Can we have a support thread for people who are massively in debt?

[Nerfmother]

Because you can't talk about it in real life? We owe 44k, reduced from 60k in a year. Not including mortgage.
It's so depressing.
Dh is determined to pay it off and so bankruptcy or plans isn't an option. I do think its doable, just hard hard hard.

Great tips TiP...I've no pets so never really appreciated the costs!

I'm planning a clothes clear out tonight...hopefully put together a few new outfits from what I already have...no clothes budget at all this year except for DS who starts school in Aug

It's all relative Kitty, don't feel the need to explain yourself xx

Talkin, thanks for the tip. Thing is, I think she might be past that stage. She doesn't like having her teeth cleaned. The vet only said they need to clean her teeth, but the quote they sent through states one extraction, so not sure now.

She's had PlaqueOff for two years every day, she eats raw food with bone mixed in and occasionally chicken wings. She does have really bad breath though.

Chubbykitty
massively in debt is entirely relative to earnings and outgoings
IMHO its any debt that you currently cannot see a way past.
and the same tips apply
and TBH if you are dealing with yours before it escalates well done

kazza
vets are businesses.
My vet would love me to treat my spare cat's kidney disease (pic on my profile) because they will make a fortune.
But I bounced them into letting me have a prescription to use at the online vet (Petdrugsonline) so the arthritis pills are costing me 5p each instead of 88p

Thank you!!

Does anyone else feel sometimes like there's always something new coming up to make life miserable again? The other day I spent half an hour ringing two debt companies and arranging a small manageable DD to pay the amounts off (luckily got two very nice phone people who were polite and helpful!) and then 2 days later there's a letter to say our council tax is in arrears again and we can no longer pay in installments and have to pay the remainder in one lump sum.

It's news to me considering I paid it about two weeks ago in the amount they calculated! I've often wondered why they don't have a website to check your account and see what's remaining

And what really irks me about the whole thing is that next month DP, my dad and I are going to a convention and I would have liked to have some cash to get lunch and stuff.

Pets can be expensive buggers. Food/litter probably less than £5 a week but frontline drops and collars and treats and vets bills all come in at a little higher!

Cat toys are easy to make though for free or very little. Not sure about dogs as there's obviously more space for them to choke on something..

We had a DMP for 6 years with PayPlan who were really helpful. Paid off over 20K a painful small amount at a time while struggling to survive. Its all gone now and debt free apart from mortgage and one year to go on car finance.
Have downloaded budgeting software called YNAB - you need a budget - to try and keep on track of all transactions.its very hard,but it can be done!

Talkin, so do you think they're quoting for unnecessary work? There is only one other vet in the area and they are said to be more expensive

It is all relative isn't it?
Our debt isn't big compared to some, but it feels big to me :(
We have £7k cc debt. It's on a 0% card.
We could pay a big chunk (£5k) off BUT not having savings is what got us into trouble in the first place - that and moving into a money pit of a house!!
We have had to replace the microwave this week, the dishwasher just gave up the ghost (amazed it's lasted this long tbh) and tbh the kitchen needs ripping out and doing again.
Carpets are manky and need replacing too.
So....plans ATM are to replace 2 carpets as cheaply as we can and see how cheaply we can do the kitchen (fit it ourselves) or just make do and get a replacement dishwasher for now.
The kitchen will need doing at some point...So I feel we are just putting off the inevitable.
Wwyd?

....oh and car has got to go in as it's sprung a leak too :(
It just never seems to end...

I think people should live within their means , if you can"t afford things you should not bang it on to the credit card , you should do without , scary , scary eh !

I guess blue....
But with 2 small children we needed a water proof roof and hot water and heating - ESP as it all went wrong in January!!
We thought we had done everything right...had a survey, obtained gas and electrical safety certificates but they meant nothing in reality.
So...We ended up replacing a boiler and part of roof within 2 months of moving in.
It is scary, yes.
Because it can happen to anyone.
Even YOU.

Not necessarily .

That is why people should have some sort of savings , in case the roof blows blows off .

We had some.
They all got spent fixing the house.
Anyway...as you are posting specifically to tell us all how silly we are I shall let you get on with it!

My title says it all!

We owe a little over £30k. We have not discussed with anyone in RL. I often feel ashamed, guilt and unworthy and a fraud.

The sad thing is we did not over indulge. Part of it is dp's study fees, part we used to help family.

I get very down at times and bawl my eyes out. I am very mean to myself as a result. I am anxious whenever dp spends money we have not budgeted for. I feel trapped.

Our

Blue, circumstances can change in an instant...don't judge anyone till you've been in their shoes

Blue, some people never get a chance to build up savings Please don't judge, all sorts of things can happen and it sounds like you have been lucky.

My dh was made redundant a year after we moved area, house and job (for him). There was no way of knowing it would happen. His next three jobs were all for companies that folded, through no fault of his. We had no savings and had to live from credit cards. He has since done contract work, just can't find permanent work in his field. He's now been out of work for seven months.

Our debts will be paid off in 3.5 years.

We cut costs by:

Only having take aways a few times a year

Only eating out on a special occasions

Washing and colouring my own hair

Bringing lunch to work

Not buying coffees/teas out

Buying drinks/snacks/chewing gum in multipacks and bringing them wherever we go I.e. shopping, the park, long car journeys to visit family.

Allowing a small reserve for ourselves each month. All our Personal purchases come from this I.e. item of clothing, CD, present.

It can be depressing but we have no choice.

bluebayou you may be correct but this is NOT the thread to say so.

kazza vets are like orthodontists : they want the animal just so, the fact that half arsed will work just fine does not really occur to them.

With Zing cat I've had t make the decision not to treat her kidneys but to treat her arthritis - will shorten her life by a lot, but make it happier and will save me lots and lots

brokeass
none of us know who you are. feel free to rant. that is one of the utter beauties of forums - and do check out my spreadsheets on the "cost of credit cards" thread to see if they help ...

badvoc , I am not saying how silly you are , so have no need to leave me to it .
I agree with the philosphey of don"t judge a man till you have walked a mile in his shoes

FWIW, even those of us with a financial cushion can get shocks.

Yesterday DH's laptop : on which his whole business resides, would not boot up.
Long story short, Windows had corrupted not only itself but the index directory of all his work files : 15 years work down the pan.

Today we had to go buy a new laptop for £500
and re install windows onto the old one
luckily the reinstall repaired the index so we have the work files back but all jumbled
DH is slogging his guts out this evening sorting them ready for next week

and I thought this month's credit card bill would be sensible ....
can I get the sat nav to hang on in night colours till the next bill ?

Brokeass...well done for doing all that and good luck paying the debt off - But dh and I do all of that already :(
Sometimes I feel very sad that I can't just go for a coffee without having to justify the £2.50 cost to myself.
Hopefully this money pit house is our forever home so we will have to spend money on it to get it liveable/workable for us.
My dc are desperate for a pet but there is no way we could afford it...the food, vets bills etc
We are only getting a holiday this year because my mum is taking us!
I am currently researching the cheapest ways to do a freestanding kitchen!