Just one diagnosis sent Julia’s finances spiralling for more than a decade and just when she got back on her feet, her studio went up in flames
Everything seemed on track for Julia Ogden when she secured a master’s degree, moved in with her boyfriend and began profiting from her artwork. However, her partner’s diagnosis with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) set off a domino effect that thrust Julia into a £17,000 valley of debt at her lowest point.
The couple had been living together for just six months when the harrowing ME diagnosis arrived. The condition is characterised by extreme fatigue that isn’t helped by rest and complications including cognitive dysfunction, muscular or nerve pain, and disrupted sleep.
With Julia becoming the breadwinner overnight, the finances forced the couple apart. Going long-distance for a while, the couple were able to cut costs and save up for a home in West Yorkshire.
However, the pressure of meeting bills and her partner’s illness soon began to weigh heavily on their relationship, as she told Money Wellness: “It depressed him. And he felt guilty and awful, I felt resentful and frustrated. I didn’t have any spare time, and he had too much spare time, so it was just a complete imbalance.”
Hoping for a fresh start down south, they cashed in on the sale of their Yorkshire home for a hefty deposit. A mortgage broker mis-sold them a deal using this large sum that actually had monthly payments beyond their means.
Late payments and management fees quickly piled up, forcing the couple to move back up north. They moved in with a housemate while Julia worked on upskilling to earn more money.
As Julia completed her teacher training, domestic tensions hit boiling point with their flatmate, leading to the couple living apart once more. This separation unknowingly signalled the end of their relationship.
She said: “We were going to do long distance with a view that I was going to move back down when I could afford. I just needed a bit of recovery time, and I kept applying for jobs down south because, obviously, I had a teaching qualification now… but I didn’t get any jobs down there.”
Retreating to her parents’ home, Julia sought financial and emotional respite from the turmoil of recent years. She grappled with a daunting £17,000 debt and looking back now she admits the stigma around debt stopped her from advocating for herself, even in moments when it would’ve helped her finances.
She recounted an incident where a landlady overcharged her for electricity: “I was so embarrassed that I could hardly pay what was on the paper, I didn’t question how massive the amount was. We were paying for her heating and her electricity for three years.”
Determined to tackle her spiralling debts, Julia scrimped and saved for years: “I never really knew what was out there, I don’t know why. I didn’t get any help. I just had to literally suck it up that I was absolutely poor as anything. Like too poor to buy decent food.”
After six years of hard graft, Julia bid farewell to her debts and rented a studio space in Hebden Bridge where she began sharing teaching art classes. With a stable income, the tranquillity of Hebden Bridge, and a newfound appreciation for setting boundaries, Julia felt her life piecing back together and even started planning to buy a home.
Fate had other plans. Disaster struck when a blaze ravaged her studio, resulting in total loss: “Everything was just covered in like this black mulch stuff… It looked like Stranger Things. When I moved in, I had no money… I could hardly live, let alone buy insurance.”
But unlike her past hardships, Julia found strength in community support this time around. Locals rallied, setting up crowdfunders and offering spaces for her classes. She was back on her feet in just months.
Julia’s story highlights how easily best-laid plans can go sideways and see people falling into financial difficulty through no direct wrongdoings of their own. Money Wellness urged that help is available and recovery is possible, especially with some expert guidance.