SeekingRedemption's DFD

SeekingRedemption

Hello,

You may have seen my thread on the main DFD board, but to briefly summarise: ordinary family guy, went through redundancy and separation in quick succession, hit the bottle, lost the plot, had access to loads of credit, racked up almost £20k of debt in short space of time, had LBM, ended up here.

I'm going to use this thread to document my progress and keep me on the straight & narrow.

One bit of good news to report - I'd got my payment schedule wrong on my lease. I don't actually pay my rent until after payday, so I'm going to put the £550 I'd earmarked for this month into an emergency fund. That way I've always got a month's grace.

UncannyScot

Hi and Welcome
Similar story here (see my Diary "Rambling On" )
We are all here to help and support each other so if you need any advice, info etc. Just post it up and we will do our best to help out.
Are you seeking FREE professional help? My advice is use your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) they have financial / debt advisors who will help you.
Looking forward to reading your progress
Will subscribe and follow

SeekingRedemption

Thanks mate, appreciate the support. At the moment my income is sufficient to cover my debt payments, so I don't need the CAB (yet), but I'm only a job loss or a bout of illness away from disaster, so it's good to know they're there if I need them.

DancingUnicorn

Welcome and good luck! You are fortunate that your income covers your debt payments. I would suggest to budget, budget, budget and stick to it and you'll be debt free in no time.

SeekingRedemption

Thanks very much. I've starting living frugally (with loads of help from the good folk on here) and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, although it'll likely take a couple of years before I get there.

Meal planning has been an absolute eye-opener.

SeekingRedemption

Had a bit of a wobble the last couple of days. Not in terms of overspending, but in terms of dealing with the guilt & shame of what I've done. I've got this horrible nagging fear that I'll die before I sort out my debts, and leave my children with nothing.

Still, I've just got to keep on going. I reckon I can halve my debts in the next 12 months, so that's the aim. Looking forward to the end of this month when I get paid and can begin my journey proper.