benefited most from. Because of this site (and my beloved weekly newsletter) I discovered we're in a higher tax band then anyone on our street (and appealed it), I learned about the load we were spending on our card overseas (& therefore switched to Nationwide), I put our Australasia trip on a 0% credit card so that I don't have to think about it till February 2007. I switched our energy providers last week due to the tips, and we follow much of the advise on this site to the letter. For our investments, I have found better advise on this site then my Financial advisor could ever give (I am indebted to dunstonh & I'm sure I'm not the only one). I love reading about the experiences of others and can only hope that I can offer a different perspective. Although we both work, we are committed to living on only one income so if anything were to happen it would not be catastrophic. This site is my homepage and I check it every single day. It's like someone reached into my head & created the perfect site for me.