Too scared to work out what I owe

thirdparty

With regards to your pension, do not stop payment. Not only is it a final salary scheme but is guaranteed by the State, you can't go wrong. It's a very valuable benefit for what you are paying.

BHS card - are there any benefits in keeping it i.e discounts etc. If not and it is working like a credit card then cancel it.

The two barclays debt is at a high interest rate. Either you or OH apply for a credit card and do a balance transfer. No point in slowly paying this off at 15.6% if can do the same at 0%.
You must be disciplined and try to pay it off over the interest free period otherwise ... well you know what will happen

Suziebabe

leopardlily wrote:

hi
I am in exactly or probaly even worse a boat than you so dont feel bad, I am desperate to get out of debt or a least control it and really look forward to Martins money tips.
My OH has a really good job but likes the lifestyle (on his card) as well I try to save money wherever I can but he just seems to be burying his head.
I have told him how I cant sleep at night anymore and worry continually so he did send of for a debt free pack ( it has sat in our kitchen for over a week, unread by him, page by page by me!) :mad:
We have children used to a good life which is difficult to change as they dont realise the debt we are in but I keep reminding him of our older life how we will live with these huge debts how do i make him see sense?
sorry I am the miserable one now
Any suggestions ?
Thanks!

Hi LeopardLily
I really felt for you with this posting - how old are the kids?
And have you pointed your OH to this thread? It seems to have worked for some here.
Don't give up!

Suziebabe

:beer: Hello Moozie

Just wanted to say thank you for this incredible thread - having 'popped' onto the site for 5 minutes, I'm still here an hour later.

I've tried to think about our debts a number of times, but never stuck with it. Your thread & ythe support you've had has made me determined to do it again - properly this time, and stick with it.

Many thanks and well done!

Maggie_Holmes

I need to do a credit card balance transfer, but, my credit rating as taken a bit of a nose dive over the past 18 months. I had trouble with the CSA instructing my ex-partnber to pay a lower amount figure which really made hit rock botom, made payments late, I had a problem with and still have with a catalogue and I have been told they are the worst people of all when it comes to your credit rating that is an on-going problem. Then my ex owes some money on a credit card we jointly had and he keeps missing the payments I wouldn't mind so much but the card is in my name yep he isn't helping my credit rating either, I have asked him to transfer this outstanding balnce to one of his cards, but I got I will see meaning no. I don't want to tell him what problems it is causing me because he will probably not pay it at all and I am the one who will cop for the lot.
The thing is I have a Barclay Card visa and the interest rate is disgustingly very high I have tried a couple of times for a new card but I keep getting turned down because of the problems I have had and still having, but this B C is really not helping matters either are there any credit card that will accept me that anyone knows of. Don't like applying too often apparently it doesn't look good on your credit rating file.

serena

Hi Maggie,

can you get your name removed from any cards/accounts that your ex is now using on his own? I really think it puts you in a vulnerable situation. Could you write to the relevant companis, and ask that your name is removed from the accounts?

It might be worth starting a new thread with your question, so more people find it.

serena

Hi Moozie,

I was just thinking about the joint account that you have. We also have one of these, and it wasn't long after we set it up that it dawned on us that they only really work and stay in credit if you have a full quarter's money in there to start with! We found that we would pay in say two months money, and then six bills would go out, overdrawn etc.

We solved it by changing as many bills as possible to monthly direct debits. Quite a few companies prefer these, as they are guaranteed payment. We do pay a bit extra for some, like the car insurance, to pay it monthly, but it is worth it to us, and probably saves a bundle in overdraft costs.

Every year, we go through all the bills and review them. You will need to do this because companies sometimes make mistakes. I think it was the water company who marked credits on our account with a minus sign, and obviously confused themselves as well, as even though we were quite a bit in credit, they increased our monthly direct debit by £30!

It was also quite interesting to see exactly how much it costs to run the house and cars over a year.

Hope this helps a bit.

And a very big well done for all you have achieved so far. Brilliant. :j :j

moozie_2

Good morning everyone

Thanks very much for all the supportive messages, good advice and words of encouragement. It's the fix I (and many others it seems) need when I am flagging.

Things are still going so well here. OH and myself are continuing talking/working together to improve things. We have worked out a budget for the month for food and a budget for our spending during the week. I have done a menu plan for the week, including lunches incorporating a lot of our cupboard ingredients (thanks to moneysaving old style board: )

A bit of good news this morning As we were sorting through more paperwork, shredding old stuff etc, we found an unopened rent statement. Seems we are just over £200 in credit! :j I have already written a letter to ask for the refun which will go straight into the joint Barclays OD.

As for the pension, I have been told I cannot opt in and out of the pension scheme like that. Seems like it wasn't a good idea anyway, as many of you have said - thank you.

My family are here today and they will soon be enjoying a hearty healthy home cooked meal that has used up a lot of my freezer/cupboard stock. No take away cost for us today

Hope you are all having a great weekend. I am still in shock about the difference a week has made in my way of thinking/spirit. I will always be in debt to each and everyone of you.

D&DD

Morning Moozie good to see you have some good news today Thats a great result with the rent! I have been overpaying mine by £4 a week it may not seem a lot but it will give me 2 weeks off at xmas when we need it so its worth it for me :cool: Have a great day with the family :grouphug:

moozie_2

HLK wrote:

Anyway - the moral is a wee treat once in a while.. :A for being me! So don't forget yourself.

Hello HLK

What a bargain!!! I love the bag and even more so the price! Nice to get sucha treat and see all the good karma working

You are aabsolutely right, we must remember to treat ourselves once in a while or else it all might get a bit monotonous.

Thanks for the advice on the sighnature! Finally got all my debts on there and will be putting my debt free date on there soon too!

Thank you

Maggie_Holmes

Hi Serena

Thanks for your reply. Already done that and all they will change is the address, still has to be kept in my name. I did change the address to my ex's so the credit card bill went straight to his home address but it still had my name on it. All I got from him was Idon't want anything coming to my house with your name on. So I had to change the address back to mine. What I do now is cross out my name and address and re-direct it, so it still goes to his address with my name on, can't win. Still he retires middle of next month, will get a nice pension lump sum (he is with the Police Force) so I know roughly what he will get so I am hoping from the thousands he gets he hopefully will pay off the meesley £580 he owes on the credit card.
But, that doesn't help the situation he is putting me in with the credit ref. agency. I thinking of calling one of these National Debt LInes, I have been told if you do it effects your credit rating which I put off, but my situation is beyond that now, so I dont think it will matter now, so I might go ahead and do it.

Maggie