My name is Joshua* and I got in touch with BSNC a few months ago because I could no longer keep up with my car repayments. I’d taken on other debt using AfterPay, and since I didn’t really work out what impact the extra repayments would have, it wasn’t long before I was in trouble. BSNC gave me a Financial Mentor, and I was a bit worried at first – that they might think me stupid or something... But no, we got on well.

We went through all my expenses, and she wrote them all down. I didn’t realise how much I was spending, all the figures kept adding up, and it turned out I was spending way more than my weekly income. The end result was a budget where I could see all my income and all my expenses, including my debt repayments – that was a bit scary! The next step was to discuss what could be cut back, cut out, or renegotiated.

My car was a non-negotiable – I need it to get to work. But there were some other areas where I could cut back. I had a few internet movie and gaming subscriptions – so I cancelled some of them. I was vaping regularly – I decided I could cut that back a bit too. Likewise with Friday night drinks with my mates. I reckon I’m a bit healthier now too, so that’s a bonus!

It took a while to get my debts looking less scary. My Financial Mentor was very understanding, as there were some weeks where I didn’t quite keep within her recommendations for spending on personal stuff, but mostly I was making some headway. The best thing was, I was able to keep up my car repayments, keep my flat and still have a social life!

I’m not out of debt yet, but I have sorted out all the arrears. I can now manage my repayments, and I have learned a valuable lesson – to ensure that I can afford any new repayments if I decide to buy something using credit. The Financial Mentor even said she’d be happy to talk to me about any new purchases I was thinking about, and she’d re-do my budget to see if I can afford it – I might just take her up on that!

*Name has been changed to protect identity.