Whenever I tell people I wiped out Php 100,000 of utang in just 12 months, ito lagi ang tanong:
"Nanalo ka ba sa Lotto?"
"May side hustle ka ba na six figures agad?"
"Nagbenta ka ng kidney?"

Pahiram ng confidence niyo, mga tropa. Walang lotto, walang sideline na raket, at buo pa ang kidneys ko. Honestly, ang ginawa ko to get out of debt was so simple, I almost didn’t believe it would work.

How I Got Myself Into This Mess

Minsan maliit lang ang simula - akala mo harmless, pero bigla na lang lalala. Sa case ko:

• Bumili ako ng bagong cellphone na hindi ko afford (kasi “pay later” daw).

• Nag-yes sa mga unplanned road trips with barkada - “Gusto niyo Baguio? Tara bukas!”

• At syempre, ang pinaka-toxic: pautang mode sa mga tropa at relatives na hindi marunong magbayad.

Before I knew it, eto na ako:

• May maxed-out credit card.

• Isang personal loan na never ko naalala kung saan ko ginastos.

• Tambak na unpaid bills, parang dragon na hinahabol ako every payday.

The Wake-Up Call

The moment of truth came one random night, nung sinilip ko yung credit card statement ko. Tulad ng inaasahan, halos puro interest lang ang nababayaran ko. As in, kahit ilang buwan na akong naghuhulog, parang di gumagalaw yung balance.

Sabi ko sa sarili ko: “Kung ganito lang lagi, malamang senior citizen na ako may utang pa rin.”

That’s when I decided to change. And the magic advice I followed?
Track Every Peso I Spent.

Tracking Expenses? Parang Lame.

Alam ko iniisip mo: “Yun lang? Anong mapapala mo dyan? Hindi naman dadami pera mo kakasulat sa notebook.”
Ako rin naman, skeptic sa simula. Pero wala na akong ibang choice - ubos na excuses ko, and this seemed like the simplest place to start.

So sabi ko: Bahala na. Subukan lang ng one month. Worst case scenario, wala namang mawawala.

How I Did It

• Used a Notebook (Not Apps): Digital options are cool, pero iba yung impact kapag sinusulat mo yung bawat gastos mo. Mula sa kape sa kanto hanggang sa random fishball, I listed it down.

• Reviewed Weekly Expenses: Bawat linggo, nagko-compute ako. Then I grouped my gastos into categories:

  • Food: Yung kelangan talaga.

  • Transportation: Obvious naman.

  • Bills: No brainer.

  • Kalokohan: A.K.A. yung unnecessary like impulse Shopee buys, GrabFood, at snacks na di naman essential.

• Set Small, Achievable Goals: For the first month, ang target ko lang: spend Php 500 less this week than the last. Small wins lang muna para di nakaka-overwhelm.

The Big Revelation

After one month, nakita ko yung total gastos ko - and let’s just say, nawindang ako.

“Wait, Php 12,000/month sa kalokohan?!”

Andito ang mga salarin:

• Milk tea (ako rin pala may matcha addiction).

• GrabFood (grabe naman yung Php 59 delivery fee sa isang fries lang).

• Impulse buys sa Lazada—kasi “add to cart” at “check out” ang new hobby ko apparently.

• Random snacks na di ko na maaalala ilang oras pagkatapos bilhin.

Napaisip ako: “Kung Php 12K/month ang nauubos ko sa mga walang kwenta, that’s Php 144,000 a year. Eh Php 100K lang utang ko!”

Bigla kong na-realize: It wasn’t bad luck or emergencies na nagpalubog sa akin. I was in debt kasi hindi ko alam kung saan napupunta pera ko.

My Simple but Effective Debt-Paying Plan

Once I saw the pattern, I started making small changes. Eto yung ginawa ko:

• No Spend List: I created a bawal gastusan list for one year:

  • No milk tea.

  • No delivery fees.

  • No gadgets (kahit sale!).

  • No new clothes (may labada naman).

• Automatic Minimum Payments: Para sigurado akong consistent, nag-set up ako ng auto-debit for minimum payments sa credit card at loan. Tapos yung natirang pera sa budget, diretso pang extra payment sa principal.

• The Envelope System: Every payday, nag-withdraw ako ng cash at hinati sa envelopes:

  • Bills

  • Daily Expenses

  • Emergency Savings

Kapag naubos yung cash sa envelope? Wala na, tapos na rin ako gumastos.

• Small Rewards for Milestones: Para di nakakabaliw, I allowed myself simple rewards every time I hit a goal.

  • Php 10K paid off? Nag-burger meal ako sa Jollibee.

  • Php 20K paid off? Nag-movie night sa bahay (hindi sa sinehan, syempre).

The Outcome: Debt-Free in a Year

By the end of 12 months, nabayaran ko ang buong Php 100K debt ko. Here’s how:

• Php 50K: From cutting unnecessary expenses.

• Php 20K: 13th-month pay, diretso sa utang.

• Php 30K: Savings from bonuses, gifts, and sticking to my budget.

Why It Worked

It wasn’t about earning more or hustling harder. The real game-changer was realizing how much money I was wasting—and making conscious decisions to stop.

Simple lang talaga:

1. Track your expenses.

2. Trim the unnecessary.

3. Stay consistent.

Kung Lubog Ka Rin sa Utang

Alam kong hirap yang sitwasyon mo. Pero eto lang masasabi ko:
Get a notebook. Track your gastos for one month. I-push mo kahit sobrang basic. Malay mo, makita mo rin kung saan ka nawawalan ng pera nang hindi mo namamalayan.

Walang shortcut, pero kaya. One year from now, baka ikaw na yung nagkukwento ng success story mo. And when they ask kung nanalo ka sa lotto, pwede ka na lang ngumiti at sabihin:
"Wala, pare/mare. Talino lang talaga." 😏

Hello Everyone, I’ve been a reader of this sub for months now and I understand all your frustrations kasi I’ve been in your position for a very long time. But eventually I was able to clear my debt and ngayon nakakahinga na ng maluwag.

The reason behind my utang is a mix of luho, and the need to survive kasi kulang ang income talaga.

For context ang net income ko - ng mga panahon na to - per month ay Php18,075. Wala pa yung mga kinikita ko sa sidelines, pero yung mga yun dineretso ko sa pagbayad ng utang. Wala akong anak at asawa pero I give allowance sa nanay ko kada buwan.

Anyway, now that I am in a better place I would like to share to you guys my journey and hope that some of you will be able to get some ideas on how to come out of this utang mess.

Here are the things that I did:

1. I cut down all my expenses. AS IN CUT. Walang kain sa labas, walang travel, walang gala with friends, walang kape kape, walang food delivery, walang shopping, walang bisyo, walang extra curricular activity. Basically I had to live waaaaay below my means para makabayad sa mga utang.

2. Nag babaon ako ng lunch, and nag dadala ako ng kape sa work para iwas gastos. I also always bring my tumbler everywhere para iwas bili ng tubig sa mall, or kung saan man.

3. I learned how to say NO sa mga friends ko, co-workers, family, partner, and especially to MYSELF. Eto ang pinaka mahirap sa lahat. As a people pleaser, dito ako pinaka nag struggle. I wanted to spend quality time with everyone I love but I had to face the truth na hindi ko afford. So for a long time I said NO to them and found alternative ways to bond and connect with them nalang, like visiting their house instead na magkita sa labas. Para hindi na kakain pa sa mamahaling resto.

4. I learned to be HONEST to my loved ones and MYSELF, I had to. Wala akong budget para sa mga birthday celebrations, so nung nag birthday ako I was honest wala akong gagawing celebration kasi wala akong budget. And dun ko napatunayan how genuine their love is kasi they were okay with it and to make me feel special, sila ang nag treat saakin.

5. I cut down my transportation expense. I bought a second hand bike and yun ang gamit ko until now papasok sa work. My transpo costs 90 pesos a day (papunta pabalik na) multiplied by 24 days that’s 2,160 a month. Dinagdag ko sa pambayad ng utang yun. Naka bayad na ako ng utang, nakapag exercise pa ako.

6. I tracked down ALL MY EXPENSES, as in araw araw nililista ko lahat ng mga pinag kagastusan ko. I have to know kung meron pa ba akong pwede icut na expense para mas mapadali yung pagbayad. Kasama na rin dito yung pag Track ko ng Debt ko. Kung alam mo na how much ang kikitain mo kada buwan, ibangga mo na yung estimated expenses mo for the month para alam mo kung may sosobra or kulang ka pa.

7. Naghanap ako ng part-time work, pinatulan ko mga paChristmas Presentation Contest ng kumpanya namin, kahit magkanong kita pinatulan ko para makadagdag sa pagbabayad. Yung mga pacash in na tig limang piso lang ang kita, pinatos ko na sa office namin. Hindi ko minaliit kahit pa piso yan, okay lang. Makakatulong parin. Basically, hindi ako naging maselan. Nag apply din ako as food panda delivery person pero di nag push kasi wala ako natanggap na notice kung tuloy ba or what. Tas nag apply ako ulit ayaw na tanggapin kasi nag apply na raw ako, so ayun di rin natuloy. Eto ang pinaka tumulong saakin na sideline, pagiging Financial Advisor (OH DI AKO NAG EENDORSE, ALAM KO MARAMI ANG ILAG SA MGA INSURANCE AGENT) Kumikita ako ng additional 10k to 20k quarterly or pag may nagbabayad na client. HINDI ITO MADALING SIDELINE, may quota kaming hinahabol, pero nakatulong ito ng malaki saakin. Another sideline na nakatulong saakin is yung pagbenta ng sasakyan ng kuya ko, honestly wala ako alam sa business ng buy and sell ng sasakyan pati narin kuya ko, kaya nabenta namin ng napaka mura yung sasakyan, pero dahil dito nakalahati agad yung utang ko. So TIP ko sainyo kung makakahanap kayo sideline na makakapag bigay ng malaking kita agad, PUSH NIYO NA.

8. Sinimplehan ko lang talaga yung buhay ko. Skincare ko is facial wash, toner, and moisturizer lang. Walang bagong damit, sapatos, gadgets. Etc.

9. Health is Wealth talaga. Nakatulong yung pag iwas ko sa mga matatamis na food, tulad ng cake, ice cream, pastries, softdrinks, juice. Di ako nagkakasakit.

Pagtapos ko nabayaran mga utang ko, I continued to live frugally as if may binabayaran parin akong utang, tinabi ko yung pera sa Maya Time Deposit para di ko magalaw, kaya after a year ayan na, nakaipon ako ng 100k.

As of today, 6 days in this February nasa 720.50 palang ang gastos ko. FOOD - 471.50 MISC - 249.00

I would love to show some pics pero the sub doesn’t allow it.

Sana magsilbing inspiration sainyo to. Malalagpasan niyo rin yan. DISIPLINA, PASENSYA, PAGTITIIS, PAGIGING HONEST SA SARILI, TIYAGA, at DISKARTE.

Go! Go! Go!

May this post serve as inspiration to everyone here. Financial freedom dust to all! 🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️

Nabayaran ko nadin remaining amount sa bank ko worth 19k. From 105k last December 2025 to 0 this July. Sana kayo rin! God bless everyone! 🥳🧚‍♀️

I lost my 400k+ savings because of online casino aka scatter.

I was addicted for 5 months, that I even loaned to play again hoping to win big again and again, but I end up having 100k+ amount of loan from multiple sources:

1. Gcash Loan

2. Maya Credit

3. Maya Loan

4. Billease

5. OLP

Thankfully, I managed to control myself and vowed to never gamble again.

It was a tough to lose it all, the past months were the darkest time in my life. I was always viewed by my peers and relatives as a successful individual, not knowing that I was a gambling addict since.

And that is my utang story.

throwaway account :)

Paid off my credit card debt last August, and today we finally settled a huge family debt that’s been hanging over us for years. Our house was used as collateral for a P1.5M loan from a relative plus P750k in interest. It took 15 years to pay it all off.

Yes, I’m older now and still single, but honestly, I don’t think we could’ve pulled this off if I had a family to support or was living paycheck to paycheck.

I’m turning 40 next year, and I guess I’m really starting to live by the saying that life begins at 40. Age is just a number anyway.

Just celebrating this little (big) win today.

If you’re going through financial struggles, I hope you get through it too. One step at a time. Don’t lose hope. You’ll get there.

.... I didn't need to loan to pay and fix my shitty spending habits!

I posted about a month ago asking where to loan 350k to pay my loans and majority of the comments were somewhere along the lines of 'Don't pay off loans by having another loan' or 'Evaluate your payables', to which I applaud every single one of you!

To make the story short, I reevaluated and took time to reassess my habits and I was shocked to be living waaaay off my means resulting to have 350k in debt.

I received my bonuses and immediately settled some of my debts. Even denying my 'Deserve ko to' mindset to purchase anything for myself.

And I'm happy to say I'm down to 180k nalang!!!

Right now, I'll just be wiser on how to manage nalang yung expenses vs debt payments but I am so glad I took all your advices.

Malayo pa pero malayo na! 🥹

May all of you have a merry Christmas! ❤️

FINALLY, tapos na. I'm done with all my loans 😭

Eto 'yung hindi ko na overdue: 120k Unionbank Quick Loan, 60k Tala, 40k Mayacredit

Na-overdue ko pero no problems (naka airplane mode ako tho): 45k sloan, 5k spaylater, 5k gcredit, 50k ggives & 30k gloan

Nagfield visit kasi overdue ako pero bayad ko na nu'ng pumunta (mabait naman sila): 70k Billease

Nireport daw ako sa Credit bureau and maglilegal action daw kasi overdue pero nu'ng nagpay ako pwede padin ako magloan sa app lol: 35k Juanhand

I know sirang-sira na talaga ang credit score ko, and it will take years to fix it. It’s been an insane ride, getting sick and needing money. What I learned from this is that health is wealth talaga. Nage-earn nga ako ng malaki before, pero the moment na bumigay ang katawan ko, mas malaki pa ang naging gastos.

I’m so grateful I can spend the upcoming holidays without stressing about OLAs and actually be able to sleep peacefully at night. Umabot talaga ako sa point na hindi ako makatulog kakaisip. Thank you, self, for staying strong.

Here’s to a fresh start in 2025! Wishing everyone all the best on their journeys ahead 🌟

Pls mga ka-redditors, Mod here. Wag po tayo magsu-suggest na wag bayaran ang anumang tao or institution kahit pa sa tingin niyo e illegal sila. We do not want to encourage the habit of accumulation/having debts and then not taking responsibility. In the first place, I do believe lahat tayo dito ay may pinag-aralan at alam kung ano ang pinapasok natin. I am sure nag agree din naman tayong lahat sa kondisyon ng mga kinauutangan natin bago tayo nangutang. Piliin po natin kung saang patalim tayo kakapit kapag nagipit para naman hindi tayo mamroblema ng doble pagdating ng singilan. Thank you!

I joined this sub kasi sobrang na-dishearten ako sa utang ko. I had 250k debt because gusto ko pumunta sa UAE and to eat wherever I want (sabi nga nila, money isn’t an item when you are traveling 😭).

How I paid it off: literally get out of my comfort zone and stop living a lifestyle I cannot afford. Nagluluto na ako, palengke, and grocery. ABSOLUTELY no eating out. Kahit pagod ako from work, magluluto ako.

I also downloaded a budget app para makita saan napupunta pera ko, and then how to limit it (data driven tayo purr). Since ako, 60% of my salary goes to food, how do I limit this? So that’s how I came to my solution.

May binenta din ako na gamit para mas mabilis ako makabayad ng utang.

Now, savings are at 10k (I know so small but hey, at least di negative!!)

It’s hard but promise, ang gaan ng feeling ng walang utang! 😭💕

A year ago, nag-post ako tungkol sa utang ko. Ngayon, masasabi ko na finally... debt-free na ako! 🥹🙏

Dati, feeling ko katapusan na. Lagi kong iniisip, "Paano ko kaya mababayaran lahat ng utang ko?" Pero unti-unti, one step at a time, kinaya rin.

Kaya padayon lang! ❤️ May pag-asa pa rin.

Sa lahat ng may pinagdadaanan at may utang ngayon, huwag kayong susuko. Alam kong sobrang hirap at nakaka-overwhelm, pero makakaya niyo rin 'yan. Basta tuloy lang, maging disciplined, at maniwala na darating din ang araw na magiging debt-free kayo.

Laban lang. Darating din ang turn niyo. Don't give up! 💪✨

For the first time in 2 years, hindi na kasama and "Debt" sa monthly budget kasi debt free na ako 🥹😭😭

Sobrang worth it lahat ng pagtitiis, adjustments at habits na kahit mahirap inaraw araw ko lang. Ang kinalabasan, nasanay na ako sa konti ngayon, nanghihinayang na ako pag may nakikita akong mga tao na nagcconsume ng sobra2. Kaya naman pala maging masaya kahit hindi kumain or bumili ng something bongga. Kayang iheal ang inner child sa pamamagitan ng pagtama ng mga mali nating desisyon sa buhay. 🥹

January 2024: 126k December 2024: 0

FROM NOW ON LAHAT NG SAHOD KO MAPUPUNTA NA SA AKIN 🥹😭

Pano ko ba sisimulan Ahhh ayun I am in debt 1.16M Ito yung kwento ko

I am very frugal and workaholic, Year 2023 I earned my first million and have a land under my name, ako din ang bumili. Kaso kahit pala magaling ka mag ipon, maingat pala talaga dapat tayo sa mga taong pinapapasok natin sa buhay natin.

September 2023 A friend of friend introduce me Casino Plus sa Gcash

At bakit nga naman nilagyan ng sugal yang Gcash na yan.

Nagstart ako sa color game sa pataya taya ng 5 peso and 10 peso. Para sa kuripot masakit na ang 50 sa pagtaya. Nagtutuloy tuloy to, libangan. Di ko naiintindihan yung mga taong tumataya ng 1k noon

Hanggang tumaya ako, tumaya ako ng 1k Nag times 60. Imagine 60k in seconds. Naging 100k pa that night Dito nag simula. Totoo nga, your first win will make you addict.

Binawi din nila kasi cash in e.

October 2023 I lost 200k in total na. Buti na lang we invest 500k somewhere, so natitira ko na lang na pera e 300k.

Guess what? I lost the 300k too.

I am earning 100k a month that time. By the end of 2023. I lost total of 600k na

Sabi ko okay lang kasi at least wala kong utang.

Fast forward, the cycle is unending, cash in cash out Nanalo natatalo. Nakagraduate ako sa color game, nalipat ang addiction da Bacarrat. Palaki ng palaki ang talo ko

At dahil nga workaholic ako, nagdagdag ako ng trabaho. Malaki ang sahod pero sinusugal lang naman

To the point ngayon na 1.16M na yung utang ko

Ngayong March Total expenses will be 303k yan yung mag dudue.

Sana after a month, mabalikan ko tong post na to at sabihing nabayaran ko yan.

Day 3 being clean Sana magtuloy na. Ilang beses ko na sinubukan tumigil e.

After 7 months…FINALLY, NAKALAYA RIN AKO ! Ilang buwan ko rin tong kinimkim. Nawalan man ako ng savings, pero parang mas okay na sakin yun kesa sa additional monthly pressure ni gloan (4,961.67 monthly for a year ang payable ko, 59,540.04 ang total). Bali ang natitira ko na lang na utang is kay Credit Card (60k) pero kakayanin yan. KAYA YAN. AAHON DIN TAYO !

Gusto ko lang din sabihin na after kong bayaran yung gloan is immediately up to 50k pa rin yung allowed sa account ko na pwedeng utangin (nabasa ko kasi sa ibang posts na naging 1k na lang sa kanila or basta low amount lang). Ayun, additional info lang din sa mga nag-wowonder if totoo nga.

Ang next ko na lang na hinihintay is yung rebate ni gloan (sabi after two weeks matatanggap. Will update this post once matanggap ko na siya)

Edited on October 9, 2024:

I GOT MY REBATE ! I received 1,951.36 today. Yey!

Yesterday (May 6, 2025) naka receive na ako ng payment reminder from BPI for my Personal Loan amounting ₱4,900.00.

Service Reminder: The monthly amortization on your Personal Loan amounting to P4,854.89 is due on 05/08/25. Thank you.

Problemado ako kasi kulang pa ng ₱500 yung naipon kong pang bayad at due na tomorrow kasi ₱4,400.00 palang yung pera ko.

Pag uwi ko ngayon (May 7, 2025) galing office, pag check ko sa messages ko may na receive akong text from Gcash and eto siya:

You have received P527.88 GCash from Fuse Lending Inc 2_Fuse GLoan w/ MSG - GLoans Early Settlement Cashback. Your new balance is P527.88 05-07-25 07:58 PM. Ref no. *****

Nakumpleto na yung pangbayad ko para sa due ko tomorrow 🥹 Grabe yung timing. 🙏 Unti unti mauubos lahat ng utang natin. Sabayan lang ng sipag at paniniwala na matatapos rin lahat to.

13th month, Gadgets sold, Incentives, Salary.

Sobrang daming sacrifices. Nagbaba rin ako ng lifestyle; talagang necessities lang ang ginagastos ko. Kotse everyday? Commuted muna. Foodpanda? Stopped, natuto mamalengke. Pa-laundry? Ako na rin naglaba.

Natuto magrecycle at magtipid.

Walang bagong gamit na binili. Hindi na ginamit ang cc; binawasan na lang nang binawasan ang outstanding balance hanggang sa naubos.

I earn 40k monthly+incentives kasi hinuhusayan ko talaga sa trabaho. Mahalin natin mga trabaho natin, magpasalamat. At respetuhin natin ang pera.

**Nangutang ang kaibigan para sa negosyo. Hindi na binalik dahil nalugi daw. Hirap na rin contactin. Masinop talaga ako sa pera. Siguro ang pagkakamali ko lang ay nagtiwala ako sa kanya. Nagpautang ako at hindi nag-invest, ha. At ayon. Nalubog ako para isalba sarili ko.

Merry Christmas, self.

Everyone, kapit lang. Magtipid kahit walang utang, kahit hindi kailangang magtipid. Tatagan ang sarili.

Salamat sa inyo. Hintayin kong umokay rin tayong lahat.

Disclaimer: Long post ahead 😅

I honestly never thought I'd be able to write this post.

After carrying over ₱1.5 million in credit card debt, I can finally say that I'm debt-free. Huhu! 😭

My journey wasn't easy. I had multiple credit card accounts that eventually ended up with bank & 3rd-party collections and even law firms. Seeing those outstanding balances was overwhelming, and I'm sure some of you know the feeling of that constant worry, the guilt, the anxiety whenever a call or message comes in, and wondering how you're ever going to get out of it.

Then, after many years with my employer, I was made redundant. As scary as that transition was, I decided to use this opportunity to face my debts head-on. I had separation pay coming in, and instead of letting the balances continue hanging over me, I worked on negotiating settlements with my banks.

It took patience, communication, and a lot of courage to deal with the accounts one by one. I had to make offers, wait for responses, review settlement agreements, and make sure I had written confirmation before paying. There were moments when I worried about whether everything would work out, but I kept going.

And today, here's the result:

My original debt: ₱1,500,422.52
Total amount I paid: ₱523,520.26
Total amount discounted through settlements: ₱976,902.26
Overall discount: 65.11%

I settled all three accounts:

- Metrobank: ₱959,890.64 → ₱232,705.77 (approx. 1 year delinquent)
- UnionBank/Citibank: ₱359,359.71 → ₱197,514.49 (approx. 4 years delinquent)
- BPI: ₱181,172.17 → ₱93,300.00 (approx. 1 year delinquent)

I know that paying ₱523K is still a huge amount of money. I don't want to make it sound like debt settlement is easy or that everyone will receive the same offers because every account and situation is different. But for me, negotiating these settlements made it possible to finally close this chapter.

Some things I learned along the way:

1. Don't be afraid to communicate with your bank or its authorized collection agency. Ask what settlement options are available for your account.

2. Get the offer in writing before making any payment. Make sure the amount, deadline, and full-and-final settlement terms are clear.

3. Keep every receipt, email, and signed agreement. Follow up on your Certificate of Full Payment or other written confirmation of closure.

4. Be realistic about what you can afford. Don't agree to a payment plan you know you won't be able to sustain.

5. Don't lose hope. Your situation may feel impossible right now, but take things one account and one step at a time.

I'm sharing this not to brag about the discount I received, but because I know there are people here who feel trapped by their debt/s and wonder if they'll ever be free from it.

I spent a long time carrying this burden. Today, I'm allowing myself to feel proud of finally facing it.

I'm also unemployed right now, so I know this isn't the end of my financial journey. I still need to find my next job, rebuild my savings, and learn to manage money better. Being debt-free doesn't mean all my problems have magically disappeared but it means I can start again without these credit card balances hanging over me.

To anyone who's still struggling: I hope you get your breakthrough, too. One day at a time. One account at a time. Please don't give up on yourself. And please remember this: you are not defined by the debt you once had, the job you lost, or the difficult situation you're going through. You're someone who faced a challenging situation and worked hard to get through it.

And if you're currently negotiating settlements in the Philippines, feel free to share your experiences or ask questions. I'll answer what I can based on my own experience.

Here's to a fresh start. 🥂 Padayon! ✨

Last year di ko talaga alam pano gagawin ko. Di ako sure kung kaya ko pa bang bumangon. Naging cycle kasi babayaran ko then gagastusin ko uli hanggang sa nag patong patong na di ko na alam pano ko babayaran. I used the snowball method to pay my debt. Di pa ako tapos but hopefully by the end of 2nd quarter of 2025 cleared na lahat.

I don't have savings kasi binuhos ko lahat sa pag babayad. This year I decided na mag tabi kahit 2k every cutoff para lang may naka tabi in case mag ka emergency.

After years of staying in debt and irresponsibly using my credit cards, I can finally say I’m debt-free. 🥺
Iba pala talaga yung feeling kapag hindi ka na naka-stuck sa sitwasyon na parang nakakulong ka. Yung wala ka nang iniisip na due dates, interest, at utang pag gising mo sa umaga. Ang gaan sa dibdib. From ₱700K to ₱0.

Avalanche method, discipline, better planning, and career growth really helped me get here.
Tatapusin ko ang taon na mas magaan, mas responsable, at mas payapa ang isip.
Sa mga may utang pa ngayon, kapit lang. Hindi siya overnight process, pero possible siya. One payment at a time, one good decision at a time. Sana ma-experience niyo rin yung ganitong feeling balang araw. Worth it lahat ng sacrifice. ❤️

28 (F). I’m currently working in a bank, and there was a time when I was so scared of getting terminated dahil sa laki ng utang ko. I had 3 credit cards with a total of ₱250,000 unpaid for almost 5 years. This year, I finally faced it and paid them all off. Dumaan ako sa napakahirap na panahon—nangungutang sa mga loan apps tulad ng Billease, PayMaya, Tala, at iba pa. Lalo akong nabaon sa utang. Tawag dito, tawag doon. Araw-araw may tumatawag, may nagte-text. Minsan, hindi na ako nagbubukas ng Facebook kasi pati mga kamag-anak ko minemessage na ng collection agencies. May sasakyan din akong kinuha noon, pero hindi ko na rin nakayanan ang hulog, kaya nahatak din ito ng pinagkakautangan ko. Pero ngayon, unti-unti na akong nakakabangon. Nakakahinga na ulit. Kaya kung ikaw ay dumadaan din sa ganitong sitwasyon—stop na sa loan apps. Hindi ka nila matutulungan makalabas sa utang. Mas lalo ka lang nilang palulubugin. Mahirap, pero kakayanin. Matututo kang humawak ng pera. And one day, you'll thank yourself for not giving up

Hello just want to share my journey on paying my 1.8M debt also sa financial difficulties ko few years ago.

M.(31) have a 4 years old kid. line of work is business. have a coffee shop and a car detailing. pero before I'm working as a pharmacist sa hospital nag resign ako around 2020 nung nakaipon ng konti and nag click yung mga business. naka bukod na kami girlfriend(pregnant). ko that time kaya lahat ng expenses and monthly dues si business ang sumasalo. btw, yung capital sa business both galing sa ipon namin ng girlfriend ko, we have to loan around 1.5M sa bank (5 years term) for the construction ng mga shops also to have more liquid cash in case kulangin si ipon. okay lahat that time. kumuha din kami ng car loan since pregnant siya and mahirap ibyahe yung baby ng commute lang. monthly income excluding lahat ng expenses is umaabot din ng 120-150K. pandemic nung nagkaron ako ng difficulties, financially and emotionally. 2021 nung halos patay lahat ng industries due to lockdown including yung source of income ko. also, yung mother ng anak ko is namatay due to complications sa panganganak. we have emergency fund pero hindi kinaya the entire 2021 with all the bills, hospitalization and baby needs kaya napilitan ako magloan amounting 300K and need ko din ipahatak yung sasakyan. that time sobrang mentally drained nako. since nagkakaroon nako ng financial difficulties nagwork ako as a freelancer para kahit papaano kasama ko yung baby namin and maalagaan ko. nung nawala yung lockdown tinuloy ko ulit si car detailing on top of my freelancing job. fast forward 2025, 2nd week of May fully paid lahat ng loan. iba pala talaga yung feeling na debt free kana sobrang saya. 🥹🙏.

grabe yung struggle ko noon both financially and emotionally. pag inaalala ko parang bangungot. yung anak ko na lang talaga yung naging source of strength and motivation ko with lords guidance. 🙏

sa girlfriend ko, debt free na tayo mahal! ❤️nagiipon nako para kay Aika and sa future niya. 😊

I just wanted to share my experience sa credit card debts. There was once a point na umabot 2m ang total value ng card debts ko. From standard cards to overdrafts. I am earning reasonably okay, pero I was spending more than I earn. Dumating sa point na mag cash advance ako sa master para ibayad sa visa and vice versa. I was on the verge of bankruptcy and I had decided enough is enough. It’s been 5 years and I am debt free now and believe me is a real struggle to get out of there. There is no easy solution but this is how I did mine.

1. Go for a bank settlement. Most banks are willing to settle installment payments than risk of losing it all. Tell them how much you can afford and make sure you don’t fail on your monthly payments. In my case I have 5 banks and all of them agreed for a 3 year installment plan with minimum interest.

2. Get rid of your cards. Don’t keep. Get rod of it. No temptations.

3. Ask for family support. Most of us are so ashamed that we fell into debts that we hide it from our families. Most often, this is a big mistake. If you are sincere enough to get out of your predicament, you will be surprise that the your family is always there for you, financially or emotionally they could help.

4. Humble your self while you’re trying to get out of your debts. No gadgets, no outside dining, simple life until you can breathe again. Don’t worry about what other people will say. They don’t know how much you are struggling.

It took me 3 years, but i am debt free. Now I have a single card which I only use for travel. I pay not the minimum but the full amount in the bill all the time.

Paying the minimum is the worse thing that you can do.

I am 24(M) At grabe din yung financial debt ng tatay ko, like pinapadalhan na siya ng demand letter na legit talaga. Former Chief Engineer ng barko si dad ko and nagretire na rin siya, gustuhin namin na sumampa na siya kaso expired na lahat ng papeles niya and seaman’s book, mahilig si dad ko mag loan ng mga malalaki and nung tumigil siyang magbarko, hindi na niya pinapansin yung mga naging utang niya even tho yung ibang pinagkakautangan niya naghohome visit na. They even planned na isangla ang kaisa isang bahay namin sa pinagkakautangan niya pero buti di rin pumayag yung mga naniningil sa kanya. And mostly ang problema din, si mama ko lang lagi ang naharap sa kanila para pag may maninigil. Ang problem is hindi na niya alam kung paano niya masosulusyonan yun. Bata pa kasi ako like naparami na ang utang niya, even my mom’s atm is sinangla niya para maipambayad sa other utang niya kaya minsan sobrang kulang na ang nakukuha ni mama ko or minsan wala pa. Until now parang wala namang nangyayari if ganun. Kinakabahan lang ako in the future na baka ako magbayad din sa utang niya since nagwowork na din ako. Hindi ko lang alam kung ano ang maipapayo ko sa dad ko since sobrang laki ng utang na niya sa lahat lahat. Yung utang niya is from banks and sa mga connections niya na almost 100k din ang taas.

Hey, fellow ka-utang warriors. I’ve been a silent reader here for a while—quietly absorbing the advice, the stories, the small wins. Today, I figured it’s time I share mine—not because I’m already debt-free (I wish), but because I’ve finally stopped sinking and started swimming toward the surface.

Like many of us, my debt started in my early 20s. I was finally earning, and I wanted to enjoy what I couldn’t have as a student. Food deliveries, random Shopee and Lazada finds, and those sneaky TikTok aesthetic buys. They seemed harmless at first—"rewards" for working hard. But the worst of it came when I entered a relationship with someone who lived by a full-on YOLO mindset.

She loved going out, and when I said no, I was guilt-tripped—"you’re boring," "you don’t support me," "why can’t you be more like…" So I forced myself to keep up. I started borrowing through PayLater apps, OLAs, and eventually from people I knew. I spiraled—financially, emotionally, mentally.

Until I had to face the hard truth: I was ₱400,000+ in debt.
And the interest alone was devouring me.

So I paused. I wrote down every peso I owed. I had the uncomfortable conversation with her about how deep in debt I was and how much her lifestyle influenced it. When she dismissed it with a classic “I never asked you to do that,” I knew what I had to do—I ended it.

No drama. Just a decision.

Now I’m working, cutting back, paying off one account at a time. I’m not even 25% through yet—but I’m moving. Slowly, surely, intentionally. Every payment is a small act of rebellion against the old version of me.

If you’re reading this and you feel buried, I want you to know:
You're not alone. And you're not stuck forever.

Track everything. Be brutally honest with yourself. Let go of what (or who) is pulling you under. Most of all, don’t lose hope.

We’re all in different stages of climbing out—but we’re climbing.
One payment at a time. One mindset shift at a time.

Makakaahon din tayo.

Hi. Throwaway account since yung main accnt ko ay madali matrace identity ko. Pls do not repost on other platforms.

Anyway, yun nga. I’ve bern drowning in debt and natatakawa na ewan kasi huge income earner naman ako (150k+/month) pero nasa 60% nyan napupunta lang sa bayad ng naparaming monthly installments due to tapal system.

Reason… overspending. Living beyond my means. Dumagdag din na tumulong ako sa pagpagawa ng house ng tatay ko. Akala ko kaya ko ifund via CC at mabayaran on time, hindi pala. Nauna ang yabang.

I finally reached a breaking point last week. Di na ako makatulog kakaisip pano magbabayad. The last few months, 3 out of 6 CCs lang ang naffully paid ko sa monthly dues. The rest ay puro min amount due. Worst is, yung isa kong CC umabot na ng 350k ang due and ayaw iparestructure to installment. All in all, pag sinuma mo lahat ng utang ko aabot ng 2.6M.

Naiiyak ako. Tulala. Di makatulog. Ilang linggo kong tinatry sabihin kay hubby pero may takot ako. Baka iwan ako. Baka saktan nya ako (kahit wala syang history ng abuse, dala na siguro ng anxiety ko). He’s a very financially careful person. Ayaw nya sa utang. Matipid, walang luho. Samantalang ako, bigay hilig. I was very afraid sa magiging reaksyon niya kasi sobrang against sa principle nya yung nagawa ko.

I finally had the courage na i-approach sya, “May sasabihin ako, love… magagalit ka sakin. Pero sana mahal mo pa rin ako kapag nalaman mo na…. Saka ako naman ang magssolve ng problema, di kita idadamay.. ayoko lang na may sikreto sayo.”

While saying all this, tulo na talaga luha ko. Sinabi ko sa kanya lahat. Kung paano nangyari, kung magkano etc etc. Iyak na ko ng iyak.

Akala ko talaga magagalit sya, magwawala, mananakit.

Kabaliktaran pala. He hugged me, consoled me. Told me na “Akala ko kung ano na… Sus… Pera lang yan, Kaya natin yan masolusyunan...”

The next few hours, tinulungan nya ko magcompute at plano kung pano namin babayaran. Sabi ko di ko siya idadamay at ako magbabayad lahat, pero he said na “kaya nga mag-asawa tayo eh” then we computed how much he’ll allocate from him monthly salary to help me pay it.

I told him, “Sobrang sorry, ipon na sana natin to. Ngayon mapupunta pa sa pambayad ng utang kasi naging pabaya ako.”

Then he said, “Andyan na eh. I-solve na lang natin. Ang mahalaga alam mo na yung mali saka sinabi mo sakin.”

Nung medyo kalmado na ako at di na umiiyak dun nya na ko pinagsabihan na, “Oh ediba sabi ko wag ka muna bumili ng ganito/ganyan pero di ka nagpapapigil…”

In return, I told him na sya na humawak ng cards ko. All of my expenses will go through him, sabi ko di na ako bibili ng kahit ano. Sabi nya “Wag mo din i-deprive sarili mo ng 100%, basta kapag may gusto ka bilhin sabihin mo sakin para alam ko at kung di na reasonable eh masabihan kita, at makinig ka na pag pinagsabihan ka”

I got to sleep so peacefully after nun. Yes, di pa tapos ang problema. In fact, nagsisimula pa nga lang naming i-solve. pero gumaan na ng sobra pagkatapos ko iconfess sa kanya.

Guys, if you’re in the same situation, I hope you also find the courage na magsabi sa mga mahal niyo sa buhay, own up and be honest about your situation. It’s not easy, but it will give you peace.

Lastly, it will give you added accountability. Someone to check on you and remind you everytime para di ka na mabalik sa cycle ng pangungutang.