The Debt Free Roll Of Honour

D3P0

a. The date of your lightbulb moment - August 2012
b. Debts at their highest - £40,700.00
c. Debt-Free Date - 7th July 2015
d. Your one perl of wisdom. - That debtors on the whole do actually want to try and help you. Speak to CCCS / Stepchange. They changed my life
e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you - DFW
f. Which forum threads helped you - Too many to name...
g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it N/A

Haven't updated my signature yet but see below. Says it all. From the day I sat on my bed crying unable to buy my 1yr old son a bed to this week when I feel like a new man. Stick with it each and everyone of you.

D3P0

Pollygarter wrote: »

I love reading this thread. Want to join you. Helps me when the debt feels too difficult to deal with. Small steps. Well done all x

You are flying... stick with it!! xx

Badge32wwfc

I was around £18,900 in debt five years ago. I got help via an IVA and I am just four months away from being debt free. Owe just over £1,000 now. Should have been free this month but due to work problems in the middle of my five year plan it got held up a little.

kb_soma

Badge32wwfc wrote: »

I was around £18,900 in debt five years ago. I got help via an IVA and I am just four months away from being debt free. Owe just over £1,000 now. Should have been free this month but due to work problems in the middle of my five year plan it got held up a little.

You don't have long left at all! I remember when I was at that point, keep going, You can do it!!

SMGee

So excited to finally be able to do this!

a. The date of your lightbulb moment - First time July 2007 when I got turned down for a bank account due to poor credit. But I paid those debts off over several years, rebuilt my savings and then foolishly loaned them to an ex who did not stick to the repayments. Debt gradually built up again as I rebuilt my life without my ex, job or house. Finally took control September 2013.

b. Debts at their highest - £18,500

c. Debt-Free Date - 23rd July 2015

d. Your one pearl of wisdom. -To spreadsheet everything! Cannot stress enough how worthwhile budgeting is

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you - So many I don't even know

f. Which forum threads helped you -In the early days so many threads kept me going and inspired me to carry on. I left the site for quite a while as just too busy to catch up, and wish I could remember everyone who helped in the early days

After leaving my ex, job and home behind in Jan 13, I managed to run up various debts just trying to get my life together. I somehow managed to get a mortgage to buy a lovely house on my own in Sept 13 and after adding up all my debts (aside from mortgage) I made the decision to really get my life in order and pay off the debt.

I've spent the last 22 months paying down the debt, being super frugal, renting out rooms in my house, carbooting, making the most of cashback sites, doing as much overtime as possible and also finding a second income stream from work.

It's been hard, and I think my lovely new partner is sick of me being so obsessively careful about money, but it's been worth it as I can now look at my bank balance with a smile instead of panic.

Just realised this is my first post under new name. I guess it's a good one to be the first!

Former_MSE_Andrea

Huge, huge congratulations to everyone who's paid their debts off in the last few weeks!

What a great summer you'll have

Polly_Wolly_Doodle

a. The date of your lightbulb moment - I've had a few! In the old days I would just go for a new higher paying job and keep spending. Really hit the buffers when we bought this house and borrowed for everything thinking we would sell it for loads more than we owed - total idiot. Real lightbulb came on when we couldn't pay all the minimums on the ccs etc.

b. Debts at their highest - £65,000:o

c. Debt-Free Date - 26th July 2014 - I've given it a year to sink in and make sure I didn't borrow again!:eek:

d. Your one pearl of wisdom. - keep plodding on, it's a bore, it's a pain but it's so important to live within your means:D

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you - have just found being able to read has been so helpful. Saved on energy switching, shopping around for fuel and food so rewarding.

f. Which forum threads helped you - have loved reading so many DFW and MFW threads but love Tilly and her tidies!


The forum has been the best thing for me as in real life it wouldn't have been easy to confess all and it has meant I haven't driven my DH completely mad:rotfl:Thank you all xx

Lucy5781

Only just found this!

a. The date of your lightbulb moment - Early 2008, I started to shuffle my cards to clear off the highest interest rate debt but things went from bad to worse in my life relationship, job and health-wise and then the world went wrong financially too!
I spent a lot of that year paying for food, toilet paper and travel to work on the credit cards, no designer spending here

b. Debts at their highest - Jan 2012: £16k and change once overdraft went into the pot along with the credit cards.

c. Debt-Free Date - After DRO, 30/09/14.

d. Your one pearl of wisdom - It IS possible!!

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you - I used the IVA&DRO boards, the Oldstyle boards a lot too.

f. Which forum threads helped you - Preparing for Winter, in my small cold damp flat through 2012-2014!

g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4202761

Thanks!!
Lxx

kirstle99

a. The date of your lightbulb moment - January 2007
b. Debts at their highest - £20,000
c. Debt-Free Date - 31st July 2015
d. Your one pearl of wisdom. - Get into the habit of tracking your bank account regularly, and update your spreadsheets. It really helps to spur you on!
e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you - DFW, Old Style Moneysaving, Marriage, Relationships board, Benefits board.
f. Which forum threads helped you - Reclaiming bank/credit card charges. Debt free diaries.
g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it. - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1115881

Ellieseleven

Well done everyone! I love coming on here and reading your success stories, they keep me on track and motivated so thank you all:T

Ellie xx