Help with sorting out this mess please

angeluk69_2 · 26 August 2006 at 4:43PM

APOLOGIES IF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY MADE THESE SUGGESTIONS

Maybe someone has mentioned this to you, but have a look on Freecycle for stuff. I got a freeview box off there which should have been £100 in Argos. I now don't have sky and if I want a film I borrow films off friends and family, or rent a film out when rental shop has offers going. Sooooooo much cheaper than Sky.

Your food bill seems VERY high, We are a fmaily of 4 with 2 little ones (5 and 2) and including nappies, toiletries and cleaning products our shopping bill comes to roughly £300 and we were advised to budget at £350.
Only buy what you need.

Get yourself an exercise book and for the next month, make a note of everything that you buy, whether its a pint of milk, or filling the car up, note it down, and keep reciepts aswell so you can't try to cheat (we have all done it)

Pocket Money amount is very high, especailly as you are also paying for travel to college.

Your pet insurance seems high... what pet(s) do you have?

You could save more money by maybe(?) putting both the car insurances with the same company, you could save quite a bit depending who you go with (I am sure someone on here would be able to advise you further)

Gas/Electric cost seems alot again if you haven't already, put both with same company and take up any offers and see if you can reduce payments in any way, (capped energy, online accounts etc).
Oh and buy some energy saving Lightbulbs (sounds silly but if you can save £7+ a year per bulb imagine if you change all the bulbs in your house) it does make a difference cos you're not changing them all the time.

Get a prepay prescription card as at the mo you seem to be paying £300 per year!!! If it really is £93ish you could save £200+ a year and then buy a tv or clear some debts. Therefore killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

I really hope you don't think I am being patronising, I have recently taken up a DMP myself and am just passing on some tips to you.

Firefly · 26 August 2006 at 5:15PM

People who have to pay for more than 5 prescription items in 4 months, or 14 items in 12 months, could save money by buying a prepayment certificate.

34.65 for 4 months or 94.30 for 12 months.

It would definitely be cheaper to buy a certificate for you. You should have got a NHS receipt (FP57) for your last lot of items as you can backdate a certificate for up to a month.

Hootie19 · 26 August 2006 at 6:20PM

Firefly wrote:

People who have to pay for more than 5 prescription items in 4 months, or 14 items in 12 months, could save money by buying a prepayment certificate.

34.65 for 4 months or 94.30 for 12 months.

It would definitely be cheaper to buy a certificate for you. You should have got a NHS receipt (FP57) for your last lot of items as you can backdate a certificate for up to a month.

Blimey, that would save me a fortune, just buying a 4 month one now. I didn't get an NHS receipt, but I got a till receipt from the chemist with four "NHS" items listed, and the amount. I wonder if they'd accept that? I will at least give it a try.

thank you firefly - I'd no idea it would work out THAT cost effective!

Whits · 26 August 2006 at 6:41PM

One thing I've noticed is that despite all the people telling you off, you do seem to know that things have to change.

The fact that you refuse to get rid of your special needs son's only pleasure in life is testament to what a great mother you are, give yourself a huge pat on the back.

My GF has 2 sons, a 16 year old who is starting college and will recieve EMA, and the 18 year old foster son with special needs.

The foster son has just started voluntary work at the local nursery (plants, not kids) and has been told that he is so good that they will find the funding to pay him. Maybe your kids could do the same? I know it's hard to motivate but as you said yourself, at £40 per month pocket money, why would they be motivated to find a job?

Just remember, that first step has been taking and well done to you for doing it:T

Hootie19 · 26 August 2006 at 6:42PM

OK, the statements I have found so far read thus:

Sainsbury Bank Visa - statement dated 21 July 2006
Balance £2,881.33 (hmmmm "someone" kept *that* balance quiet!!)
Interest 18.95%pa
(Says they want a minimum payment of £465.38 this month, but husband says he spoke to them this week and they only want £85)

Lloyds TBS Visa card - statement dated 9 August 2006
Balance £1,001.92
Interest - not sure about the annual amount, but it says that the monthly rate is 1.632% for purchases and 1.632% for cash
Minimum payment due - £21.00

Barclaycard Visa - statement dated 2th July which means there is another one buried in the piles of paperwork that I'm slowly working through, or there will be another one turning up very soon
Balance £1,307.13
Interest rate: Purchase annual rate 19.9%, Cash annual rate 21.9%
Minimum payment due £32.00

Capital One MasterCard - statement 01 July 06 - 02 Aug 06
Balance £853.73
Interest rate 1.804% per month
Minimum payment £25.61 (I have just set up a standing order for £30 a month so I won't be getting clobbered with charges, which, incidentally, they are kindly telling me are being reduced from 31st August to £12 :-) )

There you go - do your worst! I already have :-(

I'm going to have a hunt around the internet for a thread that can tell me if I can claim back the charges that have been levied on any credit card accounts, and if so, how to go about doing it.

I re-did my list of bank charges and far from the £1,500 I mentioned in my first posts on this thread, it actually turns out to be a massive £3,239. And that's just on my current account. Now wouldn't it be wonderful if we got that back - never mind all the other charges on the other bank accounts and credit cards!

edited to add:

whoops - forgot one.

Tesco credit card - account closed by Tesco and debt moved to Triton Credit Services
Balance - £765.00
Repaying at an agreed £50 a month. No interest being added.

Do you think it's worth asking them if I can reduce this payment a bit? Or is it the case that once you've agreed a repayment with them, you're stuck with it?

CLAPTON · 26 August 2006 at 6:48PM

for information about reclaiming bank and credit card charges , this is an excellent site

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/

you need to register but it free.

Hootie19 · 26 August 2006 at 6:48PM

Firefly wrote:

Not sure where you are in the UK but I've got a spare TV in the garage if you need one.

Oh my goodness firefly, I don't seem to have had the decency to thank you for this lovely offer.

Unfortunately, we are Bedfordshire, so not very near to you.

But thank you so much for a very generous offer.

Hootie19 · 26 August 2006 at 6:54PM

CLAPTON wrote:

and i hope you have both started that spending diary.

We have now! Had to wait until payday (25th) before I had ANY money to buy even a tiny notebook (god, last month was a killer - had to spend nearly £500 on the Galaxy!), but have now splashed out the mighty sum of 80p in Wilkinson for two plastic covered, spiral bound notebooks for my husband and myself to use.

And I've got an envelope tucked inside the plastic flap for receipts. I've told husband that I want to see receipts for EVERYTHING, even if it's just a handwritten scribble from him saying something like "put £2 into leaving collection for Jane at work". I suspect there will be a few jawdropping moments at the end of the week when we compare and see how much we've spent!

Hootie19 · 26 August 2006 at 6:56PM

CLAPTON wrote:

for information about reclaiming bank and credit card charges , this is an excellent site

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/

you need to register but it free.

Thank you clapton - I've just re-read this thread from the beginning, and noticed that you mentioned this site before. I have registered and got some good advice for claiming back the bank account charges, but I'm now going to have a look and see about credit card charges.

happyformonths · 26 August 2006 at 6:56PM

Well done for getting a grip on things. It's horrible facing up to the paperwork but don't you feel just a little bit better for being more in control?

Just a quick one to say that, and also to say in order to find out APR on your credit cards, simply multiply the monthly interest rate by 12. So your Capital One card at 1.804% per month works out at 21.65% APR.

Yes indeed - yikes!

All those credit card APRs are high. Depending on your credit history you may well be able to cut the amount of interest you're paying enormously by moving things around.

HFM

Help with sorting out this mess please

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