At the end of 2004, freda and I compiled a selection of posts that we hoped TMF would include in the "DWD The best Bits" panael on the right ====>. I think this got lost in plans for a bigger re-org of that panel, so I might as well post it here in response to Capt Flack's plea.
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A selection of posts from 2004

If you are a newcomer to the TMF Dealing With Debt board, the Get Out Of Debt centre ( http://www.fool.co.uk/debt/articles/whyhere.htm ) provides practical advice on how to start tackling your debt problem. This may seem daunting, but you are not the only one with bad - or even horrendous! – debts, and lots of other people have used this board to sort themselves out, as the examples in this article show. The posts here are only a tiny selection: look at the old posts to find lots more!

First, here are some Fools who reached their Debt Free Day (DFD). This is the day when a poster has finally paid of all their debts, except for their mortgage. When this happens, people normally feel like doing a dance around the room!

- I want to start a revolution: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8954142
- cleared £3000 of debt in 8 months: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8912879
- it has taken 3 and a half years: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8663776
- used 0% cards to pay off debts: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8762989
- the month after DFD: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8494296
- £30,000 in debt paid off in 4 years: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8566487

In board slang, a “mini dance” happens when a poster reaches a major milestone, like clearing a large debt. Here are a selection of the ones that happened in 2004:

- debts reduced by £30,000: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8521765
- £13,000 of debts down to £5,000: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8551173
- just a small student loan left: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8303494
- debts now less than £8,000: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8997420
- will be debt free by end of year: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8913299
- an amazing year: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8804906

To tackle a big debt problem, you need a plan and you need to implement it. More board slang – “to snowball” is to pay off the debts which are charging you the most interest first, or transfer debts to a lower rate of interest if possible. Here are some posts from Fools that have taken that first, vital step by getting a plan:

- small reductions each month will increase with snowballing: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8629997
- 10 steps I've taken: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8616633
- life rethink caused by losing job: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8491707
- freezing interest helps a lot: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8451514
- using Payplan (a not for profit organisation) to sort out debts: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8299200
- debt collection agency wanted too much each month: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8355475
- on being a real life Carrie Bradshaw: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8357610

Some Fools make regular postings, once a month or once a quarter, to report the progress they are making:

- on a steady path to a DFD in 2007: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8268832
- it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere for ages: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8317769
- every month that you chip away part of your debt is an achievement: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8370183
- light at the end of the tunnel: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8363125
- paid the usual Payplan amount plus a bit extra: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8273365

For some people, their action plan is simple, but many people have to increase income AND cut down on expenditure AND minimise the interest they pay. Here are a few posts with ideas that you may find interesting:
- set a budget you can live with: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8533742
- serious head in the sand time: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8663602
- keep a spending diary: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8930986
- better food shopping: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8416115
- bring forward DFD by cutting expenditure: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8586033
- rent out a room: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8467535
- regretting getting a consolidation loan: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8328850
- debts cut by £16,000 at a stroke! http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8463425
- cashed in an ISA: http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8303575
- I could have bought a Ferrari http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8713074

Sometimes, there is only one possible answer to a major debt problem: bankruptcy. Although you are very likely to be discharged from bankruptcy within a year, you will still have to pay a proportion of your income for up to three years and you may have to sell your house and car. Your credit reference file will note your bankruptcy for six years. However, if it is the most sensible alternative for you, you should not feel ashamed and it may not be as traumatic as you expect, as these two posts show:
http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=9001885
http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8945064

Finally, in 2004 a few Fools who had got debt free earlier dropped in to report how their new life was going, for example http://boards.fool.co.uk/Message.asp?mid=8257420. One of these posts contained a sentence which sums everything up: “I'm 30 on Saturday. After spending almost all of my 20s in debt, I'm really looking forward to the next decade.”

So, if you are new to this board, we hope some of these examples have inspired you to make a plan and start the journey in 2005. If everything is so complicated you don't know where to start, then post some details on the Board and ask for advice. If you are currently on your way, carry on visiting DWD for ideas and support – you can do it!
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manzanilla