Help AAARRGGGH

ms_london

BigDebtBoy wrote:

Yes its the amount of interest on the 6k card thats doing my nut in to be honest i just want to get that down asap and the other cards as i can managed the loan no problem well its a problem but not one thats going to give me sleepless nights like i am having at the moment which in turn affects my work which as i run my own business affects how much i make its like one big vicious circle at the moment

Congrats on getting your paid off matey fair play to you :beer:

if you dont mind me asking how long did it take and what were the most benificial things you did to get it done quicker ?

But unfortunately that is life. You CAN afford your repayments, you are just going to have to grin & bear it im afraid. Have you looked into the 0% credit cards yet, do it now for gods sake man!!!!

Its taken about 2 1/2 years, but have paid £10,000 off this year, and about £7,000 ish off last year. I moved to LOndon to get a better wage, and then took on a 2nd job (which I had for 2 years, but finally gave up in July), I was working about 16-20 hours there a week (evenings & weekends) on top of my full time job. For a period of 6 months (when I first moved to London) I was sleeping on my friends floor (couldnt afford rent), had £5 a week to live off (for food) and basically didnt go out AT ALL!!. Even if I get to go out once a month, thats very lucky. It hasnt been fun, but as I said, it has made me a better person. Im not so materialistic or shallow, if people look at me and think "Oh, look at what she's wearing. Why doesnt she have this/that/the other" I dont care, whereas once upon a time I did.

What is wrong with the budget I suggested? As I keep saying, you still get an awful lot of money to spend on yourself, more than I ever did, so what is your problem? You cant get out of the APR, and since youve recently run up the debt in a space of a few months, I dont think they will be quite so willing to help you out.

Let us know how you get on, but if you dont tackle it now it will only get worse and you will still be living at home with your parents spending your pocket money on records when you're 40!! :0)

xx

BigDebtBoy

johannamse wrote:

Good Post ms_london.

I agree with you.

BigDebtboy - you need to get exact with your figures - TO THE PENNY. As ms_london says you can afford all your debts - why do you need to ring them and offer them reduced payments? Get a notebook and write down EVERYTHING you spend.well income varys from month to month so thats just not possible

It will be possible to get out of this mess, but it will take a complete change of attitude. You seem pre-occupied with how annoying it is paying £100 per month interest. This is only part of it. You need to be annoyed with yourself for spending money on beer and fags and records. Get reading these boards and you will learn loads.

You also need to get down the exact %APR's. I am also not sure that getting a 0% is the right thing for you at the moment. I think it would be better for you to turn the corner first, and get your spending under control. Would you trust yourself at the moment not to spend on it? yes because as soon as i get the card its going the same place as all the others in the shredder the way i see it is that £100 a month intrest is £1200 i could have paid off extra in a year

Good Luck.

cheers mate

ms_london

xela_17 wrote:

This is true - every time I spend something now I am annoyed with myself. I always think: 'that could be going towards my debts'. Since I started moneysaving I HATE spending money. This is the mindset you need to be in to properly get control of your situation.

I feel exactly the same and especially now, think what I couldve done with that £19,000 I wasted... I could have travelled the flippin world (my aim) AND had a deposit on a house by now, but oh no, ive had to struggle for the past 3 years (and have been struggling with money since I was 18), but as a colleague used to say when I used to moan:

"What doesnt kill us, makes us stronger".

Poo happens, we all make mistakes, but dont let this turn into a series of them and ruin your life, you can turn it around, you're only 26 for heavens sake.!!

johannamse

BigDebtboy - you need to get exact with your figures - TO THE PENNY. As ms_london says you can afford all your debts - why do you need to ring them and offer them reduced payments? Get a notebook and write down EVERYTHING you spend.well income varys from month to month so thats just not possible


The above is meant to be a quote?!?!?

I didn't mean income - I meant write down everything you SPEND. From newspaper to chewing gum to pint of beer.

ms_london

Stop making excuses, we are trying to help you.

I expect its because you havent had your "lightbulb moment" yet and dont really want to help yourself, but have come here looking for an easy way out.

It doesnt work like that sonny jim, you have to make sacrifices!!!!

johannamse

ms_london wrote:

Stop making excuses, we are trying to help you.

I expect its because you havent had your "lightbulb moment" yet and dont really want to help yourself, but have come here looking for an easy way out.

It doesnt work like that sonny jim, you have to make sacrifices!!!!

This is why I am not sure a 0% card is best thing at moment. Needs to have 6 months of "getting it" first.

BigDebtBoy

ms_london wrote:

But unfortunately that is life. You CAN afford your repayments, you are just going to have to grin & bear it im afraid. Have you looked into the 0% credit cards yet, do it now for gods sake man!!!!

Its taken about 2 1/2 years, but have paid £10,000 off this year, and about £7,000 ish off last year. I moved to LOndon to get a better wage, and then took on a 2nd job (which I had for 2 years, but finally gave up in July), I was working about 16-20 hours there a week (evenings & weekends) on top of my full time job. For a period of 6 months (when I first moved to London) I was sleeping on my friends floor (couldnt afford rent), had £5 a week to live off (for food) and basically didnt go out AT ALL!!. Even if I get to go out once a month, thats very lucky. It hasnt been fun, but as I said, it has made me a better person. Im not so materialistic or shallow, if people look at me and think "Oh, look at what she's wearing. Why doesnt she have this/that/the other" I dont care, whereas once upon a time I did.

What is wrong with the budget I suggested? As I keep saying, you still get an awful lot of money to spend on yourself, more than I ever did, so what is your problem? You cant get out of the APR, and since youve recently run up the debt in a space of a few months, I dont think they will be quite so willing to help you out.

Let us know how you get on, but if you dont tackle it now it will only get worse and you will still be living at home with your parents spending your pocket money on records when you're 40!! :0)


xx

eyup mate
yeah i understand that i am willing to cut the records/beer/fags down to at least 50% food i can probally cut down on too its a shame most healthy food costs more than crap food
i want to roughly pay around £400/500 on my main card if possible

where is the best place to look for the 0% cards ?

thanks for your time and help

johannamse

BigDebtBoy wrote:

its a shame most healthy food costs more than crap food

This is not true...at all. Fruit and Vegetables are cheap as chips! Get over to Old Style board - they have hundreds of cheap and HEALTHY meals.

ms_london

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1107182516,76509,

Here's the link. Read the information & if you keep scrolling down you will see a table of the best CC's. But you have to deal with the possibility that your credit rating might be shot to pieces and you will have to deal with it another way.

Let us know how you get on and i'll promise not to shout :0)

BigDebtBoy

ms_london wrote:

Stop making excuses, we are trying to help you.

I expect its because you havent had your "lightbulb moment" yet and dont really want to help yourself, but have come here looking for an easy way out.

It doesnt work like that sonny jim, you have to make sacrifices!!!!

where have i made any exuses

Trust me no one knows how much of a !!!!!! i have been i could have gone travelling or set up my own record label/ club night with all the money i have thrown down the toilet. i have no excuses for it i am a total Muppet