Not in debt but seeking advice on SOA :)

Ames

Ooh totally agree, I have so many problems with people not accepting the ME or my mental health problems, if I'd hd a pound for the number of times I've been told I'm just attention seeker I wouldn't be in debt!

Can I just ask something about OS? If I make a list of everything I've got in the cupboards, freezer etc will they be able to help me work out how to spend as little as possible for as long as possible? It'll be a long list though, the freezer's full to bursting!

zippychick

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1947025

Ames wrote: »

Ooh totally agree, I have so many problems with people not accepting the ME or my mental health problems, if I'd hd a pound for the number of times I've been told I'm just attention seeker I wouldn't be in debt!

Can I just ask something about OS? If I make a list of everything I've got in the cupboards, freezer etc will they be able to help me work out how to spend as little as possible for as long as possible? It'll be a long list though, the freezer's full to bursting!

I know, peoples ignorance is astounding. My cousin had hell with it as she took it when 13 and I remember her bad treatment in school etc

yes they sure will. Take a look at this thread - same kind of thing you are looking for. You will b e surprised at how long you can go without spending! xxx

Paulgonnabedebtfree

zippychick wrote: »

Thanks Sp! I didnt think it was that amazing he he. Thing is that's the bare minimum, well I have done it on £50! I can spend more if I need to , but i generalyl don't need to

Have you got good freezer space? Wouild be good to get some batch cooking done stashed away in the freezer for when you have a lil baby. Even a couple of weeks worth of dinners - imagine how easy it would be ! if you are padding about, have you tried making your own bread? Any links or stuff you want over there, just ask and i will hoke them out for you no probs. All the OSers are super friendly too and will be happy to help

re the savings bit - technically it isnt savings, it wil lbe redundancy money so is that the same? I find what youve said a bit hard to digest (as its not stuff im familiar with ) so will read and absorb again

paula - thanks for the comments. Regards the PMI - I did explain that in my first post



It is a luxury really I guess, but ive had so much experience with the national health , i want to know if things really go wrong, I can get treatment asap. I would live on £20 a month for food before cancelling my PMI. I sold Pruhealth for years and truly believe in it and its virtues and principles. If i get to platinum, I will only pay the inflationary increase next policy year - spread over 12 months.

So yeah I totally get what you are saying. My policy is fully comp, no excess so nothing to pay in the event of a claim. I took it out when I had a much higher disposable income.

i dont necessarily have it for fibro either. More for serious major health issues , the big C etc. When i was diagnosed, it happened over 6 months which is actually quite quickly.I used it to see a private rheumy. Had i been waiting on the NHS, it would have taken a hell of a lot longer.

I know it goes up with age etc but if i get to platinum as per the plan it wil be a minimal cost for maximum cover

regards Wikipedia - i wouldn't use it as gospel for anything, due to the nature of how it can be edited etc. There is so much confusion and mixed opinions about fibro, ti is amazing. Over the years I have even had friends tell me there is no such thing, and it is all in my head. It wasn't in my head that I got beat up and kicked the sh*t out of . It wasnt in my head the back and neck problems i suffered after. Neither was the leg and hip pain that followed and less than a year after being attacked, i was in diagnosis process. But many people don't understand what they can't see. :rolleyes:

Indeed you did mention in your first post. That's what I get for skim reading . Mind you, the issue of excess was worth mentioning though I see that you don't have an issue with that. In view of what you have said, I would agree with you about hanging onto the policy unless there is absolutely no other way.
BTW. You're not the first on here to call this 6' 1", beefy bloke "Paula" . Not sure that any female attire would fit me anyway (not that I've ever tried you understand - honestly).

Paulgonnabedebtfree

zippychick wrote: »

Thanks Sp! I didnt think it was that amazing he he. Thing is that's the bare minimum, well I have done it on £50! I can spend more if I need to , but i generalyl don't need to

Have you got good freezer space? Wouild be good to get some batch cooking done stashed away in the freezer for when you have a lil baby. Even a couple of weeks worth of dinners - imagine how easy it would be ! if you are padding about, have you tried making your own bread? Any links or stuff you want over there, just ask and i will hoke them out for you no probs. All the OSers are super friendly too and will be happy to help

re the savings bit - technically it isnt savings, it wil lbe redundancy money so is that the same? I find what youve said a bit hard to digest (as its not stuff im familiar with ) so will read and absorb again

paula - thanks for the comments. Regards the PMI - I did explain that in my first post



It is a luxury really I guess, but ive had so much experience with the national health , i want to know if things really go wrong, I can get treatment asap. I would live on £20 a month for food before cancelling my PMI. I sold Pruhealth for years and truly believe in it and its virtues and principles. If i get to platinum, I will only pay the inflationary increase next policy year - spread over 12 months.

So yeah I totally get what you are saying. My policy is fully comp, no excess so nothing to pay in the event of a claim. I took it out when I had a much higher disposable income.

i dont necessarily have it for fibro either. More for serious major health issues , the big C etc. When i was diagnosed, it happened over 6 months which is actually quite quickly.I used it to see a private rheumy. Had i been waiting on the NHS, it would have taken a hell of a lot longer.

I know it goes up with age etc but if i get to platinum as per the plan it wil be a minimal cost for maximum cover

regards Wikipedia - i wouldn't use it as gospel for anything, due to the nature of how it can be edited etc. There is so much confusion and mixed opinions about fibro, ti is amazing. Over the years I have even had friends tell me there is no such thing, and it is all in my head. It wasn't in my head that I got beat up and kicked the sh*t out of . It wasnt in my head the back and neck problems i suffered after. Neither was the leg and hip pain that followed and less than a year after being attacked, i was in diagnosis process. But many people don't understand what they can't see. :rolleyes:

I know that many people are a bit sceptical about fibro. However, there have been illnesses in the past that have been vague until research revealed more details. A day will come when the medics find a definite physical issue (a virus maybe) that causes fibro. It seems strange that a definite physical thing has to be found before medicine accepts that a particular illness exists. Three hundred years ago, appendicitis could sometimes be assumed to be demonic possession. We've come a long way since then of course but the principle remains sound that illnesses have to exist before the causes (and eventual treatments) can start to be sorted out. Just because a definite cause and a reliable treatment aren't yet mainstream does not mean something is not an illness.

zippychick

Great points i will respond to later, in a rush. But, the rheumy told me mine was triggered by the kicking. Usually no reason,flu, or sudden impact of Road traffic accident - or in my case getting beat up.

Paula:rotfl:

barnaby-bear

zippychick wrote: »

Mortgage................................ 465 (incs

Your budget is scarily good but the majority of your outgoings are mortgage.

If you are made redundant and out of work for a period of time this could be a problem. I'd consider having a long term strategy.

If you get into arrears you could lose your home so need to strategise for that.

Mortgage board folks could probably advise; general advise is to go I/O as soon as possible / talk to mortgage company. Check if saving strategy will allow you to claim mortgage interest benefits. Can any savings you make now be used as overpayments that can then be used for mortgage holiday? (This means you have less savings for benefit calculations).

Lodger?

zippychick

Barnaby some really good points. What do you mean scarily good he he

When i put my mortgage on fixed i was at a period of uncertainty. I was newly diagnosed, couldnt guaranteee hitting sales targets so i played it - what i thought safe - and went on fixed. This was pre credit crunch, but i thought interest rates would go the other way, and ididnt want to be crucified if interest rates shot up.

I was a sales consultant at this time so earning extra. I was going on basic wage (in my calculations), and all my outgoings left me with £300odd a month, plus bonus if i continued to hit it. So i was sweet.

Then i took a drastic pay cut in Jan 08 through nearly losing my job - i went 4 days a week, and changed roles - basically to keep my job. So my income was cut drastically because i lost he sales bonus and extra 0.2 a week - as i work 0.8 full time - so 28 h ours a week.

I hadnt forseen what would happen in August 07 , which put me into a serious 3 month flare which nearly lead to me losing my job. (almost medically retired)

So i chose a lesser stress job, less hours - but had less disposable income. That was a decision i made fuly aware of how much disposable income it would leave me with. Yet was stuck on the fixed rate - majority is up next Jun - in one of my previous posts.
I dont have savings, i will only have my redundcany for 9 years of service

When i went part time, i lived out side my means so last Nov i was £1200 overdrawn, so i cleared that at the end of feb this year.


when i spoke to the mtg company the day i made all my calls, i enquired. They said i have options and if i struggle with payments - which im not right now - i have choices. I can lengthen the term (lowering the payment and inscreasing the long term interest) , go interest only, and i cant remember if other options. I have it wrote down in work.

I have already taken 3 months payment break, so only have 3 months left on the term of my mortgage, so would rather only use that in a real serious emergency. PLus it adds more interest and increases the monthly payment further. Everything has a draw back

Plus, i have another vets trip looming tomorrow - so vets bill will go up. Moop. I cant see me being able to make any - or much - saving before redundancy.

PLus, some of my mortgage is house ins - explained previously. 18 i think

sorry about typing, in a real rush.x

barnaby-bear

zippychick wrote: »

when i spoke to the mtg company the day i made all my calls, i enquired. They said i have options and if i struggle with payments - which im not right now - i have choices. I can lengthen the term (lowering the payment and inscreasing the long term interest) , go interest only, and i cant remember if other options. I have it wrote down in work.

I have already taken 3 months payment break, so only have 3 months left on the term of my mortgage, so would rather only use that in a real serious emergency. PLus it adds more interest and increases the monthly payment further. Everything has a draw back

It's very true the long term nature of mortgages and compound interest can make it expensive to borrow like this but with an overpayment facility on the mortgage you do have the choice to make up the missed payments - at the end of the day it's the APR that counts - your mortgage is a credit facility at 5% - your creidt cards are probably higher.... if you stop payments or go I/O you aren't contracted to let the interest rack up. If at any point your outgoings exceed incomings (or you suspect it may) your priority is to pay the mortgage and keep a roof over your head and to ensure any debt built up is as cheap as possible. The thinking on mortgage board seems to be to go I/O before you have problems so your minimal contractual payments are always met and you are overspending between in and outgoings on the low interest rate of the mortgage... OTOH you may want to keep your mortgage payments high so that your redundancy gets sucked into the mortgage making you eligible for other benefits after contribution base..... just questions to be asking....

barnaby-bear

zippychick wrote: »

Barnaby some really good points. What do you mean scarily good he he

Excluding housing - just nice to see - eat well, nice quality of life on a small amount

getmore4less

£37 is for landline, broadband & tv excluding sports and movies. I am genuinely not sure if that is a good deal. i was going to cancel the landline, but when i rang virgin, they smooth talked me into keeping all 3 - it would have been dearer for the internet and tv separate as they give discount the moreproducts you have. Yes, going to ring today and see if can reduce mobile by even a fiver

VM
basic BB(10mb), phone with the free TV should be around £20 or £25 with a V+ box.

phone retentions (150->2->2 the I am thinking of leaving No.) tell them you are being mede redundant and need to get your costs down.

I think you need the land line to keep the discounts but review the rest.

What is on your bill? give the details of each line.