How do you keep the motivation going?

Highlanddream

Paid off two small debts, 5 to go, 3 credit cards of £2000 each & two loans. It will take me a while to clear the cards. How do you keep motivated

MFWannabe

Have you thought of posting in the diaries section of this board? 

 A lot of people in the same boat as you and give you ideas to stay motivated 

Rob5342

One way to speed things might be to reduce what you are paying, save the difference, and when you have built up enough use that to make a full.and final offer on one of them. Once you have cleared one that gives you more to save towards the next. If they are with DCAs you could also make CCA requests, if they can't provide the CCA then you can just stop paying them. 

I'm not sure that's the kind of advice you were after, but it might help you clear them more quickly.

ChampagneSupernova36

Congratulations on your progress so far. First of all , you’ve got to give yourself more credit and be kinder to yourself. You’ve already made amazing headway into clearing your debts, you’re already in less debt than you were before. It feels like a mountain to climb and can feel very laborious but every penny you pay is a penny less debt.

I know that it’s hard when you stop and think about it, I would also recommend a diary on this forum. It lets you keep up with your progress , you can look back and actually see the inroads you’ve made when you read back. It’s also motivating for others to see that there is a way out & also you’re categorically not alone in this , there’s plenty of us on the same journey.

i go through peaks and troughs with motivation & my diary certainly echoes that, but when I am feeling down I look for little victories and positivity (like getting a free coffee with loyalty vouchers or finding a fiver in an old coat) and I also look at where I started and can physically see the numbers go down.

There’s no quick and easy fix and I think that’s what’s so difficult for those of us that built up debt with credit cards and loans , we wanted that instant gratification. This process should hopefully teach us restraint , patience, budgeting and we can learn what it is we actually need to keep our body and souls going.

It may not feel like it right now , but this is all part of the journey ( the good the bad and the ugly) and each day is a lesson and a learning curve. There will come a time when the end is in sight , and it’ll all feel worth it.

until then , keep your head up and be proud of what you have accomplished so far !!

good luck xxxxx

MEM62

Highlanddream said:

How do you keep motivated

1) Pat yourself on the back for what you have achieved thus far
2) Keep imagining what it would feel like to be debt free
3) Remember that is is a journey and every payment puts you in a better position than you were last month  

foxgloves

Agree with @MEM62. Also, I would add for you to ride high on the fact that you are now only spending your own money, not somebody else's. Learning to live within our means is a valuable life skill. I can tell you from experience that there is nothing as good as that feeling of having paid off the final installment of debt. Keep plugging away at it. It will be so worth it. 
F

Highlanddream

ChampagneSupernova36 said:

Congratulations on your progress so far. First of all , you’ve got to give yourself more credit and be kinder to yourself. You’ve already made amazing headway into clearing your debts, you’re already in less debt than you were before. It feels like a mountain to climb and can feel very laborious but every penny you pay is a penny less debt.

I know that it’s hard when you stop and think about it, I would also recommend a diary on this forum. It lets you keep up with your progress , you can look back and actually see the inroads you’ve made when you read back. It’s also motivating for others to see that there is a way out & also you’re categorically not alone in this , there’s plenty of us on the same journey.

i go through peaks and troughs with motivation & my diary certainly echoes that, but when I am feeling down I look for little victories and positivity (like getting a free coffee with loyalty vouchers or finding a fiver in an old coat) and I also look at where I started and can physically see the numbers go down.

There’s no quick and easy fix and I think that’s what’s so difficult for those of us that built up debt with credit cards and loans , we wanted that instant gratification. This process should hopefully teach us restraint , patience, budgeting and we can learn what it is we actually need to keep our body and souls going.

It may not feel like it right now , but this is all part of the journey ( the good the bad and the ugly) and each day is a lesson and a learning curve. There will come a time when the end is in sight , and it’ll all feel worth it.

until then , keep your head up and be proud of what you have accomplished so far !!

good luck xxxxx

Thank you. I think you are right about the instant gratification. Head is now up and thinking about the £2600 I have paid off since December! 

Highlanddream

Thank you @MEM62 and @foxgloves. It's disheartening when you realise how long it is going to take.