The Day I Actually Deleted My Debt Tracker App
Hey everyone,
Honestly, I never thought I’d be writing this post. You know that feeling when something seems so impossible that you don’t even properly let yourself imagine it? That was me with debt freedom. But here’s the thing – three days ago, I did something I’ve been dreaming about for years: I deleted my debt tracker app.
Not because I was fed up with it (though man, there were moments), but because there was literally nothing left to track. Zero balances across the board. Mental, isn’t it?
Let me tell you, the feeling is properly indescribable. It’s like when you’ve had a headache for so long you forget what it feels like to not have one, and then suddenly it’s gone and you remember what normal actually feels like.
The Weight You Don’t Realise You’re Carrying
Here’s what nobody tells you about debt – it’s not just about the money. I mean, obviously, the money bit is rubbish, but the mental load is what nearly broke me. Research shows that people struggling with debt have significantly higher risks for depression and mental health issues, with one in five people with mental health problems also dealing with problem debt.
Every morning for the past couple of years, I’d wake up and within about thirty seconds, my brain would remind me: “Right, you owe £1,612 to Pulse Credit Card, £2,515 to NatWest, don’t forget about that PayPal credit, and oh yeah, there’s the Lloyds card too.” It was like having a really pessimistic flatmate living in my head, constantly updating me on my financial failures.
The worst part? The shame spiral. You know the one – where you feel rubbish about having debt, so you avoid dealing with it, which makes it worse, which makes you feel more rubbish, and round and round we go. Brilliant system, really.
The 3am Calculations
Anyone else do those mental maths sessions at 3 in the morning? “Right, if I pay minimum on the credit card, £200 extra on the overdraft, skip lunch for two weeks, maybe sell a kidney…” No? Just me then.
I used to lie there working out scenarios like some sort of stressed-out financial analyst. “If I get that promotion, and there’s no unexpected expenses, and I eat nothing but beans on toast, maybe I could be debt-free by… 2087.”
Why Men Don’t Talk About Money Stress (But We Should)
Let’s be honest – blokes are absolutely terrible at talking about money worries. Financial stress has a massive impact on men’s overall health and wellbeing, yet it’s often overlooked during discussions about men’s health. We’ll discuss our dodgy knees, our receding hairlines, even our weird rashes, but mention that you’re struggling financially? Suddenly, everyone’s looking at their shoes.
I think it’s because we’re supposed to be providers, right? There’s this mental image of the successful man who’s got his finances sorted, probably drives something sensible but nice, owns property, has a pension plan that makes sense. When you’re nowhere near that image, it feels like admitting you’re not a proper adult.
But here’s what I learned – keeping it to yourself just makes everything worse. The stress compounds, the shame builds up, and you end up making dodgy decisions because you’re not thinking clearly.
The Conversation That Changed Everything
About two years ago, I was round at my mate Paul’s place, just chilling on his sofa with a brew. We were having one of those random catch-up conversations when he mentioned he’d just paid off his credit card completely, and instead of the usual “nice one, mate” and subject change, something made me ask how he’d managed it.
Turns out, he’d been carrying a balance on his credit card for ages – not massive amounts, but enough that the interest was eating into everything. But instead of just hoping it would sort itself out (my strategy), he’d actually made a plan. Revolutionary stuff, apparently.
“Dan,” he said, putting his cup down, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Profound, right? Though to be fair, we’d just been talking about how mental his gas bill was, so everything felt a bit profound in that moment.
Building the Debt Elimination System That Actually Worked
Right, let’s get practical. Because all the motivation in the world doesn’t mean much without a proper system. Here’s what actually worked for me:
The Brutal Truth Audit
First thing I did was write down every single debt. All of it. The credit cards (Pulse, NatWest, Lloyds), the PayPal credit I’d forgotten about, that Zable buy-now-pay-later thing, the Barclays Amazon card, even the Monzo Flex payments. Seeing the total – £6,992.65 – was genuinely terrifying, but also weirdly liberating. At least I knew what I was dealing with.
I used a simple spreadsheet – nothing fancy, just:
- What I owed
- To whom
- Interest rates
- Minimum payments
- Current balances
The Avalanche vs Snowball Debate (And What I Actually Did)
Everyone bangs on about debt avalanche (pay highest interest first) versus debt snowball (pay smallest balance first). Mathematically, avalanche makes sense. Psychologically, snowball keeps you motivated.
You know what I did? A bit of both. I needed some quick wins to keep going, so I smashed the smallest debts first. Once I had some momentum, I switched to attacking the high-interest stuff. Sometimes being practical beats being perfect.
The Side Hustle Reality Check
Here’s where I’ll probably lose some of you – I didn’t do any side hustles. At all. I know, I know, everyone says you need multiple income streams and passive income and all that jazz, but honestly? I couldn’t be bothered.
I looked into it, don’t get me wrong. Spent hours watching YouTube videos about matched betting, dropshipping, selling courses about things I knew nothing about. But every single one felt like getting a second job that I’d probably hate, and I already had one of those.
The 13-Month Marathon (That Felt Like Forever)
Here’s the thing about debt repayment – it’s properly relentless. I started this journey in August 2024 thinking I’d be done by Christmas. Mental, looking back. It actually took me 13 months to clear the lot, finishing in September 2025.
Some months I could throw £800 at it, other months barely £200. But I kept chipping away, and slowly those balances started shrinking. The Zable account went first (only £13, but still felt like a win), then I focused on the higher interest stuff like the Pulse card.
- I just got really, really good at budgeting with what I had
- Sold loads of stuff I’d forgotten I owned (genuinely made about £600 from random things gathering dust)
- Cut expenses in ways that didn’t make me want to cry into my beans on toast
- Stopped buying things I didn’t actually need (difficult, I know)
The key was working smarter with the money I already had, not desperately trying to make more money I’d probably just waste anyway.
The Mental Shift That Made All the Difference
About halfway through this journey, something clicked. I stopped seeing debt payments as money disappearing and started seeing them as buying my freedom back. Sounds cheesy, but it genuinely changed how I felt about every payment.
Instead of “Ugh, another £300 gone,” it became “Right, £300 closer to freedom.” Small difference in words, massive difference in mindset.
Celebrating the Small Wins
Every time I paid off a debt completely – even tiny ones – I did something to mark it. Nothing expensive (obviously), but something. Maybe a decent coffee instead of instant, or watching a film I actually wanted to see instead of whatever was free on Prime Video.
These little celebrations kept me going when the progress felt painfully slow. And trust me, there were months where it felt like I was trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon.
The Unexpected Health Benefits of Debt Freedom
Now that I’m on the other side, I’m genuinely shocked at how much better I feel physically. Financial wellness significantly reduces stress levels, with 65% of people citing money as a major stress source. I didn’t realise how much the constant financial worry was affecting everything else.
My sleep improved first. No more 3am calculations about whether I could afford to pay more than the minimum on the NatWest card. Then my digestion sorted itself out (stress had been playing havoc with my stomach). Even my relationships got better – turns out I’m much more fun to be around when I’m not constantly worried about money.
The Credit Score Transformation
Here’s something mental – my credit score has gone from being properly rubbish to 10 points above the UK average on ClearScore. Ten points above average! Me, the bloke who used to get rejected for loyalty cards.
It’s like watching your financial reputation rebuild itself in real time. Every month, the score crept up a bit more as those balances disappeared and my credit utilisation dropped. Now I’ve got over £16,000 worth of available credit and I’m using precisely none of it. Feels weird, but brilliant.
The Energy You Get Back
Here’s something I wasn’t expecting – the mental energy you get back when you’re not constantly thinking about debt. It’s like having a computer with too many programs running in the background, and suddenly half of them shut down and everything runs faster.
I’ve got mental space for other things now. Proper things, like planning holidays instead of planning which bill to pay late, or thinking about what hobbies I might actually enjoy instead of just collapsing in front of Netflix every evening because I’m mentally knackered from money stress.
What I Wish I’d Known at the Start
Looking back, there are a few things I’d tell past-Dan if I could:
It’s going to take longer than you think, and that’s okay. I thought I’d be debt-free in about 6 months. It took 13 months to clear £6,992.65. But so what? Those 13 months went by anyway, and now I’m free.
Progress isn’t always visible day-to-day. Some months, I barely made a dent; other months, I could knock out an entire card. The key was to keep going regardless. Even paying just £724.67 in interest over the whole journey felt like a win compared to what it could have been.
Your motivation will come and go. There were weeks where I was absolutely buzzing about debt freedom, and weeks where I couldn’t care less. Having a system meant I kept making progress even when I didn’t feel like it.
People want to help more than you think. Once I started being honest about my situation, loads of people shared their own experiences and advice. Turns out debt stress is way more common than anyone admits.
The Freedom Fund: What Comes Next
Now that I’m debt-free, I’m doing something I never thought I’d be able to do – I’m building what I call a “freedom fund.” Not just an emergency fund (though that’s part of it), but money that gives me options.
Options to help the family if they need it. Options to say no to things I don’t want to do because I’m not desperate for the money. Options to make decisions based on what I actually want, not what I can afford. That kind of freedom is worth more than any amount of stuff I could buy.
The Monthly Reality Check
I still track my finances obsessively – old habits die hard – but now it’s actually enjoyable. Instead of watching debt balances go down, I’m watching savings balances go up. Same spreadsheet skills, completely different emotional experience.
For Anyone Still in the Middle of It
If you’re reading this and you’re still drowning in debt, here’s what I want you to know:
You’re not broken. The system is set up to keep you in debt. Credit is pushed on us from every angle, financial education is basically non-existent, and then we’re made to feel like personal failures when we struggle. It’s not your fault that you’re in this situation.
You can do this. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now. I know it feels impossible and overwhelming and like you’re never going to get out. But you can. It’s going to take time and effort and probably some sacrifices, but you can absolutely do this.
Start where you are. You don’t need a perfect plan or a complete understanding of everything. You just need to start. Write down what you owe, make the minimum payments, and pay anything extra you can manage. That’s it. The rest you can figure out as you go.
Ask for help. There are free debt advice services available through organisations like Citizens Advice and Christians Against Poverty (CAP), with trained advisors who can provide guidance and support. Whether it’s professional help, talking to friends and family, or just reading blogs and books about debt management, you don’t have to do this alone.
The Unexpected Side Effects of Financial Freedom
Now that I’m debt-free, I’ve noticed some things I wasn’t expecting:
I’m less materialistic. When you’ve spent years focusing on getting out of debt, you get pretty good at distinguishing between wants and needs. That skill doesn’t just disappear when the debt does.
I’m more generous. Not financially (I’m still building that emergency fund), but with time and attention. When you’re not constantly worried about money, you have more emotional bandwidth for other people.
I make better decisions generally. The discipline and delayed gratification that debt repayment requires apparently transfers to other areas of life. Who knew?
Final Thoughts: It’s About More Than Money
Being debt-free isn’t just about the money – though obviously the money part is brilliant. It’s about having control over your life again. It’s about making decisions based on what you want to do, not what you can afford to do. It’s about sleeping properly and not having that constant low-level anxiety humming in the background.
Financial wellness includes having confidence in financial decisions, maintaining emergency funds, and staying within budgets – all contributing to overall life satisfaction.
If you’re starting this journey, please know that every payment matters. Every pound you put towards debt instead of spending on something else is a pound closer to freedom. It adds up faster than you think, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
And if you’re already debt-free, you know what I’m talking about. That feeling of possibility, of options, of breathing room. It’s worth every sacrifice you made to get here.
Next Steps for Your Debt-Free Journey
Ready to start your own path to financial freedom? Begin with a simple debt audit – list every debt, balance, and minimum payment. Then choose one debt to focus extra payments on while maintaining minimums on everything else. Remember, the journey to debt freedom is a marathon, not a sprint, but every step forward is progress worth celebrating.
Thanks for letting me share this journey with you. If you’ve got your own debt-free story, or if you’re just starting out and want to vent about how overwhelming it all feels, drop a comment below. We’re all in this together, and honestly, your stories and support have kept me going more times than I can count.
Here’s to financial freedom and the peace of mind that comes with it.
Dan
P.S. – If you’re wondering what I’m going to do with all the time I used to spend updating debt trackers and calculating payments, I honestly have no idea. Maybe I’ll take up a hobby. Or learn Spanish. Or just enjoy not having to think about money for five minutes. The possibilities are endless, and that feeling is absolutely brilliant.
Your journey to financial wellness starts with a single step
