For 26-year-old Paige, university life wasn’t everything she’d expected. Having worked hard to make the grades and to save funds to ensure she could make the most of her student life, Paige had looked forward to beginning the next chapter of her life.
However, when she arrived she soon found the reality of covering the cost of university life a lot harsher than she imagined.
“When I started university I had always worked – I’ve worked since I was 15 – but once I started my course I couldn’t hold down my job the same as I could before,” Paige said.
“I soon found that my student loan was just enough to cover my rent, so I had absolutely nothing left which was a struggle.”
Paige persevered by working part-time, however, still found herself strapped for cash. Then, one day, she came across a payday loan advert.
“One day I was browsing on the laptop at uni and saw a Wonga advert saying ‘£200 cash in 10 minutes’ and all I could think was ‘wow, what do I do?’”
The loan offered quick relief for Paige at the time, but as her student years continues she found herself falling further and further into debt at the mercy of payday loans.
She continued: “I didn’t read any of the terms and conditions whatsoever. The money, the £200 was in my bank – that was fine – but then it got to payday and I was £200 down.
“It spiraled out of control, and it wasn’t necessarily the amount of money I’d borrowed, it was the interest that I couldn’t keep up with. That’s what really just started snowing me under.”
Living with debt began to take its toll on Paige’s mental health and when she finally reached breaking point, Paige knew she had to take action.
She added: “It literally felt like I had a dark cloud hanging over me – constantly panicking and shaky to the point where I’d just cry for no reason and I just thought this isn’t normal.
“So I sat down, and for the first time in like a year and a half, wrote everything down -what I owed, who I owed, what I had coming in, what was going out – and I just cried for about two hours.”
Realising she needed help, Paige wasn’t sure where to turn. That’s when Creditfix came in.
“I freaked out, and I thought ‘I don’t know what to do like I’m so scared’. After that, a Creditfix advert came up on my phone, and straight away I knew I had to do something.
“I just clicked on that and that’s when I thought ‘yeah, I’m going to have to do something’.”
After contacting Creditfix, Paige was able to know and understand what her options were. Now, she can live her life without that dark cloud hanging over her, allowing her to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Speaking of her life since finding support, Paige said: “I know what I’ve got coming in, what I’ve got going out and I don’t have to worry any more. I don’t have to worry about that interest building up, and I know that at this certain date, I’m going to be debt free and I’m going to be fine.”
Getting help with her debts has turned Paige’s life around, but it’s not just her finances she feels better about.
“The biggest change for me, was me. I’m happier, I’m talking to my mum and dad all the time and I don’t feel sick all the time. I think it was making me poorly, I genuinely was ill from it, and now I don’t feel any of that.”
“It was literally the best decision of my life, and it has actually changed my life, cheesy as that sounds, it has changed my life.”
If you relate to Paige’s story and are searching for help with your debts – speak to Creditfix. Our experienced debt advisors can help find a solution that best suits your circumstances.