Eupho's attempt at doing her own DMP (Eeeek!)

Eupho

I'm not expecting anyone to want to read it.. but I DO want to keep a diary of it all for me.



Wish me luck! (i'm crapping myself really) .. so without Payplan doing it for me... I'm going to attempt to do this alone.. well.. with the help and support from all you fab-U-lous people.. :beer:

Here goes!!

Soubrette

Hi Eupho :wave:

Will your eldest child get EMA from Sept? If so can you cut down on his pocket money? (my daughter will hopefully get £20 per week and has been warned she will get no pocket money except in the school hols etc when it is not due).

Does your ex-husband pay any child maintenance?

For gas/electricity you would usually look at your last 12 months bills and divide that by 12 , then you have an idea of the monthly cost.

I notice no life insurance/assurance - are your boys looked after if anything awful should happen to you?

Re contents - do you check each year through quidco (or any other cashback site) to see if you can get a better deal plus cashback?

I work part time too and my children are 13 and 16, for no other reason that I feel it is better for them to have me around some of the time This extra time gives me scope to cook from scratch and do other old style type things - I've cut our shopping bills from approx £100 per week to £75 per week for 4 of us and that is rubbish compared to some of the guys on the old style board

Have you checked out the up your income board for ideas?

I'm sure someone will come along shortly who is much better at this than me

Good luck

Sou

Eupho

Soubrette wrote: »

Hi Eupho :wave:

Will your eldest child get EMA from Sept? If so can you cut down on his pocket money? (my daughter will hopefully get £20 per week and has been warned she will get no pocket money except in the school hols etc when it is not due).

Does your ex-husband pay any child maintenance?

For gas/electricity you would usually look at your last 12 months bills and divide that by 12 , then you have an idea of the monthly cost.

I notice no life insurance/assurance - are your boys looked after if anything awful should happen to you?

Re contents - do you check each year through quidco (or any other cashback site) to see if you can get a better deal plus cashback?

I work part time too and my children are 13 and 16, for no other reason that I feel it is better for them to have me around some of the time This extra time gives me scope to cook from scratch and do other old style type things - I've cut our shopping bills from approx £100 per week to £75 per week for 4 of us and that is rubbish compared to some of the guys on the old style board

Have you checked out the up your income board for ideas?

I'm sure someone will come along shortly who is much better at this than me

Good luck

Sou

Helloo Sou
Yes my son (already) gets EMA.. he gets £30 per week.. Why will your daughter get £20?

Nope no maintenance.. he pleads poverty now.. :rolleyes:

I will definitely look into the Quidco/Home contents thing. (I have quidco)

Nope no life in/assurance. I must look into that!!

I'll definitely look at the old style boards.. and ways to boost income.

Today I am trying to 'compile' the things/letters I need to send my creditors. (to see if I can freeze interest/reduce payments etc)

Thankyou for your ideas! :beer:

Karen_30

Hello :hello:

There is a thread about going it alone (started by boo80) I think somewhere on here - worth a look.

No real comments on your SOA. I would second what others have said, look on oldsytle board, read others diaries (great motivation) and generally cut back when you can. Bulk cook etc.

I am with a payplan currently doing DMP and I know that they bump up some areas when you really don't want them too. I just said 'NO' that is not what what I spend and can we put it back to what I had it. Sometimes they are fine and others not. I'm seriously considering going it alone some day soon but owe over £50K to numerous creditors so need to be super organised first :rotfl:

Wishing you lots of luck on your journey, remember we are all in the same boat and you are doing what's best to provide for your family and try and pay your debts at the same time.

K x

kindofagilr

Good Luck Eupho

I am going to subscribe to your diary

Eupho

Karen_30 wrote: »

Hello :hello:

There is a thread about going it alone (started by boo80) I think somewhere on here - worth a look.

No real comments on your SOA. I would second what others have said, look on oldsytle board, read others diaries (great motivation) and generally cut back when you can. Bulk cook etc.

I am with a payplan currently doing DMP and I know that they bump up some areas when you really don't want them too. I just said 'NO' that is not what what I spend and can we put it back to what I had it. Sometimes they are fine and others not. I'm seriously considering going it alone some day soon but owe over £50K to numerous creditors so need to be super organised first :rotfl:

Wishing you lots of luck on your journey, remember we are all in the same boat and you are doing what's best to provide for your family and try and pay your debts at the same time.

K x

Hellooo Karen :wave:

I know.. This forum has helped me sooo much! as you can see I have been here a long time.. but I wimped out of trying it the 1st 2 times (of hitting my LBM) ..

I've already started the ball rolling.. AT LAST!... just need to stop yapping on here and get typing letters. :rotfl:

Eupho

kindofagilr wrote: »

Good Luck Eupho

I am going to subscribe to your diary

Oo hello!
Thankyou for the good luck

::gulps::

Soubrette

Eupho wrote: »

Helloo Sou
Yes my son (already) gets EMA.. he gets £30 per week.. Why will your daughter get £20?

I have a partner (not the girls' natural dad) which takes our household income to just above the £30 award mark.

Eupho wrote: »

Nope no maintenance.. he pleads poverty now.. :rolleyes:

Even if he is on benefits, he should be contributing something towards your children - I believe the minimum is £5 per week - phone the CSA and ask what your position would be - you don't have to take a claim forward

Eupho wrote: »

Today I am trying to 'compile' the things/letters I need to send my creditors. (to see if I can freeze interest/reduce payments etc)

Thankyou for your ideas! :beer:

You're welcome and good luck for today

Sou

Soubrette

Oh just wanted to say - would it be possible for your son to pay for his own transport to college out of his EMA?

If he's getting £120 a month but not paying costs out of that - his disposable income is a lot higher than yours.

Leaving you another £25 to throw at debts.

Sou

Eupho

Soubrette wrote: »

Oh just wanted to say - would it be possible for your son to pay for his own transport to college out of his EMA?

If he's getting £120 a month but not paying costs out of that - his disposable income is a lot higher than yours.

Leaving you another £25 to throw at debts.

Sou

Yup.. thats first on my list for when he gets home later.. thats DEFINITELY changing. .. he just uses it for *Fun stuff* and spends it all in a flash.. So he is going to have to learn to budget a bit too.

Eupho

I printed 13 :eek: sets of my SOA ... My creditors.. amounts etc.

and 13 (nearly begging) letters.

Hope it works! :eek:

---

Address
Date:_______


Account number :______________________


Dear Sirs,

I am writing to let you know that my circumstances have changed and I can no longer keep up the repayments as they are on my account. I am now finding it increasingly hard to keep up, and am sinking faster and faster. There is no way I can continue to pay them as I do.

I am a single mum with 3 young teenage children, one in school, one in college and one who has a lot of ‘emotional problems’, who is Statemented and had been permanently excluded from 4 schools. He now attends a PRU - Pupil Referral Unit (which he has for the last year and the foreseeable future) which is a part time out of school education department, and his last chance at not having to be taught at home, and me having to give up work completely to do that.

He is also under CAMH (Child and Adolescent Mental health). Attending the Pupil Referral Unit means I can only remain working part time, because his schooling is part time and he is only there till 12pm most days, and although he is 13yrs old, he cannot be trusted to be left alone if I were to work for longer.

Since my husband left some 6yrs ago I have borrowed more and more to keep going, and obviously become increasingly deeper in debt.

I take my debts very seriously, and have always tried to make sure I paid on time in the past. I hate to be in this situation, and I hate to have to ask this. But I can see no other option for myself, and still wish to pay back what I owe you. So for the foreseeable future I am going to have to make smaller payments and ask kindly that you can help in anyway you can by stopping charges and freezing interest.

I also ask too, that any correspondence to me, you may do so only in writing. My children are upset enough without the phone ringing all the time and me (and them) getting more upset.

I am including a SOA (Statement of Affairs) have taken advice from the National Debt Line and Pay Plan., who are helping me through this. My number case reference number is:
I am also including a list of my creditors and the payments I am planning to make, worked out pro rata.

I’m so sorry to have to ask this, but I am willing to pay regardless of how long it takes.
I’m happy to provide any proof for you for anything that I have mentioned above.


Yours faithfully