Aeshna - Scared but determined!

Karmacat

Okay, the electricity thing sounds really important! As do the microwave meals... those have got to be tripling your food bill, I'd think.... really unsustainable, I'm afraid. Like the sky - I agree with what consultant is saying on that, and also about the os board on here, its brilliant. Freezing home made mash, by the way, is very os - good for you!

Aeshna

I just don't want to get too excited about the electricity thing Karmacat, as it may literally boil down to an admin error. However, I did say that I'd like my meter to be tested, as it is a new one which was installed about a year and a half ago, and in restrospect I'm sure my bills have been higher since then, although the cost of electricity has increased since then too. I insisted that this is escalated urgently and that I expect to hear from them within a week, but since I've been trying to get this sorted for years now, I'm not holding my breath - mind you, now I know that it may be a real big mess up on their part, I'll be on top of them till I get a satisfactory answer. In fact, I might just have to call them every day next week!

Cable TV and microwaveable foods out the window tomorrow, as suggested (too late tonight). We all might be a lot more healthier in my house too if I start cooking proper meals!

Aeshna

Karmacat

Yay! Go Aeshna! My posts are shorter this evening - losing coherency, I'm so tired, but good news from you, definitely.

Aeshna

Thank you!! Hope you're looking after you, take yourself off and have an early night if you need it!

Aeshna

Karmacat

I remembered the proper website name for the snowball debt reduction calculator - its www.whatsthecost.com. Its a freebie that lets you work out what difference overpayments make on different debts. Check out the link called "debt reduction" on the left hand side of the page in the middle - its very flexible, very useful, and its what people are referring to when they talk about bringing forward their debt free date. I don't use it cos its not quite flexible enough for me - my mortgage is interest only, and my loan is tax deductible, its complicated. But for straightforward, high interest debts like you have, its perfect!

Aeshna

Thanks again Karmacat, you're a lifesaver! Well, moneysaver anyhow!! Hope you're feeling brighter tonight *hug*

I'll go have a play with the snowball calculator, I haven't actually looked at it, but I've seen lots of reference to it and I always thought it sounded complicated - I have no basis for that at all, maybe I should just get my bottom over to the link and stop talking nonsense!!

On a different note, I spoke with one of the payday loan folks today and they were surprisingly pleasant, said they'd wait to hear from CCCS. As did one of the credit cards, said they looked forward to receiving my SOA and token payment.

Aeshna

Aeshna

Had an evening of listing on eBay and doing some Qype reviews. I'm 15 reviews off my Amazon voucher, still have a few days but my brain didn't seem up to it tonight for some reason! Got my CCCS pack sorted out and ready to send off, excepting a couple of items that I'm kind of stuck with. I don't have anything like a statement for the payday loans, would copies of their emails do to show the sum outstanding do you think? Actually, I may be able to access the digitally signed agreements online, maybe that would be better....

Aeshna

Karmacat

I've got no clue on the CCCS stuff, sorry .... I'd suggest checking it out with them. Good for you on doing the listing - I'm baaaad at that. I am a Qype ninja tho! I've had my Amazon email and everything - i.e. subject to checking, blah blah. Must get on there today, I've been trying to up my number of posts on bingoport, there's another one for you. Qype seem good for the long term, tho, and especially when you're so close, I'd keep at that one.

I'm feeling good myself, thanks - its sunny here, and last night I had a couple of really helpful conversations on my diary thread about a project I'm trying to get off the ground, and things went well, in a small sort of way, this morning.

Off round the block now, then a celebratory cup of coffee!

Aeshna

Good to hear things have been going well Karmacat - I did pop onto your thread earlier, but it'll take me a while to read it through and figure out what the latest posts are all about!

Meanwhile, what are the words to that song? 'something's gotta go wrong, cos I'm feeling way too damn good'.

I'm in a mess tonight, I had a visit from my neighbour downstairs complaining about the noise we make. I've had this before from her, earlier in the year, then everything died down and I thought everything was ok. But she was ill earlier this year and things haven't been the same since. We really are not a noisy family and we're out most of the day, but she's saying there's way too much banging around when the kids are home, which is about an hour before I come in from work. Because of the problems we had with her before, I've had my kids tiptoeing about the house and they rarely get to bring friends home now for fear of making too much noise, I try to be mindful of the fact that the soundproofing is pretty much non-existent. I've never had a party, or even folks round for the evening, because I'm so careful about the noise, and I know what I hear from upstairs with their shouting and arguing. She brought her friend with her, who lives in the adjoined block of flats next door - there's a huge solid wall between us, and she started claiming that she hears us too, banging on the walls!! It's complete rubbish, as the wall we share (other than being mega-thick) has furniture on it, and I know my kids don't go around bashing the walls in the house! I told her, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do, I can't figure out how there's so much excessive banging. She complained that Sunday night was particularly bad, around 10pm - the kids were in bed and I was sitting here in the livingroom on my own, on MSE!!!! Then she said that Monday night was bliss so we must have been out - we were all here, just the same as Sunday! I've been in tears most of the night, I can't live like this, my neighbour was distraught and talking about wanting her life back because we're making her miserable. The other woman insisted that I was just siding with my kids and that they weren't going to make any headway with me, and that my neighbour should just report me. I've been here for 5 years and always got on really with her, aside from the odd occasion of noise when the kids were younger, and that was always sorted out with a laugh, she was totally understanding, she's had kids herself. But they're not at that age anymore where they go running around the house! I honestly think that she's been suffering from depression since her slight stroke earlier in the year, but she's even complaining about the noise the cats make now!! I've been online looking at rental properties, but I'd have to sell this place first and with the market the way it is.....

Sorry, I just needed to vent, I've got so upset about this, just when I was feeling so good about what was happening with my debts.

Aeshna

Karmacat

Aeshna! You poor thing! Don't know what's going on there, but are these neighbours hearing the ones that *you* hear shouting and whatnot, and thinking that its you? Uh, if she's complaining about the noise *cats* make (unless its caterwauling outside her window!!!) then, well, thats kind of crazy, isn't it?

I'm sorry its so upset you - but really, don't even think of selling because of her. You own the place. Who could she report you to? Environmental health? Yes, possibly - so, what you need to do is keep a diary of when she complains about your noise, and what you think you were doing about that time. Also log any noise *you* hear, like the neighbours you can hear shouting.

You might want to look out on freecycle for insulation foam, or sound insulation foam, or anything like that, to try to dampen what there is.

If the neighbour is in tears, something is obviously going on - how far does noise travel in the flats? Is it worth contacting the council yourself? They're your council too, you have a right to, I think the phrase is "peaceful enjoyment" - your life is being made a misery right now too, so you need help with this.

Hope you can sort something out. Meanwhile, focus on dealing with it tomorrow, have a cup of tea, and a biccie, and try to put it out of your mind so you can get a proper sleep.

All the best
xx

PS - my diary is full of weird stuff about trading, skip that stuff!