How do you remain happy whilst trying to pay off debts?

picklednut

I owe a lot of money on credit cards, loans, tax etc and whilst I'm not in a dire situation and are meeting all payments etc I constantly find myself worrying and unhappy. This situation I'm in is not going to significantly change until the beginning of next year and I worry that the constant worrying is going to make me ill and that I'm going to be continually unhappy until then.

How do you remain happy / worry free whilst paying off debts?

Empty_pockets

Watching that line on the graph go down and down!

Phils_debt

I was same until i did my sao on here and realised how muh debt i was in quite a bad year last year i was in zero debt beginning of 2010 with 10k in bank but a bad stint regarding family personal reasons put me in over 12k debt .life can be swings and roundabouts and i thought id never be in debt but it can happen to almost anyone .i was in my overdraft by 2k for most of this year but i came on here did my sao and was amazed that i could easily sort my debts thanks to this site and next week ill be out of overdraft then ill consentrate on my halifax card then very then the big barclaycard debt .i have been down and thought id never get out of debt but it makes me happy when i see my overdraft going down instead of the same.
Its good to see the end result that you(me) are getting out of this crap situation but i vow never to be in the same position next year and never again

dreamdreamer

Doing something about it (ie. paying them off as fast as possible) and dreaming of what I'll do with the all the extra money when they're gone!

And the odd cheap treat. The cinema ever couple of months (orange wednesday, take your own popcorn!) and a chocolate bar every now and again and I'm happy.

It's natural to worry but so long as your debt is going DOWN, not up, the end is in sight.

DarnIt_3

By realising that you are dealing with your problems, and looking for the light at the end of the tunnel.

OberonSH

by realising that this situation won't last forever, and every day that you're not spending money unnessesarily you're helping your situation. Sometimes it feels like a right slog, but then the feeling when you make the last payment and trot into the bank to open a saving account is the best ever!

Stick with it. It's worth it

bottleofred

Hi picklednut,

I looked forward to the day when the dcas where no longer sending letters, the majority of my wages were not going on debts each month and I bought myself the occasional treat. It does seem difficult, but you should write down each debt in a book or update your signature and then update it each month with the new amount of how much you owe. This will give you encouragement to become debt free.

Good luck

Red

eyeopener2

By realisng that shopping and buying and the consumer lifestyle ain't all it's cracked up to be.Thats what got me into this in the first place. Want, want, want instead of "what do I actually need?".

I can't afford x.y.and z at the moment, but do I really need any of it? Not really. Second hand clothes are fine, second hand books are fine. My family eats well, we are warm and safe.

E2

DancerSupreme

By understanding that my family have a roof over their heads, are fed and are warm. Also my husband having his LBM helped because we motivated each other. Also payday made me feel great because I can update my totals.

dreamdreamer

Wow gembaxter, that's quite the signature. Talk about plowing through your debts!

Hovel_lady

I've only recently had my LBM but a couple of things are helping.
1) Knowing that when we are debt free that we can start saving towards our dream of a hovel in the hills (rather than the city as now)
2) Having a small amount of money for treats. Unless you have to/want to spend everything on bills/debts don't. A small treat really helps you stay motivated.
3) Visit the forum! Practical support (questions answered) if you need it and moral support from others in the same boat.
Good luck