Jo_R's debt-free diary, slow and steady progress!

Keeping_Positive

Bl**dy men eh. Stick to your guns and keep reminding him.

Ref sealed pot just start with something small like an empty icecream tub or jam jar then switch when something better somes along. Our first one although not sealed was a large coffee jar.

Jo_R_2

Cheers all - going to give ex a call or text v. soon, though OH has very helpfully volunteered to maybe do it. Tis a bit awkward though as they were/are friends before I even got together with the ex but what can you do

Jo_R_2

Well it's been a few days!

Went for our house viewings on Saturday afternoon. First house walked round downstairs, lovely quiet street off a main road, across from OH's dad and not far from his mums so good area for us. Lots of space downstairs, kitchen diner looking onto a small grassy garden, we're both looking at each other thinking it was lovely, especially with the afternoon sun beaming down on the back. We asked how much this house was, and were pleasantly surprised to find it was pretty much the bottom of our budget.

Of course it was far too good to be true wasn't it - it was only a two bedroom :rolleyes: The lettings agency had set up three viewings for us and somehow had gotten mixed up somewhere along the line. Turned out only one of the three was actually a three-bed so went to see that. Was an old terrace set up off the pavement, and although very spacious inside and might I say very likeable, the area is distinctly dodgy and the schools, ahem, not that great to put it nicely. So after some discussion sacked it off and are still looking.

Got to run off to check on baby but will post again asap!

Jo_R_2

This bloody laptop, how many times have I written a post then accidentally navigated backwards and lost it, it's driving me potty! :mad::mad::mad:

Okay in brief:

1. Realised next lot of money gets paid in same day as my direct debits go out. Got to visit bank to plead with them as they keep telling me the money needs to be in my account the day before. Need to sort it out or else will be incurring loads of charges. What's my chances folks?
2. Spent £57 on weekly shop. OH really on board with grocery shopping and annoyed we spent that much (we were a bit slack tbh). I helpfully said it was good if we brought the shopping list in with us instead of leaving it in the car:o
3. Texted the ex about finally sorting out him contributing to the loan. Guess what? No response. He's off on holiday today for three weeks as well, probably with his share of the loan payments but of course I'm not bitter LOL:rolleyes:

Jo_R_2

Okay.

So I went to the bank and explained the predicament I find myself in: that my direct debits go out on 1st, same day as my tax credits go in. I went in hoping that they'd tell me it would be okay, as I had more than enough going in to cover everything that I wouldn't incur charges, even though they always say for the money to be in there the day before for direct debits to go out the day after.

But no Even though the money will be there, I will *still* incur charges. Dammit. The customer service lady was helpful actually; she said she'd probably cancel the DDs if it were her and phone up the various companies. I don't want to do that in case it is reflected in my credit file, so I am left with one option other than getting bank charges of ridiculous pounds (I have about 8 or so DDs to go out)...

Go to my dad and ask him to temporarily loan me enough to cover my DDs and then as soon as my tax credits go in, pay him straight back...

Now, I know he would do this. Thig is he has helped me out so much in the past and I haven't been able to pay him back most of it:o And I know he'll think that will be the case now, but it won't. I'm thirtysomething and still haven't quite got there with my money, it's so embarrassing... And he always said *I* was the sensible one with money compared to my sister... And she's now in a well-paid job, getting married soon and buying a house with her fiance so he was blatantly wrong about that:(

lucielle

You will just have to prove him wrong on this occasion. Could you give him a cheque dated for the day after your credits go in?
L

Jo_R_2

lucielle wrote: »

You will just have to prove him wrong on this occasion. Could you give him a cheque dated for the day after your credits go in?
L

I could do... How frustrating is that though having that happen, it's not as if the money won't be there, it'll be in, more than enough, all on the same day as well Never mind - at least I know it'll work out okay the month after.

Was reading the debt free thread earlier and it was incredibly inspiring. Pity OH doesn't feel the same - I shared my enthusiasm and asked him to have a read, and guess what he said? "I'm not really interested in reading it babes." Hmph - guess it's just me then.

Two little things are on my mind to plan; one is to make a set payment on my credit card instead of the minimum which I think I've mentioned already, and the other is to start a sealed pot, so off to read that thread again. Roll on Friday and the start of some serious moneysaving - I have decided that from then I shall be taking one of my vices and giving it up and putting the equivalent amount in said sealed pot.

Mind you, I don't have many vices, I don't smoke and very rarely drink, so it's moe than likely going to be Dr. Pepper - and I have no idea given I'm waking up x times a night to feed baby how on earth I'd manage without caffeine

Keeping_Positive

Sorry to hear youve had a carp day Jo, I think your Dad sounds like the best option. :mad: to OH they just dont get it do they!

Good luck with the sealed pot if you go for it. Just a note to keep it sealed ours has been raided a bit when not sealed!

Jo_R_2

OH is really touchy about money at the mo. I always say let's not argue about money, if we make a mistake let's move on and learn from it because we're getting there slowly but surely.

He's been super sensitive, keeps saying we're spending too much on grocery shopping, yesterday I had a dentist appointment that I forgot about, it cost £32.50 and he was really grouchy about me paying it, keeps saying he can't afford to be paying rent AND grocery money out of his wages. He can but it doesn't leave much left with paying for petrol yet he doesn't really want to hand the car back (borrowed off my dad.)

I know things are still going to get worse before they get better but OH seems so dejected that things aren't improving in the click of a finger. Trouble is he's happy to let me take control of the finances but he hasn't really made himself aware of what's going on with our money and when so to him all he's seeing is paying out for this and that and bank charges, and not seeing how things are getting very slowly to where we want them.

Jo_R_2

Well that was fun... not. Just made the phone call to my dad asking to borrow the money to cover my DDs. Well actually I spoke to my mum who relayed what I was explaining to my dad. Only she didn't quite explain the bit about how I only needed an extremely short-term loan of two days so now although he agreed, he started making comments about how I have a different idea of 'borrowing' to him - he's bailed me out before and I've hardly been able to repay any of the money previously so of course he's going to think that.

Feel a bit down about it now.