Please learn that cars are needed if you don’t live in a city.
I’ve had my last one rearended and got a decent payout from the insurance after several offers. (I bought a new car with savings to use as leverage)
I buy used cars that are out of warranty cash and you just keep a large pot of savings just in case of stuff like this.
I need the car to get to work at 4:30AM, that and it’s cheaper than public transport in some areas.
Not everyone lives in London or the south east mate.
I live in a city. I need a car. Stop presuming you know how everyone lives their lives?
I was trying to say you can live without one in a city not that you must.
Lets be calm ok i’ve been up since 2AM.
I like this. I’m going to start saying this more often.
Well done 
2/3 months will fly by, and being rid of the debt will you give you a sense of freedom you’ll never want to give up. (speaking from experience 
)
Perfectly calm. I’ve been up since 8am (not sure why this is relevant though LOL!) 
Just as a separate side note if you do buy another new car in the future and for everyone else reading this.
Generally speaking GAP insurance isn’t worth it in year one. That’s because almost all fully comprehensive insurance policies cover you for year one and will provide you with a new vehicle if your car is written off.
For year two onwards you can buy a GAP insurance policy separately and it can be considerably cheaper than buying via the dealership.
Never knew that but I suppose it makes sense. It’s a bit late for me now but I’ll certainly look into it when I get my next car - thanks 
The price I was given at the dealership seemed to be better than what I was quoted, which is why I went for it at the time. Good to know though, and definitely will be keeping that in mind.
Never buy through the dealership !!
I’ve done it once and subsequently found that equivalent GAP insurance can easily be a third of the dealer’s quote if you shop elsewhere. You’ll be tempted when buying new in the showroom.
It’s a big win for them so they’ll often push it hard. Only accept if they give it away to seal the deal.
I actually run two at once (me + spouse) …#justsaying
Cool. How’s it going for you now Harvey? I’d love you to come back in 4 years with an update.
Was this a joke?
@harveywlong firstly you’re not stupid. You’re intelligent and know your stuff. At that age, I didn’t know enough about service plans, credit ratings etc. I’m not far off your age though.
I just thought I’d put my two pence in which may help.
I’m also currently in debt but more near the figures of 8k across 4 credit cards.
Credit card 1: monthly payment of £400 - lowest balance, should be cleared off 2 months from now
Credit card 2: minimum payment for now - low balance ie. 1500, but will clear this off in £400 chunks once card 1 is paid off.
Credit card 3: minimum payment for now - high balance but minimum payment is low so until I clear off 1 and 2, then I will work on this one.
Credit card 4: monthly payment of £500 - highest interest and highest balance so thought it’d make sense to chip away.
Eventually, once credit 1 and 2 are paid off, i can start clearing credit 3 and once credit 3 is done, i can put additional payments on credit 4.
In roughly 10-12 months time it should definitely be cleared for me. Bare in mind, im not using the cards anymore - maybe for a full tank of fuel once a month if need be on credit card 4 as I’ve got 500 going on it anyway and it’ll take some time for me to clear it off.
You MUST have discipline. I still eat out everyday (take outs), I still meet up with friends, minimised night outs and just kept the end goal in mind. Think of the end goal and you’ll thank yourself.
Like someone said here (which I love): life’s too short to always be paying off debt.
Once mine is cleared, im gonna start saving around 900 per month for house revamp , or potentially a deposit. Need to revamp the family home though.
Remember - don’t be scared to use the arranged overdraft should you ever need to for unexpected costs. Sometimes it can work out better than using a credit card, for cash flow benefits. I haven’t used mine in a while. I’ve been living off my salary, and again, credit card 4 sometimes is needed for that extra tank of fuel. Again I use this over an overdraft as it makes sense cash flow wise but the overdraft I would potentially use for small expenses.
Not at all! It’s very serious.
It’s much cheaper to start young. And it’s much easier to get insured, because you are much less likely to have preexisting conditions.
Read around before taking out a policy, but I have used these guys before
Btw don’t worry about saving just yet, Clear debts off first as it’s costing you money either way. I’d work on two cards at a time personally - highest balance one and lowest balance one.
Alternatively, clear off the smallest balance first and work your way up.
In your case I’d probably put the 400 on the highest balance and pay minimum on the other cards for the time being perhaps. You have to do what works for you.
Dude! You could save so much money if you just bought ingredients from the supermarket and cooked at home.
I know 
I guess I’m just lazy when it comes to cooking food. I’m trying to implement it now!
Can you give an eli5 why I would care?
And why it’s better than self-insuring as an alternative?