I talk a lot about how to avoid debt in the first place, from getting the best price and value through to better managing your money. But sometimes that’s not enough. A big factor is getting over the shame you might feel about your situation and the decisions you've made. So how do you do this? Well it can really help to know you aren't in this alone. That other people are going through the same things, feeling the same emotions. The more accounts of money management that we read and recognise, the less alone we feel. So this week my guest is Instagrammer Clare Seal, aka @MyFrugalYear. She has gone through this herself and is sharing her way out of £27,000 worth of debt with her 50,000 followers. Shame was a big part of her debts getting beyond her control, and it's something she's passionate about helping people break free of. And a lot of what we talk about applies even if you don’t have debt. We can all feel shame about finances - whether that’s an impulse buy through to being unable to do something as you can’t afford it. Further reading and links Debt & Shame Clare's MyFrugalLife Instagram account Clare's book Real Life Money from Amazon Clare's book at Waterstones How to quickly clear your credit card debt Questions to ask to find out if your debts are a problem Free and impartial debt support from StepChange The Money Advice Service's Debt Advice Locator tool Elsewhere on the blog How to search price history and know if you’re getting a good deal The cheapest way to rent movies online and by post Halifax Reward account to change: Is it any good? More deals ABOUT CASH CHATS Cash Chats is presented by money blogger and broadcaster Andy Webb. In 2020 the podcast has been featured as one of the top finance podcasts by Apple, Good Housekeeping and the Independent. In 2019 it was awarded Best Money Podcast at the SHOMOS - the UK Moneybloggers annual awards. On each Cash Chats episode you can hear Andy share ways to get the most from your money. He's often joined for friendly and accessible conversations by a friend from the UK Money Blogger community to cover topics as diverse as freebies and investments. Then at the end of each week stay tuned for a bonus “deals of the week” rundown of the hottest offers from the last seven days. Andy also runs the award-winning website Be Clever With Your Cash, presents Channel 5’s Shop Smart Save Money and founded the community ukmoneybloggers.com. To contact Andy email Andy@Becleverwithyourcash.com ANDY ON SOCIAL Andy's handle is @AndyCleverCash and you can follow him over at: twitter.com/AndyCleverCash instagram.com/andyclevercash     GET ANDY'S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER You'll also get a free Quidco bonus for signing up https://becleverwithyourcash.com/newsletter/