SandeC's journey to Debt Freedom!

SandeC

Hi guys

So I've decided to keep myself a little diary on here to write down all my thoughts, feelings, ideas and whatnot. I have a nice habit of writing things on little pieces of paper, and then losing them when I need them - so if it's all here in one place, I know exactly where to come. Feel free to chime in with ideas or a kick up the jacksy if I'm slacking :laugh:

I've been in debt since I was 18, and it's gotten well out of control. Due to depression, stupidity, and care-free attitude, I got myself into around £10-12000 worth of debt, and I'm really quite ashamed to say that only around £3000 of this is from CCs and loans. I owe money everywhere. I honestly can't remember when I last made a payment towards my debt - it would have been years ago, and it's definitely something I'm not proud to admit.

I'm now 29, and had my LBM the day before my birthday last week. I can't go on living this way. I'd love to buy my own house one day, and be able to save a decent retirement fund. At the moment though, this is a reality that is a long way away, and up until recently, a dream that was doomed to never come true. But with my head well and truly stuck in the sand, how could it ever come true? Now I've looked at the bigger picture, and got some fantastic advice and ideas from the wonderful people on these forums, I know that if I just work hard at it, that dream will be a reality one day in the NEAR future.

There are a few things I have already done this week - just little things, but things nonetheless:

1. Gathered and filed all the paperwork I can find
2. Made a list of all my creditors and amounts owing (not a complete list, but as many as I can think of/find)
3. Got a hard copy of my credit report
4. Set up a second current account for my bills, and transferred all DD's to go out of that account
5. Paid off my rent arrears!!
6. Sorted the TV license
7. Found cheaper breakdown cover

Today I make a start on the bigger stuff. A DRO is the plan, but things have a habit of not going my way, and I need to have a Plan B and be organised. A DMP will be the next route if the DRO fails for any reason. Here's today's to-do list

1. Contact the water company - find out what the normal monthly payments are, and tell them I'm contacting StepChange today, and will be in touch with them re. the outcome
2. Contact Sky to find enquire about cancelling or at least lowering the package price. Can I downgrade to FreeSat From Sky without incurring cancellation fees? That kind of thing
3. Finish creating a realistic and manageable budget
4. Contact StepChange about setting up a DRO
5. Cancel Apple Music membership. Billed £9.99 yesterday because I forgot to cancel a free trial
6. Cancel Spotify membership

So I guess that's where I'm at. I'll update this later when I've done what I need to do. For now though, I need to get ready for a mandatory staff meeting, that will no doubt again be unpaid :mad: Sometimes I wonder if shift running is really worth the hassle!

QuietOne

Hi there, I'm glad you decided to start your own diary. it's a great way to keep track of what you've been doing to tackle your debts and it will inspire other members too who are going through the same thing.

Maybe it would be a good idea to post your SOA (statement of affairs) which is located on this forum and other members could see your situation and support you on your debt free journey

But well done on making the first step on becoming debt free! It will be a long journey but you will get there.

crazy_cat_lady

Morning SandeC :waves:
So pleased that you decided to start a diary - as I said, mine really helps to keep me on the straight and narrow. I'm looking forward to cheering you on your debt free journey.

SandeC

Evening all :hello:

The day didn't go quite as planned, but then, when does it ever?! I went to the staff meeting, kicking and screaming about the fact that it's my day off, it's 8.30 in the morning, it's an hour of my life I'm never getting back, I've got more important things to do, and I'm not even getting paid. Well, after my very vocal disdain at it all, I settled down, albeit rather sulkily. After an hour of absolute drivel I get up to leave, and get roped into working for a few hours. I could definitely do with some extra money, so I agree, and sneakily clock myself in for 8.30. Hopefully the boss won't notice, but if he does, I don't really care. The worst he'll do is change it to 9.30.

Anyway, I return home at 12 to find my puddy cat's been sick all over the kitchen floor again. I woke up to it this morning, and he was sick last night as well. Poor boy - he has a very sensitive digestive system and can only eat one type of food (£14.50 a bag :mad: though it does last 2 weeks between 2 cats), so I'm hoping it's just a case of he's eaten something different, and his stomach will settle in a day or two. Hopefully it will, otherwise it's going to be a trip to the vets, and lord knows my bank balance really doesn't need that right now! So I cleaned it up, made a cup of tea, and got to work.

1. Contact the water company - find out what the normal monthly payments are, and tell them I'm contacting StepChange today, and will be in touch with them re. the outcome
Somehow got the opening times wrong, and they aren't available at the weekends. So will be calling them first thing Monday morning
2. Contact Sky to find enquire about cancelling or at least lowering the package price. Can I downgrade to FreeSat From Sky without incurring cancellation fees? That kind of thing
Managed to downgrade and save about £11 a month. The package I was on was actually only £47.15, so I was spending another £13ish on renting movies, which I'm not going to do any more. Termination charge of £13, but better than if I'd have cancelled it altogether. Contract ends in June, so I'll get rid completely nearer the time
3. Finish creating a realistic and manageable budget
I'm still working on this, but I've got it down to a breakeven. I'll hopefully get it finished when madam is in bed
4. Contact StepChange about setting up a DRO
Due to the lateness of me calling (3.35pm), we weren't able to finish all that needed to be done. They will be calling me back at 10am Monday morning to complete it. It's a bit of a blessing that they're calling me, because knowing me, I'll either forget, or have that wonderful 'I'll do it later attitude', to which end it'll never get done. Also, I'll have a day to really get my organisation on!
5. Cancel Apple Music membership. Billed £9.99 yesterday because I forgot to cancel a free trial
I love Google! I could NOT figure out how to cancel this for the life of me! But Google did, and I got it done
6. Cancel Spotify membership
This was hard. I don't have many CD's and music keeps me a little bit sane when I'm having a low day. But, it is gone

So yeah, that's about it really. I've got to go pick the little lady up from her dads now, he'll be wondering where I am! Looking forward to spending some quality time with her tonight, with work and school, and her going to her dads every Friday night/Saturday, it feels like I hardly see her.

Might start making some Christmas cards, I feel like getting my festive on, even though we're only half way through November, and it's far too early for decorations (although the people up the road have had theirs up for 2 weeks already! Crazy!)

Also need to think about Slimming World. It's costing me £5 a week for that, and another £5 a week for our exclusive Clubbercise class. I really do enjoy it, and it's the only kind of social life I have, apart from work, but it's £10 a week that I could really do with. Maybe I could use it as an incentive to get my rear into gear and get to target! It'll be free then!

Oh, and as of yesterday, I officially have NO rent arrears!!!!!:j:j:j

DawnW

Sounds as though you are really getting organised

Just a thought on the music issue, I am slightly addicted to Radio 6 music, which of course is free.... is that worth a try for you?

SandeC

Hi Dawn, and thanks!

Anything's worth a shot - I'll have a look! Thanks again x

crazy_cat_lady

Brilliant news re the rent. And sounds like a very productive day to me.

SandeC

Thanks crazy_cat_lady, looking at it again maybe it has been productive after all. It was only really the water that I didn't get sorted, and at least I made a start with StepChange. I made a list of all of my creditors and the amounts owed the other day, but didn't total it up - just looking at it I knew I didn't want to know an exact figure. I've been brave tonight though and added it up - £12617.68 :eek: I've updated my signature too - no getting away from it now!!

That's quite a big step for me. I knew it was a lot, but was terrified of actually sitting down and working it out. I'm actually quite proud of myself for that. Me 1 - Anxiety 0 Actually my anxiety's been pretty well behaved today, considering how long I've spent on the phone!

SandeC

Ooh it's going to be a busy day!

After the school run I gave the CSA a call. I've changed the bank details so that it gets paid into the my new bank account and is therefore automatically allocated for bills. It should reduce the amount that I have to transfer out weekly to around £30 as opposed to around £55.

StepChange were extremely prompt in calling at 10am. We finished going through all of my expenditure and listing debts, because I called too late on Saturday and we couldn't get it all finished by 4. I now have to call the water company because I have a current bill, and a CCJ with them, and everyone's confused as to what I actually owe. I can feel the anxiety surfacing as I write this. Once I've done that though, I can call StepChange back and speak to their debt advice team, who will then hopefully be able to help me sort out this hell hole mess I've gotten myself into.

Grandad's interment at 2:30, hopefully I'll have time to get myself looking presentable - starting to think it might be just a wash my hair and run jobby!

Also, mum's given me 3 options for a Christmas pressie:

1. Money to pay off bills. If I get a DRO this won't really be necessary.
2. A new shower + fitting. This would be very welcome as mine blew up a few months ago - although I am quite liking the bath.
3. A holiday to Cornwall next summer - I have to save spending money. This is very tempting. However, I was speaking to my aunt, and she wants us ALL (by all, I mean about 30 of us!!) to go on holiday the following year to the same place. I think I'd rather save up for that, as the last time we did this I was 2 and can't remember it. But we haven't been on holiday for 3 years and I would really like to go next year.

So lots to think about... But for now, I need to stop procrastinating and get back on the phone. Will update in a while, hopefully having worked out a solid solution!

SandeC

A very quick update!!

I AM OFF THE PHONE!!! After being on it since 9.30 this morning, it's a HUGE relief, and anxiety levels are nearing 'normal' once again.

StepChange are amazing. It's all I have to say. I got disconnected 3 times, and every time I called back, they put me through to the same person I was speaking to. A lovely guy called Michael did indeed recommend a DRO, after going through my budget with a fine toothed comb. He gave me lots of information, and things to be doing whilst the DRO application is processed - namely to write to all of my creditors, tell them what's happening, and pay them each £1 a month until the DRO is in place.

Also, the shiny new 'Bills' account? Gotta go. I have to get a new bank account with bank I don't owe any money to (so either Barclays or Halifax) and start again. So all that organisedness of changing all the DDs and CSA was in vain. But, hey-ho. It's got to be done if I don't want a frozen account!

Didn't have time for a bath, or even to wash my hair, ready for grandad's internment I look presentable enough though, and I don't stink, so all is not lost!

Just playing a waiting game now for paperwork to come through. I reckon it's going to be after Christmas before it's all set up, but that's okay. Just need to raise that £90 application fee.

Well, I'm off for now. 15 minutes to get to the cemetery - luckily it's only round the corner from me!

crazy_cat_lady

So pleased that this is all sorted out. I cannot praise Stepchange highly enough - they are worth their weight in gold those people. They've made me laugh, had me crying down the phone at them and never, ever let me down. You're in good hands.
Hope that the rest of the day went as well as it could do.