Just woke up

andys15

I am sorry but I am very puzzled. If your income is nil and your outgoings so high, how do you pay for things. You must have direct debits coming out, but who is providing you with money. i am really struggling to understand. Surely you cant keep adding it to a credit card.
Could you describe for me last month, how you paid for your outgoings, I know you cant pay council tax by credit card, how did you pay for your groceries in the shop. I just cannot grasp how at the moment you get through one day till the next. i can only see one way out at the moment and that is declaring banckrupcy and starting with a clean slate.
Unless you or your fiancee have huge earning potential, then this will drag on forever.

Bowski_1011

Andy, I have paid my council tax by credit card before now.
I am also puzzled though how anyone can survive with £0 income. Maybe it's just a mistake??

trancebabe

Look at the unsecured loans part of the SOA... this is how they've done it so far but they wont be able to get credit like that for much longer

Charlie - should have also say that you need to stop the catalogue shopping sweetheart. These companies have extraordinarily high interest rates... crippling in fact (30+%)

andys15

I have not really posted on dfw before. I know at the top it says dont be judgemental but sometimes people need a reality check.
No money is coming in, but the posters has 2 mobile phones, runs a car(which must be a meduim size car at least), wants a night out or two. Must have access to a pc, with an internet provider.
When I was skint, I went through all my direct debits and binned all non essentials(essentials being gas,electric etc). In your position even a landline in your house is a non essential, or the very least have it only accept incoming calls.
A job tomorrow is an absolute must. You or your fiancee could be a security guard somewhere near where you live tomorrow easily.
Come on guys showing her recipes so she can save £50 a month on her groceries is not even a drop in the ocean. Advice like that is only relevant for people wanting to cutback a bit. She has nothing and owes so much. I cannot understand how the balliffs are not knocking on the door. You need to act right now and nip this in the bud. Sell everything you can and get a job tomorrow.

Always_Harassed

Didn't have time to read all the posts but have you had a benefits check to see if you are getting all the help you can. Local councils or Citizens Advice can help. Yes you need to accept your in trouble and deal with it but surely you should get some more help. If you can't get job seekers how about income support.

TotallyBroke

Your water bill is very high. I only pay £27 per month and that is only over 10 months. Are you paying off arrears with that as well.
I'm guessing your phone line also includes your broadband. Could you look at maybe changing that for a cheaper provider.
The only thing I can say is you both need to be working and that means doing anything. Go and register your details with an agency and take anything they offer.
It's an easy way of finding full time work. My OH was working for an agency for a couple of weeks until he got his start date for current employer. While temping at a warehouse they offered him a full time position but he had to turn them down. It's much easier to apply and be accepted for a job if you are already working.
Good luck

bargainbetty

You say you have temp admin experience - can you not apply to agencies for temp work, to at least get you something coming in? Bar work doesn't pay much, but it gets you out of the house and you feel like you've had a night out - generally get a couple bought for you as well!

All the students are going back to school and college now, so places like Tescos, Homebase etc might be losing casual staff - At this point, even 10-20 hours a week would give you a start.

Freshen up your CV, put on some smart clothes and hit the pavement - go into any shop, call up everything in the local paper, and register with all the agencies you can find. I've worked two or three jobs before - you both need to focus on this before anything else. Also go to the council offices and ask for an emergency hardship allowance. Put money on the meter, and food in the cupboard before all, and then get out there again!

Good luck x

trancebabe

andys15 wrote: »

Come on guys showing her recipes so she can save £50 a month on her groceries is not even a drop in the ocean. Advice like that is only relevant for people wanting to cutback a bit. She has nothing and owes so much. I cannot understand how the balliffs are not knocking on the door. You need to act right now and nip this in the bud. Sell everything you can and get a job tomorrow.

Whilst I agree with all that you've said, and you've obviously been there, done that and got the t-shirt, so it's very easy for you to be dishing out your version of a 'reality check'.... this is still a new poster asking for advice!

Surely any advice for any kind of money saving that we can offer up is valid right ?!

Not all of us want to be as hard nosed and straight talking with this new person as you and whether she and her partner choose to act upon any of this advice is up to her!

I had already said that her and her partner need to get an income, and Charlie has said that her partner has an interview lined up.

I'm sure deep down she knows what she needs to do (because she came looking for help after all) and she's aware that this situation cannot continue.

We can lead these 'horses to the water' but will they drink ??

I hope so but time will tell!

andys15

Another absolute must is geting out of your rented accomodation, it is taking up a quarter off your debt. If you dont do it soon, then its is probably going to be done to you. Even when you are both working it will be a strain. Go back to Mum or someones.
Unfortunatley no matter how you dress it up you are in the mire. Just starting a post after how far in the mess you have gotten yourself in called "just woke up" shows that finacially you have got it all wrong. Whilst reading about cookery tips may in your head means you have started the process of trying to take action it is to late. It is going to be crap for a while, but you have got to take some responsibilty for your actions, and this means making huge sacrafices now, otherwise you will never have a life (you will live on a weekly basis, trying to rob peter etc. Its no existance, to start married life and have kids etc. Bin the car (if needed for work get a banger with a decent MOT and Tax), bin the PC (use the library/friends), bin the mobile((tell them you cannot honour the contract as you are close to bankrupcy), bin the catologues(lets face it, at the moment you literally dont even own the shirt on your back) I assume you have a big TV again bin it. and go back to family.
If you dont do this then i can never see a a way out.
If you do these things then IT WILL GET BETTER, even though you cant see it yet.

andys15

trancebabe wrote: »

Whilst I agree with all that you've said, and you've obviously been there, done that and got the t-shirt, so it's very easy for you to be dishing out your version of a 'reality check'.... this is still a new poster asking for advice!

Surely any advice for any kind of money saving that we can offer up is valid right ?!

Not all of us want to be as hard nosed and straight talking with this new person as you and whether she and her partner choose to act upon any of this advice is up to her!

I had already said that her and her partner need to get an income, and Charlie has said that her partner has an interview lined up.

I'm sure deep down she knows what she needs to do (because she came looking for help after all) and she's aware that this situation cannot continue.

We can lead these 'horses to the water' but will they drink ??

I hope so but time will tell!

Hi Trance

I haven't actually been there, I could have been, and advice on the groceries
would have been great, and it is great.
This poster i feel is way way down the point of of no return, and on reflection your advice to her is great when she starts getting back on track a bit.
I dont in any way judge her, but I get the feeling she doesn't see fully what trouble she is in. And though words of encouragment are great, I feel it could also lead her into a false sense of security. The very bottom line is if she doesn't get rid of everything now, its only a matter of time before it is all taken.