Hi, my name is Laura, and I'm a single mum to two young children.

Between 2023 and 2024, I spent around £10,000 on my divorce. In 2025, I moved out of the family home and started over, creating a new home for myself and my children.

Before moving, I'd worked hard to clear my credit card debt. However, starting again from scratch meant buying essential items and covering the costs of setting up a new home. Unfortunately, I found myself relying on my credit card again just to make ends meet. With no one to help, there have even been months when I've needed to use it for food shopping towards the end of the month, just before payday.

Last year, I transferred £2,200 of my credit card balance onto a 0% interest deal for 12 months, with the intention of clearing it before the offer ended. I genuinely thought I could do it, but unexpected expenses kept cropping up, and instead of reducing the balance as planned, I ended the 12 months owing more than I started with. It was disheartening, especially when I was trying so hard to get back on track.

I have a good job and I'm doing everything I can to manage my finances responsibly. I make my monthly credit card payments, currently £200pm, but whenever I feel like I'm making progress, an unexpected expense seems to come along. Like now for example, I’ve found some sort of animal droppings in my loft and I’m yet to call anyone out to inspect because of the cost it’ll incur. Without an emergency fund to fall back on, I end up relying on my credit card again, and it feels like I'm going around in circles.

I'm not looking for an easy way out. I'm trying to find a way to break this cycle and give myself and my children a more secure future.

My goal is to clear my credit card debt so that the £200 I currently pay each month can eventually go towards building an emergency fund. Having some savings behind me would mean being able to deal with unexpected expenses without falling back into debt.

More than anything, I want to give my children a happy, secure childhood and be able to treat them to little things and experiences without constantly worrying about how I'll afford them.

If you're able to contribute anything towards helping me reach this goal, I'd be incredibly grateful. Every donation, no matter how small, would make a difference. If you're unable to donate, simply taking the time to read my story means a lot.

Thank you so much for reading and for any kindness or support you can offer. ❤️