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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be excited by something so sad

87 replies

Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:38

I will start with some background. I grew up in a skint household with an alcoholic parent who drank all our money. I had very few clothes, none of the right clothes, no money to go swimming or to the cinema etc and found it hard to fit in.

When I finally got a job and access to credit I thought ‘this is amazing!’ I could buy what a wanted and go where I wanted. This spiralled and I ended up £10k in debt eventually. I was naive and a bit ignorant about how credit worked. I then met DH who had his own home at 24,has some savings and no debts apart from our mortgage. We sorted out my finances and I got a consolidation loan. I have used my card occasionally but pay it all off.

What I am excited by is that on Friday my Loan will come to and end and I will be free of debt apart from the mortgage. I will actually be able to build some savings, I will actually have ‘fun’ money that is not credit. If anyone is in the same position it is possible to get free but it does take time. I actually want to do a wee jig of excitement....that is sad isn’t it?

OP posts:
WhenISnappedAndFarted · 25/02/2019 21:40

YANBU, well done OP!

You've done an amazing job and you should be very proud of yourself. This isn't sad, this is a big thing. Clearing off that amount of money isn't easy.

LoafEater · 25/02/2019 21:40

Not sad at all. It is a fantastic achievement and you should be very proud.

Original poster
Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:40

I will au that final payment then celebrate (without using credit card lol).

OP posts:
IAmNotAWitch · 25/02/2019 21:41

Nope not sad.

Good work, you made a mistake, you learned from it, took responsibility and sorted it out.

You should be proud of yourself, you earned it.

isseywithcats · 25/02/2019 21:42

thats not sad at all you have done really well to get out of that level of debt and realise how easy it is to get to that level of debt credit cards are too easy to get nowadays and too easy to just keep increasing the spending level on them

Original poster
Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:42

Aw thank you I am inordinately excited!

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 25/02/2019 21:42

No. That’s not sad. That’s bloody awesome. Well done you. Do your jig and enjoy the fun money!

Joopy · 25/02/2019 21:42

That's amazing, well done

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 25/02/2019 21:43

Well done, not sad at all and definetly something to be proud about!

stayathomer · 25/02/2019 21:43

Not sad, brilliant! Congrats OP!

user1473878824 · 25/02/2019 21:44

That’s not sad, that’s awesome! Well done!

Megs4x3 · 25/02/2019 21:44

It’s not sad at all. Many congratulations on all your hard work. Years ago my Dad rang me all excited to tell me that he’d just made the final payment on his mortgage. Paying of a debt is HUGE. Well done! Have 🍰 :-)

Original poster
Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:44

Also ado barely use my card (emergency only) they have upped my limit twice and the loan company are sending me e-nails along the lines of ‘now your agreement is coming to an end we’d like you to have more debt!’

OP posts:
Original poster
Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:45

@megs4x3 I can’t wait till that day myself.

OP posts:
TrainSong · 25/02/2019 21:46

That's not sad at all. It's brilliant. I got into and out of debtin my twenties and getting out (and stayng out) remains one of the things I'm most proud of in my life. One tip I was given when I was paying it all off, was to take a small percentage of what you earn each week and put it aside for fun. About 5%, ideally. So if you earn £300pw, you have £15 to spend on treats, but if you do overtime and it;s £400,then that goes up to £20. You can blow it on make up, flowers, wine etc or save it up for a few weeks for a beauty treatment or clothes you don;t need but really want. It's a brilliant method of always having a small amount to be completely frivolous with, while keeping to a strict pay-off your loans budget.

Iamneverfull · 25/02/2019 21:48

That's not sad! That's a great feeling, well done!

Original poster
Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:49

trainsong that’s good advice. I will be saving a bit of my repayment amount. DH offered several times to give me money for it, as did my best friend but it was my debt and I should be the one who solves it.

OP posts:
quencher · 25/02/2019 21:51

Well done and you deserve the excitement. Jump to your heats content. We all live and learn and this was yours.

Bodear · 25/02/2019 21:53

That’s incredible. Well done. You should be proud so enjoy it Flowers

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 25/02/2019 21:54

Nothing sad about that! It's a huge achievement, which many people never manage - you have every right to feel proud of yourself.

Hohofortherobbers · 25/02/2019 21:57

Well done OP, sorry for your difficult upbringing but you should be so proud you are treading a different path

Original poster
Fluffyears · 25/02/2019 21:58

It sometimes felt suffocating so I can understand how some people get further and further into debt. I feel so much lighter.

OP posts:
IwantedtobeEmmaPeel · 25/02/2019 21:59

Well done Op, you should be excited, it's a fantastic achievement. Hope you and DH celebrate with something fizzy.

BTW if you don't want the higher limit then you can tel the credit card and ask them to lower the limit, that's what I do.

Serenity45 · 25/02/2019 22:01

YANBU! I was a debt advisor for many years and so many people who took out consolidation loans ended up in further debt (e.g. keeping credit cards they'd cleared with the loan then running them back up again). Little jig (or full on twerkathon) definitely justified Smile

artemisdubois · 25/02/2019 22:01

That's not sad at all. It's a real achievement, and no doubt a weight off your shoulders even if you've been on top of it for a while.

Congratulations!

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