The January 2009 BR Club

DON79

SA! big dodgy hug to you! :grouphug:

Well done on taking the first steps to get back in touch with your daughter and family, I really hope that you have a lovely time when you go to visit and that it is the first of many trips back and forth.

It was better for me on this trip back up north as I was not worried about my debts or what post was waiting on me when I got back home. and I had budgeted properly for the trip too.

Glad that you enjoyed your horse riding lesson, you are making me jealous! I miss it too. But it will be a little while before we have enough spare cash for that. Besides, the kids disney holiday fund has started off with £40 present from family! So that is in the pot.

Have a good day everyone!

Donna

delcon68

Hi all
Glad you you are looking forward and getting in touch with your daughter. I know what you mean about your life being on hold an not being able to consentrate on much else. I too feel very open well not like i am holding a wall up anymore.
I have my Knee opp on Saturday and am off work for a week hopfully that will be all, as i do not get sick pay so can not afford to be off any longer. Have my OR interview tomorrow, which i am worried about but nothing like before BR worried. Hope every one else is feeling as posative as me, lets all not look back but forward and just learn from the past not let it affect our future.

Thanks will keep you posted on how tomorrow goes.x

startagain_2

Thanks to Donna and delcon for the support (as always)....

You are right Donna, I used to go away to run away from my debts and then spend most of the time away worrying about what would be waiting when I got back. The worst thing was the amount it all costed and I never enjoyed it as a result of the mental torment. :rolleyes:

Donna - the horse riding was mega ..... One of the good things about being single is that I am only responsible for myself... if I want to spend my monthly clothes budget on a riding lesson, for instance, I can. I don't have to feel any guilt over it, as long as there is no borrowing involved!

I have had another look at my outgoings. IF the OR allows everything on the list ( posted and tweaked on here) then I will have a surplus of £70 in my Feb salary. Good stuff ..... It is only if she starts disallowing things like holiday and presents that I am entering dangerous IPA territory. Fingers crossed everyone for Monday!

Just been for my two weekly session with my psychologist and had my thoughts steered back on track. :rolleyes: I do get down days, as you all know, mainly through regrets over my silly spending and guilt over not paying it back (I know, I know ) but it happens and he has talked it over with me. I am pretty upbeat again. I am very lucky I have his help through all this. It can be quite hard when you are doing it all on your own. Hence the massive outpourings on here now and again..... lol

The sun is shining here in the North East - apparently rain and wind to come later, but for now it is very nice.

Have a good day everyone .... :beer:

SA

DON79

Hi SA, can't wait to hear how your OR interview goes, hope it goes well for you and that you don't get an IPA.

I can't quite make up my mind whether to call my OR's office or not given that I have not had any forms or anything from them to fill in?? Haven't heard a peep out of them since the initial phone call.

I kind of don't really want to remind them that I am here and waiting on an interview!

Glad that you enjoyed your horse ride - well maybe one day I will get back into the saddle! And if I didn't have my kids to keep me sane and busy, I think I would have gone crazy with the stress of everything that has gone on.

Donna.:D

startagain_2

DON79 wrote: »

Hi SA, can't wait to hear how your OR interview goes, hope it goes well for you and that you don't get an IPA.

I can't quite make up my mind whether to call my OR's office or not given that I have not had any forms or anything from them to fill in?? Haven't heard a peep out of them since the initial phone call.

I kind of don't really want to remind them that I am here and waiting on an interview!

Glad that you enjoyed your horse ride - well maybe one day I will get back into the saddle! And if I didn't have my kids to keep me sane and busy, I think I would have gone crazy with the stress of everything that has gone on.

Donna.:D

I know what you mean - it is a bit of a dilemma.
Have you been catching up on the posts - patsypat suddenly got a letter from her OR about sending proof of outgoings before an IPA is set up and she isn't even having an interview! Not sure I would like that, just in case anything is missed.
It has been quite a while now - perhaps just give it a couple more days and then give them a ring. I just want it over and done with now. :rolleyes:

SA

DON79

Yes I think I will give it til the 15th and then call them if have not heard at all. I haven't read back on all the posts - because I hadn't been around for about a week there were loads and loads. will catch up as much as I can. I think that if they were considering giving me an IPA I would rather have the interview so I know exactly what figures they are going to be using. But then maybe they are just taking Patsypat's figures as she put them down so she might be lucky in that way.

I am hopefully due to get a small bonus in March, maybe they won't get around to me before I get it!


Donna

startagain_2

DON79 wrote: »

Yes I think I will give it til the 15th and then call them if have not heard at all. I haven't read back on all the posts - because I hadn't been around for about a week there were loads and loads. will catch up as much as I can. I think that if they were considering giving me an IPA I would rather have the interview so I know exactly what figures they are going to be using. But then maybe they are just taking Patsypat's figures as she put them down so she might be lucky in that way.

I am hopefully due to get a small bonus in March, maybe they won't get around to me before I get it!


Donna

I can remember when I first booked my BR appt in early December worried about the December salary, that came and went and I worried about the January salary - also come and gone ...... and now it is February which will be the first one after the OR interview - ( luckily ) the least I have earned in 2 years!!
A bit of a dilemma - I don't earn enough without overtime to cover my outgoings on my SOA and have worked on the theory that 32 hours a month gives me enough with a little bit of a surplus. If I do get asked to do any more I can take it back as time in lieu. It is all wait and see now as to what I am allowed. If she does cut my SOA down then I will just do a bit less overtime and bring it back under the IVA threshold. I just know that there is more cost cutting on the way at work and I dont want a 3 yr IPA just for the sake of a few pounds over.
It has been funny not having you around for a few days .... yellowmonkey has also been on the quiet side ..... must be otherwise occupied!

SA

Marlowvian

Afternoon folks,

Had my telephone interview this morning.... it was a doddle....
I am so pleased it is over. The lady I spoke to was ever so nice and understanding.
It took 45 mins.

Started off by confirming my name, address, employment etc.
Then she asked me to go through my assets which just consist of my car.
I told her I need it for work and my many many hospital appointments. Thanks to being classed as disabled she confirmed that on this basis I can keep my car... whoopppeee!!!

She asked for my average wage based on the last 3 months. I said it was higher than normal and I had a sizeable Xmas bonus. I really didn't want an IPA based on the average of these 3 months as this would leave me really short. She said she understood, what she might do is leave the IPA for now and revisit it in 3 months time after I have submitted 3 months wage slips to see if an IPA would then be applicable... or.... she would look at the 3 months wage slips I have given her minus the bonus payment and base it on that.
She said that by the looks of things if they did do an IPA it would only be a small one..... Yay!!!
I guess I won't count that egg till that chicken has hatched though....
I have you guys on here to thank for the help with my SOA. She didn't query anything on there.

She said she would be writing to all my creditors within the next few weeks, she has to write to Co-op also but they shouldn't freeze my account.
So its all looking pretty good...... for now

startagain_2

That's brilliant Marlowvian,
Sorry, I had completely forgotten that your OR interview was today.... Well done you and not too long an ordeal either. Whilst wallowing in self pity this morning my mind has gone blank!
I just hope mine is a sweetie too..... :rolleyes:
I want to work on the "next 3 payslips" strategy too. There must be loads of people at the moment who are having their wages/hours/overtime cut back. The ORs must be set up to deal with this.
Have you got the day off or is it back to work?
SA

DON79

startagain wrote: »

I can remember when I first booked my BR appt in early December worried about the December salary, that came and went and I worried about the January salary - also come and gone ...... and now it is February which will be the first one after the OR interview - ( luckily ) the least I have earned in 2 years!!
A bit of a dilemma - I don't earn enough without overtime to cover my outgoings on my SOA and have worked on the theory that 32 hours a month gives me enough with a little bit of a surplus. If I do get asked to do any more I can take it back as time in lieu. It is all wait and see now as to what I am allowed. If she does cut my SOA down then I will just do a bit less overtime and bring it back under the IVA threshold. I just know that there is more cost cutting on the way at work and I dont want a 3 yr IPA just for the sake of a few pounds over.
It has been funny not having you around for a few days .... yellowmonkey has also been on the quiet side ..... must be otherwise occupied!

SA

thing is SA, even if they do give you an IPA and your hours get cut back at work, then they would have to review it again anyway and stop the ipa. You will be absolutely fine I am sure.

was away for a few days but didn't feel much like a holiday - had family problem to try sort out as well as the cold weather etc.

However the dvd player worked a treat! kept the kids happy and occupied until they fell asleep which meant a less stressful journey for us.

I wonder what YM is upto then? am sure he is keeping himself busy.


Hi marlowvian - am so pleased that your interview went smoothly and that your car is safe. I hope that you don't get an IPA but she sounds like a very reasonable OR.

Keep us updated! :j

Donna