end of the line?

southernscouser

Sorry to hear about your problems mate but you have taken the biggest and hardest step in confronting your problems! :T :j

With regards to your bills, the best thing to do would be to post on the individual boards coz then the experts can help with each one but I'll cast my eye over the ones that seem high to me!

This could be a long reply but stick with me!

OK, £400 a month seems way too much money for food! I know people on here who manage on £50 a month per person (decent food aswell)! Get over to the oldstyle board for help on that one!

£90 on electricity a month! :eek: Are you in arrears? If not this way to high! Have you tried uswitch.com to see if your getting the cheapest deal. Gas aswell.

With MBNA :mad: I'd just carry on paying the token amount of £1. If they keep phoning tell them you are keeping a record of all the calls (make sure you do) and tell them you are being harrased and if it continues you will be seeking legal advice!

Now this is no-one elses business so you can tell me to !!!!!! off if you want but I'm curious as to how you amounted £120,000 of debt. If it is living beyond your means my main concern is that you could fall into the same trap again! This is totally up to you if you want to share it though!

OK, it goes without saying aswell that your priority bill is you rent! Then obviously your council tax and utilites! Debts come last!

I'm not clued up on how bankruptcy works but I'm sure someone will be along who deos or who has experienced it! I'm sure they wouldn't take your childrens stuff!

Also start a spending diary. Everyday write down every single penny you spend and on what! At the end of the month it will prove an invauable insight as to where your money goes! For example yesterday I spent £3.49 on a McDonalds and £1.11 on milk!

Also start keeping an eye on the vouchers/discounts board! It's a great way to save some money!

Hope some of this helps and good luck.

SS

paul10mm

ok short awnser we had child care costs £180 a week for 6 years that was nearly 9k a year then i got wife to alawys put shopping on cards god only knows what i did with rest i have nothing to show for it!!as for why we paid so much so long for child care our daughter has a very rare imunie sytem illness call LCH was very bad for 12 to 18 months and to be honest we had to take a break from looking after them sounds horrible but it was a very difficult time also i have been to complacent at work been the boss to long but wages only gone up from £186600 in 1986 to £23000. in 2006 and we have two kids to know!I still had over 20k on cards i could have moved around to pay bills for another year or so but whats the point??Its them making money from my misery!!

DesG

I can't help on tha bankruptcy side of things, but I can save you £20

You don't need to buy the freesat card, your current sky card will work exactly like a freesat card once you cancel your subscription with sky. I am assuming that you are outside of your initial 12 month contract and can cancel.

There is a freephone number for sky somewhere either search on here or on saynoto0870.com for you to cancel for free

With regard to MBNA, I would write them a recorded delivery letter asking for them to communicate with you only in writing.

Cheers, Des.

paul10mm

Thanks for the tip about the sky card des!! £20 is £20 saved!!
as for mbna sent them letter already as you said what did they do? phoned me to discuss it!! I record all conversations with them there just liars i have offers on tape they say they never made even have letters from them saying if i pay £63 they will credit my account with £150!! are they mad i said just give me the £87!! for some reason they didnt find it funney

mrelephant_2

Paul1

Just one simple solution i found regarding the harrassing phone calls from creditors was to change my telephone number, dont tell them you've changed it, just write to them to ask for all communication to be in writing as you are no loger contactable by phone. It has worked for me, Dont know if you can do this with the works phone number? Rang BT and explained i was being harrassed (didnt say by creditors of course, didnt want to set alarm bells ringing in case they thought their bills wouldnt get paid) but they changed it free of charge.

Derek

smcaul

Under the DPA if you write to MBNA and tell them to remove your phone numbers from their database they have to comply. All they are required to have is contact details for you, this can be an address, do not be fobbed off by them saying it has to be a phone number, it does not. The quicker you can stop them phoning you the better - you will feel better and any further correspondance will be recorded in writing - I hate dealing over the phone as what they write down in call records very rarely relate to what has actually been said by either party. Ask to speak to their Data Protection Officer - by law they are required to have one and tell them you want all phone numbers removed from their system or you will report them.

southernscouser

paul10mm wrote:

ok short awnser we had child care costs £180 a week for 6 years that was nearly 9k a year then i got wife to alawys put shopping on cards god only knows what i did with rest i have nothing to show for it!!as for why we paid so much so long for child care our daughter has a very rare imunie sytem illness call LCH was very bad for 12 to 18 months and to be honest we had to take a break from looking after them sounds horrible but it was a very difficult time also i have been to complacent at work been the boss to long but wages only gone up from £186600 in 1986 to £23000. in 2006 and we have two kids to know!I still had over 20k on cards i could have moved around to pay bills for another year or so but whats the point??Its them making money from my misery!!

Hey I know how you feel. All I've got to show for it is a car worth maybe £6k! :doh:

Did you get my PM?

paul10mm

we have 2 cars
a 1997 renault meagne worth about £800 reg in both names and a toyota avensis 1998 in my wifes name.I do 350 miles a week travel to work trying for local job but no luck yet even been to college to try and improve my education!!!
My wife uses hers to take daughter to school shes 10 and go to work school and work only 1 mile apart from each other and about 10miles from home Will we lose both cars when we are made Bankrupt???

sashacat

I would look at the £90 a month for electricity...go to Martin's money saving tips and switch supplier. Also why not think about reducing living casts by ditching the kid's tv sets and play stations..they cost money to run which you do not have. £400 for a family of 4 is a LOT for groceries...try to cut out everything but the essentials and buy the value brands. Why not cook in batches at home and avoid ready meals....look around the site , there are lots of ways to save.
I would think both cars will go and all the goodies like dvd players..so why not look at public transport to get to scool and work
Also, unless things have changed in the last couple of months legally I think schools are obliged to offer facilities for packed lunches