My SOA - Any and all advice welcomed

niccatw

Hiya

Which provider are your mobiles with? I get broadband for £7.50 per month as I spend £15 on an o2 simplicity contract. Any chance you could look into this?

My firend cancelled her Sky subscription because she simply couldn't afford it. When they called to try and win her back she gave them 5 minutes to give her their best offer (they called at tea-time and she has 2 kids with special needs - 5 mins was more than enought time for them to get up to mischief ) Anyway, she reallly couldn't afford their offers so she refused 3 times; each time they brought the offer down. Worth a go? Might work for BT too. And the mobile contracts. Depends how good you are at haggling (I'm rubbish!)

I'd definitely seriously consider getting rid of the Sky at least until the MBNA arrears are paid. You'll get freeview from the box; they shouldn't want it back. Anything you normally watch on Sky 1 you can probably watch online

Good luck

Hammerpgh

katsu wrote: »

What can you sell? Books on Amazon, household random stuff on ebay etc. See what extra money you can make towards the arrears.

Can you take a second job until you have cleared the arrears?

Firstly thanks for taking the time to reply

I have some stuff that I can perhaps try to sell although haven't had much luck in the past.

Second job is more difficult. My partner works for the NHS and therefore does shifts which means I look after our daughter on those days \ evenings that she works. Getting a job that fits in with that is not easy

Hammerpgh

katsu wrote: »

Hi Peter,

My comments in green. They aren't meant to be too harsh, but if you can't make ends meet, you need to reduce your spending, which will involve some hard choices. I've re-read them and really hope you can take them as constructive help. Good luck.

Thanks Katsu, I appreciate your comments and certainly don't take them the wrong way. I posted here for help and appreciate all that has been said.

Sky is definitely one of the things I will be dropping in some form or other.

I'll have to look into the pre-payment prescription. Not sure of the cost really.

Point taken on the gifts.. my partner is already very good at using the charity shops, etc so it's probably me that needs to work more on this.

The entertainment figure is really an arbitrary one. We certainly don't go out a great deal, who can with a young daughter so this can be reduced.

Thanks again for your comments

Peter

Hammerpgh

niccatw wrote: »

Hiya

Which provider are your mobiles with? I get broadband for £7.50 per month as I spend £15 on an o2 simplicity contract. Any chance you could look into this?

My firend cancelled her Sky subscription because she simply couldn't afford it. When they called to try and win her back she gave them 5 minutes to give her their best offer (they called at tea-time and she has 2 kids with special needs - 5 mins was more than enought time for them to get up to mischief ) Anyway, she reallly couldn't afford their offers so she refused 3 times; each time they brought the offer down. Worth a go? Might work for BT too. And the mobile contracts. Depends how good you are at haggling (I'm rubbish!)

I'd definitely seriously consider getting rid of the Sky at least until the MBNA arrears are paid. You'll get freeview from the box; they shouldn't want it back. Anything you normally watch on Sky 1 you can probably watch online

Good luck

Mobiles are both with Orange.

I'll have a look at the O2 option but wil have to contact BT to see whether they can make any reductions if I am tied into them.

I did get a decent deal from Sky a few years ago when I threatened to pull the plug on them so certainly worth giving it another go.

Thanks for the advice. Always appreciated.

System

Hammerpgh wrote: »

Firstly thanks for taking the time to reply

I have some stuff that I can perhaps try to sell although haven't had much luck in the past.

Second job is more difficult. My partner works for the NHS and therefore does shifts which means I look after our daughter on those days \ evenings that she works. Getting a job that fits in with that is not easy

Working from home in your 'spare' time sounds to be the best option for you. There are little things you can do in your own time to earn extra little bits (maybe up to £100 a month): online surveys, Dooyoo reviews, eBaying, car boot sales etc.

Or have you ever thought about taking on typing work? This is what I do as a second job and it's not too bad. Try sending your CV to transcription companies or email round the Universities as they are always looking for transcribers. The work is boring but you can choose your own hours and the money really does help in times of need.

Just one other thing, I notice on your SOA that you put £40 a month aside for emergencies. Many people on here (including Martin!) will tell you that your debt is your emergency and to throw anything like that at the debt rather than saving it for a 'just in case' situation. I also strongly believe that you should get rid of the Sky package until you are back in the black. Can you not go to the local pub to watch sports? I know you feel that you deserve it having worked all your life, but I think it's often the 'I deserve' attitude that gets some of us into debt in the first place. You deserve to not have to worry about debt, so why not make that your priority?

Best of luck.

Red.

Hammerpgh

In_The_Red_2009 wrote: »

Working from home in your 'spare' time sounds to be the best option for you. There are little things you can do in your own time to earn extra little bits (maybe up to £100 a month): online surveys, Dooyoo reviews, eBaying, car boot sales etc.

Or have you ever thought about taking on typing work? This is what I do as a second job and it's not too bad. Try sending your CV to transcription companies or email round the Universities as they are always looking for transcribers. The work is boring but you can choose your own hours and the money really does help in times of need.

Just one other thing, I notice on your SOA that you put £40 a month aside for emergencies. Many people on here (including Martin!) will tell you that your debt is your emergency and to throw anything like that at the debt rather than saving it for a 'just in case' situation. I also strongly believe that you should get rid of the Sky package until you are back in the black. Can you not go to the local pub to watch sports? I know you feel that you deserve it having worked all your life, but I think it's often the 'I deserve' attitude that gets some of us into debt in the first place. You deserve to not have to worry about debt, so why not make that your priority?

Best of luck.

Red.

many thanks for taking the time to reply.

I will have a look into what is possible re working from home. The University idea sounds a good one so fingers crossed.

Sky will definitely be a priority to educe or get rid completely. I don't watch football so the pub isn't an option as the sports I watch would not be shown and it would take me away from my family anway so not something I would consider, haven't been in a pun in many, many years!! My concern is that if I dump wil I be able to get it back at a later date seeing as my credit rating is now poor?

The emergencies is something that to be honest we don't actually do but when I filled in the form it was something that it said I should include so that figure is very arbitrary.

One question though, I see most people have a debt free date.. how do I get this and how would I ever be debt free while only paying the minimum or a just a little more than that off of those major debts each month.

Do I try to make some sort of arrangement with MBNA regarding these debts or just struggle on as I have been? The arrears is the BIG issue right nw with them!!

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Hi Peter,

Sorry for not replying sooner.

The debt free dates are when people are expecting to be free - my partners dfd is something silly like 2013 but he will be clear before then as we are mking over payments (hes gone from 35k to 12k in a year so i doubt it will take till 2013!)

It will be difficult to reduce your outgoings if your used to spending without watching the pennys but it IS worth it and after a while you wont even think about how much your saving or how much you want something.

with regards to the mobiles - if your on orange you can have 3 magic numbers to call FOR FREE - what network are your daughters on?

As others have said - skype is brilliant - i use to to call my brother in australia

Broadband - i live in a rural area and we are smack net to an exchange so our bbroadband is very fast but pricey - they further you are from the exchange the lower the speed and payment. We pay £14.99 for our BB (we're trying to get this reduced) and we live 0.5 miles away from the exchange. How far away is yours?

Even if you dump sky you will still be getting the free view channels and can watch online. Yes your credit rating is low now but make repayments and it will soon sort itself out again

I know the presents thing is an issue - We only spent money on ou DD this xmas (shes 2) everyone else got presets i had brought cheaply. Every january i go out and buy things that will last - smellies, purses etc - then through out the year people get these for birthdays and any left over at xmas - maybe this is something you can do next year? Ive even got wrapping paper and cards sorted for xmas this year!

I would send a letter to your creditors . .with an expenditure form . .saying "this is what i can afford and this is what your getting" they can moan and say they wont accept the payments but providing you pay what you can they havent got a leg to stand on. NO DCA will refuse money. IF they threaten to take you to court - let them. As long as you can show your expenditure and are making payments to what you can afford no judge will make you pay more than you can afford.

Hope they help

ME x