I found a piece of paper from years ago recently. On the paper I had simply written, “debt is making me unwell”. It wasn’t until months later I realised though that I needed help. If debt is affecting your life then keep reading and hopefully we can help. Debt vs Your Health. There’s Only One Winner. Nothing is worth letting your health suffer, so if you find yourself in a situation that you are worrying constantly and it is affecting your health then you should visit your GP. Your GP may be able to prescribe something to help with your […]
Living on a Low Income
“Get a new table & decorate will you, the house has been like this for 10 years!?” A statement by my wife’s Uncle to her mother. It happened almost 5 years ago. We were enjoying a cup of coffee and some lunch when Ian, my wife’s Uncle arrived. He had recently sold his shares in a manufacturing company and purchased a £3 million mansion with money to spare. He often “said it how it was” and he thought this was the best approach to life. Ian was a large, bullish man with a large status car to help cart his […]
The Story of Sue.. Be Prepared
You may have noticed I’ve not been writing as much recently. I had some problems with my neck after the car crash which they thought could be a problem, but it’s not (by they I mean the doctors). I got the all clear from the docs this morning that my neck has healed. Woop Woop! Not a minute too soon! My wife was ready to have me lifted and placed in an old fokes home due to my incessant complaining. The injury reminds me that in life we can’t ever be sure what’s next around the corner and to live life to it’s fullest. […]
Credit: Good, Bad and the Ugly
It would be wrong to assume that I hate credit because I once had a debt problem. It wasn’t the fault of the credit companies that I got into debt, it was my fault. The fact credit was once so readily available was poor management on the part of the credit agencies but for the most part people repay their debts. There are different types of credit available which can meet different needs. It’s important to note that not all credit is there to help you. Credit is created for different purposes and reading the fine print is essential. Good […]
I’m Making Lemonade
Over the course of the past few years my ‘happiness scale’ has yo-yo’d like the economy. One minute I’m on top of the world, the next I’m cursing my luck. But, whatever happens, I’m a great believer in getting on with it and looking forward to the next high. The birth of my children, my wedding day and finally clearing my debt were up there as the best days of my life. It’s those days we live for and accept there will always be days when dark rain clouds drench us. The past two weeks have been some of the […]
I Was In a Car Crash
At 8.20am on Friday 19th October I was in a car crash and it wasn’t much fun. However, as with everything happening in my life at the moment, I wanted to share my experience and see how others had dealt with a similar situation. I also have a lot of American and Canadian readers of my money blog and their insight into the insurance world could prove valuable here. One Big Car Crash A day before helping a family member move house I was involved in my first car accident. It happened on a motorway slip road in wet conditions […]
People Don’t Want More Debt… Or Do They?!
It was reported recently in the national press that people have stopped borrowing money on personal loans and credit cards because they are paying off their debt. This is a conclusion which is unfounded in my opinion. The error comes from journalists and over optimistic politicians who want the situation to be true, however, I suspect the truth is a lot darker in nature. The Facts £351 was borrowed in August 2012, considerably less than the same time last year. At the same time, people continued to make payments back to their contractual debt agreements. At first glance this could […]
How Do You Pay The Gas / Electricity Bill?
It’s a question I asked myself frequently when I was in a pit of despair, “how am I going to afford the gas or electricity bill?” There isn’t always an easy answer, as I found. I thought I’d share this socially to see if anybody else had a similar experience of struggling to manage gas and electricity bills while repaying debt. Unemployment Can Be Cold! I experienced a period of unemployment. Well, I call it a period but that’s not exactly quantifiable. It was over a year of unemployment. Prior to losing my job I paid my debts, managed my money […]
Friends & Wedding Debt
I always like to interject a little bit of my current life with my previous debt and money experiences. So, I thought I’d share a conversation with you which I had with a good friend last month. His wedding was two weeks ago and I was the best man. I’m not usually one for public speaking so it was a daunting, tantalising situation which I was eager to complete as quickly as possible. But, overall it was a successful speech with a couple of laughs and some character building stories for the groom. Speaking to my friend last month he said, “This […]
