GeorgeUK's "don't fall off" Diary

GeorgeUK

Brief update.

Contacted Virgin over the weekend - got my pin but not the card yet. Limit is £4k so after i do the transfer and pay that off for the first month, i think i'll just be able to afford the minimum payments. Just need to try to get a 0% offer from my HBOS card that i've not used for about 9 months.

Plan:
Get 0% for empty HBOS car and if successful transfer maximum of 2700 limit from LTSB
If i got the 0%, then transfer the remaining £1600 from RBS card to Virgin, then whatever i can from LTSB up to the £4k limit.
Then i need to wait until i get a nil balance statement from RBS and request a 0% to hopefully transfer the remainder of the LTSB to.

Need to do the transfers even if i don't get 0% as LTSB is classed as cash advance and higher interset rate. I have a plan, but it's going to be tight. Still not sure of my sums but can't really concentrate right now.

Still need to tell my folks about this extra gambling stint.
I know they're going to be really disappointed in me but don't want to upset my mum any more than she already is.

I need to tell them though. Not going to keep anything from them or hide my statements etc, but i'm prety sure they still don't know about what happened with my brother. How do i deal with that one? Damned if i do and damned if i don't. Probably best trying to just skirt the issue with my dad - if he presses on it then i'll tell him. At this rate we'll be putting him in an early grave - if he doesn't kill us first.

I'll update again later after this months payments are made (except loan as that is near the end of the month) and try to get the 0% sorted for the HBOS card. Hopefully i'll be able to get it. Then i might also have a better idea of whether i can budget for the payments or if i have missed something somewhere.

I'll definately need to let dad know i won't be paying towards an ISA anytime soon.

Merlot

GeorgeUK, I am pleased to read your update.

Your parents may be initially disappointed, but I'm am sure they will appreciate your honesty in telling them.

As regards to your brother, what happened with police and his wife, I mean, is he back home, did he get a caution or something? Do you really need to tell your parents? It's not upto you to tell them unless you are asked directly by either of your parents.

Merlot.x.

Pinkylouloubell

Hi George,

hope your doing OK,
like you some of my debt is down to gambling, not something I am proud of and at times seem t have no control over.

Good luck
Pinky

GeorgeUK

Nothing really working out.

Folks came home yesterday - had been over at grans for a few days.
Wanted to talk to my dad, but left it a bit late yesterday.
Just heard they're travelling back over tonight so won't get to speak to him for a few more days.

Plan:
Get 0% for empty HBOS card and if successful transfer maximum of 2700 limit from LTSB
If i got the 0%, then transfer the remaining £1600 from RBS card to Virgin, then whatever i can from LTSB up to the £4k limit.
Then i need to wait until i get a nil balance statement from RBS and request a 0% to hopefully transfer the remainder of the LTSB to.

Contacted HBOS at lunchtime.
<me> Hi, i'd like to enquire what the current APR is on my card
<CSA> On purchases, 15.94%
<me> Do you have any balance transfers on at the moment?
<CSA> We are able to offer you a LOB @ 8.94% with 3% fee
<me> Are there any 0% offers available
<CSA> Not at this time
<me> ok
<me> I was just looking at my cards to see which i should close down...
<CSA> ...
<me> I'll call back once i check their APR's then
<CSA> ok, is there anything else i can help with?
<me> Not right now thanks... bye

Yeah - real cool George.

After lunch
<me> Hi i was thinking about closing my account but wondered if you had any balance transfer offers available.
<CSA> We can offer you 8.94% with 3% BT fee
<me> No, that's ok, i'll just close the card
<CSA> I'll just transfer you and you can select the option you require

transferred to card closures
<me> Hi, i was discussing balance transfers with one of your colleages and they suggested you may be able to offer me something
<CSA> We'll see what we can do for you
<CSA> We can currently offer 8.94% with 3% fee, but looks like we can improve on this. How does 7.9% sound
<me> I've hear that other cards offer 0% for a limited time
<CSA> Yes, but the problem... (goes into detailed explanation of what can go wrong with 0% offers and their availability)... does 7.92% sound like a good offer?
<me> 7.92%? It's quite good, but can you reduce or cap the fee?
<CSA> No, that's built in to the offer. If you get another offer through the post with this we may be able to offer that at some point but not right now.
<me> Well, i suppose it's not a bad offer. I'll take it.
(not that i'm desperate or anything )

Just need to transfer the RBS balance and whatever i can of the LTSB balance to Virgin. Will hopefully be able to plan what the payments are and how to meet them but think i'm okay. Will wait until i get a nil balance statement from RBS before contacting them for a BT offer for the remainder of the LTSB balance. I'll try to work out what i will need and see if it's likely to be offerred.

Expenditure:
Inv Club - £15 (Cancelling not really an option unless i'm in total dire straits)
Dad repayment - £450 (rent plus 170 repayment)
Denplan - £16.32
Golf - £42.09 (Can't cancel until April)

Loan will be £245.71
And train £125
Plus lunch etc £80
Total 955
salary 1145 = 170 for min payments

Here's hoping that after the first month the payments will be about this.

GeorgeUK

ok, panic over for now.

Just done BT's after work.
1600 from RBS to Virgin
2200 from LTSB to Virgin

Left with 3300 at LTSB to transfer to empty RBS card - hopefully can get a 0% offer, but don't know.

If i get 8.9% LOB offer, payments in 2nd month will be just under 170 so can then plan for next 15 months. After that i will hopefully have 1 transfer from LOB cards to LTSB at 0%. After that i may be able to close one of the cards and possibly apply for a new 0% card over a longer period. Will probably try to get another offer from Virgin a few months after that.

Mustn't look too far ahead though. Too many possibilities - but after the 15 months, even if i can't get any more offers, i will be able to cover the minimum payments after the Virgin offer has concluded.

Now just to get through the next 12/15 months without making any mistakes.
Should be interesting...

riquelme

george - stay strong my friend, im thinking about you.

21 days without gambling for me now.

family life getting back to normal ish.

george, if you feel like gambling come on here and post get some support 1st. if you need to talk to someone, pm me and i will give you my number.

we can do it mate, stick at it

Piquant_2

Good luck George, you deserve every success on this. You give such good advice to people who post on here. You come across as a very nice person indeed.

Piq

GeorgeUK

Thanks riquelme

To be honest, i haven't really felt a "need" to gamble (yet). I don't know if it was because i already had an account set up and it was so easily accessible that did it last time, but hopefully i've removed all temptation now. If i do end up thinking about gambling again, i'll need to input card details etc so that may be enough to deter me and give me time to really think about what i am doing.

Well done for reaching 3 weeks. I'm glad things seem to be moving in the right direction for both of us.

riquelme

i went on line into my account the other day and to my surprise i had £1000 in there, dont know how, looks like i had won a bonus draw 2 weeks on the run! was very tempted to gamble with it but used to it lower my overdraft to a level where im not getting charged every 5 minutes. i was really pleased i ddidnt gamble with it although the temptation was unbearable.

i did the right thing

stay strong

Ames

Well done, that was really good of you, with will power like that I'm sure you're going to do great.