A fresh start

Seaxwyn

Thanks H and K! I'm relieved really, as I certainly don't have the time to be a Councillor and know it would be a huge struggle, like your friend. But also I'm a bit disappointed as I think we could easily have got those extra three votes! If I had canvassed just one more street!

The count was gruelling - it was a complicated one to count as there were three vacancies, so people had three votes. The initial result was that I was 7 places behind so we made the decision to ask for a recount, knowing it meant another three hours work for people who had been working flat out for 48 hours, as they had done the parliamentary election up to 4AM. In the end I was 3 votes behind.

Anyway, it has all been very interesting. Now I need to do something about my money problems! I am working at the shop today - stupid to work for £6/hour when I should be working for £300/day. I need to make some serious decisions and changes. Right off to the shop now! Catch you all later!

Karmacat

Reassessment of priorities. I *so* relate to that. The shop does provide some money, and some local connection .... oh bleep, I've seen the time. I'm off for work related stuff too

xxx

kissjenn

Sorry about the election

3 votes is beyond galling...but well done for getting so close.

We had reverse election fever here, I was the only person in the place when I turned up about 8am. We live in a "foregone conclusion" seat. Probably didn't help that the Lib Dem candidate (who run our local council with the SNP) showed his address as Birmingham...now that's a local touch!

taxi73

WOW..that was a close vote..well done on getting so many votes.

I agree with you about reassessing your work priorities...you need to do whatever works for you.

buddiebabe

Hey Seaxwyn

Well done on the number of votes it must have been really nerve racking for it to be that close!

The count where i was ended at 3.50am and thankfully there was no recount i don't think i could have coped with that... i've still not recovered yet

Hope you manage to get the work and money situation under your control soon

Buddiebabe x

Seaxwyn

Oh dear, my finances are sliding downhill. NatWest OD today stands at £1,700 and I can see no earthly way of getting out of it. My main account has hit bedrock so will be living in the NW OD for the rest of the month anyway.

Having a full-time job removes the possibility to keep my head in the sand about being solvent or not. With freelancing I could always live from cheque to cheque, but with just one payday a month there's no pretending things are OK.

I've been turning over possibilities for making a big change including a) look for a higher paying job (don't really want to as I like the job I have), b) get rid of the car (I think this is possible, just have to persuade OH) and c)... er, there is no plan C.

I got a letter today from our mortgage lender offering a secured loan at 5.89% fixed for two years and I must say I am tempted.

OH is now doing a paper round - and gets £30/week, £10 more than the girls - not fair! - and fairly regular driving shifts, and has rung a few numbers about more gardening and casual work. But none of this will bring in much money.

Seaxwyn

I rang Santander for quotes for adding an extra loan to our mortgage. Even with generous estimates of our earnings, the best they could offer is 10k over 16 years (our remaining term). The monthly amounts don't sound too frightening but it means just more debt not being paid off, so probably best not to go down this route but make real efforts to find ways of paying chunks of it off. Easier said than done of course.

Seaxwyn

1st of June and my debts today stand at £29983.55. That's £177 less than last month (but still £245 more than on 1 April).

Worst of all, my NatWest OD is £1722.43. This account has £540 coming out of it every month and only £42 going in, and I have no idea how to get out of the OD when I can't even live on my salary, which goes into another account.

I feel hopeless about paying my debt. I simply don't earn enough to cover all our outgoings and pay debt any faster. I don't think there is anything much I could cut - we already live a far more frugal life than many DFWs, my DDs aren't going to their school leavers ball, only one is going to scout camp etc etc.

I feel that short of a change that is outside my control at present, the best I can do is limping along at present,and that is pretty demoralising when I compare myself to other DFWs who have made so much more progress than me.

hypno06

You are doing an excellent job and although the debt is not dropping at a huge rate, it is dropping - and it is not increasing. So you are still heading in the right direction, and are in control of it.

I know what you mean about school trips, balls etc - DS and DD are paying for their own this year because my salary just won't cover it. So, if they want to do anything, it has to come out of their own earnings. Not the way I would like to do it, but needs must.

As for what you can do - well, I think you can be very proud of the fact that you are keeping things together. Obviously, what is needed is for OH to get a regular salary coming in at a reasonable level. Until this happens, as you say, there is only so much you can cut back on.

Keep going, you are doing far better than you give yourself credit for x

taxi73

I totally agree with what Hypno says...it is going in the right direction and that is the main thing.Please don't be too hard on yourself