Is this my life???

not_so_good

Thanks mum2one - will read these links with great interest tomorrow night although by the size of my debts, I don't think I need any help with spending .

KatieShopstoomuch

You are doing really well notsogood! I'm at the same stage now i need to control my spending ekk! Today was a bit crazy my DD made me stand and watch the bands got such a headache this evening! Also wish i'd bought some sun cream got terribly burnt goodness knows how i'm sure it just rained most of today. Well done, keep battling on x

not_so_good

Katieshopstoomuch - yes it did rain most of the day but DH is paranoid about DS getting sunburn - no need for cream really as I don't think the rays would penetrate the layers of long sleeved tops, jeans and huge fishermans hat but there you go....

Just had the first set back on my DF journey - I've been refused a 0% balance transfer credit card with the Halifax. Their reason was that my level of credit is too high compared to my income (reasonable enough) - do I try another card or leave it for a while as I don't want to appear desperate on my credit file (so far, my credit rating is excellent, no late payments etc - just a problem with my income v's existing credit!).

not_so_good

mum2one - sorry for not commenting on your post, not ignoring your advice, honestly! No Wilkos in NI, but will start to trawl semi-chem etc, just the problem of not having a great deal of time to myself!

All advice gratefully received!

not_so_good

As I haven't really given any background to me or my debts, I thought I better share some details.

I've got a DH, DS and work part-time. DS is at nursey and DH has a reasonably well paid job but is very stressed at the moment due to the credit crunch - will he have a job next month or not?? I'm a civil servant and was earning reasonably good money until DS was born and I reduced my hours - last year my gross pay was £17K but is likely to drop this year and I lose and allowance come August (approx £100 per month). I also did some OT last year but it's unlikely I'll get the chance to do much this year. Most household bills are taken care of by DH, I'm in charge of food, TV licence, home ins and most of the upkeep of my car (although DH has in the past paid for new tyres, ins and servicing). Food is my biggest outlay and must be reduced. I also spend way too much on clothes for DS but no more, he has enough clothes to do him until next year - let's hope he doesn't have a growth spurt!

Income:
salary £900 per month
child benefit £80 every 4 weeks
allowance fromDH £285 per month
TOTAL INCOME £1265

Regular payments:
tv licence £12/month
contact lenses £13.25/month
internet £15/month
mobile phone £25/month (contract ends in Nov - will change to PAYG then)
diesel £180/month (need to become more conservative driver - no hard acceleration or heavy breaking )
TOTAL REGULAR PAYMENTS £245.25

Debt repayments
Loan 1 £149.61 per month (finishes in Dec 2010)
Loan 2 £253 (finishes in December 2016 :eek:)
cc1 £50 per month
cc2 £50 per month (min payment £48 but like to round up)
cc3 £50 per month (min payment £41)
TOTAL DEBT PAYMENTS £552.61

Other yearly outgoings
car tax £150
car ins £300
house & contents ins £222
Car service and tyres - relying on DH to pay
TOTAL OTHER OUTGOINGS £672 (OR £56 PER MONTH)

I haven't included things like haircuts, clothes or dental/opticians - need to look at these figures. I do not intend to buy any clothes for the next year (I have plenty hence the debts), DS has enough clothes for the next year (DH buys shoes), dental bills are usually just check up fees (£30 twice a year), and eye tests can be claimed through work (have never done this before but I'm not too proud now!!) and contact lenses contract takes care of those check ups. Only other spending is for the hairdressers - I've decided that I can home colour and will go to the local college come september for my cuts - no idea what the price is but I would imagine alot less than the local Peter Mark's!!

So it appears that I have a standard income of £1265 and regular outgoings of £853.86. This leaves just over £100 for the weekly food shop (and any other misc. items). Reading these boards, I know that £100 for food is more than alot of people have but for us, it's about 2 thirds or what we would normally spend (on a good week!!)

My main aim is therefore to reduce our food bill to within the £100 ( have started by making a chicken last for 2 meals - big leap forward for me!). I grow a few veggies but this was always "just for fun" - now I'm starting to use them, even the potatoes that DH says are smaller that the seed potatoes I planted :rotfl:- oh, he's such a wit! DH bought me some hens a few months ago so now that we have a constant supply of eggs, I can see alot of our meals will be egg based....

Well, I think that's more or less a potted history of me and my debts but where do I go from here?? Well, I've noted a few things above, namely mobile phone and diesel costs. I'm also considering cancelling my contact lenses for a year but will wait until after my next check up so that I don't have to pay for that! My main aim is to earn a bit more money by working a few hours OT a month (not sure how long my employer will let me do this) and to get back to ebaying. (Oh, just realised that I haven't put anything in for birthday/christmas presents but normally I use ebay money for this).

I don't think I've missed anything else but feel free to question me on this.

Apologies for the long post but if I'm looking for support, you need to know what you're getting yourself into!!

mum2one

not_so_good wrote: »

mum2one - sorry for not commenting on your post, not ignoring your advice, honestly! No Wilkos in NI, but will start to trawl semi-chem etc, just the problem of not having a great deal of time to myself!

All advice gratefully received!

Don't be daft, I have a habit of babbling away. x

mum2one

not_so_good wrote: »

Katieshopstoomuch - yes it did rain most of the day but DH is paranoid about DS getting sunburn - no need for cream really as I don't think the rays would penetrate the layers of long sleeved tops, jeans and huge fishermans hat but there you go....

Just had the first set back on my DF journey - I've been refused a 0% balance transfer credit card with the Halifax. Their reason was that my level of credit is too high compared to my income (reasonable enough) - do I try another card or leave it for a while as I don't want to appear desperate on my credit file (so far, my credit rating is excellent, no late payments etc - just a problem with my income v's existing credit!).

Me again, - just a thought - do you bank with the Halifax, just I have my main account with them, and they offered me a loan, they'd preset the limit to 11.5k, and the money was guarenteed without any credit checks, so I said yes plz, took 10k, pay back over 80 months, my interest rate about 9%, yes some people may say to high, but without a credit check, and my income - may be worth giving them a ring.

I've cleared 5 credit cards, store card and 2k owed dad, even though it extended my debt free date, I've saved over 2 1/2k in interest xx

not_so_good

No, I don't bank with the Halifax so no joy there.

I was just looking for a cc to balance transfer and as I already have an MBNA card couldn't go for the Virgin one. Abbey is not online and I really don't want to speak to someone (although I do have an account with abbey so this probably would have been the best bet :rolleyes:). I don't think I should apply elsewhere as I don't want too many searches recorded, perhaps I should just plod ahead for a while and reduce my debt or even control my spending for a while.

mum2one

Sorry worth a thought, next step try ur bank, if no go, I'd leave it for 3 to 6 mths so it doesnt look like ur desperate, (in the nicest of ways) xx

KatieShopstoomuch

Good idea on the home colouring and using the college! Our local college hair dressing girls are usually really good they don't seem to take chunks off my hair or turn it green - (was my initial fear!) Do you have a B&M bargains near you? I tend to get my 'staples' from there and all my loo/kitchen roll most of the branded biscuits are only £1 too sometimes have great deals seeing as we don't have a wilkos i went in last week and got 12 kitchen rolls for £2 not bad! Hopefully they will last me at least a month, or even a poundstretched i hear they are good for household stuff? x