The Debt Free Roll Of Honour

sth.coast · 3 June 2018 at 5:24PM

As of 1st June 2018 I am now debt free. I had £100k debt and contacting CCCS/stepchange was the best thing I ever did. Sure it’s been tough for the past 7years but StepChange helped me enormously, so much so I never got any hassle from creditors.

Reading this forum has been so helpful as well and really kept me going. Thank you to everyone on here!

I certainly won’t be getting into debt again and I’ve learned my lesson. I can look forward to saving now and enjoying life more.

For anyone who is unsure of their first step, give a debt charity a call and see if a debt management plan is for you. You have to make sacrifices but you stay in control.

a. The date of your lightbulb moment.
May 2011 when I contacted CCCS who are now StepChange. I realised I couldn’t go on any longer.

b. Debts at their highest
Just under £100k

c. Debt-Free Date
1st June 2018

d. Your one perl of wisdom.
Realising that cheaper supermarkets like Aldi are actually very good and cost much less than Sainsbury and Waitrose. Much savings were made there.

host-two · 9 June 2018 at 2:12PM

Lightbulb moment: January 2017

Debts at highest: around £15,000

Debt free date: June 2018

Old debt was older than 6 years therefore 90% of it was written off leaving me about £200 to pay on utility bills... these are now all clear!

MadamMim2013 · 20 June 2018 at 11:36AM

Yip Yip.. Debt free from here on!:T

a. The date of your lightbulb moment
It was around June 2009, initially used CCCS (Step Change) until I discovered David & Goliath, they helped me to challenge the debt.

b. Debts at their highest
£23,000

c. Debt-Free Date
20/06/2018:j:j:j

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.
Keep track of everything, incomings/outgoings and be kind to yourself, we are only human and we make mistakes.. Just don't give up, keep plodding and eventually it will work out one way or another!

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you
Old style MoneySaving and enjoyed using/reading/ picking up tips from lots of areas, finding motivation from others.

f. Which forum threads helped you
HEAPS, though my main "go to" threads were
Grocery Challenge
Garden fence
Flylady
Simpler life

g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it
No diary..

Ooh ooh.. Do I get a sticker now??:rotfl::j:rotfl:

glass_half_full · 21 June 2018 at 8:41PM

Debt free at last :j

a. The date of your lightbulb moment
3rd November 2015

b. Debts at their highest
£17,420

c. Debt-Free Date
21st June 2018

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.
Track every single spend every single day, learn to say no.

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you
Use all the tools on the site to challenge your spending and to get better deals for everything.

f. Which forum threads helped you
Debt-free Diaries, Debt-free Wannabe Challenges, Mortgage-free Wannabe

g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it

[URL=" https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5353176"]My debt free diary[/URL]

Debtfreeforever · 21 June 2018 at 9:07PM

That is amazing glass half full!!! Well done

greent · 30 June 2018 at 8:45AM

Yesterday I paid off the last bit of our debt - so we are now debt free - whoop! (all we owe now is the BTL mtge - which is reducing monthly and LTV <60%, so I don't include that) :j :j

a. The date of your lightbulb moment
Probably when I joined in with Pay off all your debt challenges just over 18 months ago - so let's say late 2016

b. Debts at their highest
Hmm - hard to say exactly, as I concentrated on some bits and ran up some 0% whilst getting higher ones down. Probably paid £30k off in that time, maybe £8k of which was 'new' debt in that time

c. Debt-Free Date
29th June 2018

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.
Face up to the scary amounts, come up with a plan and timescale of how to repay and read MSE DFW challenges for inspiration

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you
N/A - I just used DFW challenges and experience of paying off our mortgage a few years before.

f. Which forum threads helped you
Debt-free Wannabe Challenges, Mortgage Free Wannabe Board

g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it
Nope - only ever posted in the 'Pay off all your debt by Xmas' challenges
although I do have a MFW diary

Debtfreeforever · 30 June 2018 at 9:05AM

Congratulations greent, that is fantastic!!!

Well done.

What is BTL?

greent · 30 June 2018 at 10:49AM

Debtfreeforever wrote: »

Congratulations greent, that is fantastic!!!

Well done.

What is BTL?

Thank you

Buy to Let x

beanielou · 30 June 2018 at 11:25AM

greent wrote: »

Yesterday I paid off the last bit of our debt - so we are now debt free - whoop! (all we owe now is the BTL mtge - which is reducing monthly and LTV <60%, so I don't include that) :j :j

a. The date of your lightbulb moment
Probably when I joined in with Pay off all your debt challenges just over 18 months ago - so let's say late 2016

b. Debts at their highest
Hmm - hard to say exactly, as I concentrated on some bits and ran up some 0% whilst getting higher ones down. Probably paid £30k off in that time, maybe £8k of which was 'new' debt in that time

c. Debt-Free Date
29th June 2018

d. Your one pearl of wisdom.
Face up to the scary amounts, come up with a plan and timescale of how to repay and read MSE DFW challenges for inspiration

e. Links to the MSE guides that helped you
N/A - I just used DFW challenges and experience of paying off our mortgage a few years before.

f. Which forum threads helped you
Debt-free Wannabe Challenges, Mortgage Free Wannabe Board

g. And if you had a debt diary on the Debt-Free Wannabe board (DFW), a link to it
Nope - only ever posted in the 'Pay off all your debt by Xmas' challenges
although I do have a MFW diary

WEll done :T:T:T

Lee_Walker · 26 July 2018 at 4:56PM

I have finally done it! 9 and a half years after starting my DMP at a whopping £30,000 debt, I AM FREE!!

Lightbulb moment - sitting in toilets at work feeling sick as I saw what was left after all debts had gone out didn't leave enough for rent or food for the month. I asked my mother for help for the 100th time and in tears she said she couldn't help me anymore, but recommended a company she had heard of and friends had used. That evening I contacted PayPlan and instantly a weight was lifte, no more dodging phonecalls!

Debts at highest were around £32,000

Debt free date = 18/07/2018

Advice = don't keep your head buried in the sand, it may be scary but ask for help, it is out there and you are NOT alone!

It feels so good to be able to start rebuilding my life and credit file!

Thank you to Payplan, my family and to MSE and their lovely forum posters!

The Debt Free Roll Of Honour

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