My net salary is €1750 (redundancies underway over next few months). Over the last 2-3 years I took out various loans, topped them up and maxed out my credit card twice (its limit is €5k so I spent 10k on it). I realise that I have made some very poor decisions. One credit union loan is €220 per month for 5 years (this loan was to pay off the credit card the first time). Another loan is with the bank for roughly €4k over 5 years which they agreed to extend to 7 years if I paid back €7,500 altogether and which I seriously despise them for agreeing to "help me" when in reality, they just lashed on the interest. That is roughly €90 per month. I have a GE money loan which was €180 per month over 3 years but which I asked them to reduce to €80 per month for 5 years. On top of that, I have the credit card bill of €5,000 which is maxed out over 5 months - they told me they could not help me until I went into arrears. I have never missed a payment because they always ended up taking the money out of my already overdrawn €500 limit bank account. I am due to pay them €220 this month as that brings me back under the €5,000 limit. After that, they will be looking for approximately €100 - €200 per month. I had to move out recently and my rent is €650 per month. Internet is €15 per month (not giving that up, I have a long distance relationship so no internet is a no go area). My car insurance is €80 per month. Petrol is very little. Please, if anyone is going to give me advice, do not tell me to move back home or get rid of the car. Moving back home is NOT an option for me for personal reasons and I would be lost without the car. I also have pets so cannot share with people, they are simply not interested so I live in a 1 bedroom apt on my own and that is not going to change. Getting rid of the pets is also out of the question, so if anyone has any "constructive advice" please don't even suggest such a thing. They are my pride and joy.
For the first time in my life I feel free and happy because I am renting this apartment. However, I simply cannot afford to live; because of the mountain of debt that has piled up over the last year or 2. When I get paid, I have to whip out maybe €200 or €300 to live on for the month. I have to leave a little bit in for when Eflow or the ESB need to take money out. Which means, you got it, I borrow from friends and family members, which means I must pay them back the following month. Bare in mind there is ususally €100 - €200 overdrawn from the previous month. Which means every single month, by the 2nd or 3rd week, my account has gone past the €500 overdraft limit and I am whacked on with fees. I cannot take money out of the ATM as it's past the overdrawn limit therefore if I need money, I'm stuck. I am sick and tired of living like this. I can't even afford a pair of shoes and it is embarassing. I have come to the conclusion that I am going to stop being such a good girl like I have been for the past few years, paying everything on time and barely having enough money to put food on the table and I am going to start "running". None of my creditors or my current bank know of my new address. I am going to start up a new bank account, get my wages put in that one and only inform the ESB and internet provider of my new address. Then perhaps in a year, I will move country. I am having nightmares, worried sick all the time, I feel like the best years of my life are being taken from me because of this debt. I am not afraid of being brought to court, thrown in jail or ordered to do community service. What I am afraid of is living like a complete and utter PLEB for 5 more years and never going on holiday or feeling financially "secure". I see other people with no kids my age get paid, pay some rent and the odd bill here and there and the rest they can keep in their purses or put into a savings account. I can only dream of such things. Does anyone have any advice or past experiences like this? My main problem is the mountain of debt I owe and only being given 5 years to pay it all off in time (apart from the bank loan which agreed to 7 years with a disgusting amount of interest) P.S When I rang MABS about 2 months ago, the woman said to me "I don't know what to say to you, you've been very foolish, I will send you out some leaflets, I really don't know what to say to you, you've made some very bad choices and there's nothing I can do to help you, sorry". So as you can all imagine, I'm not a huge fan of MABS. Some advice eh? No wonder people emigrate to get away from debt.
For the first time in my life I feel free and happy because I am renting this apartment. However, I simply cannot afford to live; because of the mountain of debt that has piled up over the last year or 2. When I get paid, I have to whip out maybe €200 or €300 to live on for the month. I have to leave a little bit in for when Eflow or the ESB need to take money out. Which means, you got it, I borrow from friends and family members, which means I must pay them back the following month. Bare in mind there is ususally €100 - €200 overdrawn from the previous month. Which means every single month, by the 2nd or 3rd week, my account has gone past the €500 overdraft limit and I am whacked on with fees. I cannot take money out of the ATM as it's past the overdrawn limit therefore if I need money, I'm stuck. I am sick and tired of living like this. I can't even afford a pair of shoes and it is embarassing. I have come to the conclusion that I am going to stop being such a good girl like I have been for the past few years, paying everything on time and barely having enough money to put food on the table and I am going to start "running". None of my creditors or my current bank know of my new address. I am going to start up a new bank account, get my wages put in that one and only inform the ESB and internet provider of my new address. Then perhaps in a year, I will move country. I am having nightmares, worried sick all the time, I feel like the best years of my life are being taken from me because of this debt. I am not afraid of being brought to court, thrown in jail or ordered to do community service. What I am afraid of is living like a complete and utter PLEB for 5 more years and never going on holiday or feeling financially "secure". I see other people with no kids my age get paid, pay some rent and the odd bill here and there and the rest they can keep in their purses or put into a savings account. I can only dream of such things. Does anyone have any advice or past experiences like this? My main problem is the mountain of debt I owe and only being given 5 years to pay it all off in time (apart from the bank loan which agreed to 7 years with a disgusting amount of interest) P.S When I rang MABS about 2 months ago, the woman said to me "I don't know what to say to you, you've been very foolish, I will send you out some leaflets, I really don't know what to say to you, you've made some very bad choices and there's nothing I can do to help you, sorry". So as you can all imagine, I'm not a huge fan of MABS. Some advice eh? No wonder people emigrate to get away from debt.
