2022 - Moving forward

WinterWarrior

Well done on the decluttering. I can’t believe how fast your mortgage is reducing, you put me to shame.
I find strepsils to suck on a night help with coughing, but also honey and lemon in warm water to sip, or just neat teaspoons of honey. It sounds like you are coming out the other side though, thank goodness. 

I hope you have a lovely day. 

jwil

WinterWarrior said:

Well done on the decluttering. I can’t believe how fast your mortgage is reducing, you put me to shame.
I find strepsils to suck on a night help with coughing, but also honey and lemon in warm water to sip, or just neat teaspoons of honey. It sounds like you are coming out the other side though, thank goodness. 

I hope you have a lovely day. 

Thank you   I'm amazed how quickly it is going down too, it only seems like yesterday we broke the £100k barrier.  Most of that is the monthly payment though rather than the overpayments.

I might get some strepsils or something to keep handy - good idea, thank you!

NeverendingDMP

Sorry to hear the cough is still troubling you. Well done on the debts and mortgage. They seem to be flying down. It won't be long before the whole lot is under 100 k 

jwil

I've caught up on the admin.  All looking good.  Another default has fallen off my credit report, hurrah!  2 left (of 8), and they will come off December and January (and they are not the two creditors I am still paying off, so both are settled).  It's nice to see the end of it, and getting those defaults has been the best learning curve for me.  Not having access to credit has forced me to change my spending habits, and I *think* I've learnt my lesson now.  I do still fritter and spend sometimes, but not on the same scale as before.  I have savings!  My increasing dislike of 'stuff' and concerns about climate change should also help keep me on the straight and narrow.

I don't want to use credit in the same way I have in the past, but I think we will need to use it to get the work on the house done, so knowing my credit file will be clear next year gives me hope that we might be able to start doing some of the work.  I do still want to save and pay for as much as we can ourselves, but with some of the bigger jobs, it will be years before we can get there.  I will be sensible though and only use credit if we really have to.

If I hadn't taken the step of finally going on to the DMP I'd still be on the cycle of robbing peter to pay paul, consolidating, increasing debt and just getting in a bigger mess.  I'm so glad to be out of that now.  I no longer fear the post, phone calls or simply using my debit card in case it gets declined.

NeverendingDMP

I bet it's feeling so good for the defaults to nearly be gone. It's like a penance the six years isn't it. I've not been as good as you as I've dabbled in borrowing still and fallen off the wagon completely to do house works but like you've said, some things need to be saved for for many years and it's not always feasible. It's all an enforced learning curve but it's far nicer than sleepless nights and swapping money around I'm circles all the time isn't it. You are doing very well. X

jwil

NeverendingDMP said:

I bet it's feeling so good for the defaults to nearly be gone. It's like a penance the six years isn't it. I've not been as good as you as I've dabbled in borrowing still and fallen off the wagon completely to do house works but like you've said, some things need to be saved for for many years and it's not always feasible. It's all an enforced learning curve but it's far nicer than sleepless nights and swapping money around I'm circles all the time isn't it. You are doing very well. X

Thank you Without that break from accessing credit, I don't think I would have learnt my lesson.  I think doing works on the house is something different as long as they are needed and not frivolous decorating for the sake of it (which I know yours weren't!).  I well and truly screwed my credit file, so didn't even attempt to get any credit until last year.  I got a credit card with a small limit, and do use it sometimes but try and keep on top of it.  It's handy to have for emergencies.

NeverendingDMP

I think a little credit card is handy to use and pay off. I managed 3 years with no credit then got a card to use abroad just in case whilst visiting family. Since then it's also doubled as a handy thing to purchase online, get cashback from and be covered by the section whatever number it is thing that protects my purchases. It's about knowing it's a tool as opposed to having to rely on it. Hopefully none of us will ever be back to that stage!

jwil

NeverendingDMP said:

I think a little credit card is handy to use and pay off. I managed 3 years with no credit then got a card to use abroad just in case whilst visiting family. Since then it's also doubled as a handy thing to purchase online, get cashback from and be covered by the section whatever number it is thing that protects my purchases. It's about knowing it's a tool as opposed to having to rely on it. Hopefully none of us will ever be back to that stage!

I agree, definitely

doingitanyway

Like you I. am thankful for access to a little credit but I. am so aware of how it can switch so quickly from being a help to a hindrance.  

Hope you are enjoying the BH 

jwil

doingitanyway said:

Like you I. am thankful for access to a little credit but I. am so aware of how it can switch so quickly from being a help to a hindrance.  

Hope you are enjoying the BH 

Thank you, I hope you are enjoying it too.  I'm very mindful this time of that slippery slope, so will be watching myself carefully!