Just how rife is unsecured debt?

EssexHebridean

Poor_Single_lady wrote: »

When you are in debt you feel tired all the time, weary and very defeated. You need help and support and all of that is very good. When you log on you see what other people are saying, how they are dealing with it and what they are struggling with. This all does help.

But I think we might have to agree to disagree about the sentance "im not in debt". I don't find this helpful to read on this forum for people who are in debt. maybe its because it appears in isolation and people don't always clarify but for whatever reason I don't think its helpful. Well done on not being in debt, that's fantastic for you.

Its sort of like saying i don't have that problem but this is what i think. Well I love to hear what you think but I think I listen more if you don't explicitly say that this isn't a problem you suffer from

YOU feel that way - but not everyone does. Some people, once they've had that "lightbulb moment" feel energised, relieved, ready to take on the world as they've finally seen a way forwards. And guess how I know this...?

Karonher wrote: »

I tend to read to get tips about staying debt free. I don't think people gloat about it.

When you are debt free do you think you will stop posting. reading or stay around for information and to give support?

I suspect we know the answer to that question. :

Poor Single Lady - the majority of the "I'm not in debt" comments here are qualified by the poster then going on to explain how they have become that way, and then offering the benefit of that experience to others who ARE currently in debt. How helpful do you think this forum would be, as a resource, if everyone simply came on, posted how tired and defeated they were, said "Poor me" and then went away again? As for it being fantastic that people have become debt free - you're damned right it is, that's a LOT of hard work and effort and deprivation that has gone in there and those people deserve a massive pat on the back. Those that come back here for years after, repaying the help and support that they were given while they were on the hard slog deserve that, and the respect of those who come after, more than any, IMO.

jonnybeegood

It's been about 6 weeks since I posted this and in that time I have learnt so much about money and debt. It seems that FAR more people in my family and circle of friends have debts than I ever realised. Not quite to the level of mine, but significant debts all the same.

Turns out that my best friend who I imagined was debt free actually owed 30k! The thing that has also surprised me is that so many people aren't worried about it!

sourcrates

jonnybeegood wrote: »

It's been about 6 weeks since I posted this and in that time I have learnt so much about money and debt. It seems that FAR more people in my family and circle of friends have debts than I ever realised. Not quite to the level of mine, but significant debts all the same.

Turns out that my best friend who I imagined was debt free actually owed 30k! The thing that has also surprised me is that so many people aren't worried about it!

It's usually a dramatic change in circumstances, such as loss of job, divorce, or accident, that brings on a reality check in most people.

jonnybeegood

sourcrates wrote: »

It's usually a dramatic change in circumstances, such as loss of job, divorce, or accident, that brings on a reality check in most people.

I think you are right. It was the mention of redundancies at my workplace that put the fear of god into me. We owe over 40k so it would have been impossible to service such a debt load without my decent salary.

I have also noticed how people don't really know how much they owe. My friend who is in 30K of debt only found out the true total when he applied for a remortgage and was forced to take a proper look at his finances. He thought he owed 20k

I can see from your other posts that you once owed 57k. Well done for paying that amount off - it gives me hope!