one month in...

struggleville

...and boy have things changed! I've only just noticed today's date (am off work today so haven't been writing it down over and over again, lol), and it's now been a month since going BR - how the time has flown! Granted, Feburary IS the shortest month, but still....

Had my OR interview two weeks ago, which lasted about 45 minutes; the OR couldn't have been nicer and has informed me that based on my SOA I'll not have an IPA. Letters & calls from creditors have all but ceased (NatWest sent one the other day dutifully notifying me of a £12 late payment fee that's 'been added to my account' - good luck with that!) now that the OR's been in touch, and I'm finally able to breathe a bit easier.

My account with Co-op is easy enough to monitor via the internet and I can pay in at the Post Office which suits me down to the ground - the nearest Co-op branch is two towns over but I can't see actually needing to visit for any reason! I'm copying the transactions over into a spreadsheet so I can categorise each expenditure (household, utilities, petrol, etc.) which will help me with budgeting going forward. I have an account with the local credit union so am hoping to put away a little from each paycheck into that if at all possible - can't imagine it'll be double figures if anything but every little helps!

Basically, going BR is the best thing I've done for myself in a long, long time. I've spent most of my life taking care of other people, and it's about time I put my health and my self - and dare I even say it, my happiness! - first for once.

Just wanted to share, and to once again thank those of you who've given me, and others, advice and encouragement. I may not be around much from now on, unless a problem crops up over the next eleven months, but I really appreciate the existence of this forum and its members with their wealth of knowledge and compassion.

CoffeeBean_2

Best of luck with the future:)
Thanks for posting, gives me hope, I went BR on 04.03.14 and still in the anxious worried stage!
CB

alastairq

Thank you for that, Struggles.

It's nice to read of a positive outcome.

colmac71

I'm officially out of my 6 year bankruptcy on April 18 2014.
I've got to say that in all honesty it's not seemed like 6 years.
It was certainly the best thing that I could have done (given the circumstances).
Life did change and I wondered at one stage if I had done the right thing but it was.
I managed to get a mortgage nearly 18 months ago (with a 25% deposit) on a small 1 bed apartment and now looking to move upwards on the property ladder.
My advice is look at credit files once discharged to try and clean them up and then get a Vanquis or Aqua or Capital One card just to build up a good credit history again - honestly - you'll be thankful in 6 years time of having some good information on your credit file.
Having said that PLEASE do pay it off monthly, I had one or two blips where I left a balance and it's not until the bankruptcy when I started appreciating money more - and I was kicking myself at the interest that a vanquis card can incur.

Thankfully upwards and onwards!

All the best for the future