...but I finally got there. Today, I finally paid of the very last of my debt. I'm offically debt-free (ignoring the student-loan thing of course!) for the first time in many years. 
Quick background for those of you who've forgot or don't know: I graduated in 2008 with a small mountain to climb in terms of debt thanks to a few exceptional circumstances caused by a run of 'bad luck'. Debt simply was a necessary evil for me to get through university. At its peak I think it was roughly £4,000 I owed. The number may not seem like much to most of you on here, but it was a lot to me, especially considering I had nothing. It was effectively a lifetime away from being gone. It's taken me since 2008 to get here and it's definitely not been all smiles. Like most things in life as you'll appreciate; it's relative.
For a year out of university I couldn't find work and had debt-collectors harassing me on a daily basis. Thanks to this amongst other things I felt like I'd really hit rock-bottom and it was a genuine struggle when I had to go through the motions of explaining I was on JSA and having people talk down on me like I was scum. I never saw a single penny of my JSA in that year; it all went on minimum payments. Thankfully, a friend lent a hand after a while, pulled a few strings and got me my current job (you may remember the thread). I've been there nearly two years now.
Having been stabbing at this for a while, my debts being effectively paid off one-by-one, I had only a single lump sum of £300 left to pay and when payday rolled around yesterday I got rid of it forever. It really has been two years of waiting on pay-days with not else much inbetween. Admitedly, it would've been paid off much sooner if I had a better job/more hours but such is my current lot.
This will no doubt sound stupid to some, but I've finally reached a particular psychological (and fiscal) benchmark that's been a royal pain in my side for some time. I don't think it's properly sunk in yet, but psychologically I hope it will do wonders. I don't know if anyone else is the same, but at the moment I seem to be very much in the 'head down and get this done first then do that next' mindset and the debt thing was one particularly large thing hanging over my head, so it was - counter-productively I suppose - all things on hold until it was sorted, however slow the progress was.
Next up: Find myself a career.
Any ideas? (Seriously.)
N.B. Sorry if that sounds a little downbeat or fractured, it wasn't intended to be. I should really learn to go to bed at a respectable time!
Quick background for those of you who've forgot or don't know: I graduated in 2008 with a small mountain to climb in terms of debt thanks to a few exceptional circumstances caused by a run of 'bad luck'. Debt simply was a necessary evil for me to get through university. At its peak I think it was roughly £4,000 I owed. The number may not seem like much to most of you on here, but it was a lot to me, especially considering I had nothing. It was effectively a lifetime away from being gone. It's taken me since 2008 to get here and it's definitely not been all smiles. Like most things in life as you'll appreciate; it's relative.
For a year out of university I couldn't find work and had debt-collectors harassing me on a daily basis. Thanks to this amongst other things I felt like I'd really hit rock-bottom and it was a genuine struggle when I had to go through the motions of explaining I was on JSA and having people talk down on me like I was scum. I never saw a single penny of my JSA in that year; it all went on minimum payments. Thankfully, a friend lent a hand after a while, pulled a few strings and got me my current job (you may remember the thread). I've been there nearly two years now.
Having been stabbing at this for a while, my debts being effectively paid off one-by-one, I had only a single lump sum of £300 left to pay and when payday rolled around yesterday I got rid of it forever. It really has been two years of waiting on pay-days with not else much inbetween. Admitedly, it would've been paid off much sooner if I had a better job/more hours but such is my current lot.
This will no doubt sound stupid to some, but I've finally reached a particular psychological (and fiscal) benchmark that's been a royal pain in my side for some time. I don't think it's properly sunk in yet, but psychologically I hope it will do wonders. I don't know if anyone else is the same, but at the moment I seem to be very much in the 'head down and get this done first then do that next' mindset and the debt thing was one particularly large thing hanging over my head, so it was - counter-productively I suppose - all things on hold until it was sorted, however slow the progress was.
Next up: Find myself a career.
Any ideas? (Seriously.)
N.B. Sorry if that sounds a little downbeat or fractured, it wasn't intended to be. I should really learn to go to bed at a respectable time!
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