Why isn't my debt going down even though I live below my means?
More than half of income goes straight toward debt servicing and unexpected necessities like car repairs, leaving people with no money by mid-month. This forces them to rely on wage advances and new debt just to survive, trapping them in a cycle where they feel like they are going backwards despite trying to do everything right.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Tracking every single expense for two months
- 2Cutting back on rent, food, beauty treatments, and parties
- 3Planning to create a detailed budget and review debt-to-income numbers
- 4Selling possessions on Vinted
- 5Working two jobs
- 6Using employer wage advance facilities to cover direct debits
- 7Entering a Debt Management Plan
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I dont know what to do”source ↗
“Four years later, I feel like I am going backwards.”source ↗
“I have had to pay for car repairs I knew I could not afford because I needed the car to remain driveable, and I am now in effectively the same position financially.”source ↗
“In reality, I keep using my employer’s wage advance facility to cover direct debits before payday.”source ↗
“I feel exhausted and overwhelmed, and I need to fix this before it gets worse.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 5Why do I feel so financially behind everyone else?
- 3Why can't I stop coding with AI at night?
- 5How to escape a high interest car loan after an emergency buy