***The Best is Yet to Come***

Popstess

Hello, feeling rubbish at the minute. I am having a last attempt at tackling this Debt myself befit giving in to the DMP way, I really don't want to go down the debt management plan for all sorts of reasons that I don't want to go into on here. So I'm going to really really focus in on staying out of my overdraft and in the black every month, sticking to a shopping budget and paying extra payments above my minimum payment off my cards. I have built up an emergency fund of £300 and I have savings for one off costly items that happen every year e.g MOT school uniform and Christmas. When I first had my lightbulb moment I had a loan, 3 credit cards, a next account and a very account. I have fully paid off my next account and I have £400 left of my very account. Hoping to have very fully paid off in the next few months then I can start concentrating on extra payments towards a card. So although I'm still in a LOT of debt I am probably in a better position than I was last year as I now have my various savings and emergency fund as a buffer so that I can live without constantly relying on credit.
Sorry this is a bit rambly I think I'm just thinking out loud getting it all out.
So I have to focus on staying in the black and paying off my very account first I think it helps me to focus on small goals rather than thinking about the whole thing which completely overwhelms me.

12_month_challenge

Popstess wrote: »

I'm still in a LOT of debt I am probably in a better position than I was last year I think it helps me to focus on small goals rather than thinking about the whole thing which completely overwhelms me.

Hi Pops

You are actually in a much better position than you was last year. Did you have an emergency fund last year, did you plan for Christmas, did you plan ahead for MOTs etc. See how far you've come already

As you said accepting the debt is there and working out a plan to pay it off is a massive step forward.

I have found that setting yourself small goals along the way rather than looking at the whole picture makes it that little bit easier to cope with.

The Next account is gone :T
Once the Very account is gone, that will be another one done.
And so on.

You CAN do this Pops. Good luck and keep posting on your progress
x

kerri_gt

*wot 12mth Challenge said*

Pops you're doing well, try not to be too hard on yourself, your debt wasn't accrued in a day so it's not realistic to think it will be busted in a day. You are definitely in a better position than you were last year with your Next account paid off, an emergency fund and even more, the mindset of not accruing more debt and tackling what you have.

Post / rant / celebrate on here as you feel fit - we're with you along your DF journey, the ups and downs and the in-betweeny bits too. xx

Florence_J

I know how annoying it can be one someone says 'i know how you feel' as this can make it seem like what you feel isn't unique. So without saying that exactly, I feel like I have been in a similar place recently.

The next few months are going to be very tough preparing for Christmas and also my friend's wedding. I've given serious thought as to whether i can afford to go to my close friend's wedding. I've given serious thought in bad moments as to whether i deserve to go to my friends wedding, on the basis that i got myself into this and should therefore punish myself.

But I do deserve to be kinder to myself, and so do you. You are a lovely, kind person, and like others have said above, the debt wasn't created in one moment, it was a combination of situations/moments/decisions. You are setting yourself up for failure and hurt if you think you can achieve overnight results. This is something I have had to tell myself.

You have achieved so much already, tell yourself that, you will achieve so much more, it will just take a little while longer.

We believe in you.

Popstess

Thanks everyone for your kind words and support it means a lot to me in a world where no one knows about my debt. Florence you really do deserve to go to your friends wedding but I can see exactly where you're coming from with the mindset of punishing yourself I get a bit like that too.
If I think about all the money I owe I begin to fall into a very very dark place so I have to be careful. One thing I am trying to focus on as a positive is that at least I am repaying my debt, I haven't missed a single payment all my household bills and mortgage is up to date I'm not being summoned to court and there aren't any bailiffs knocking on my door so I guess although at times it doesn't feel like it could be worse when you put it like tha it indeed definitely could be worse!!!

kerri_gt

Florence I totally agree about going to your friend's wedding - you don't have to do the full shebang of new outfit / expensive gift etc, but don't punish yourself for being in debt by not going. Not only will you miss out, but your friend will miss out on sharing her special day with you.

Pops I'm not normally into all this philosophical nonsense but having recently been through a very mixed few months, I am coming to think that perhaps sometimes we have to experience the darker places to appreciate the light. xx

Popstess

Hope you're okay Kerri life can be very tough. I could kick my self from here to kingdom come about how stupid I've been with money getting into all this debt it makes me feel sick to the stomach x

12_month_challenge

Hi Pops

If I kicked myself for every mistake I've made with money I would wear out my shoes :rotfl:

Don't beat yourself up too much about it. You are tackling it and WILL come out the other side.

Keep at it Pops
X
:A

pennystretcher

Hi Pops,

How are you? Just catching up with posts from the past few months (sorry, I've been AWOL)

How are you getting on with your Very account?

If you have struggled, please do not feel you can't post/vent here - we all have times when things go wrong.. I myself have blown my budget for this month, so determined to get back on track next month. Had family visiting me and it was the first time I had seen them for a while so went and bought silly wee things for the kids.. At the time seemed like a great idea, however I now think that maybe I should have spent my money more wisely and not bought a lot of small things to them and rather bought one "proper" present each. But then, you live and you learn..in my case slowly it seems :P