The long haul supporters thread...

poohbear59

Hi MIT, I hope you manage to reduce your debt soon. It must be very frustrating not to be able to get your mortgage yet but the bonus for you must be today's news that house prices have gone down again.

hello and welcome babybear

recurrent-ostrich

Not doing very well at the moment. We had to buy a new bed as both hubby and I were having awful back pain from our 15 year old one. And then we had two vet bills that weren't covered by insurance and now both our cars need work. I just feel like it's one step forwards and two backwards right now.

Happytogetdebtfree

Dont feel disheartend recurrent ostrich, we cant prevent all incidents happening i always look at it like this if i have to lower back to my minimum paymemts i do knowing that i can accomodate the change in circumstances and as soon as the time is right payments will increase, every day we are doing so and eventually we will be financially free hats off to us all xx

BlushingRose

Can I join the thread too please? (I love numbers!)
Our debt free date is in approx 14 years time, unless things change, so I guess that counts as the long haul!
I had a melt down in tesco yesterday as I'd been given a £5 gift card as a gesture of goodwill from their customer services and I resented that fact that we had to use it for a) groceries and b) so few as everything was so expensive. I just sobbed into Mr BR's shoulder....very embarrassing!
I realise that we've *saved* £5 but it doesn't feel like it

Happytogetdebtfree

welcome br of course your welcome we will support you and help you on your journey to financial freedom xx

Allypops

BR,

Sorry you are feeling down. But a fivers a fiver I bet your DFD will come forward over time too. Remember, this is all new territory and you're bound to have a few wobbles.

As for me, I have to stop wishing my life away. I keep thinking roll on 5 years time, things will be better in 5 years time etc, etc. I just want to hibernate for the next 5 years! However, I have young kids and need to be making the most of NOW, if not for me then for them. But how?

In_Search_Of_Me

Misslr (304)
abundant1972 (305)
piquant (306)
babybear 8 (307)
blushingrose (308)

Firstly well done to sprarkly0107! That's fantastic news and my heart always leaps for joy when someone becomes debt free! Great news! Please tell us all about your trip and how DW takes the news. Bizarrley my first lbm (there have been many!) was after a trip to new york and my next trip will be my debt free one!
Secondly welcome newbies. My apoloigies that some of you have had to wait so long for a number. Introduce yourselves and say a bit about how you got here if you are able!
Thirdly I have been absent for good reason as have now had my gastric bypass (aka roux en y..)info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_bypass_surgery
and am recovering at home. Its been tough going but will be worth it in the end! Suffice to say had to pay for the op which was no easy decision as felt I could almost touch freedom as down to £16000 but whats the point in being debt free if you have no capacity to enjoy or particiapte in life normally? After much investigation, discussion and thought have done it which is why I have been a rubbish updater so my sincere apoligies. To add to stress also had another incident at work which was awful as it bought back last year and was literally concluded a few days before my op and after another worrying month. Anyway all sorted now so onwards and upwards!
Re people feeling one step forward and two back it is common, esp for longhaulers, as it takes us so long to pay debt off so things like cars, boilers etc have a tendency to break down during the process! At least youre on the track and are getting there...just keep plodding and we'll all get there in the end!

Welcome back to those who have been away for a while, again common for long haul cos we get fed up!

andrar

howdy ya'll

So being in masses of debt i'm finding it pretty depressing having to turn down social events regularly and not being able to plan a holiday as I have no spare cash yet to pay for anything it seems!

I'm just after a bit of advice and motivation on how lovely folks like yourselves in similar situations don't let it get you down????

At the minute my wage just about covers the cost of my bills and repayments for debt (I'm paying slightly over minimum payment for credit cards and the agreed amount for my loan) groceries, petrol etc. and leaves me with about £50 to cover maybe one big or a couple of small evening nights out a month (I'm talking a beer or so in the pub, definetely not extravagant meals out or anything!) - but there's no room for error, holidays or unexpected bills!

How do you stop getting depressed about a lack of being able to do anything exciting, and on what seems like a never ending journey?!

millionaire_in_training

I stop myself ( or rather talk myself out of) getting down about things by having dreams for the future. I have a very exciting future planned when I have some money. I want to go into business with my daughter when she finishes college and change my life entirely. So get yourself some dreams. Real ones - even if it is to go on an amazing holiday paid in cash. Have a goal x

flumpkin

Hi would love to join you all and have some company, support and inspiration for the long journey ahead. I have known I needed to do something about our debts for the last few years but also knowing how massive they are it has been very daunting to face up to. I was worried we did not have enough to cover them and so buried head in the sand. On a positive note, over the last 12 months I've closed a lot of cards who wanted to increase our interest rate and I have tried hard to not add to the debts but I have only been paying minimum payments and the odd thing has still been put on a card. I finally bit the bullet and entered it all into the snowball calculator last week and feel pretty positive that we can do this. We owe in the region (not inc mortgage) of wait for it....about 64k :eek: gulp!! BUT if we snowball just with the min amounts we are paying at the mo then we have a DFD of Jan 2017, which although a long time ahead it is not as bad as I had thought and I can see a glimmer of light at the end of this tunnel. Our cards are on quite high rates too so hopefully we can do some balance transfers along the line. I need to do a proper SOA but for now I am pleased to have finally had my real LBM.

I've been reading the forums for a while and as you can see I am def going to be here for the long haul so thought I ought to come by and say hello! x