My DMP diary - 2026 (year 1)

ArtyJ931

I’ll be speaking to the dentist tomorrow and I’m now wondering whether to get a second opinion about whether it’s necessary at all.

ArtyJ931

This weekend I have finished moving payments and DD to my new unattached-to-any-debt bank account.

I have also created a new email address and changed my contact email on all my debts to it.

I have amended my income/outgoing spreadsheets with my new (unfortunately increased) bill amounts and somehow lost my saved SOA so will need to re-do that unfortunately.

Bread made this morning so that's lunches sorted for the week. Dinner made and leftovers for tomorrow. This week's shopping done today. Need to get my overnight oats made before bed and that is food for tomorrow all sorted and I don't have to think about it which is good as I have a full on day at work.

Have a couple of questions I will ask on the main board shortly that have popped up but feel I am moving in the right direction.

ArtyJ931

Re-did my SOA yesterday evening because I had a flash of “maybe if I just cut back I can…” which has kept me in the debt cycle for so long.

Useful (albeit a waste of time really) in that I saw that regardless of what I cut down on, I still can’t afford it.

So that was good and spurred me to action.

Finished phoning those people I had to call to change direct debits/payments to my new account.

I have withdrawn any money in my old account linked to the debt and cancelled all the direct debits on that account (I hope this was for the best - at least I won’t also be accruing charges). I have put that money into my first ever emergency fund which feels incredible.

So I have properly started the DMP process. Adrenalin a little high right now and trying to manage the feeling of stress.

The next part for me is making affordability complaints but I think I will wait to start those though advice welcome as to when is the best time.

And breathe

ArtyJ931

Two of my loans are with the current account that I was using (now moved to new non-debt-linked one) and it occurred to me in the night that first direct will probably take the loan repayments out of the OD this month? There is just enough of an OD to make both loan payments.

So maybe those won’t start on the process til May.

I keep almost looking around expecting something to be happening but nobody knows I’ve stopped paying yet.

I await the 1st April with baited breath.

ArtyJ931

As I look round my house with plaster down to the brick in places, no carpet so bare floorboards here and there, electrical work that needs doing as soon as possible … it also reminds me that I cannot afford the debt. I have been unable to save up to complete basic ongoing house maintenance (some with safety implications) because I have been maxed out repaying endless debt. So if I ever wish I hadn’t done this in the future, hopefully reading this diary will help!

ArtyJ931

Plans for this weekend:

• work on my budget as I noticed a few details that I had missed (largely things that need removing woohoo)
• Cinema (I pay monthly through work for unlimited cinema)
• Have to do a food shop as things are bare - have already made a meal plan for the week.
• Loads of washing and cleaning up - boo
• Brace myself for imminent fuelling of my car
• Brace myself again for imminent 1st of the month and 1st missed payments 🫣
• Brace myself x infinity for the MOT of my 16yo Renault. 😬😬😬

Lots of bracing myself basically. My 2026 life.

ArtyJ931

I have done my signature and now I feel sick looking at the figures… nearly 70k of unsecured debt. 😑😫

It's such a long signature I don't know whether I should just delete it or summarise it or what. It's practically war and peace at the foot of every post.

EDIT: I've faffed about with various options and come back to the original one. Might remove the entire thing as it is utterly miserable to look at.

in_need_of_direction

does the signature upset you or motivate you? You need to do what works for you. It might be worth leaving for a month and see how you feel. I also think you need to record something positive even if just a small increase in an emergency fund.

ArtyJ931

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81940691#Comment_81940691

I am stopping paying the debts as of this month as I am going down the self managed DMP route… so they're not really going to move for a while so you are right, it might be worth deleting for now.

Once I get paid I'll actually have the beginnings of an emergency fund so that will be something positive to add.

I'm going to file affordability complaints and hope that if successful that will take a chunk of this total out which will be motivating. it's hard to know what to do - I'm still on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster of highs and lows about it all at the minute.

ArtyJ931

I've added my emergency fund so far (including this month's addition) I'm not yet sure how much I should aim for with an EF