Zig's new start (again!) on a budget!

zigmeister

Thanks Pam and Wendz86

I have a bit of dilemma. If anyone happens to be reading this and has some advice then I'd really appreciate it.

My Mum isn't very well. She has a mixture of depression and some weird head thing where it's like her head is all foggy (possibly part of the depression?)

Anyway, she owes me about £600 which is the most part of the overdraft I am paying off at the moment. She also owes £1600 on a Natwest credit card which they annoyingly gave her. She doesn't work cuz she is ill, and isn't in the right mindset to sort all this money stuff out.

A month or so ago I set the CC up to be paid by direct debit cuz she kept missing payments, so that has helped. But I have just seen her accounts and she is paying £35 a month and £20 of that is interest.

I have just applied for a Halifax credit card so I can do a balance transfer for her, but they are only giving me a limit of approx £500, which obviously isn't enough.

My dilemma is, do I use my overdraft, once I've paid it off, to get rid of most of my Mum's debt? Any ideas?

I feel really rubbish about the whole thing cuz I hate to see her struggle with money, and I know they say the person needs to deal with it themselves or they'll never learn, but she struggles to think of what to do for tea, so this would be out the question to be honest.

Pamela1705

Oh you poor lamb. That mustn't be a lot of fun - I'm sorry to hear that your mum is not well.

I don't really have much advice to share - I think you are being super brave and I think you should always remember that. I shall have a think about solutions, but I didn't want to read and run.

Chin up and enjoy your Sunday xx

Dinah93

As harsh as it sounds Zig, I would really advise against it. If her head isn't in the right place she may very well just run up the debt again. So long as the minimum payments are being made I wouldn't worry about it. Secondly, she might be ill but shes a grown woman, its not for her child to fix her mistakes, and it will no doubt embarrass her if you try to do so.

I have over £2000 of mums debt in my name, and it's being paid off at £60 a month, or £13 after you take into account interest. It really does annoy me that I tried to help her, she promised to pay me £220 a month to pay it off and I've not once seen this money, or even gotten a sign she appreciates me doing it. She just isn't capable of cutting back, so she ran up the debt again on another card, so shes now paying me and this other card tiny ammounts, and neither are going anywhere. I understand things are very tight, but she does go out for coffee with friends, all the food is branded etc, so if she would listen she could find ways to cut back a bit and pay me back.

I understand your mum is ill, but you're really doing her no favours by getting involved in her finances, and along the road you may find because you did she actually resents you for it. If she does run up a debt again, you'll be angry cos you tried to clear her name, and she'll be angry cos she doesn't think its your business!

wendz86

I agree with what Dinah you said. You are her daughter so shoudn't have to fix her messes. I understand she is ill and I am sorry to hear that but I think the best way to help her is let her help herself

zigmeister

Thanks guys for your replies. I feel in such a pickle! I want to help her, mostly cuz I hate seeing money wasted on interest! Dinah, that's a ridiculous amount of interest that you/your Mum is paying!

Reading your post Dinah was strange, cuz my Mum buys branded stuff and is reluctant to cut back etc. So this is why I am hesitant to do this. But I have a 0% overdraft that I won't be using, and I would set up a direct debit for £50 a month to pay me back. I'm just not sure. There's pros and cons.

Work was ok today. I managed to get some more overtime which means that when I get paid I'll have £300 to chuck at my overdraft This also means that I only have to get a minimum of 2 overtime shifts a week for July and August to pay off my overdraft completely! :T

zigmeister

My spending is going oh so very wrong...

I now have no money to last until payday (10th July). So I pulled out £10 out of my overdraft account and spent £2 on a sandwich so I have £8.

I really wish it was payday sooner so I could pay some more off and just start a new month really.

Also, I had £2.45 in my scratchcards account and then I spent £1 on scratchcards. I didn't win. I'm being destructive!

I'm knackered. I don't like getting up at 5am.

And I need to buy a vacuum cleaner. When I mentioned it to the guy I rent my room off, he said, 'well we'll go halves then when you leave I'll give you the other half.' Thing is, I know we'll both forget. I want to either, him buy it and it's his. Or I buy and I take it with me when I leave. But he doesn't seem too keen on either of them. Has anyone seen any good deals on vacuum cleaners?

x

zigmeister

My OH has gone to Glastonbury and I'm feeling a bit strange!! I will be spending a few days at my Nan's though so it won't be so bad. I did plan to have a bit of a spring clean while I have the flat to myself, but dunno if I can honestly see it happening! :rolleyes:

Me and the OH were asked at his family get-together questions about us getting married. We've been talking about it and we've decided that we're gonna save up and just go on a 3 week holiday somewhere amazing, by ourselves, and just get married. Saves all the family and money hassle! It's stupid, but I'm getting excited even though it's not even in the pipeline! We want a house first, that's the priority.

The £20 tracked on Quidco from getting a halifax credit card which is good.

Today should also be a NSD which is also good! :T I need more of them.

Dinah93

Aww I'd really want my family there, and I know they'd be absolutely gutted not to be invited. Are you engaged Zig, didn't realise you were, you should join the DOTD club on my thread! All the ladies are at it over there!

zigmeister

Nah I'm not engaged! Just been talking about it. We don't wanna be engaged or anything until we have a house, it's more important! Plus, it seems a bit weird to us when people my age (20) get engaged, cuz they're engaged for years and years!

I love wedding dresses though, I do enjoy the DOTD on your thread!

I think my family would be gutted, but when they are all together it turns nasty and it would ruin the whole thing. So it's their own fault if they have to miss out cuz they can't be mature enough to be civil to each other :rolleyes: I'm sure when it actually comes to it tho I'll change my mind and decide that I have to have my Mum and my OH's Mum there, at least!


I have just spent £80 on a vacuum, breadmaker, and an iron. I can't decide if it's moneysaving or not - the total should have been £185 but everything was half price, and I got discount. But then again, it's now more overtime I've gotta do to make up for it. At least I won't have to buy these things for years now tho.

That's my reasoning and I'm going with it!

Dinah93

Well you definitely needed the hoover, and you're getting half back for that too aren't you? An iron isn't exactly a wild purchase either!

A fair few of my friends were engagaed at 20, a couple were even married, but then they're better Christians than me and were able to stick to the no sex before marriage thing, but I think it makes them eager to get hitched a bit sooner!