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How thrifty can a thrifty forumite called ThriftyMissus be?

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Thriftymissus
Thriftymissus Posts: 270 Forumite
100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
edited 4 February at 1:35AM in Debt free diaries
I’m starting a diary…I’m good at stating the obvious.

In January 2024 my debt was £19,546 to HMRC after massively messing up amid repeated and intensive trauma, I may feel more comfortable sharing at some point. I also owed £4,000 to Amex. 

As of today, my total debt is at around £5,600. For the last little over 12 months, I’ve basically got my head down and made regular payments after a period of severe anxiety where I couldn’t even open a brown envelope let alone contact two debt agencies who were calling, texting and writing to pursue payment.

I settled one of my accounts with HMRC last week but got a text today to say I’d missed a payment. I couldn’t ring the number in the message quick enough to point out their mistake.

I transferred my Amex account to a 0% Lloyds card and now have 28 months to pay off a remaining £1675.

In terms of my emotional health around debt, I can’t believe how far I’ve come. From having had panic attacks over the prospect of discussing it with the agencies to go to immediately wanting to speak to them to request I’m taken off their system,  (and not feel sick while listening to their dreadful on-hold plinkety plunking of murdered music) - I’m realising is quite something. I’ve not told my partner or family about my debt but did confide in my daughter today. Makes a big difference confiding you’ve paid a shedload off of course.

Over the last year I’ve sold loads online, done Prolific and Curious Cat when I can, built up points where I shop regularly and significantly cut down on costs, so my outgoings were reduced in so many ways. This has been coupled with being as thrifty as I could, from cooking from scratch, meal planning, mostly ditching takeaways and opting for yellow sticker shopping etc, I’ve enjoyed becoming more frugal, I’ve not really stopped to catch my breath or ever thought ‘hang on, you’ve done well here,’ — who does when there’s the other option to beat yourself up for getting in such a mess in the first place? 🤦🏻‍♀️

I can’t believe I’ve done this in secret really. Of course my partner has seen piles of stuff to sell, he has known I’ve sought help for anxiety but hasn’t been aware fully of what has caused it alongside a heartbreaking time my family has been having. We’ve still managed to get out and about and away as I’ve prioritised my well-being. This in itself feels like an achievement I reckon — I’ve walked round our local park very often to clear my head, which is of course free ( yeah, stating the obvious again.)

I’ve been very much helped by posts on here and compiled my SOA and obsessively cut it down, according to wisdom and advice from some very kind people as I lurked and took note. I’m in a position now where direct debits for all my debts are organised and my last HMRC payment is due in February next year. But I’m fixed on clearing it quicker than that. I’m building savings at the same time. I’m lucky in that I have the potential to earn well, but my income is erratic and another priority for me is to improve on this. I have taken a part time job which is much lower paid than my usual work to bring more stability.

So this diary is to help me be accountable in continuing in the same way. For anyone who has read this far, a big thank you for listening.

 






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Comments

  • tunathe_cat
    tunathe_cat Posts: 467 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    hugs, baby steps well done you 
  • Thriftymissus
    Thriftymissus Posts: 270 Forumite
    100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    hugs, baby steps well done you 
    Aw that’s very kind thank you. 
  • beanielou
    beanielou Posts: 95,401 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Academoney Grad Mortgage-free Glee!
    Happy shiny new diary. 
    Be proud of how far you’ve come. 
    I am a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on Mortgage Free Wannabe & Local Money Saving Scotland & Disability Money Matters. If you need any help on those boards, do let me know.Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any post you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button , or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own & not the official line of Money Saving Expert.

    Lou~ Debt free Wanabe No 55 DF 03/14.**Credit card debt free 30/06/10~** MFW. Finally mortgage free O2/ 2021****
    "A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of" Jane Austen in Mansfield Park.

    ***Fall down seven times,stand up eight*** ~~Japanese proverb.
    ***Keep plodding*** Out of debt, out of danger. ***Be the difference.***
    One debt remaining. Home improvement loan.
  • Cara_
    Cara_ Posts: 132 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary
    Hello Thriftymissus

    You should be really proud of your achievements, especially when you repaid your debt on your own and in secret. 

    Good luck for the future, I will follow your diary.

    Cara
  • Thriftymissus
    Thriftymissus Posts: 270 Forumite
    100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    thank you @beanielou and @Cara_ I really do appreciate your encouragement. It feels strange to have said all of this ‘out loud’ but it does also feel like it has helped. 

    I’ve started the day with news of some new freelance work, which I quoted and my anxiety told me a) I was charging too much and b) the potential customer would think ‘nah’ — it has given me a real boost, I have other work on today as well, all very positive.

    I have had teeny tiny amounts of income today from 

    Curious Cat (£1.24)
    Current account interest (£2.12)

    I’ve set up a spreadsheet for all income and expenditure and am beyond impressed with myself for doing that.

    I’m on my fourth day of no spending and am hoping my partner will fancy what I’m now suggesting for tea in place of the chicken I thought we had in the freezer (fascinating I know but this is my dedication to being as tight as possible and not wanting to part with the cost of buying more chicken.)

    cheers and sending all my good wishes to those on here battling their debt and its emotional health fallout. This time next year Rodney, we’ll all be…much better off xxx
  • redofromstart
    redofromstart Posts: 5,816 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Just dropping in to say good luck with the next stage of your journey.
  • Thriftymissus
    Thriftymissus Posts: 270 Forumite
    100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Just dropping in to say good luck with the next stage of your journey.
    Thank you for your welcome :)
  • Cara_
    Cara_ Posts: 132 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary
    Finding out about the freelance work was a great way to start the day. I hope getting this work and the boost it gave you helps you recognise that your rates are correct for the work you produce and that customers value you.

    Delaying buying the chicken was a good idea - I'm sure what you made was equally nice.
  • Thriftymissus
    Thriftymissus Posts: 270 Forumite
    100 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Thank you @cara_ I’ve had more work come in and am chasing on other projects. I’ve upped my rates and am very grateful that people are trusting me, sometimes (very often) my anxiety means I doubt myself then I have to have a word! 

    I’ve been really busy with work and am feeling confident about building it back up after a rocky time. 

    So I’ve been cracking on transferring small amounts of money each day to my credit card. I’ve had six NSDs in a row, not spending in February except for petrol, I couldn’t be bothered raiding the freezer yesterday so had a tin of rice pudding for tea. I have money waiting in Prolific and have been beavering away on Curious Cat, I’ve had someone buy off me online today for a £9 sale, and I’ve resisted the urge to buy a TooGoodToGo bag — something I only discovered very recently and have liked the idea of. 

    I’m currently not using a local authority leisure club membership that’s £32 a month, it’s the only thing I’ve not got rid of that I should. They have stipulated you have to go and fill in a form in person so will aim to do that over the weekend. 


    So everything heading in the right direction, touch wood. Going to meal plan for next week and continue on the thriftiest of thrifty shenanigans. 


  • Cara_
    Cara_ Posts: 132 Forumite
    100 Posts Second Anniversary
    Excellent news about the other work and well done on the 6 NSD.
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