To feel so flat? Should be over the moon

[LittleMissLateForWorkAgain]

Today I paid off all my debt, rent arrears, council tax arrears, loans etc.
It's been a long struggle, 7 years of uncertainty and worry about ending up homeless or in court.

I stupidly put my head in the sand years ago and didn't pay priority bills due to crippling depression and losing my job (retail) when a new company took over.

I ve since got a good job in a school and been paying everything off.

Today's the day I finished the payments

I thought I d be happy as anything but I just feel flat and meh and can't get my head around not worrying about post or phone calls from now on.

It's like I ve been in survival mode on hyper alert for years and am still worrying about spending money.

Am I just weird? Adult dc seem to think so!

No, I think it’s normal to feel this way when it’s been a really long hard slog.
It will sink in soon, maybe when you notice that the next repayment hasn’t gone out? Or after a couple of months when you can actually put some money away for something
Really well done by the way. You should be proud

First — you’re amazing. That’s a huge achievement.
Second, yes I think feeling a bit flat is normal. You’ve worked and worked at this, we don’t whoop and cheer at the end of every working day.
But being debt free will become your new norm. Maybe you're not used to allowing yourself treats? That will gradually change and you’ll see savings grow now you’re not repaying debt.
There an American woman who started blogging when she and her DH were in huge debt due to university costs. Google Stephanie Six Figures Under.

Buy yourself something nice next month with the money no longer going to others!

Woohoo, congrats!!

It will probably hit on the next couple of usual ‘repayment dates’ - the days the money would come out and you’d check to see how much you had left to pay, and how much you had left to last you the month.

It will hit again when you have your next expense with the car or washing machine or something, and you’ll realise you have an extra few bob that you wouldn’t have had in the past to sort it out.

Well done!

It takes a while to get out of the mindset, perhaps in a month or six you'll finally feel secure again. Hopefully sooner.

No it's normal. The stress of debt, especially when it's in enforcement and you get the calls and letters so you're scared to answer the phone and feel sick when you see a letter on the mat doesn't go away overnight. For all this time you been channeling that into action, better job, working hard, paying it down, which feels satisfying. Now it's over you'll take a while to adjust to not having that in your life. You've played a blinder though OP. Well done to you. If you can't be over the moon, at least be a bit proud of yourself?

As others have said, it probably hasn’t sunk in yet. Next month when you have the extra money you’ll be happy! Well done, though that is such an amazing achievement! We are about 15 months away from being able to say the same, I can’t wait!

You've done amazingly well. Start to think how much extra you'll have each month and make some decisions about what you'll do with it. I image it would feel incredible to have savings after being in debt.

Congratulations- amazing achievement. Hope you get your head around it soon

You probably will not notice until next month when you no longer have to make the payment. Then it will sink in.
Congratulations!

Well-done! I often have a delayed response to things like this. What are you going to spend your extra bit of money on?

I think the "woooohoooo" moment comes when you put money into a savings account instead of paying off the debt then realise a couple of years down the line you can afford a nice holiday or whatever you've not been able to afford before.

Well done becoming debt free though!

You are traumatised OP. You have been working so hard for so long, that even now you technically have 'nothing to worry about', you are looking over your shoulder. Time will heal.

All I can say is GOOD FOR YOU for getting yourself out of this situation. You must be very strong.

Wow Thanks everyone for your kind words. I m about to cry happy tears!

I want a holiday to Finland as it's such a beautiful place

And to put money away for the car as its 16 years old now (Mercedes A class built to last) and won't be around forever.

First of all, congratulations. That is one huge achievement. Secondly, I think completely normal to feel very flat. You've been operating on hyper-alert mode for years, and now that jolt of cortisone is gone. I think it will take a while for it to sink in. In the meantime, you should do something lowkey to treat yourself, and put yourself back in the moment, not berate yourself for not cartwheeling around with joy.

Well done Op
Enjoy your peace

Well done it prob will take whileen before you realise that the debts are no longer.
Next pay check start your saving plan bit in the car fund, bit in the holiday fund and keep a little for treats or birthday’s or small things that might crop up.

Congrats on your job too, you have done a wonderful job 😍 in sorting things out and be kind and accept the praise we here are giving you because you did it 🎉🎉🎉🎉💐💐💐💐

Thanks for all your lovely messages it's so nice to feel normal again and trying to process that I don't have to worry now.

Post came today and it was just a bank statement but my heart was thumping just hearing the door

Wait until payday and you have money instead of it being channelled everywhere. Wait until a few pay days when you're really seeing the positive impact its having. Well done 💐

That is an amazing achievement, so well done to you!

You'll feel it next month when you have plenty spare.

🎊🎊

Well done you. Time to start a Finland and a car pot!

Congratulations OP, so happy for you to have found your way out of a debt situation. Its totally normal to feel a bit at a loss though - and in some ways a very good sign that you are not instantly jumping around excited, itching to spend all the money you now have after the debt payoff ends, which might risk a rebound into overspending or bad choices.

When I was younger I went from being a long term student, used to running a budget on a catastrophe curve/well into my overdraft for years, to suddenly earning more money each month that I had in each tranche of my student loans. I paid debts and overdrafts off in a few months - but it really surprised me that I was so flat and stressed by it at first. Finally all my hard work had paid off, but it was hard to get used to the new normal, that I not only had money and options but was responsible for them in a different way. I was used to the privations and compromises of a limited budget, but struggled with comparative freedom when I got out of the debt cage.

I think your idea of making plans for travel and a car are great - keep the discipline and budgeting that your debt payoff has taught you, but make the goals much more personal and positive. Good luck with it all and I am sure you wont feel flat on your Finnish holiday when it comes.

It doesn't sound much but I bought myself a new pair of snuggly soft pyjamas in Sainsbury's and a nice bottle of wine and pizza and had a lovely evening watching Casualty.

Beginning to sink in that I m allowed in small ways to treat myself.