DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 6)

icecube2009

bigmommamuppet wrote: »

Afternoon Peeps,

Needing a bit of advice please... Don't know if I've had my proper LBM moment yet or whether old habits are creeping back in to my life. But basically we’ve had a major set back this morning. DH went to put petrol in the car and his card was refused (we still have a debit card but no O/D facility). We only have a balance of £21.35 therefore his transaction of £39.51 was refused, so had to borrow cash from petty cash at work and go back to the petrol station to pay his dues. V. V. embarrassing, DH not good with this sort of situation at the best of times so he'll be in some mood when he gets home. :rolleyes:

I do have some money coming to us so it’s only a cash flow problem this week. But I was planning to use the extra money for my emergency fund (which is sitting at 0) but yet again I need it to live on. Therefore in theory we’ve overspent again this month (3 in a row). Can’t seem to keep control of the spends and I’m scared that we’ll slipping back into the deep hole of not having enough to live on.

Already have 2 accounts, 1 for bills, 1 for spends, but it’s not making much difference. I keep a spending diary which to be honest doesn’t help me curb the spending either. I have also tried splitting my budget up into chunks i.e. X amount for petrol, food etc. but again I overspend on nearly everything each month.

Main areas of overspending are food (we spend approx £350pm for 4, and entertainment/ going out- haven’t told anyone we’re on a DMP so trying to carry on with life as normal… which I think is the main problem, for example friends want to go out for dinner on Saturday, babysitters, taxis etc, will cost best part of £200:eek::eek::eek: if not more, but stupidly we said yep no probes…..defo have to cancel this..)

Therefore any budgeting advice would be muchly appreciated.

Thanks

Becks

It is so difficult, we have the same problems, we have such a tight budget £60 a week for food, for family of 5, with kids back to school packed lunches etc it soon mounts up, kids want to know why they cant have £2 to buy lunch when they go out with their friends etc. its so hard. My DH is also very much againts anyone knowing so likes to live as normally as possible, but its so hard

icecube2009

been on a dmp since May, DMP going well, have heard nothing from egg, lloyds, next natwest all accepted. was like a clouc lifted...at first, but now its like they have all come back again & worse!


My main problem now though is work, my hours are suppose to be 30+ last week i was given 10, if we arent needed we get sent home, no pay, owner keeps threatening to make someone redundant, I am so depressed, I have tried to get another job but no luck, I dont know what to do, if i dont get my 120 hours a month i cant pay my DMP, we struggle anyway. Had to sell on ebay to afford my kids new school uniforms, but run out of stuff to sell now.

I honestly dont know what to do, feel so depressed & on top of it have been getting very bad abdominal pain, sickness etc. have been putting off going to doctor as i am worried i will need time off work & i dont get paid for sickness either, but was so bad last week i need to get checked out.

I feel stressed all the time & feel like crying most days. We did have an emergency fund, but had some house problems last month, watertank burst, insurance said they wouldnt cover it, also a couple of car problems etc, emergency fund now all gone a few more things need doing to the house (why did we buy a victorian house?) door step on back door needs replacing because water comes into the kitchen when it rains, silly little things really, but I still dont have the money for them.

Any advice appreciated

stekka

Hi guys

Newbie here. I had my lightbulb moment a couple of months back when my debt reached £50k! eek!

I've since set up with PayPlan into a DMP and made my first payment this month.

One thing I'm having difficulty getting my head round is the whole "freezing of interest" thing. Do PayPlan let you know if interest has been frozen? Or is it the creditor themselves?

I'm registered with their Justabank site, but it doesn't seem to tell me on there whether creditors have accepted the payments and/or frozen interest or not.

Hope that makes sense and hope someone who's been in the same boat can respond!

Ta muchly

icecube2009

stekka wrote: »

Hi guys

Newbie here. I had my lightbulb moment a couple of months back when my debt reached £50k! eek!

I've since set up with PayPlan into a DMP and made my first payment this month.

One thing I'm having difficulty getting my head round is the whole "freezing of interest" thing. Do PayPlan let you know if interest has been frozen? Or is it the creditor themselves?

I'm registered with their Justabank site, but it doesn't seem to tell me on there whether creditors have accepted the payments and/or frozen interest or not.

Hope that makes sense and hope someone who's been in the same boat can respond!

Ta muchly

I am with the CCCS, my creditors have all accepted payments, but not frozen the interest, just had a statement from LLoyds TSB this morning £88 payment made & £55 interest added to balance! will take me forever at this rate!

scouselad1974

Hi

I'm with CCCS and they only inform you if a creditor does not accept your DMP.
You may receive a letter from your creditor accepting your repayment plan and agreeing to freeze interest and charges, but to be honest most of them don't seem to bother, when you receive your next statement check the estimated interest for next month, if it is zero they have frozen your interest, if not send them a please reconsider letter.

scouselad1974

icecube2009 wrote: »

I am with the CCCS, my creditors have all accepted payments, but not frozen the interest, just had a statement from LLoyds TSB this morning £88 payment made & £55 interest added to balance! will take me forever at this rate!

Try sending the please reconsider letter from the National Debtline website

icecube2009

scouselad1974 wrote: »

Try sending the please reconsider letter from the National Debtline website

thank you i will try that

Daffykjs

bigmommamuppet wrote: »

Afternoon Peeps,

Needing a bit of advice please... Don't know if I've had my proper LBM moment yet or whether old habits are creeping back in to my life.
Therefore any budgeting advice would be muchly appreciated.

Thanks

Becks

I seem to be having very similar problems! The first couple of months (I did get a bonus which might have left me delusional and thinking i had more) it seemd to work and i even had money left at the end of the month. but now it just seems that i end up over spending every single month.

like you i have 2 accounts and also 'technically' have a figure for all expenses. but these never seem to work. i mean my shopping last week was over £80!! !!!!!!, this was only for me (well i had friends coming round but only bought pizza and bread and cheese and crisps for that). and this was with £8 worth of vouchers! honestly i nearly passed out when she told me.

and with hubby back this week we went on a big shop yesterday too! the bills account for some reason (his wages go into it twice a month but altho the total for the month should be the same it's not the same on the same date iyswim) didn't have enough for the bills until his next pay so i had to transfer some (£150) from the main account. i'm hoping i will get this back once his wages go in, other wise i don't think i'll have enough for food and petrol again, but i'm not convinced and can see this money getting lost. landline phone bill came out this month and was more than i was expecting (blooming 0845 bank numbers i reckon) and i'd completley forgotten it was this month, plus all my insurances have gone up a little (this infuriates me! if you don't claim in my opinion it shouldn't go up).

Anyway, i wish i had a solution coz i really thought this month might work and it now doesn't look like it will at all! I'm sick of it and the only thing i can think of is to be stricter on myself. and maybe starting using cash for everything! this worries me tho. coz what if i don't have enough at the moment! then i'd end up using my debit card and having a handful of cash! and also it's not all round numbers and i'm worried i's spend/waste the change (altho i guess i'm wasting this one way or another anyway).

I think i need to go through my budget again! and i also think i maybe need to try and decrease things like insurances, and maybe my sky bill etc (altho i'm quite gutted about this and wouild like to avoid it if i can!).

I hate being on such a tight budget sooooo much! and i'm so bad at it!

sorry no use, just was quite glad to see i'm not the only one who isn't slipping straight into the MSE ways. if you find the magic solution please let me know!

icecube2009

Daffykjs wrote: »

I seem to be having very similar problems! The first couple of months (I did get a bonus which might have left me delusional and thinking i had more) it seemd to work and i even had money left at the end of the month. but now it just seems that i end up over spending every single month.

like you i have 2 accounts and also 'technically' have a figure for all expenses. but these never seem to work. i mean my shopping last week was over £80!! !!!!!!, this was only for me (well i had friends coming round but only bought pizza and bread and cheese and crisps for that). and this was with £8 worth of vouchers! honestly i nearly passed out when she told me.

and with hubby back this week we went on a big shop yesterday too! the bills account for some reason (his wages go into it twice a month but altho the total for the month should be the same it's not the same on the same date iyswim) didn't have enough for the bills until his next pay so i had to transfer some (£150) from the main account. i'm hoping i will get this back once his wages go in, other wise i don't think i'll have enough for food and petrol again, but i'm not convinced and can see this money getting lost. landline phone bill came out this month and was more than i was expecting (blooming 0845 bank numbers i reckon) and i'd completley forgotten it was this month, plus all my insurances have gone up a little (this infuriates me! if you don't claim in my opinion it shouldn't go up).

Anyway, i wish i had a solution coz i really thought this month might work and it now doesn't look like it will at all! I'm sick of it and the only thing i can think of is to be stricter on myself. and maybe starting using cash for everything! this worries me tho. coz what if i don't have enough at the moment! then i'd end up using my debit card and having a handful of cash! and also it's not all round numbers and i'm worried i's spend/waste the change (altho i guess i'm wasting this one way or another anyway).

I think i need to go through my budget again! and i also think i maybe need to try and decrease things like insurances, and maybe my sky bill etc (altho i'm quite gutted about this and wouild like to avoid it if i can!).

I hate being on such a tight budget sooooo much! and i'm so bad at it!

sorry no use, just was quite glad to see i'm not the only one who isn't slipping straight into the MSE ways. if you find the magic solution please let me know!

another problem i have had is my gas & electricity went up from £80 a month to £130, when i did the dmp i didnt realise they had only been estimating it for months so I was in arrears, so we are now another £50 down, and my wages have been on average £50 -£100 less since we started the dmp

Daffykjs

icecube2009 wrote: »

been on a dmp since May, DMP going well, have heard nothing from egg, lloyds, next natwest all accepted. was like a clouc lifted...at first, but now its like they have all come back again & worse!


My main problem now though is work, my hours are suppose to be 30+ last week i was given 10, if we arent needed we get sent home, no pay, owner keeps threatening to make someone redundant, I am so depressed, I have tried to get another job but no luck, I dont know what to do, if i dont get my 120 hours a month i cant pay my DMP, we struggle anyway. Had to sell on ebay to afford my kids new school uniforms, but run out of stuff to sell now.

I honestly dont know what to do, feel so depressed & on top of it have been getting very bad abdominal pain, sickness etc. have been putting off going to doctor as i am worried i will need time off work & i dont get paid for sickness either, but was so bad last week i need to get checked out.

I feel stressed all the time & feel like crying most days. We did have an emergency fund, but had some house problems last month, watertank burst, insurance said they wouldnt cover it, also a couple of car problems etc, emergency fund now all gone a few more things need doing to the house (why did we buy a victorian house?) door step on back door needs replacing because water comes into the kitchen when it rains, silly little things really, but I still dont have the money for them.

Any advice appreciated

could you maybe reduce your monthly DMP payment for a while? i think if your wages are not always the same you should have the minimum in can be on the income and expnediture?

so sorry to hear you're so down, it's horrible isn't it! wish i knew what to suggest but am not exactly managing the emergencies very well myself (or anything else for that matter) so i'm no use.

You know that we're always here for support and to 'listen' tho when you need us (even if i don't have the advice!)! and keep looking for a new and better job. job hunting is awful, especially right now, but something will come along.

oh and go to the docs! it might be something simply sorted and with no off sick time needed! Fingers crossed for you!