Debt = help needed

This week we have a guest post by a reader who would like to remain anonymous. She contacted Money Stand to tell more people about her personal struggle with debt, which she hid from her partner. She hopes this story will encourage others in debt to face up to their money problems.

Before deciding to take control of our debts, they did worry me to the point that it was affecting my sleep patterns and I did suffer from a lot of stress. I did lie to my husband, mainly by not telling him how bad things were financially, and just letting him think that everything was under control and there were no problems whatsoever. Things really came to a head when I had to go into hospital and had to trust him to handle the finances for a week. There was no option then but to tell the truth and hope for the best.

It was the best thing I had done in ages! Yes he wasn’t pleased, yes he did have a good whinge. But at the end of it all, he was supportive and we have sat down since and worked out how we can afford everything we need and get some extra money together to save up to pay off the smaller debts. We only have 3 debts but they amount to £30,000 but we only have an annual wage of £27000 coming in, and we are a family of 5.

We sat down together and looked at money coming in and money going out. We have seen areas where we could cut back our spending, like on the little luxuries of brand names at the supermarkets. I now shop around instead of getting everything in the one shop. We have changed our suppliers for utility bills, we have letters in to reclaim charges, and I am now not afraid to complain to a company about anything I find unacceptable.

I have to say that the stress of keeping it all in has lifted and I feel so much better for being honest with my husband. We are now working as a team to try and clear our debts as quickly and painlessly as possible. They say that a trouble shared is a trouble halved, and it is true. I don’t have to bear the burden alone and I know there is someone there that I can talk to and be honest with, instead of plastering a false smile on my face every day and lying to everyone about things. I feel better now, and hope that by reading this someone else will have the courage to face their debts head on and will feel like I do now.

If you would like to write a guest post for Money Stand, please get in touch.