It took a while...

[Nix]

...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!

 

[Nix]

Thanks for the replies, very kind!

Congratz, doesn't make me feel particularly great about my level of student debt though if its taken three years to pay of 4K for you

Try not to think like that, it's not productive. I was unlucky - like many - as I was trying to get on the ladder when the **** really hit the fan. After a massive struggle of getting nowhere, it took a friend to help and I've been stuck in a ~30 hour per week job earning <£1k pcm since. It took so long as I've been paying rent whilst also trying to stand on my own two feet again; all a very long and arduous process with the money I had coming in.

Hopefully, you will avoid that altogether and find better employment early and therefore pay it off sooner.

Congratulations, really pleased to hear this for you. Hopefully this is just the starting point and having this worry removed means you can go on to do what you want to do now. As to what that is - you've probably already given it much thought but is there anything you think you want to do? It may be someone can offer advice/help regarding how to do it.

I really don't know. That's pretty much 80% of the battle. I'm 25 soon, it's probably safe to suggest that I'm never going to either.

I'm currently deliberating between either: 1. Writing of some form as I've been continuously told I have a 'talent' for it. However, I fear this is putting too many eggs in a basket that might never get me there. 2. Going back to university, doing a masters degree and then having a stab at the graduate market once again. However, this may take some time to save up for! 3. Film production. Again, perhaps silly, but it's one of the few things that really have always appealed to me. Like one however, I fear it may be a cul-de-sac. 4. Training to be a doctor. It will take five years of hard slog, but I think it's a genuine possibility as it will give me one thing I crucially need/want in my work more than anything else: purpose. The issue of course being, that I'm not sure. Like a getting a tattoo, I'd want to be certain before throwing myself behind the idea.