FINALLY my SOA! Pleeease look. Really could do with using it today!

kindofagilr

Daffykjs wrote: »

Some very good advice on here! I definitely think your son needs to get less from you, especially as he's already getting money for college. he should definitely at least pay his own bus fares. that IS in his intertest. maybe you could sit him down and explain it to him!

Also is there any way you can chase your ex for the money! that seems like a cop out to me! Doesn't he HAVE to pay something? I thought it was law or something?

I definitely think you should be able to do a DMP with that (be it on your own or through payplan or cccs). Why don't you give national debtline a call. they are really helpful and easy to talk to!

good luck with it all. hope you can get some kind of plan sorted out!

If only, my mam never got a penny of my dad, she tried for years via the csa and didnt get anything, they cant force him to pay I know they are getting better than they were when I was kid (with regards to getting them to pay)

talana

Eupho wrote: »

I agree too... but being a teenager.. trying to get him to do ANYTHING (thats not for himself) .. is virtually impossible. :rolleyes:

True enough. But you have to persuade him that it is for himself.

Tennagers understand hard cash. Tell him you can't afford the pocket money any more, but he could make £200 per month or whatever with a casual weekend job.

At 17 he has to be treated as semi-adult.
After all, he's now over the age of consent and the legal drinking age (without wishing to scare you)!

Jesthar

Eupho wrote: »

Thankyou

I will look into any funding things regarding his bus fare. He DOES get EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) £30 a week. But he keeps that. :rolleyes:.. I have tried to talk to him about getting a part time job.. (like some of his friends) but he doesn't want to know. :mad:.. I think I will talk to him again about giving me the £25 per month.. that still leaves him £95 .. which is more than I flippin get!

Easy start to the solution, scrap his pocket money and refuse to buy his bus pass. That's what the EMA is for, after all.

One thing I noticed was your water bill - £65 a month is pretty huge, it would pay six months of my bill! Are you on a meter? If so, check for leaks and excessive usage ASAP. If not, see if you can get one, also ASAP (you have to ask the landlord I think), as either way you are literally pouring money down the drain.

I also agree you can save money on your grocery bill (and still eat very well) to somewhere around the £250 mark at least

~Jes

kindofagilr

Ah right, well yeah £10 off is a start, and if you can get eldest to pay for himself to go to college then that would help you loads too

Try and explain to him you just cant afford it and it would be in his best interests to get a part time job, even if its like 10 hours a week in McDonalds or Asda

Eupho

Actually!.. tell you what I forgot to include!!

I pay that same teens mobile bill per month too!... It's about bang on £30 each month.

So looking at it.. he actually does pretty well.

£120 month EMA .. (as long as its not school hols)
£30 mobile bill paid by me.
and maybe about £20-30 from me.

I'm swapping that mobile DD to his account for a start. (well, get him too)

Eupho

Jesthar wrote: »

Easy start to the solution, scrap his pocket money and refuse to buy his bus pass. That's what the EMA is for, after all.

One thing I noticed was your water bill - £65 a month is pretty huge, it would pay six months of my bill! Are you on a meter? If so, check for leaks and excessive usage ASAP. If not, see if you can get one, also ASAP (you have to ask the landlord I think), as either way you are literally pouring money down the drain.

I also agree you can save money on your grocery bill (and still eat very well) to somewhere around the £250 mark at least

~Jes

hellooo

Nope no water meter.. just live in the most expensive water area in the country. (that's not behind or in debt or whatever ~ a lot isn't it!) ..

The EMA.. you know I always wondered what it was for.. My friend says she uses it for her sons bus fare (same college).. but my son swears blind its a *Reward* for the students getting off their butts and going to college.

Thats why I let him keep it.. (plus its set up to go into the students account)

michaellas

Hi

I`m new to this however I have put a couple of pointers below

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 3
Number of cars owned.................... 1

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 450
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 1334 (Rent help £360. WFTC £800. ChB. £184)
Other income............................ 120 (This is 'approx' what I get paid back from my employer 'towards' my fuel each month ~ sorry about the bold font)
Total monthly income.................... 1904

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 480
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 95 - Are you getting the single person discount - assume you would be entitled as your kids are all under 18??? Is this over 10 or 12mths???
Electricity............................. 140 (winter) ~ £60 in summertime. (not sure waht to put for that)
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 62.8
Telephone (land line)................... 25 -
Mobile phone............................ 40 - This seems high is this just for 1? could you not go to PAYG or downgrade your tariff?
TV Licence.............................. 12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 27 - you say you cant get freeview due to your area however you can get freesat via sky you just have to cancel your contract & tel them you want to have freesat. You would then need to look into the cost of the broadband/telephone etc
Internet Services....................... 17
Groceries etc. ......................... 360
Clothing................................ 10
Petrol/diesel........................... 160 <--- get some of that back each month ~ 25p per mile. (which is LOW compared to most)
Road tax................................ 11.5
Car Insurance........................... 35 - Can you not get this cheaper & use quidco etc
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 15
Car parking............................. 5
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 10
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 15
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 5
Haircuts................................ 10 - Try local colleges as they often charge for the products only or a nominal fee
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 10
Pocket money? 3 teens. ................. 60
My sons college bus fare................ 25
Total monthly expenses.................. 1630.3


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 1 (worth about £2000)
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 1

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Barclays Overdraft.............2200......12........0
Halifax .......................5400......92........0
HSBC Card......................2250......54........0
Cahoot Overdraft...............478.......10........0
Capital One....................800.......42........0
Morg Stanley Card..............800.......13........0
DFS Sofa.......................1500......44........0
Cahoot Loan ...................6499......160.......23.3
Egg card.......................2500......58........0
Barclaycard....................3700......83....... .0
HSBC Loan......................3488......176.......14.9
RBOS...........................4200......91....... .0
B'clays Cashback Card..........402.......8.2.......0
Total unsecured debts..........34217.....843.2.....-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,904
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,630.3
Available for debt repayments........... 273.7
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 843.2
Amount short for making debt repayments. -569.5

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 1
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -34,217
Net Assets.............................. -34,216

Have you tried using cashback sites/free scratchcards/clicks etc to help boost your income (in 6mths I have managed to get £120 in vouchers which i`m gonna use for presents @ xmas from pigsback)

I hope this helps & sorry if I`ve covered things other people have.

Good luck

kindofagilr

Good idea, dont pay for his mobile!!! its got it easy!

Eupho

kindofagilr wrote: »

Ah right, well yeah £10 off is a start, and if you can get eldest to pay for himself to go to college then that would help you loads too

Try and explain to him you just cant afford it and it would be in his best interests to get a part time job, even if its like 10 hours a week in McDonalds or Asda

I thought that the other day.. we were in Tesco late in the evening.. and some young teens were on the check outs.. He said.. 'Oh I know her.. shes 16' .. I said.. this is probably a good place for you to earn some extra money.. its quite in here now it late.. most of them are laughing and messing about?'..
he said.. ':: grunt::: ::mumble:: nahhhh'

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Eupho

michaellas wrote: »

Have you tried using cashback sites/free scratchcards/clicks etc to help boost your income (in 6mths I have managed to get £120 in vouchers which i`m gonna use for presents @ xmas from pigsback)

I hope this helps & sorry if I`ve covered things other people have.

Good luck

hellooo
Thankyou for those ideas!.. I didn't know about SKY Freeview either!