Jump directly to the content

Mum-of-two who cleared £11,000 worth of debt explains how you can do it too

Tori Gabriel said her family's debt was "weighing her down" and faced the prospect of taking 8 YEARS to clear their credit card balance if they carried on making the minimum repayments

WE all know that dreaded feeling every month when the bills start hitting the doormat.

But burying your head in the sand isn't going to solve anything at all -  just ask Tori Gabriel.

 Tori, 34, with her children Jessica, 4, and Lexi, 2
Tori, 34, with her children Jessica, 4, and Lexi, 2Credit: Tori Gabriel

Tori, 34, decided enough was enough and wanted to be debt free at the start of 2018.

The mum of two and her husband Steve have just cleared £11,000 of debt built up through two loans and credit cards over the past five years.

An impressive feat considering they had a combined family income of just £22,000 a year after tax.

Tori works part-time - 16 hours a week - as an assistant in a bookshop, while Steve has a full-time job as a theatre support worker at a local hospital.

 The family had around £11,000 worth of debt
The family had around £11,000 worth of debt

The family, who live in a privately rented two-bed flat in Margate, Kent, had very little - if any - disposable income and were facing a lifetime of paying off their debts, which were quickly growing.

So, how did they get into such financial trouble? In 2013 they took out a £7,500 to pay for a holiday to Florida - a final getaway before starting a family.

But after falling pregnant sooner than expected, the cost of a newborn baby and mounting bills meant they soon needed to borrow an additional £2,500 - bringing their total loan to £10,000.

They also had credit card debt that had crept up to £1,000.

 After clearing their debts the family have been able to start saving for the first time

The 34-year-old said: "Our payments for the loan were about £200 a month - we didn't have a lot left over at the end of each month but it was OK.

"But then my hours at worked were reduced and Jessica was born and it was a real struggle."

Once they'd factored in their monthly rent cost, bills, loan and credit card repayments they were left with very little cash.

They used balance transfer cards to shift their debt every six months but became increasingly worried that they would never clear it.

And worse was to come at the end of 2016 when their landlord decided to sell their rented home in Margate, Kent, leaving them to find a new home with two young kids and no savings.

After borrowing £2,000 from her parents for a deposit and agreeing to pay them back £50 a month, the couple decided enough was enough.

They realised if they carried on making the minimum payments of around £10 a month on their credit card, it would have taken them more than 8 YEARS to clear their balance of £1,000 - and that's only if they continued to shift their debts on balance transfer cards.

They were on track to pay off their loan by the end of last year but the couple wanted to start off 2018 as truly debt free, as well finally being able to start saving.


HERE'S some tips from Tori on how you can clear your debts and boost your savings.

Sacrifice the luxuries - Cut down on trips to the pub, cinema and meals out in order to save money

Sell your second-hand items - Kids' clothes and toys that are no longer are wanted can be used to boost your income by selling them on eBay.

Shop and switch - Use a price comparison site to make sure you're on the best deal for your energy firms. Think about doing your grocery shop at a budget retailer like Aldi and Lidl.

Use a balance transfer card - If you do need to have a balance on a credit card, try and shift your debt to a balance transfer card so you won't be hit with interest

They vowed to give-up all treats and luxuries for the year - so no nights out, trips to the pub or cinema - to try to pay-off their credit cards and finally start putting some money away themselves.

The couple also regularly checked their credit score with free service Clearscore to see how their new regime was helping to improve their credit worthiness too.

"It was so stressful and ridiculous - we had to borrow the money from my parents to move as we had no savings," Tori said.

"After the loan payments, the credit card, our rent and other bills - and bringing up the children - some months we only had £2 left in our account. It was crippling us, so we had to do something.

"We swapped our monthly shop from Tesco to Lidl and straight away we were saving £90 a month.

 Tori said sacrificing nights out for a year helped the family clear their debt

"We switched energy suppliers and to help make money we started selling things on eBay - so things like the children's clothes and toys, which has been a big boost.

"It feels great - we've started saving for the first time in our lives by putting £200 away each month."

The couple don't regret taking out the initial loan but didn't realise it would have such a detrimental affect on their finances down the line.

Tori said: "We were there for three weeks and did everything we wanted to do. It was special as I spent a year working out there when I was young as a waitress at one of the Disney parks.

"We'll never get to go back, especially with two young children. At the time we didn't realise it was going to cause problems."

"Sacrificing is the best way to do it, you have to work out what you owe and how much you can afford to spend.

"Don't bury your head in the sand about it."







Clear your loans - You can pay-off all or part of your loan early, to stop you having to meet the monthly repayments. You can ask your lender for an early settlement amount which is the total you must pay to clear the loan in full. But you should also be aware that many loans come with penalties and charges if you do repay early - this is usually the equivalent of one or two months' interest - so can be costly.


Your rent, mortgage, council tax and energy bills should be paid first because the consequences can be more serious if you don't pay.

Get free advice - If you’re struggling to pay your debts month after month it’s important you get advice as soon as possible, before they build up even further.

Groups like Citizens Advice and National Debtline offer free advice and can help you prioritise and negotiate with your creditors to offer you more affordable repayment plans.

