Live on £4000 for a year - Part 3

BlueFleur

Mollymop I don't think I'd ever have considered a snail as a pet! You sell it very well though I really hope that the payments work for you. I've not had any experience with the collection side of debts, but it sounds like this offer is a nigh on perfect solution.

I've been playing around with different ways to split the 4k. If I include car expenses, then it'll be quite tricky (and no one will get presents from me ). As I need the car for work, and I know what the cost for the year will be, I think I'm going to exclude some of the associated costs. Car tax and insurance maybe... It feels like cheating though!

Sorry nyk, I wasn't intending to teach you to suck eggs

Mollymop5

Morning everyone and thanks for your lovely comments.I woke up on a mission today.I'm going through my cupboards and freezers to see what i acn make without visiting the shops.I have a lentil and frozen veg soup in the slow cooker.I've never used frozen veg before but I always have some in the freezer for emergencies so thought I'd give it a try.I read it on mse somewhere.I have lots of packs of quorn mince that I bought when asda was selling them cheap so I can see us eating lots of bolognese, chilli and shepherds pie type dishes lol
I've got to sit down properly with my figures.Looking at them last night I had £80 to use for food and all living expensive if I was to pay both debts off at their reduced offers.This would be totally possible if I ask DS to go without his pocket money this month and get it later in the year.I will have Rainbow fees of around £20 to pay too but can ask her dad to pay this month.These are all things on the top of my head so ignore me if i'm rambling.
I have a Barclaycard mastercard debt which is also with Thames Credit.It's not as large as the other debt but if this company is doing this with all their debts then the postie may have another letter for me this morning lol.
Being a single mum who has kept all her debts from family and friends ( they'd be annoyed to know how much we built up and even more ennoyed to know I took them all on myself after the marriage break-up) I can't ask them for help.
I did think of mentioning them to my ex to see if he would help but as our relationship is pretty good at the moment I really don't want to rock the boat by bringing money into it again.
What do you think? should I ?

Skint_Lynne

Mollymop,

I would defo ask him for some cash, he racked up the debts as well and walked away from them, so I don't think it's unreasonable to ask for some help with getting rid of them.

If you don't ask, you don't get!!!

SL x

Margaret54

Hi Mollymop, I would agee with SL entirely. Best wishes Margaret

Frugaldom

Good afternoon frugaltonians

Mollymop, you should be very proud of yourself; I, for one, think that you have dealt with things in a very responsible and honourable manner with regards to what's happened in your financial past. Good luck with the payments and GET LISTING! LOL The £20 rule doesn't include 'frugalising your assets', so anything you can raise through sales online is already yours, it isn't classed as an income, as far as I am aware. Don't forget you can list free on eBid and eBay are bound to have a 5p listing day again soon. Do you have PayPal or PPPay accounts so you can get immediate payments?

Grocery shopping - how much of the £80 do you actually have for food after all the essentials like bills, pocket money, Rainbows etc are paid? I can give you an example of my '£10 shop' list as this can get enough to last the 3 of us a full week. In fact, I've a funny feeling that this is how I'll be shopping from now until Christmas.

The book maze out in the public park has grown considerably since yesterday. Unfortunately, it has been raining all night, so the top layers are probably soaked, but I have been out and read the notices and it's for a 'Reduce, Recycle, Reuse' awareness campaign. There's a composting stall set up at the market and there are a couple of events on in the local hall this weekend - I really should try to get out more! No signs of the cardigan yet but guess what? I got a brand new longlength zipper cardigan at market for £3, so this will be kept for wearing when going visiting. Unfortunately, it is cream, but it was the only one they had so I wasn't missing the opportunity.

Catch up with you all soon - I now need to earn back £7.50 instead of £4.50, must find something else to list on eBid, plus I have added to my wanted list - again!

Marru

BlueFleur wrote: »

I've been playing around with different ways to split the 4k. If I include car expenses, then it'll be quite tricky (and no one will get presents from me ). As I need the car for work, and I know what the cost for the year will be, I think I'm going to exclude some of the associated costs. Car tax and insurance maybe... It feels like cheating though!

I initially had car and my animals in 4k challenge, then I changed it to include car but not animals and now I have it other way round. Car is essental for me due to be able to take DD to nursery to be able to study and work so that is how I justify for excluding it from the challenge. I will have a look in the end of the year about my car expenses and set a separate budget for that.

Mollymop - please do ask him for money for debts. Just remind gently that you still have these debts and that now you have an opportunity to clear them if you could get the money together. I must admit that I walked out from relationship and didn't pay my share of the overdraft of our joint account but I was in debt by almost 40k with no assets and he had 50k savings and a property worth over £1m if done up.

My first attempt in yoghurt making has failed. It was too loose to be called yoghurt. It smelled ok thou so I blized it in the blender with some bananas and strawberries and made a smoothie which is yummy. So now I do have to go to the shop to get new seed to try again. Also DD is running out of mandarins or similar and that is unheard of in this household. Will try to leave the shopping till tomorrow as there is bound to be something else I have forgotten.

My to do list for today is so long that I better continue working through it. It is sunny day here today so I have everything crossed that I can get my washing dried outside and that my piggies will be able to have proper outing in their run.

Have a great day everybody!!

Marru

PS: I won £5 in Bingonight Live last nigt !!!

Prudent

Mollymop - I think it is very reasonable to ask for help. Although I do know if I asked my ex for 10p he would refuse (he's a very high eaner too). I think it depends on the person.

Mollymop5

Ok I'm now wondering what to do.After reading a thread on mse where other people have also received their letters there are suggestions that thames credit/Aktiv Capital may be in trouble and could go bust.They're trying to get as much money together before this happens.If this happens what would happen to my debt? would someone else take it on who wouldn't be as reasonable as these have been with me? or would my debt just disappear? lovely thought eh!
I'm going to keep an eye on the other thread whilst saving my money to make the payment.Some people have paid and will be keeping the thread updated as to what happens.

Woodyrocks

Vent alert! I have had to pay 2 lots of custom charges totalling £45 this week. I am screwing because I was actually doing really well. The food shop had come in under budget and I haven't bought one single thing online or in a shop (apart from food of course!). Thankfully because the childcare fee came up to less than weekly maximum spend (hope that makes sense) I am going to divert some of that money (£13) into the monthly pot.

p.s am I the only one that borrows money from myself? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I borrowed £650 to pay off the credit card (all those bleeding shoes!) and I pay myself back weekly at a rate of £81.25. I have 6 more weeks to go. Am I a freak? :oThe worst thing about it is when I try and wriggle out of paying it back :rotfl: :rotfl:

Woodyrocks

Oops the emoticons aren't working it seems! They really added to the post as well lol