How many lightbulb moments did you have?

Debtfreein2011

Hi all,

Following on from another post where MummyDrusilla was advised she probably hasn't had her lightbulb moment yet - I can relate.

I had my lightbulb moment originally sometime ago but it's taken until January this year for us to do something serious about it.

So, I guess I have had two lightbulb moments. One when I joined this forum and started tackling our debt. But a second one recently when the other half's income has reduced and its made us face things properly.

Interested to hear about others and whether you've had more than one lightbulb moment...?


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rdchick

I think I have had a few. The biggest being in May last year when I thought I was going to get a default on a debt that spiralled out of control when I moved house and forgot about it... luckily I didn't and with the help of this site I got a little bit of debt down and paid off a storecard which was good... but I guess over Christmas I decided that 2012 was the year it's going to be gone! xxx

psychopathbabble

My first one was November 2009 when I started trying to do something about my debt, previously I'd panic then ignore it.

It's been flickering ever since, while I've paid half off I have still spent and gone on holiday etc. At the moment it's burning brightly as I really want this gone (although I did still book a trip to Hong Kong!) by the end of the year so I can focus on the future and not be tied down to my job etc. Hopefully it will remain bright until the last payment but I can already feel myself thinking 'ooh, I can do this and buy that...' which is of course a dangerous road!

MusicalLawyer

I had a lightbulb moment in Jan 2011 at some point. Only really related to two debts (£90, and £50).

I had my actual moment in September 2011 whilst on Holiday in Lanzarote.

I received an email from a debt collector who said my Wonga debt was passed on to them, and wanted to arrange payments of £25 per month. I agree'd to this and proceeded to sort out my other debts. Two of them are now paid off (£546 and £655).

I am now left with about £800 to pay - all in re payment plans. Though I am waiting to hear from one regarding settlement, and another i SAR'd due to receiving at least £60 in unfair charges. I will wait to hear from them, and then settle!

niccatw

I had my first light bulb moment when I joined the sight in 2008. I plodded along paying off this and that, but mostly I was stressing and writing lists and lists of numbers, working out when it would be paid off by (before I found the snowball calculator!).

I had my second light bulb moment almost a year later, when I was off sick with stress/anxiety/depression and I know that the debt was a part of my stress and anxiety and the way I was trying to pay it back was part of the depression.

I learned to be more focused on what was important to me (for example, I had two jobs and wasn't going out with my friend's as I couldn't afford it, but I could do other, free or cheap stuff. I also felt rubbish and realised just going for a hair cut was enough to make me feel a bit more pampered and looked after, so I decided I would pay for that.)

In effect, I found a better balance between paying off my debt and living my life. There were many flickering light blub moments to follow and times when I took the bulb out and smashed it on the ground (i.e. I rebelled and bought too many clothes in the charity shop or stopped counting my NSDs), but slowly I learned what was important to me and began to think before I spent money, so even when I spend a lot, I'm now confident I do it consciously and it's easier to keep my focus on paying off the debt.

That's not to say the bulb still doesn't flicker, it's just easier to tighten up the loose connections now!

FireWyrm

Mine flickered a bit on and off for the best part of 5 years. I'd make a resolution, stick to it for a bit and then I'd buy something that I didn't need and couldnt afford. Once that happened, well, it was just a short hop to buying something else and BAM...back to square one again. I finally decided to do something, once and for all early last year. I joined the site, lurked for a bit and finally...just got on with it. First stop was the bank statements and once I'd analysed the heck out of this, it was clear what needed to be done. I've been trying hard to do it ever since. I never bothered with an SOA on here, mainly because I know what the answers are anyway...it's pretty simple, stop spending on anything that doesn't have a good reason for existence. Now, I question every purchase and run every decision and it's consequences in my mind before I do it. Seems to work for me so far.