Debt advice needed badly. Help please!

firestronaut

debtdope wrote: »

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 2 if your husband doesn't work, 2 cars isn't really necessary.

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 2850
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0 Your husband IS entitled to DLA. Have you actually applied?
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 2850

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 427
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 180
Electricity............................. 116 (for 2 houses) is there any reason you have two houses? i dont understand why someone would have two houses and run up bills for the both
Coal..................................... 180 (£180 a month for approx 6 months of year) see above. and shop around for cheaper prices
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 28
Telephone (land line)................... 16
Mobile phone............................ 25
TV Licence.............................. 11
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 25 (reimbursed by employer monthly)
Groceries etc. ......................... 427 (inc dog food @ approx £70 a month) this can easily be cut by dropping a brand or two and planning meals in advance.
Clothing................................ 20
Petrol/diesel........................... 100 (car costs for 2 cars) again, you could get rid of one car, or walk/use public transport at least once a week
Road tax................................ 28.5
Car Insurance........................... 69
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 100
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 0
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 40
Buildings insurance..................... 11.25
Contents insurance...................... 10
Life assurance ......................... 12.6
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 15 (yearly expenditure for 3 kids, 3 parents averaged out to a monthly figure)
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 20
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
House Renovation........................ 200 (this really fluctuates, for instance in Dec we had to pay £400 to get a small flat roof replaced)
Pension................................. 70
Total monthly expenses.................. 2131.35


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 110000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 2500 (2 cars)
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 112500


Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Mortgage...................... 85234....(427)......4.5 (repayment mortgage)
Total secured & HP debts...... 85234.....-.........-

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
Abbey Loan.....................8717......271.......0
HBOS Credit Card...............10148.....102.......0
Barclays Loan..................5319......53........0
Student Loan...................950.......30........0
JD Williams....................150.......7.........0
MBNA Credit Card...............1089......50........0
Tesco Credit Card..............1160......50........18
Barclaycard....................3427......77........6
Total unsecured debts..........30960.....640.......-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,850
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 2,131.35
Available for debt repayments........... 718.65
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 640
Amount left after debt repayments....... 78.65

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 112,500
Total HP & Secured debt................. -85,234
Total Unsecured debt.................... -30,960
Net Assets.............................. -3,694

Hope this helps.

elfen

See if hubby can get DLA, if he at least gets middle rate care that's nearly £200 extra a month and it's not means tested or contributions tested.

debtdope

firestronaut wrote: »

if your husband doesn't work, 2 cars isn't really necessary.

Agreed, we don't need two cars. Somehow we'll have find a way to sell both and find a different car which will fit the Great Dane in. One of our cars can take the dog but it's incredably unreliable due to massive mileage and age (14yrs old now). One of the downsides of a giant breed dog is transport, you need a big estate to get them in, otherwise I'd sell the big car and keep the 2-door runaround.

Your husband IS entitled to DLA. Have you actually applied?

He hasn't applied, no. He simply got sent a letter from the DWP saying he wasn't entitled to anything. I'll tell him to look into DLA. Unfortunately part of his illness means that he gives up very easily and goes into a black depression which generally means I end up doing things. I get tired of doing everything....I have a high pressure job, plus do the cooking, cleaning, bills etc etc and sometimes snap myself (not seeking sympathy there...just a rant!)

is there any reason you have two houses? i dont understand why someone would have two houses and run up bills for the both

I have one house, but I'm moving in Feb to a house owned by my Dad (it's his second home) and I'll be responsible for all the outgoings plus paying him £200pm rent once my own house is rented out. I'm having to move due to work (the two places are some 300 miles apart). He's only just bought it and builders are in doing some updating so I'm paying the utilities in order for them to have access to power.

see above. and shop around for cheaper prices

Amazingly that is the cheapest! We live in an extremely rural area and there's only 2 places who'll deliver coal here. We're already going to the cheaper of the two. Our entire central heating system and hot water runs off solid fuel in this house so coal is burning 24/7 for around 6 months of the year.

Thanks for the advice!

firestronaut

No problem.

I'm bi-polar myself and I know how hard it is to keep on going when you get knocked back.
I also know that bi-polar is very difficult to deal with and your husband should be entitled to higher-rate DLA.
when you apply, they may turn you down. They did with me, even though my psychiatrist clearly stated I need 24 hour care to support myself and DD. Wrote an appeal and was finally awarded DLA. Really helps when it comes to paying bills and managing my disorder.
DWP say you aren't entitled to benefits. DLA isn't a benefit, it's an allowance for diabled people and isn't means tested as income. Meaning you can be a millionaire and still claim.

About the cars - it would be really worthwhile selling both and buying a bigger one. Big one-off payment but will save you money in the future.


Hope this helps.

gfplux

hello debtdope,
I think you need to re look at your situation.
most of your replies about saving money are excuses for NOT stopping spending.
In your situation it is not about that you would like to stop spending but that you MUST.
You have to change NOW not next week or next month.
Good Luck

shebrett

Dogs don't do holidays and neither do you by the sound of it, if you really need to take him somewhere, chuck him on the back seat, it's only a short drive can't see any reason to chauffer a dog for long drives.

Ditch the second car, if hubby's not working he can drive you wherever you need to go.

Put up with the upset tummy on dog food and let him get used to cheaper food, otherwise bite the bullet and give the dog away if you're in that much financial trouble. Pet's shouldn't be a cause of huge financial woe.

If you're moving to the new area permanently and the rent on your money pit house won't cover repairs and repayments then take the slap and sell it for a loss, better to lose £25,000 than to risk losing more than that.

debtdope

shebrett wrote: »

Dogs don't do holidays and neither do you by the sound of it, if you really need to take him somewhere, chuck him on the back seat, it's only a short drive can't see any reason to chauffer a dog for long drives.

I appreciate what you're saying, but the dog can't physically get into our small car. It's a 2-door micro car - he actually can't step into it when you put the front seat forward to let him in. It's the equivalent of trying to shoehorn a horse into a Smart car.

Ditch the second car, if hubby's not working he can drive you wherever you need to go.

Yes, we are going to go down to one car - we don't need two cars as I've said. However the one car will have to be big enough to get the dog into because he does need to go to hydrotherapy (15 miles away) once a fortnight for hip problems. I think we may simply go to a car auction and find an old estate. We did have an old Mondeo estate year before last which was perfect, but unfortunately the head gasket blew so that got scrapped.

Put up with the upset tummy on dog food and let him get used to cheaper food, otherwise bite the bullet and give the dog away if you're in that much financial trouble. Pet's shouldn't be a cause of huge financial woe.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but would you give away your child? I can't have children and my dog is my family. I would no more give him away than I'd give away my husband or Mother. I would go without food before my dog did.

If you're moving to the new area permanently and the rent on your money pit house won't cover repairs and repayments then take the slap and sell it for a loss, better to lose £25,000 than to risk losing more than that.

The rent will cover the mortgage payments with about £20 to spare. It has been a money pit, however it's now the case that there's only a few things left to replace and then it's done - everything in the house will have been replaced (re-wired, damp, new roof, new central heating system etc etc). If I thought it would sell, I'd sell it but I've been advised by local agents that nothing has sold in this postcode area for over a year.

Thanks for the advice

lisawood78

Hiya.
Can see you've had some good advice so far.
We have 2 Great Danes and they cost us about £40 a month to feed between them, and (as most Danes) they both have sensitive tums.
They alternate between Burgess Supadog Sensitive and Skinners Rough and Ready, both have suitable protein levels for Danes and they have lovely glossy coats and firm stools.
They used to have Royal Canin Great Dane food but it was very expensive and far too rich for them.
As for cars to transport for them, I have a Ford Focus for everyday trips, and can get them both harnessed on the back seats easily, a Navara for holidays etc and at a push, ones of them will get in the back of my Skyline for a quick vet trip etc.
Good luck

Oh yes shebrett, A Great Dane with a sensitive tum will never get used to poor quality food (cheap doesn't always mean rubbish) and it can cause severe health problems.

ElkyElky

You mentioned you have two cars, a small one for yourself and a large one for the dog.

Rather than spending more money at auctions, can't you just keep the large car and ditch the small one?

You're not really helping yourself, there is loads of ways you can save an absolute fortune.. you obviously came on here to get help but what I'm seeing is you making excuses for cutting back and making plans on purchasing more cars!

There are families out there who live without the luxury of cars, pets and can barely afford to pay the rent.. but they still get by with cheap nasty supermarkets own brand food and wearing 10 jumpers instead of turning the heating on. If they can do it, then so can you!

Your lifestyle needs a complete overhaul if you want to try and break away from the nasty clutches of debt.

debtdope

lisawood78 wrote: »

As for cars to transport for them, I have a Ford Focus for everyday trips, and can get them both harnessed on the back seats easily

Our small car is an old mini - we did try getting him in the back once. It was good for amusement value, but basically a no-go. The 14yr old car is an old people carrier he can get in.

Oh yes shebrett, A Great Dane with a sensitive tum will never get used to poor quality food (cheap doesn't always mean rubbish) and it can cause severe health problems.

Out of interest, what do you feed? Ours won't eat dried food (even with a bit of stock poured on!) so we feed chicken mince and veg...hence the big bill. I know I can get his feed down to about 72p a day via Landywoods online raw foods. The only reason I'm not doing so at present is because they only sell pallets of 36 450g trays which need to be frozen and we only have an icebox so there's physically no room for them. New house already has a big freezer so I can swap over then and get the dog's food bill down to around £25 a month instead of the £70. So temporary expense on the dog food front!