The Divorce Party

I want you to imagine that you are having a get together with your family and friends. It might be just drinks, a dinner or a full-on party. The mood is jubilant, happy and excited. There is laughter, chatter and lots of smiling.  You feel on top of the world.

The music is turned off and you tap your glass to get your guests’ attention.

“Thank you all for coming to this gathering, it means a lot to me. Because today we are here to celebrate a special achievement in my life, which I want to share with you all.

After a long hard slog, many twists and turns, setbacks and struggles and plenty of sacrifice, today I am pleased to announce that I have finally eradicated, retired and extinguished all the unsecured debt that has been hanging around my neck for years.

And with all the money that I’m no longer paying out on debt, I’ve also finally managed to create a ‘starter’ emergency savings reserve. And over the coming months I’ll be continuing to increase the size of that reserve, to give me more financial resilience, flexibility and options.

In the past I felt embarrassed, ashamed and guilty that I was in such a mess with my money. But now I feel more optimistic, more confident and more in control of my money and my life than ever. Today’s gathering is to celebrate my divorce from debt, so please raise your glass to a toast: ‘Goodbye debt. Hello life!”

If you have unsecured debt weighing you down, imagine a life without it. The more vivid and powerful you can envisage positive feelings associated with being free of debt, the more you’ll be motivated to do what is necessary to achieve that state. And celebrating debt repayment and building savings, rather than mindless consumer spending, might also make your family and friends rethink their own relationship with money.

I struggled with consumer debt in my early 20s and I suffered alone. Thankfully I managed to get a grip on my finances and turn things around. The sense of achievement, the feelings of relief, and the sense of being in control made the struggle to become debt free worth it and something I value every day. I didn’t have a party to celebrate this milestone in my life, but I wish I had!

I repaid all my debts, but that isn’t always either possible, practical or necessary in some circumstances. If you are struggling with debt or any money related issues you can get help and support from your local Citizens Advice Bureau, The Money and Pensions Service or Step Change. You don’t need to suffer in silence and you really can have a wonderful life without debt, so take the first step today.

Warm regards,

Jason