Diary of a Poor Person aged 46 1/2

cheerfulness4

Keep going Mrscmr - its usually when we're at that 'crawling into a corner and rock ourselves' times that we end up making the best decisions.

And if you've got the courage to take your small change to one of those supermarket moneychanging thingies you have the courage to do anything. Why the heck to they have to sound like the Jackpot at Vegas?! Half the supermarket turns round and gawps when I'm trying to get a few quid to buy bread and milk.

I've been a quiet little lurker, marveling at your stamina in finding ways to help out. Not easy when you're on your own at home with the kids.

If it was me I'd make that call tomorrow and definitely get my options well laid out. You may be in a better position to persuade your OH as its possible he's not as up to speed with the situation as you are yet. Seems you're handling it mostly while his beavering away abroad.

Kettle on and chin up lass.

mrscmr

thanks cheerfulness... good to know people are out there and reading and supporting.

yes the noise is dreadful from those machines - today i managed to break it! asda were not impressed!

kissjenn

With the debts what's done is done and you're killing yourself trying to make it work. How about Cyprus, any interest in that yet?

Call me tomorrow and we can have a good chat.

OH will have hung himself by 10 feet of CAT5 cable by then :eek:

When IT is good it's very very good.
When IT is bad it's f£cking awful.

mrscmr

thanks kissjenn
cyprus.. slower than a snail in reverse ... wont be holding our breath on that!

im going to bed as had enough of this last me a lifetime :-(
night

savingholmes

Hi MrsC - Glad you have done the debt remedy thing - sometimes we just have to do what we can do and let go of the things we can't....

You can't undo the past - you just need to look at the finances you have now and look at what you can do with the money you do have coming in.

Keep your chin up - you will get thro this - and you will soon find every bit of cash helps. If you ever read hypno's diary - she brought in £30K last year on top of her take home pay by having lodgers, doing dooyoo, mystery shops, surveys, gambling loopholes, cashback sites etc... It is difficult - to see a way forward from where you are... but at least if you have people like CCCS helping you then there is some support there.

There's no point saying to yourself "you've failed". All you can say is - We didn't manage our money as well as we could have in the good times but now we are learning from this and doing our best to manage our money better going forward. You can't undo the past. You didn't get to this level of debt by yourself either... Someone somewhere should have seen the warning signs eg the banks when they credit check you etc....

This recession landed with a bang and I don't think anyone was really prepared. Luckily my contract last year was in manufacturing so I saw first hand the recession coming and prepared.... It is still a struggle tho - and sometimes I panic. We've had to drastically cut back our spends to eke out our money longer - but for us that is doable .... for now....

Right now you need to make sure that your kids are doing okay, that you are eating and sleeping properly and that you are looking after yourself as much as you can. Life is hard for you and your family right now with your husband out the country - that is really tough on him, you, everyone. Sometimes you just have to do what you can do.... Remember there is government support in place too that may help the mortgage company be more leniet with you too....

Take care.... we care... we do not feel failed, all we see is someone going thro difficult circumstances who is having the courage to keep trying to find a way thro - that can only be applauded so here you go

:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

cheerfulness4

What an encouraging post savingholmes. It took me years to come to those conclusions that you have stated about how we may have amassed our debt and how we now have to view our efforts to recovery.
I've never seen it so sensibly laid out in words.

We're a work in progress but are slowly tunnelling our way out and trying to hold our nerve while we do. Its working. :T

I know those words were intended for Mrscmr but thats really cheered me on personally. Thanks. :beer:

WorriedofSurrey

Hi MrsCMR

So sorry you are feeling so down, you have tried so hard to get out of the mess and you really have done a fabulous job, just think how worse off you would be if you hadn't done all that ebaying etc.

A DMP isn't the worse thing in the world. I have been on one since June and it has been tough at times, but when you have a workable budget you feel secure in as much as you know you have enough for all priority bills, food etc.

Most of us have all been foolish to some extent, otherwise we wouldn't be on this board. I have been incredibly stupid, I have around £80k unsecured debt, even sold our house, paid most of the debt off, rented a house, then got back in the same position again. Now THAT is stupid, I don't even have my own house now!!

Chin up, you will crack this. It will de tough, no question, but you will come through the other end.

I have used one of those Asda machines too, searched the shop first to make sure nobody was in there that I knew, then made a complete !!!! of myself by dropping coins everywhere, overcompensated by telling passer-bys that I was doing it for the kids, that it was pennies out of their money boxes. How sad is that?

Best wishes
WoS

mrscmr

update:
did some work today - paid! earnt 150.
OH has been paid so although still o/d we have some money to survive
got my first avon order today but need to collect catalogues later/tomorrow to put order through by weds.
have had a new business idea.
think OH coming round to dmp idea - i even dream of not been able to pay for things in shops ... :-(

ebay getting busy!

must rack my brains for more ideas!

is everyone else ok? nice and sunny today!

xx to all peeps out there.

mrs_robinson_3

Hi mrscmr

Sorry things are tough for you - but you are resourceful and bright and will get through it. For your peace of mind it sounds like the DMP will be the way to hold things together, would think, as that monthly gap's too big surely for anyone (even you!) to fill in a hurry. Then you'll have a long term plan which assume will be speeded up when you sell the house abroad, but in short term you would maybe be able to stop struggling so much day to day

Anyway sending good karma for big Avon orders for you in meantime

Mrs R

cheerfulness4

WorriedofSurrey wrote: »

I have used one of those Asda machines too, searched the shop first to make sure nobody was in there that I knew, then made a complete !!!! of myself by dropping coins everywhere, overcompensated by telling passer-bys that I was doing it for the kids, that it was pennies out of their money boxes. How sad is that?

Best wishes
WoS

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Least you didn't make a show of yourself like one poor guy did in ours when he snapped 'whats this chuffing bit of paper? where's me notes?!'
Poor bloke clearly hadn't realised that Morrisons pays out in instore vouchers rather than ready cash. You had to feel for him. :rolleyes: