Newbie

endemoniada_2

Hi all,
I've been reading posts for some time now and would like to join in - hope that the support will spur me on, lol.

I am living within my means at present, just! But want to start paying off my debt quicker.
I have managed to keep it on low interest for a few years now and also re-mortgaged.

The biggest mistake, I now realise was re-mortgaging. it seems to have cost me quite a bit!!

Even though my house has risen in value to the extent that all my debts would be paid if I sold up - I am now highly motivated to clear it so that I can buy another property and make more money!!!

At present,

Earnings - takehome around 1400 a month plus 68 child benefit

Mortgage = 530 (Northern Rock 5ish% - not tied in now)
Council tax - 86
Gas - 25
Elec -24
Mobile 25
Homephone- 30
Broadband - 20
Sky -20
Contact lenses -12
TV licence -12
Contents Ins -7
Buildings Ins- 15
Sick cover -15

Thats the basics, thelittle that is left over just seems to run away from me!!

Mortgage is for 89000 - house is now valued at about 100K.
11,500 on 2.9% virgincard
650 overdraft with halifax -changing to firstdirect for the free 5O quid!


I look forward to joining in on your money saving mission.

Mo

Bunnie1982

Hi and welcome

You seem to have missed food and transport off your SoA

lynzpower

Hello love

Welcome :hello: to DFW!

Join in you'll get plenty of advice!!

Are you wanting advice on cutting back then on the SOA?...

isgman

Hi Welcome to DFW, they are a helpful lot in here.. you will get a lot of support, I did. and thank everyone for it

endemoniada_2

Hi ,

Foodwise is so variable - I need to set a budget!!!
There is only my 6 yr old daughter and I . She has school dinners which cost 1.50 a day. I bring lunch to work.
My challenge is that I prefer organic wholefood stuff- which is cheaper when u plan properly.

Transport is taken care of - company car at the moment. My private mileage comes of a an allowance that i get anyway.

And, i've just phoned Sky to cancel and got Kids and music for 7.50 for 6 months!!!!!!

Going to tackle AOL and mobile next!!

Many Thanks for your warm welcome
I am going to enjoy this!

Mo

lynzpower

Whats the story with your home phone? Seems a lot, well, what I used to be paying lol.

IM now on board with Primus 2 http://www.uswitch.com/directory/home-phone/product-5920-primus-planet-talk-saver-option-2.html which is pretty amazing, we are not usually in in the day so barely use the phone anyway then. I was paying 17.50 a month + vat for the same ( in fact slightly worse) tariff from BT.

endemoniada_2

Hi,
I'm with BT - need to think about changing . Usually only call in the evenings for an hour or so to my boyfriend and mum.

I'm getting right into this - just called AOL to find out I'm out of my 12 month contract now
I have a work broadband connection too, and was waiting for the date to cancel AOL!! Saving 20 a month from that

So, in one day,reduced my monthly outgoings by about 33 quid!!

The telephone one is confusing though - shall need to research it. What I don't want is a contract.

Oh, i forgot to mention an important fact . I am being made redundant at the end of June !!

Ta

lynzpower

Primus is free, and you get calls up to an hour & a half for free, after that 1p a minute. Fairly sure you can cancel at any time with this. You do need a BT landline for this, C&W costs more for some reason.

endemoniada_2

Thanks.
Thats the bit that confuses me .
Do you phone to cancel your BT package and keep the line. How much does that cost?
Do they try to persuade you to stay with them?

Primus is free??? Wow - that would be good.

I was thinking of the TalkTAlk package once work broadband goes - roll it into one.
But, maybe Primus would be good for starters.

Thanks again

Mo

lynzpower

There was some package on BT called something like talk together or whatever its called these days. It was about 17.50 a month for evening & weekend calls included. However those calls can only last an hour till you get charged. Of course you can put the phone down & redial, but we never remembered to do that. Primus gives you an hour and a half on each call fro free. the one Ive given you above is the same package, except all your calls are routed through Primus so they bills you seperately ( say if you make mobile calls, you'll pay to them & not BT) Its called call carrier. From what I can see, the mobile calls via primus are slightly cheaper than BT altohugh we use the mobiles for that as we still have contracts, and the primus to call landlines in any case. Yes its free. NO hard sell from BT, I set up the primus 2 online, then got a few emails " thanks for your order" type things from Primus and thena generic letter from BT saying "sorry you dont want to use our service anymore" Saying that I cancelled the talk together package last month when I realised we werent really getting value for money out of it.

Also if you are a quidco user you can order primus, via the uswitch site & get £8 cash back for a free service. No brainer for me!