Ever feel like you just want to curl up in a corner and cry?

Strangely enough the system worked, and I would still recommend it.

Alternatively just keep on paying something regularly, even if it's only a fiver a month.

Otherwise, what can solicitors do? They could take you to court and obtain a CCJ, but you would have the opportunity to state your case and tell them how much you can realistically afford to pay. Judges/courts aren't in the business of making ordinary people bankrupt unless it's as an absolute last resort when all other means of getting the debtor to pay something has failed.

Most importantly MONEY ISN'T WORTH KILLING YOURSELF FOR. IT'S ONLY PAPER. IT'S ONLY STUFF. SO DON'T TRY IT.

Bankruptcy proceedings are so serious that they kind of want you to be part of them due to the ramifications of being bankrupt. That is not something you should worry about. After all, you are employed and can agree reasonable terms - most if not all may waive future interest under the circumstances (older debts have at least been written off internally so you pitching up and offering them your fiver is fine by them).

Also do not get a consolidation loan because there is a huge temptation to get £2000 or so more than you need rather than telling yourself "I have £20 a month to assign to these debts" and sticking to that. Oh, and watch your bank like a hawk. Unless they can prove that they suffered actual financial loss, they're not really entitled to those £30 admin charges they rain down and if you challenge them on this basis they will most likely do you a 'goodwill gesture' refund.

Do not get a consolidation loan off some tv advert company under any circumstances.

I want to curl up in a corner and cry more often than I'd like to admit to.

When things seem too overwhelming to do this, that's exactly when it's most vital that you DO do it. The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

With the financial issues, what people have already said is otm. One certainty is that debt won't go away if you just ignore it. Take control now, even in a small way, and you'll feel better, I promise.

There is nothing wrong with crying, though.

Fortunately, I know that would be a damn stupid thing to try. One of my guiding principles in life is, don't trust anything advertised on daytime tv.

Oh, and the car isn't as fucked-up as I thought, thankfully.

1) Are you currently working? If so, any chance you could negotiate any sort of pay rise, even a small one? If you've taken on any additional responsibilities or expanded your role, you might be able to put forward a case for more money.

2) Get a second job. Barmaid or waitressing two nights a week might help ease the cashflow situation, plus it gets you out of the house in the evening and gives you a social life (of some sort) where you don't need to spend any money. Are you outgoing and sociable? Try flogging Virgin Vie cosmetics via party plan - I think it's quite cheap to start this business up, and everyone I know who does it earns quite a lot of dosh from it.

3) Sell stuff you don't want on Ebay.

4) Draw up a strict weekly budget, and stick to it. No more buying sandwiches for lunch - get up 5 minutes earlier and make your own. No more impulse buys to cheer yourself up. Cut up your credit cards if you can't trust yourself not to use them.

5) Do you need a car? Could you manage without one at all? Even for six months?

6) What are your living arrangements? Can you look for somewhere cheaper to live? Do you have a spare room which you could rent out to a lodger?

They know some of it. They don't know exactly how much I owe (hell, nor do i), nor just how low I've been feeling lately over the crapness of my life. They can't understand why i think my life's so awful, for one thing.

They have helped by borrowing the money for my car themselves, and lending it to me.

Do you run up big credit bills by buying things you think will make you happy? Because if that's the case, even if you were to magically pay off all these debts overnight, the underlying unhappiness which causes you to overspend will still be there, and you'll end up in the same situation again before long. Maybe you need to tackle the reasons why you feel that your life if so crap - the things behind the money worries. What are they?

Since I left university, I've been pretty much on the breadline - even when I had a job, I was being paid so little that when I took out rent and food there was no money for council tax or utility bills.

Fortunately (again), I don't have any credit cards. I do occasionally binge-shop on things like clothes or CDs, though.

If you were (are) so poorly paid, were you claiming all the benefits you were entitled to (such as Council Tax benefits etc)?

xpost

Age brings a certain 'so what?' perspective. And I got bored with the pattern of retiring injured from life.

These days if I eff up at work or wherever etc, I think 'I'm going to brush it aside and be relentlessly upbeat just to piss people off'.

The big problem is that Edinburgh City Council are absolutely terrible. They never reply to mail, or even acknowledge receipt of it. Their published phone numbers go to a call centre in Northampton. I didn't claim all the benefits and discounts I deserved, partly because when I did try it would take so long, responses would be so slow, and there was so much paperwork to try to sort out and supply them that it became effectively impossible for me to cope with.

email them and ask

In the end, when the chap turned up to disconnect my supply I talked my way out of it: I pointed out that as I was moving out of the flat and closing the account at the end of that week (which I was), there wasn't much point disconnecting the electricity.

I got a solicitors' letter from them yesterday - they do at least know my address - about the money I still owe them; but it's only £400 or so. I *could* just pay that off right away, as it's just passed payday, but I'm pissed at them sending me a solicitors' letter when a week earlier I'd phoned them up and they'd agreed I could just pay £100 a month towards it.

(i don't normally open up like this on ILE, but it's how I often feel. I don't see myself living to the age of 30 unless things radically change for me)

What would make you happy, Caitlin?

Your life will only go somewhere if you want it to.

Suicide is the boring option. It's like reading the first half of a book and then throwing it away. You'll never know what happened in the second half. I can't imagine your parents would be too thrilled either.

Once you've got the money sorted, you'd probably feel very different if you move out from your parents.

Mine cast a long depressing shadow over me when I lived at home.

Crabbed age and youth cannot live together;
Youth is full of pleasance, age is full of care;