Done it! Grateful to so many of you who shared their own challenges. You often said what I couldn't.

pennypuppy

Thank you. Yes you if you have posted in any way in this debt forum. The stories and the responses picked me up because I realised I wasn't alone, life could be worth living despite debt and people cared. Sourcrates stood out, the advice to so many helped me breathe when at my worst.

a. The date of your lightbulb moment
At least 10 years ago but the light was reburied often with my head under sand as I couldn't cope. I began by just chipping at the vast mountain.

b. Debts at their highest
Nearly 25k

c. Debt-Free Date
14/04/2021

d. Your one perl of wisdom.
Declutter everything

I looked around me, everywhere was cluttered with piles of stuff. I certainly had hoarded to deal with grief and trauma. I started to declutter by selling as much as possible. At first sentiment crippled me but as I gained the financial rewards I got a hell of a buzz. It didn't matter how small. Yesterday I made 3.90 and I can't tell you how happy that made me, the thing would have gone in the bin otherwise. I stopped taking things other people were getting rid of (like a table from my aunt). I stopped buying stupid things - yes from the pound shop. I realised I don't need 1000 different cleaning products (I now only have cif and bleach which I decant and dilute into a spray bottle).
Re negotiating with those debt companies, it was hard work. I got a family member to assist with communication because doing so directly put me in a very dark place. 
I often gave up after a rejection and everything became bleak. Then generally in the wee hours I would look again at this forum and would start chipping once more.
Occasionally when a full and final was achieved I cannot tell you the excitement. It was like a lead weight had been lessened on my shoulders. The sky looked bluer. Seriously. It was like a debt declutter!
Anyway, if you are sitting there wondering if you can ever get through this - you can. A little bit at a time and yes you are a worthwhile person. You will find a way, not everyone's route is the same.
You take care. 

pennypuppy

Incidentally I saw this which made me realise I had begun to hoard. I was a level 1 hoarder but I did also have one of the ticks from level 3 (spare bedroom unusable because stuff stored in boxes). It's an expensive thing to do in so many ways.
https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/hoarding/related/levels-of-hoarding/

southern_chick

great  post and congratulations on being debt free. Xx

makingmehappy

What a lovely post. Well done pennypuppy, congratulations on your debtfreedom

findingthisdifficult

Amazing!  Well done.  

I can 100% agree that without this forum I wouldn't have got out of debt either.  I just thought having debt was 'normal' but still being relatively new to a debt free (excluding my mortgage) life.  I can honestly say it feels like a huge weight has been lifted and I learnt that I don't need to buy the latest stuff to 'keep up with the joneses' in order to be happy.