When I first began following the Debt Free Community on Instagram I was drawn in by the stories everyone would share about their debt free journeys. I find it fascinating to read about the progress others are making and also reassuring to know that I am not the only one in my position.

Your Debt Diary is a guest blog series by money bloggers and members of the debt free community for My Debt Diary. Each week someone new will share their debt story. This week Claire from The Money Freak shares the ups and down of her debt free journey as she nears the end.

What stage are you at in your debt free journey right now?

I’m currently paying off my debt. So far it’s taken me 2 years!

What is your debt total?

My debt total is now £2k. At the beginning it was £12k.

What is your why?

My 18 year old son has Autism and mental health issues. So I need to be able to support him financially, possibly for the rest of his life. I also want us all to be able to afford to enjoy life, not just survive it. As a child, I grew up in poverty and it really affected me. I do not want to continue that.

Are you following a specific plan or method?

Yes, I follow the Dave Ramsey method. I adjust it slightly to fit the U.K., as it’s a USA based plan.
Things like student loans work differently, so I don’t include them in my debt snowball. And fortunately we have much lower health care bills due to having the NHS.

What challenges have you faced along the way?

The biggest challenge has been keeping myself motivated. That’s primarily why I started my blog and Instagram account, to find like minded people. I don’t know anyone in real life who considers paying off their debt a priority. So my online support is really important to me.

What are you doing to speed up the progress of your debt free journey?

At the moment, I am concentrating on reducing food bills and keep my costs over Christmas as low as possible. I spend way too much on food, so that is my main priority.

When do you plan to become debt free?

Hopefully, all going well,  I will be debt free in April 2019!

I’d like to thank Claire for today’s post. Please make sure to visit her blog at www.themoneyfreak.co.uk
and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/the_money_freak

You can read last week’s post here. If you would like to share your story with Your Debt Diary please leave a comment below with your email address or Instagram and I will get in touch. You can find me on Instagram here.