Looking for some confidence please

[Greenbird710]

Hi everyone. I've been struggling with debt for about a year now, despite working full time, I've been using credit cards to make end meet and honestly I've just become more and more paralysed at the thought of dealing with it. I've finally decided that tomorrow I will start phoning around for help to arrange a repayment plan but I feel so sick and scared and a complete and utter failure that I just put my head down and ignore it while it gets worse. I don't have anyone to talk to in real life so is anyone able to offer me words of encouragement please ? ( and I do know it's all my fault and don't really deserve words of encouragement but thought some might help me pull my head up out of the sand) thank you

Eat the frog.

the more you put it off the bigger the problem it is going to seem.

The hardest step is always admitting that you need help. The relief you are going to feel will be immense. No one will judge you are in a position that many before you have been in and they are now stronger for it.

Go for it, OP. I didn't want to read and run. Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help with advice for repayments, and also how to reduce outgoings.

Why not see if you can join or create a support group on here to get you through the hard moments?

I agree with previous poster, the best thing you can do now is face the battle head on. If you haven’t already then spend a bit of time tonight with a notepad and pen and write out exactly what you owe, to whom & what interest you are paying on each debt.

Once you’ve done that you could always pop back here and let us know and we may even be able to give some advice on the best ways to get it down, for example looking at 0% interest cards to balance transfer, snowballing to get rid of certain debts quicker than others etc.

I’d really recommend doing the above before you start trying to arrange repayment plans if by that you mean debt management plans or similar because it may not be needed & going down that route could cause you trouble financially for years to come unnecessarily.

It’s never as bad as you think it is OP, get it out in the open and it loses a lot of it’s power.

You are not alone in this. Many of us have screwed up with money and dug our way out. It's shit but the relief of dealing with it is so much greater than the fear it induces. There is always a way out.

I'd really recommend debt free wannabe forum on MSE- lots of stories and advice on there.

And be proud of dealing with it. It's not easy x

Good on you for realising you need help, ring the companies to ask for a payment plan. They will want details of all your outgoing expenses and salary details, so write them down and don’t forget anything like food, lunches, petrol, clothes, prescriptions etc., as well as all your monthly bills. If you don’t contact them, they don’t know you need help.

Did you make the calls @Greenbird710? I’ve been in your shoes, I was terrified but honestly every company that I contacted were so lovely and understanding, I cried with relief once I’d done it.

Not sure if it helps, but it was a few years ago now and I’ve almost entirely repaid the debts now, it’s the biggest weight off my shoulders!