Like a number of others on here, I've been "lurking" in the background gaining a lot of useful & helpful info but never registered until now. It just seems like the right time & I can't believe I'm about to say this, but my final payment is in 2 weeks time [:D] In fairness, it's actually been a quick 3 years & although it wasn't an easy decision at the time, it was the best one I ever made.

I think the main benefit to come out of this is the change in attitude towards money. I've gone from the "buy now with credit card & sort it out later" to "do I really need to have that?". Just stopping to think about this does make you appreciate the "true value" of money. It wasn't an overnight change & it took about 18 months to finally get it through my head & start budgeting properly. I'm glad to say I'm there now although I hope I don't go the opposite way & become a bit miserly! A wee treat is definitely deserved in the first month of having no huge lump sum being paid out [:)] It's an amazing (& surreal) feeling making plans now for that money - house repairs/decoration/holiday/investments etc and the best part is that it'll be paid for without credit [:D] That'll be an amazing feeling of satisfaction & achievement & I can't wait!

Anyway, sorry for going on but I just hope someone can take some positive vibe from this in the same way I did from other similar posts & remember, there is light at the end of that long, dark miserable tunnel [8D]