Help Me please - SOA attached - advise req'd

desperate+determined

Posting an update on what i've done how and where. Al in red. any further advise greatful x


Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1195.37
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 608.12 (checked claiming all i can)
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1803.49
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 205
Rent.................................... 500
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 86.83
Electricity............................. 30 (Under review - found new cheaper supplier just waiting for final bill from current supplier)
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 15
Telephone (land line)................... 50.5 (Amazed here NOW £ 29.00)
Mobile phone............................ 37 (Under review - company working there magic)
TV Licence.............................. 11.95
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 180 (help - whats suitable spend here ?)
Clothing................................ 20 (gone - don't use it)
Petrol/diesel........................... 140
Road tax................................ 10.33
Car Insurance........................... 27.5 (Under review - found new insurer and cheaper just waiting for cancellation)
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 10
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 600 (Roll on september - son starts school)
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 7.6
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 11.99
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 20 (gone - Handmade all the way)
Haircuts................................ 7.5
Entertainment........................... 3.99 (lovefilm - do i really need - can't decide)
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1975.19

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 1500
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 1500

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Mortgage...................... 0........(0)........0<
IVA Repay......................0........(205)......0
Total secured & HP debts...... 0.........-.........-
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Total unsecured debts..........0.........0.........-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,803.49
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,975.19
Available for debt repayments........... -171.7
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 0
Amount short for making debt repayments. -171.7
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 1,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -0
Net Assets.............................. 1,500


Now the spider on the up, incy will claim that spout again!!

Katie-Kat-Kins

Up date your totals too!

Well done on the progress!

Ditch the love film, go on I dare you! You can manage without! Learn to love BBC iplayer if there is nothing the tv or even try the radio, I listen to several hours of radio a day rather than watching tv and it is great!

Seriously give radio 4 a try, they have books read, plays, soaps and dramas as well as news, documentaries and discussions! It can really expand your horizons too! It amazes me what I learn from listening to random programs. My favorites are The archers, the 6.30pm comedy slot (different each day, I think monday and friday are best), Inside the ethics committee and Woman's Hour. Book at bedtime and the plays and dramas are worth checking out as they change regularly too. Best of all you can listen while you do other things when you couldn't watch TV. You can also podcast or listen again to lots of the programs so once little one has gone to bed if there is nothing on tv get on the bbc website and see what is on. You could be listening to the archers while reading this forum!!!

For the groceries post on oldstyle, they are great, start a new post, tell them you are new and are really trying to reduce your out goings. Tell them what you have in now and what you normally buy and where. They will work their magic! Promise!

You are doing so well, keep your motivation up and you will get there.

DreamerHelen

Yep, definitely ditch LoveFilm - I was doing that and cancelled today as I realised that I've had their last DVD for the past 3 months!!!

If you feel like watching a Film then go down to your local Charity Shop - They usually have Video's (if you still have a Video Player) for about a pound each...and you could just buy a Couple for when you fancy watching a Film.

Either that, do you have some Friends that you can do a DVD Swap with? You lend them one of your Favourite Films and they lend you one of theirs? It's a great way to watch Films that you would never have thought of watching!!

Anyway...you're doing brilliantly!!! Well Done you!! (Now if only I can get my own butt in gear :rolleyes:)

desperate+determined

Well, that's another out-going that's gone!
Yes Folks, i've plucked up the courage and have ditched the Lovefilm.

Strangely feel ok about it.

surviving spider x

DreamerHelen

desperate+determined wrote: »

Well, that's another out-going that's gone!
Yes Folks, i've plucked up the courage and have ditched the Lovefilm.

Strangely feel ok about it.

surviving spider x

Yay, well done you!!! Believe me, it feels great once you have all your Debts, Incomings and Outgoings sorted out...it's hard work hun, but it's soooo worth it...Just think of that day when you can finally say that you're no longer in Debt!!

desperate+determined

Well folks, today i've cried and totally heart broken.

In one of the posts earlier in my thread I stated i currently paid £30 per month for electric. Someone (can't remember who - said wow thats cheap - are u sure thats enough)
I'd never queried it before now, thought i'd found a cheaper supplier to switch to. So I contacted my current supplier just to get a final bill amount, and i nearly DIED. They said i owe then £368.43!!!

My dd of £30 a month hasn't been covering my usuage since moving into this property, but they have never thought once to tell me this. Now i'm left with a hugh bill and can't switch until this is sorted.

I feel heart broken! - WHY do i bother, what i've save by switching other utilities this last 2 days has now been gobbled up by this bill. The company have increased my DD from £30 per month to £86 per month. I can't manager now how can i manage with this.

Updated SOA to follow


this spider is being washed down the plug hole again!!

desperate+determined

Hi,

This is the updated SOA

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1195.37
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 608.12
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1803.49
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 205
Rent.................................... 500
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 86.83
Electricity............................. 86 (Increased)
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 15
Telephone (land line)................... 29 (Decreased)
Mobile phone............................ 37
TV Licence.............................. 11.95
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 0
Groceries etc. ......................... 120 (Decreased)
Clothing................................ 0 (Decreased)
Petrol/diesel........................... 140
Road tax................................ 10.33
Car Insurance........................... 27.5
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 10
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 600
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 7.6
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 11.99
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0 (Decreased)
Haircuts................................ 7.5
Entertainment........................... 0 (Decreased)
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Total monthly expenses.................. 1905.7

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 1500
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 1500

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 0........(0)........0<
IVA repayment..................0........(205)......0
Total secured & HP debts...... 0.........-.........-
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Total unsecured debts..........0.........0.........-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,803.49
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 1,905.7
Available for debt repayments........... -102.21
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 0
Amount short for making debt repayments. -102.21
Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 1,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -0
Net Assets.............................. 1,500

johanne

Oh no! Did they tell you how long the arrears are being spread over to increase it to that much??

I had a similar problem where they refused to up my DD whenever i asked them too as they had me paying the same for 3 of us (and me and a baby being home all day) as id been paying when i lived alone and was out at work all day. The week my ex left me a bill arrived increasing my £59 a month DD to £220 a month to cover £780 of arrears!!! :shocked:

I rang them and told them this wasnt possible since i was on income support with a toddler now...they insisted they couldnt budge and id have to pay it.... but i persisted and persisted (and cried lots ) and in the end the guy said "well thats with the arrears over 6 months.. i'll see if we can do it over 12 months instead" went away for a few mins and came back saying "that reduced it to £180 a month instead" so it knocked £40 a month off it just by spreading it over an extra 6 months... so its worth asking them? I know it means being stuck with that supplier for a year but to your monthly outgoings it could make a difference?

TeetersOnHeels

Hi D+D
Have been following your thread, and said to myself "Oh nooo" when I read about the electricity bill.
I know ebaying/amazon have been mentioned before, but when I had an unexpected car repair bill I got pretty ruthless with mine and DS's clothes. Anything that hadn't been out of the wardrobe in the last 6mths went on ebay, books went on amazon - even 1/2 empty bottles of perfume & make-up sold (which was a complete surprise to me!)
Also I'm not sure if anyone mentioned the council tax? Just to make sure your getting the 25% single persons discount, and wondered if your council was one of the one's who let you pay over 10mths instead of twelve?

desperate+determined

johanne wrote: »

Oh no! Did they tell you how long the arrears are being spread over to increase it to that much??

I had a similar problem where they refused to up my DD whenever i asked them too as they had me paying the same for 3 of us (and me and a baby being home all day) as id been paying when i lived alone and was out at work all day. The week my ex left me a bill arrived increasing my £59 a month DD to £220 a month to cover £780 of arrears!!! :shocked:

I rang them and told them this wasnt possible since i was on income support with a toddler now...they insisted they couldnt budge and id have to pay it.... but i persisted and persisted (and cried lots ) and in the end the guy said "well thats with the arrears over 6 months.. i'll see if we can do it over 12 months instead" went away for a few mins and came back saying "that reduced it to £180 a month instead" so it knocked £40 a month off it just by spreading it over an extra 6 months... so its worth asking them? I know it means being stuck with that supplier for a year but to your monthly outgoings it could make a difference?

The arrears are 4 months worth, they wanted to increase the DD to £120 and i complained saying I couldn't afford to do that. After much debate they said minimum had to be £86.


Think its really wrong how elec companies don't inform you, i'd ask when i first moved in to this property as i was adament it wasn't enough, but they said it'll be fine.