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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How much debt are you in?

338 replies

eyelinerpencil · 24/06/2026 02:00

Was chatting to a friend earlier who is in over 500k of debt, which she thought was ok but I think is astronomical.

OP posts:
MintChocCat · 24/06/2026 11:56

Feel like most people joining this thread are showing off about how much they’re not in debt….

crushedgrapes · 24/06/2026 11:55

I think there's good debt and bad debt.
Mortgage debt is good and cheap
Consumer debt less so
I don't think paying off mortgages is particularly financially savvy, they're the cheapest loans you can get

HiZev · 24/06/2026 11:52

Statsquestion1 · 24/06/2026 11:16

Yes, but a PP said “wow you lot are a rich you’ve got paid off your mortgages”. I’m merely pointing out that just because someone has paid off the mortgage it does not mean they’re rich. Means they are savvy yes…

I don't agree it makes someone savvy necessarily. They may well be under leveraged.

Differentforgirls · 24/06/2026 11:52

I don't have any but have had really bad debt in the past.

Not enough for legal stuff etc but enough that most of our salaries were going on paying it off.

One of the debts was for council tax arrears back in the day when Thatcher introduced the poll tax and we stupidly didn't pay it for two years as a protest.

Came right back to bite us on the arse as we both worked for a LA, so they just took it out of our wages 😬

Then we went to Habitat to buy dining room furniture (back when Habitat was an expensive option) and they offered us interest free credit, then told us we weren't eligible as we had no debt, no overdraft, nothing. So we paid cash and then went and got all of the above.

Ended up having to extend the mortgage for a few years, which isn't an option for people who rent.

Now I won't even use our overdraft which we reduced to £500, but I can't use it. It makes me anxious.

Its awful having debt.

Thankfully behind us but I feel for people who have it.

houseofisms · 24/06/2026 11:51

£90k (mortgage on a 5 bed house) I’m 46 but got a critical illness payout which helped A LOT

Ilovemum · 24/06/2026 11:50

£200 on credit card- will be payed off at payday....
85k on mortgage.....
Mortgage hopefully will be payed off in 15years....
£200 in savings (mine)
A lot in my husband's accounts though which we don't count as it's a retirement fund (mostly in stocks and shares).....

janeszebra · 24/06/2026 11:46

None apart from mortgage which is about 175,000

Imseriouslyyouguys · 24/06/2026 11:45

MintChocCat · 24/06/2026 11:44

Also you can move, downsize, sell up completely.

Yes exactly, that’s a given.

Imseriouslyyouguys · 24/06/2026 11:45

Nothing other than £100k mortgage on a house now worth £800k. Due to be paid off in 7 years. Joint with husband, both late 40s.

MintChocCat · 24/06/2026 11:44

Imseriouslyyouguys · 24/06/2026 11:43

“We were including mortgage. I don’t understand how you don’t class that as debt.”

Because it’s “debt” against a valuable asset where that asset is worth more than the debt (other than in increasingly rare occasions of negative equity).

It’s not the same as other types of debt which is why people don’t consider it as such.

Also you can move, downsize, sell up completely.

MagicThanks · 24/06/2026 11:43

£300k but it’s all mortgage and will be paid off in 10-15 years all being well

Imseriouslyyouguys · 24/06/2026 11:43

eyelinerpencil · 24/06/2026 06:42

We were including mortgage. I don’t understand how you don’t class that as debt.

We were counting mortgage and student loan. Everything.

Edited

“We were including mortgage. I don’t understand how you don’t class that as debt.”

Because it’s “debt” against a valuable asset where that asset is worth more than the debt (other than in increasingly rare occasions of negative equity).

It’s not the same as other types of debt which is why people don’t consider it as such.

MintChocCat · 24/06/2026 11:42

Statsquestion1 · 24/06/2026 11:24

😉

I do still think it’s a privileged position to be in. I wish I was in a position where I could make over payments on our mortgage.

clearlyy · 24/06/2026 11:42

About 5 grand. I’m paying it off monthly. I can’t even get a consolidation loan to pay it all off which is winding me up.

MintChocCat · 24/06/2026 11:42

XenoBitch · 24/06/2026 11:01

it is Plan 1, so sadly not until I am 65.

Ahh that’s a shame

Thechaseison71 · 24/06/2026 11:41

No debt at all

Statsquestion1 · 24/06/2026 11:24

Differentforgirls · 24/06/2026 11:19

Ah right. Get you 👌

😉

Runsaway · 24/06/2026 11:21

None.

Sharletonz · 24/06/2026 11:21

No mortgage or credit card debt
30k loan which is being paid across 5 years.
I'm a single parent, work 2 jobs, DDs dad contributes exactly nothing to her upbringing, a loan gave us some breathing space and enabled me to get a new car. Steadily paying it off, all bills get paid and i save £500 month from my 2 jobs in a combination of high interest savings and DDs JISA account.
It feels like a huge amount of debt to me but it's manageable. Some of us aren't fortunate enough to have a two person household income or a huge savings cushion or help from parents I guess.

Winterpeach · 24/06/2026 11:21

Zero debt.

Differentforgirls · 24/06/2026 11:20

cinquanta · 24/06/2026 11:15

That isn’t necessarily true if you your circumstances change at the same time. Retirement, for example.

When we paid ours off we saved the payments every month which is a nice nest egg. We both retired at 60.

Differentforgirls · 24/06/2026 11:19

Statsquestion1 · 24/06/2026 11:16

Yes, but a PP said “wow you lot are a rich you’ve got paid off your mortgages”. I’m merely pointing out that just because someone has paid off the mortgage it does not mean they’re rich. Means they are savvy yes…

Ah right. Get you 👌

mindutopia · 24/06/2026 11:18

Only debt is my mortgage, which is probably about £400k on an £800k+ house. Bought at 40, plan to be paid off by 50 and be mortgage free.

I think that’s fine. 🤷🏻‍♀️ No car finance. Never had a credit card or taken out any sort of credit or personal loan.

Spidey66 · 24/06/2026 11:17

Nil.

well I owe £500 on my credit card for a holiday but intend to clear in the next couple of weeks.

literallyevery · 24/06/2026 11:16

Not including my mortgage because I don’t agree that’s debt (it’s 230k) age 36. We currently have £532.69 on a credit card which will be halved on pay day then paid off in July.