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Original poster

To ask how much you owe on credit cards ?

569 replies

anxiousmotherof1 · 26/10/2018 15:49

Getting to the end of maternity leave and i just realized i owe quite a bit on credit cards ! Dont think is that much but my husband is of the opposite opinion !
So how much you currently owe ?

OP posts:
Ta1kinpeace · 27/10/2018 19:59

As of today my Credit Card bill is a tad over £3000
as it is every month
and on the last day of the month it will drop to zero
as it does every month.

I put everything onto my card and then move the money from my bank account once a month
and have clocked up several hundred pounds in John Lewis vouchers to spend on Christmas.

Credit cards are great
so long as you understand them
and how to stop them taking over your bank account (hence my spreadsheets)

Persiangirl · 27/10/2018 20:27

Did £3500 whilst on maternity leave, ended up selling a watch I had to totally clear it. Now I have one card with a £1000 limit to keep myself in check.

Faster · 27/10/2018 20:33

£1243.17

motortroll · 27/10/2018 21:59

@wondering1101
I only wrote that as someone mentioned it upthread and it made me think of the sort of lifestyle (like mine) where people have way too much on credit. And yes the people I know who are likely to be funding a given "lifestyle" are probably called middle class.

Obviously anyone can have a credit card. I was referring to people like me basically shit with money, want everything now and think they'll probably pay it off at some point with no particular plan in place.

I reckon it's more common than you think with people who don't worry about money on a day to day basis but aren't rich enough to have everything they want straight away.

That's just my thoughts. I don't actually know probably because most people would be embarrassed to say.

Unlike me....cringing a bit but not embarrassed!

Bluelady · 27/10/2018 22:10

Everything goes on mine and it's paid off by the due date every month. Like a pp I get JL vouchers three times a year for using it. Makes perfect sense to me.

ThorsMistress · 27/10/2018 22:15

£962.20

Not a lot in the grand scheme of things but can only afford to pay the minimum re payment atm as currently on maternity leave

Giggorata · 27/10/2018 22:23
  1. I haven't had one for many years, because I,m not organised enough to operate it and avoid interest.
I paid off the one I did have, which took a surprisingly long time.
OhTheRoses · 27/10/2018 22:24

In the late 90s/early 00's DH played the stock market with 0% credit. I am v glad he didn't tell me. I wouldn't have slept. It could have gone the wrong way.

I use my credit card for on-line purchases, theatre tickets, flights, etc. I pay £350pcm dd and it's rarely a -ve balance.

StartingGrid · 27/10/2018 22:32

14k. All on 0%, using about half of available credit. This thread is a pretty poor representation of how people really live as I understand it from talking to friends. I have savings that could clear it but don't really see the point in doing so at the moment.

Kattyy · 27/10/2018 23:12

Nil

mrcharlie · 28/10/2018 07:23

@StartingGrid

That's pretty much where we were 12mths ago. We had £15K of debt in various forms OD, CC, Loan etc. We had the savings to cover it but that was "Our" money. However with Brexit looming and the real possibility of things going tits up, It dawned on us that in reality we were penniless despite having our little nest egg. Debt is Debt, no two ways about it.
!2mths down the line, massive ebay purge and saving like crazy all year has wiped ALL debt off (not had to touch any of savings) We both feel much much more relaxed knowing that whatever happens come next march we don't owe a penny to anyone.

Given hindsight We would have tackled the debt years ago, but with 2 incomes, its easy to slip into the thinking that debt isn't such a problem...that is until the SHTF (AKA Brexit)

Bedsheets4knickers · 28/10/2018 07:38

About £700

MrsStrowman · 28/10/2018 07:46

Why are you still expected to pay half of everything when you've taken a hit to your wages to raise your joint child on maternity leave? DH and I have been saving to cover mine, and at the moment we put the same amount in for bills, mortgage etc. He knows when I go on mat leave I won't be able to put as much in so he'll have to cover the excess. This would leave us quite tight for money, hence the joint savings so we have a cushion.

Feb2018mumma · 28/10/2018 07:48

£300 that needs to be paid by February and my maternity ends December, only reason have done it was wanted a new table and new would pay off before interest free ended when am back at work, hated baby having to eat on sofa!

fussychica · 28/10/2018 07:49

Whatever I've spent this month which as always will be paid off in full. So zero.

MrsStrowman · 28/10/2018 07:53

Ooh just read your update that he had been covering the bills etc while you've not been earning and your debt is from fancy baby clothes and eating out. In that case it is very high and unnecessary.

BatsAreCool · 28/10/2018 08:30

When I was younger I used to get caught up in the 'spend on credit card' then get a loan to pay it off, once loan paid off the credit card had racked up again so get another load to pay it off and so on.

Now it's much easier as I have more disposable income that I don't need to get into debt so can use a credit card as to get air miles without incurring any interest as it's paid immediately. I also think I am now out of the mindset of buying something on credit to help pay for it and now I think do I have the money to pay it off immediately and if not I won't buy.

Frosty66611 · 28/10/2018 08:32

About 3k but it will all be paid off within the next 6 months and i’ll then be asking to decrease my limit down to just 1k for emergencies

SageYourResoluteOracle · 28/10/2018 08:51

Currently £1200 but it gets paid off in full by DD every month so no interest ever accrues

User12879923378 · 28/10/2018 08:55

I use it to get points but pay the full balance off every month. About 10 years ago there was a good £5k owing. I paid it all off and then hid the card in a drawer for a few years until I thought I could use it responsibly.

Any credit card debt is too much in the absence of a genuine and unavoidable emergency but it took me a long time to learn that.

overagain · 28/10/2018 09:11

Frosty66611 be careful asking them to reduce your credit limit, it negatively affects your credit rating, even if it's you who asked for it. It could affect you longer term. Might be better just to keep the credit card in a draw you don't go in much.

Wheresthel1ght · 28/10/2018 09:42

About 2k but considering at the start of the year is was about 10k I am not worried

FlorencesHunger · 28/10/2018 09:46

I don't have one so zero and got rid of my small overdraft as soon as I could.
I do have a credit account starting at 350 which I didn't pay off as planned it crept up to 750 and again to 1200, when they put it up to 1200 it gave me the kick to stop spending on it even on small amounts and start paying it off properly, as I don't want it to get beyond being able to pay off within a year, Have about 500 left to pay then I'm done, hopefully by Christmas.

I'm not savvy enough and realise if I have credit I don't spend it in a meaningful way/luxuries I don't really need or could have got if I planned better.

I do see the benefit of cc but I won't take that chance.

I do have a car on finance so do have credit but to me that's a useful debt to have and no option but to pay on time.

ShesABelter · 28/10/2018 09:47

400

keyboardjellyfish · 28/10/2018 09:48

£600 on an argos card.

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