My Budget, Need Help

System

mozzyc wrote: »

Hi Nirelandguy

Sorry, but you have to realise that this isn't an easy process. Paying back our debts is hard, really hard sometimes. But if you want to pay them off quicker in the long term, you have to make sacrifices now. The lower you pay now, the longer its going to take you and that's the bottom line.
Sorry to be so honest, but i've been on mine since 2005 and my end date keeps getting further and further away, but you have to keep at it. We don't have the money for savings each month. We don't buy other people xmas presents and ask for people not to buy us. We'd rather any extra money go on stuff that we need. And if we do try and save for something, it comes out of the surplus money left over after paying everything else - ie money from not going anywhere that month or not buying anything extra that month. Its not much, but realistically its all we can afford. Because i know in the long term, the more I pay now, the shorter this way of life is going to be.
Payplan's budget is tight, but by sticking as closely to it as you can, you will get by month to month.

Good luck - and remember, you're not alone. We're all finding it hard, but you make it work.

Yeah our date seems to be getting further and further away aswell, To be honest I'm not sure if we are actually getting anywhere Thanks for that, moral is low at the min in our camp.

System

dancingfairy wrote: »

The problem appears to be that you are overspending by over 100 pounds a month before debt repayments and you are unwilling/unable to cut this down. You could make this work - it would be very tight but you could just about make it balance. The main problem appears to be the car loan, as without that you could afford things.
You either need to accept your situation and make the cuts suggested or go bankrupt as far as I can see but the car loan could be an issue.
It was also suggested that your OH work from home or even when you are not at work in order to substantially reduce the childcare bill.
Basically lots of help has been give to you but you don't want to take any of it and there is no magic wand.
df

Its not that i'm not willing, there has to be a balance, life is !!!!!! at the min what with being in a job I hate and the rest, if every available penny went on bills etc forget bankruptcy, Suicide would be the best option.

skint_spice

Suicide is not an option, hope you aren't serious NI. Try looking at the positives - you have an OH and (hopefully happy healthy) kids who love you.

It's money and it's rubbish being skint but try and accept the fact that if you pay everything off now then in the future you should have more money to do fun stuff with. There's lots of free stuff you can do with the kids while they're wee so make the most of it - time is the one thing you have.

Speaking of which is there any chance you could get a second job at night? might help a bit...

P.S. Don't you pay council tax or rates? Maybe I've just missed it in a rush.

WASHER

Life can very difficult once you face upto your debts etc.

As far as the children are concerned, and I'm speaking from experience here (I was heavily in debt, with two children, no longer though), children do not need expensive gifts, what they need is your time (which is free). A card game (rummy, 8's etc) can provide hours of fun, and charity shops very often have board games for a £1 or so.

Don't even think of talking about suicide, its only money at the end of the day, and no-one can have what you haven't got.

With the help of the peeps on this board, I almost certain you will come out on the other side.

Keep posting and telling us your thoughts and concerns, we are here to help, it doesn't matter what your concern is, someone will be able to advise.

WASHER.x

System

skint_spice wrote: »

Suicide is not an option, hope you aren't serious NI. Try looking at the positives - you have an OH and (hopefully happy healthy) kids who love you.

It's money and it's rubbish being skint but try and accept the fact that if you pay everything off now then in the future you should have more money to do fun stuff with. There's lots of free stuff you can do with the kids while they're wee so make the most of it - time is the one thing you have.

Speaking of which is there any chance you could get a second job at night? might help a bit...

P.S. Don't you pay council tax or rates? Maybe I've just missed it in a rush.

Rates is included in rent, and council tax is included in rate along with water rates, thats the way it works over here.

No I'm not contemplating it at the min, just get a bit !!!!!! of at times as I'm sure we all do on here.

The situation with a second job at night means we would loss child care benefit,

The only option what would work would be if my OH went to work in the evening when I came home, That might work. But then it might not, a wee $hitty part time evening job on min wage, what would she get about £70-£80 a week if even? She already gets that at the min anway

System

WASHER wrote: »

Life can very difficult once you face upto your debts etc.

As far as the children are concerned, and I'm speaking from experience here (I was heavily in debt, with two children, no longer though), children do not need expensive gifts, what they need is your time (which is free). A card game (rummy, 8's etc) can provide hours of fun, and charity shops very often have board games for a £1 or so.

Don't even think of talking about suicide, its only money at the end of the day, and no-one can have what you haven't got.

With the help of the peeps on this board, I almost certain you will come out on the other side.

Keep posting and telling us your thoughts and concerns, we are here to help, it doesn't matter what your concern is, someone will be able to advise.

WASHER.x

I like that line you know, they can't have what I don't have. You know what though, I'm sure this happens to all of you's aswell, no matter how many SOA's you send creditors they still think you have money and are just not paying them, they don't seem to understand WE HAVE NO MONEY, :mad: Payplan are phoning me tomorrow to discuss things so we'll see what happens with that.

skint_spice

nirelandguy wrote: »

Rates is included in rent, and council tax is included in rate along with water rates, thats the way it works over here.

No I'm not contemplating it at the min, just get a bit !!!!!! of at times as I'm sure we all do on here.

The situation with a second job at night means we would loss child care benefit,

The only option what would work would be if my OH went to work in the evening when I came home, That might work. But then it might not, a wee $hitty part time evening job on min wage, what would she get about £70-£80 a week if even? She already gets that at the min anway

glad that's the case with the rates - just wanted to check. are you sure you would lose the child care entitlement if you had a second job, I'm sure I've seen people earning a whole lot more who still get it.

Birdy12

nirelandguy wrote: »

The only option what would work would be if my OH went to work in the evening when I came home, That might work. But then it might not, a wee $hitty part time evening job on min wage, what would she get about £70-£80 a week if even? She already gets that at the min anway

What I'm about to say may sound quite harsh but...

...There are plenty of people out there who do 'wee $hitty part time evening jobs' as a first, second or, even, third job to help get them and keep them out of the debt spiral. What makes you think you and your family are so different that this wouldn't work for you? Don't knock it before you've even tried it.

You've come back with an objection for every idea that people have put forward to help you and your situation. I feel for the people who have already posted because, really, they've just wasted their time and effort. If everybody's ideas are such a no-go, what do you think you could do?

schueys_girl

I think your in a bit of denial when you say "there doesn't seem to be anyone else in my situation...but most people on here have propper debt"

Are you saying your debt isn't real or something?

"The average student will leave Uni with double the debt than we have" yes thats fair enough I have a student debt but it is the cheapest debt you can have and you HAVE TO HAVE it to get thru uni. It is the only debt I have and mine and my fiances COMBINED INCOME is far less than yours and our rent is more than yours!!

Be thankful that you are getting benefits to help with the children etc, and be thankful you have a job at the moment

Bottom line is, you and you OH are spending more than you bring in. If you do not want to cut back on some things (like food, deodrants, clothes, cleaning stuff, smoking, the lottery) then someone needs to go and get a part time job as well.

My OH works 8-4pm every day in a school training to be a TA for £90 a week - he has to take a class on a monday evening also and then he has a part time bar job two other nights a week, meaning on some days he works 8-4, then eats his tea, goes back out at 5pm and comes in at 1am, only to get up and start all over again at work for am next day.

We dont do this for fun! We do it so we do not end up in debt, and we do not have fancy holidays, gifts etc nothing like that. We cut back and save, and if we do want something nice we save for it. We are also saving for our wedding in 2011 and a house deposit.

"No flash cars" - you list your car as worth 4000 - that pretty flash not bad at all - OH is drivign round in a £700 Polo as its all we could afford!!

So - we are living on far less than you when you count your benefits and we are not in debt - you can do it too...but you have to be prepared to cut back somewhere! A lot of people are having to do this at the moment...and it really can be done! good luck!

schueys_girl

oh and a wee sh$tty wage is the reality for a lot of people - £95 a week for 5 days 8-4 and then working a bar job as well is a real Sh$tty wage but my fiance does it and I love him for it because it means we are in control of what we spend, we are not in debt and not spending money we do not have!!!!

From Monday morning when we give each other a kiss goodbye we are passing ships in the night until Wednesday night when we both collapse on the sofa at 8pm and finally actually get some time together. But we do it so we can do things with our money and not be in debt.

Try it!