Hit breaking point - Need advice - Help

mleach26

Merlot wrote: »

Let me get this clear, do you not have a BT line running into your home, or does the line just need reconnecting?

Why do you need to have SKY? or cable? You cannot afford to have these luxuries (sorry this is harsh, but I believe in being honest).

Merlot.x.

Your not being harsh Merlot, have talked with my OH about the TV package, and although we pay £100 including a phone, bb and tv, it will cost more if we keep and downgrade our service, they give us £34.95 discount for being a VIP customer:rolleyes:and another £10 discount for the extra box upstairs.

My thinking is to get a BT line installed/connected to swap suppliers and reduce the monthly outgoings.

I cant remember if there was a BT line when we moved in, i don't think there was, thats whats holding me back.

I guess the most extreme thing i can do is get rid of the whole lot and goto freeview with the basic broadband

Thanks for you post

Merlot

Matt, you are not thinking like a debt free wanabee, you shouldn't be having cable or sky, you cannot afford it, your priority is to repay your debts. I have posted the BT installation/reconnection news from martin, just get a land line, a telephone package with broadband and nothing else.

Merlot.x.

Adam_Wood

Merlot wrote: »

Matt, you are not thinking like a debt free wanabee, you shouldn't be having cable or sky, you cannot afford it, your priority is to repay your debts. I have posted the BT installation/reconnection news from martin, just get a land line, a telephone package with broadband and nothing else.

Merlot.x.

I would argue he just isn't thinking. You don't need Sky TV (£32.50) plain and simple. All this talk of "if we keep and downgrade our service it will be more expensive" bull is stupid as it would be even cheaper if you didn't have it at all! You're just kidding yourself. Why not spend a maximum of £100 during your weekly shop which is about right for 4 people who eat well (saving around £80). Cancel your mobile phone contract (£25 ish) if you don't use it much and get a pay as you go sim card you can simply put in your work phone when you need to make "emergency" personal calls!

That would give you £137.50 more each month to go towards loan repayments straight off! I would have though you'd have identified this straight away if you were serious about paying off your debt!

Also where did +£30k of loan money go???? It can't possibly have just been used up by living beyond your means on Sky and expensive food!?!?!?! Why did you take the money out in the first place if not to invest it in something worthwhile????

I can't help being perplexed by your situation.

pepe2008

As someone on a long term dmp wth CCCS, you should def NOT look into an IVA...they are not free you know, and they are not the magic cure they are sold as being ( sold, being the key word here ).

Also, looking at your budget. you are scraping through, but there are no secured loans as you have no house to secure them on....so theres no danger of losing your home...as long as you pay the rent.

Entering into a dmp IS A BIG STEP and can/will affect your credit rating. Think about what happens if you need to move into a different rented property.

There appears to be breathing room in your budget to at least try and make some big differences to make paying the debt off more manageable.
Its all about changes of lifestyle and attitude, look at other posts, look at all the different ways of reducing expense and increasing income and committ yourself to these changes.
That sounded a bit 'preacher like', sorry.
Good luck with it, you sound like you're in the right place to do this:beer: .

mummytofour

mleach26 wrote: »

This is the problem with leaving, you HAVE to have a bloody BT line for phone BB etc. We do not have one of these so would need to fork out for to be installed. I wonder if there any deals which include a BT line installation for free or a reduced rate?

Thanks for the advice

Matt

My friend moved into a new house ( new to her not brand new) She wanted talk talk, she was told she had to first connect with bt which she did, then she requested to change to talk talk. She go done with a £170 bill by bt which included a yrs worth of line rental as they said when she got her line connected she has to be with them a year. Just a warning if you do get a bt line to careful.

LoulaBelle

I agree with the poster that said to draw cash out only once a week - my husband and I used to ALWAYS do that (stressing always as we are in a little pickle again - hence why I was on the website at 5am - but thats another story). We'd both get paid on Fridays and transfer money to where it needed to go and then I'd take out the 'cash for the week' - hubby would then buy his train tickets and we'd both have our allowance - his was mainly used to play snooker in his lunch hour and mine was a bottle of wine or 2 for the evenings - but at least we knew where we stood and it made you think about everything you brought because when its gone on Tuesday - you've nowt til Friday - even though at the time we were earning good money it made us appreciate it more - its so easy nowadays to whip out your debit card or in some cases credit card. So after all this waffle - I'm saying its good to use cash and if you need to keep a spending diary.

I also like the idea of pay as you go mobiles - I have one and I use it sparingly - us girls use our diaries so much and we are all 'stay at home mums' now but our diaries are crammed packed and we have to 'schedule' in when we can meet - maybe I'll get them all on the same e-mail network and I can schedule when we meet in their calendars - now there's a thought (it'll be just like the good old days organising peoples calendars .......... sighs and thinks of my worksuits - stupid as it sounds I really miss wearing smart worksuits - I'd never change being a stay at home mum for the world but I loved the dressing up smart aspect of it all).

LoulaBelle

belfastgirl23

For more info re negotiating with Virgin see here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=188239

I'm getting free phonecalls to UK landlines, XL tv package and M broadband for £35 a month. You only need to look at other providers (eg sky etc) so you can quote them to Virgin. As far as they know you already have a BT landline so you won't incur those costs in moving (why tell them any different)...

mleach26

Adam_Wood wrote: »

I would argue he just isn't thinking. You don't need Sky TV (£32.50) plain and simple. All this talk of "if we keep and downgrade our service it will be more expensive" bull is stupid as it would be even cheaper if you didn't have it at all! You're just kidding yourself. Why not spend a maximum of £100 during your weekly shop which is about right for 4 people who eat well (saving around £80). Cancel your mobile phone contract (£25 ish) if you don't use it much and get a pay as you go sim card you can simply put in your work phone when you need to make "emergency" personal calls!

That would give you £137.50 more each month to go towards loan repayments straight off! I would have though you'd have identified this straight away if you were serious about paying off your debt!

Also where did +£30k of loan money go???? It can't possibly have just been used up by living beyond your means on Sky and expensive food!?!?!?! Why did you take the money out in the first place if not to invest it in something worthwhile????

I can't help being perplexed by your situation.

The majority of the £38K i owe is a £25k loan i took out with barclays, that was loan consolidation and payed off credit cards

the rest is my second loan i got with egg, and my credit cards. The loans were never for investment i'm afriad it was all about consolidation and freeing up some cash

mleach26

mleach26 wrote: »

:j got some good news, i spoke with orange earlier today and managed to get my contract down to £30 a month, so saving money already. :money:

I also rang National Debtline, went through all the options and got a case number. they are sending me an information pack, and once i have filled out the budget plan i will call them back.

I think a DMP is likely at this point

So i have an update on this, turns out that the offer orange made me does not actually exsist offer was made by their "india" helpdesk, which apprently is due to shut in a few weeks time!! :mad: So i rang orange back and spoke to a nice chap called Graham. The only offer he could make me was to knock £5 off my bill for the next 4 months until my contact ends, better than nothing i suppose?