How did I end up here...

Horace

Is satellite TV a necessity? If not ditch it and use the usual 5 channels plus freeview.

Your food bill can be cut drastically especially if you make a list of what you need (not necessarily what you want), keep a stock of things like loo rolls, tinned tomatoes, etc - use cheap supermarkets such as Lidl, Aldi and Netto

I would be ditching the car too - so what if you are in a senior role, get yourself something cheaper that is also more economical to run.

Look at other areas of this site and register for Martin's weekly email - he has lots of tips on 0% on balance transfers credit cards - this might reduce your debt somewhat.

Put your loose change into a jamjar and don't touch or count it for 6 months to a year (so you might need a big jar so use several).

Hope this helps.

Tustastic

Hi Barefoot DJ, love the name. Well done for posting and wanting to tackle your debts.
I agree with the earlier posts about
- analysing how you ran the debts up
- telling your OH some debt-busting needs to be done now to increase her chances of being a full-time mother if she'd like to have the option. I bet she'd rather contribute more to the household bills from her salary than go back to work straight from the labour room.
- changing the car for a more economical and baby-friendly model
- getting a good value phone/TV/broadband bundle
- and doing a spending diary, last but not least. Tedious but boy it shows where the money is leaking from.
Other thoughts - you said you've just come out of one mortgage. Are you locked into a new deal or do you have the flexibility to see if you can get a better deal?
If you have a decent credit record, can you shift any of the card debts to new 0% interest or low life of balance cards? Read the article on the main website about doing this.
If you pay only the minimum, it will take ages to reduce the debt. Put the debts and interest rates into the snowball calculator at whatsthecost.com to see what your debt-free date would be if you change nothing, and how much you can bring it forward if you increase the payments.
Please don't even think about remortgaging at a higher amount, or getting a consolidation loan. All the evidence is that most people who do this end up running up even more debts and getting into terrifying difficulties.
You have a good job, a marriage and a baby on the way - now is the perfect moment to batter the debts down!

The_Barefoot_DJ

Thanks to everyone who has replied. I'm starting my spending diary today and hopefully I'll see where it is all disappearing too. I started the year with packed lunches (only slipped up today as I have been ill all weekend) but still kept it low.

I have spoken to the OH about the debt (not all of it) and we're planning on how we can make some savings so there's no rush back to work. She wants to go back after 6 months off because of her career but will probably go back 4 days a week and reduced hours perhaps over those four days.

I am in the process of settling the debt on the Audi and looking for a cheaper (reliable) car. I drive a diesel anyway and get good mileage so will have to find a similar fuel efficiency.

I have done the balance transfers (no offers forthcoming from existing companies yet..).

I have reduced by insurance to £40 per month for the car (from £75). I'm using my company mobile as my own phone (its a fringe benefit) and hope to cut back on Orange as soon as I'm out of the 3 month no change period.

Have found a cheaper mortgage deal saving £120 pcm and am challenging my existing bank to match it.

All my loose change is saved which meant the post-christmas shop was paid for £35 collected via a Coinstar machine from just three months saving. Another £70 in £1 coins awaits the next shop.

It's all slowly getting there. The aim is to reduce costs and ensure enough spare cash for when the little one arrives. Parents are going to help with furniture etc and we've actually got loads of cash and vouchers from our wedding presents which we could use towards the nursery and maternity needs.

Thanks for all your support. Will update on savings when I get a chance to do the calculations..

Barefoot