Name Kate Holton

Age 37

Occupation Medical secretary at a local NHS hospital

Relationship Lives with her three children and her partner Martyn

Goals To pay off her debts and to clear clutter

My dining room is STILL tidy and I'm very proud of it. Martyn has tried to encroach on the space with his stuff, but now knows that he will get short shrift if anything of his appears in there. The rest of the house is a work in progress but I have taken some drawers to the tip and moved the kids' bedrooms around so they have more space. Slowly, things are happening. We still haven't put all the stuff in the garage on eBay but that's going to happen soon. This will have two positive consequences - space AND cash.

Speaking of which, money is still a major issue and I'm chasing the IVA people. I asked them to make me bankrupt last month but have yet to hear anything from them so have emailed them again today. The council tax is now at a point where I've been summoned to court. I'm terrified to say the least. I'm trying to stay positive, but the cracks are showing and I'm not an easy person to live with at the moment, as Martyn will testify. I feel like I'm carrying a huge lump of lead around in my abdomen. I just hope we can work through this together. Telling him the extent of my fiscal trouble lifted the load a little but now I have the guilt of burdening him with it all. Yesterday (Valentine's day!) was perhaps the worst day ever, just so bleak.

So I'm going to do some digging. I now have a vegetable patch that I have thus far found very therapeutic - and I haven't even planted anything yet!

· If you have any comments about Kate's experience, please email her at kates_new_Life_2008@yahoo.co.uk