Can't Live With This Restrictive Debt

MoneySavingMacca

linz wrote: »

Hi MSM,

Couple of things stick out to me - can you get rid of sky tv and settle for freeview?

Cut the gym out and go running instead?

Are you getting the cheapest internet deal? Shop around and find out.

Car insurance - make sure you shop around when it's due and compare what cashback you get through sites like

All the best with your debt busting!

I could probably get rid of the Sky Tv, would need to speak with my grandad about that one.

I can't cut the gym out, I'm tied into a 12 month contract until October but I do use the gym a lot.

My internet is provided by O2 which is only £7.50 a month and I'm getting the next 2 months for free. I pay £25 a month for mobile broadband with a laptop included for that.

My Car Insurance is due for renewal in May so I'm close to looking for a new deal soon.

Thanks Shoe Gal, good to see another Mancunian on here!

MoneySavingMacca

So far today I've phoned Barclays up and got my £15 a month account closed so now I've only got a basic account open with them and not paying any fees to them.

Spoken to my grandad regading my Sky package, he'd like to keep it going but only for the programmes he watches and he will pay for that so I'm going to see what I can do with that, not spoken with Sky yet to see how low I can get it.

Had a quick check on my car insurance but if I was renewing now I would be paying £200 a year less and thats only with a quick search. Still got 3 months to go so hopefully will go even lower in that time.

MoneySavingMacca

Got a letter from Sky this morning saying they are increasing minimum notice period to downgrade your package to 31 days in April so with that I've been on the phone to them to discuss what I can do. I've reduced the package to £19 a month and my grandad has said he'll pay for that. I will still have to pay £39 on the 27th Feb.

Has anyone else got any ideas what else I can be doing while I wait for payday to arrive?

svmitche

By no means a thorough look through, but just wondered - you've put road tax down as £120 per month. Is this right or that you've just paid that this month in one amount?

If you pay it in one hit but it's difficult, you could use Post Office Savings Stamps (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_4022118) and save for it over a number of months. I know it doesn't help you right now if you've just paid it, but you could start saving now for next year's tax disc?

Keep reading the good advice on this site though and sign up to the email newsletter as there are some good deals and tips to make a note of.

Ooh also, is there someone older than you that you could experiment as a named driver on your insurance? It might bring the price down a bit for you. I had my mum on my insurance when I was younger and it reduced the cost by about £50 in the first instance. As I got older though the benefit was less and less until it made no difference about 2 years ago.

MoneySavingMacca

:rotfl: Well done on spotting the deliberate mistake! My Car Tax is £120 for the year not month, so it's only £10 a month (hurries to correct this)

That's a good idea regarding the post office stamps. My Tax is due at the end of July so if I start saving £20 a month towards that it'll make things easier when July comes!

I'll try and experiment and get another named driver on the insurance when the time comes, hope it will save me more money!

I must go now, need to clean the car, do some food shopping and go to the gym before the football starts tonight!

linz

It definitely helps putting an older person down as a named driver to get your premium down. Does your grandad drive? you could put him down if so

MoneySavingMacca

Yeah my grandad does drive but he's well into his 80's now, he's a good driver but would his age go against him? No harm in trying either way!

I've just got back in from the gym, so knackered! Looks like I've got home just in time as well, there's a few flakes of snow in the air! :j

MoneySavingMacca

Just had a company phone me about something called Gap Insurance for cars. They said it was additional insurance to give you the full value of the car should it be written off instead of the actual value of the car.

Anyone ever heard of this before? Anyone taken it up?

I've not heard anything like it, they tried giving me a quote for it but I told them I wasn't interested.

Can't think of much more to do right now apart from wait for payday. I'm in work for the next 7 days in a row, could do with getting food ready for it as I tend to spend a bit when I don't. I work at the airport so everything is inflated in price!

linz

Yeh i've heard of that, to be honest I wouldn't bother unless you think you're gonna have a crash! I think it's just another con to get more money out of motorists!

MoneySavingMacca

Yeah and I don't plan on doing that at all, should be included in normal car insurance or not at all.

I got my payslip today and it's looking pretty good with a helping of overtime pay and bonus too. After taxes and deductions I've got a Net Pay of £1,161.94, just over £100 more than I would normally get.

I've done a budget for the month and I've over £200 surplus after including all my Direct Debits and other outgoings. Will see how the month goes but hopefully should have a bit more money to use getting my debts down. :j

Feeling pretty positive at the moment, always good to have some money coming in!