I'd like some help please

**purpleprincess**

Little_Miss_Road_Rage wrote:

Right I've cancelled some of the credit cards and I have got the credit amounts back which I'll put in the bank towards m overdraft. I have phoned vodaphone and I'll be saving £16 a month now by lowering my tariff.

The diary is a good idea as I don't know where our money is going.

When we go shopping I mainly buy the Tesco savers food. I did as Martin said on a TV prog to try it and if u really don't like it swap back but if u do like it switch.

I saw an idea on here somewhere about baking your own bread. I have a bread machine so I can have a go. Is it freezable?

I'm off to the old style board for some more ideas now.
Thanks for making me feel welcome

Cool!!! Full steam ahead chick!!! Spending diary is a TREMENDOUS idea!! Can't begin to stress how tremendous!!! After the first month you can then see where the money is going and work on ways to reduce it ............................... I bake my own bread (have a breadmaker also) and I freeze it. What I normally do is let it cool, slice it then freeze it in "portions" eg few slices for toast etc ........................ OS board is great!! Take advantage of the Mega Index too!! ........................ Glad you feel welcome!!! :wave:

dave318

It's a start, isn't it. Once you sell the cars too, it will also start to look a bit brighter. Remember to look at paying off the highest interest first. Probably Barclaycard.
Just doing a few sums as I go. Between IF and BoS 0% cards, you still have £1288 left in credit. You could transfer as much as you can from your Barclaycard, leaving about £4500 left on it. You also have almost £5400 left on your 4.9% cards. Transfer the rest of your Barclaycard onto the two 4.9% cards and you have less interest on that. Remember to snowball as well. Once you have paid off the most expensive, use the money you were paying to that to add to the next expensive item. thus throwing loads more money at them.

Just some ideas.

leni

Little_Miss_Road_Rage wrote:

Right I've been facing up to my debt crisis for a little while now but I feel I need some more help. I read the ideas on this forum and have been taking them in.
It all started 8 years ago when my nan died of cancer and my mum collapsed beside her and died a week later. I seemed to take it very well but I was using shopping to help me get by. I spent my £6000 inheritance and much more on credit cards. I don't really have a lot to show and can only name a handful of things I bought. My ex used to encourage me to spend on my car and now I'm with my new partner, who's very supportive, we've been tackling it together.
We now have our own house but I have been diagnosed with ME and have been finding it hard at work and I may lose my job soon so we need to pull our belts in tighter.

Any help will be gratefully appreciated.

Here is my SOA

Monthly Incomings:

My salary - £1187.02
Partners salary - £1714.48
Benefits - £0

Total - £2901.50

Monthly Outgoings:

Mortgage/Rent - £880.62
Council Tax - £110
Gas - £30
Electric - £26
TV License - £10.54
NTL phone/ broadband/ tv - £33.99
Food - £216
Car Insurance - £134.81 (will be £69.95 soon)
Petrol - £40
Life Insurance - £46.73 (will be £116.74 soon)
Mobile - £75
House Insurance - £47.62 (will be £17.51 soon)
Pet Insurance - £15 - do you need this? or could you put the £15 into a seperate savings account to use as and when needed? Bus pass - £45 (when i'm working)
Bank - £24
Car tax - £13.75
WATER?

Total: £1749.06

Debts

For Life of balance cards
Barclaycard - £5798.32 (6.9%) £115/month Limit £7000
Capital One - £979.42 (4.9%) £29.38/month £3000
Amex - £6724.15 (4.9%) £202/month Limit £10,100

Other cards
Intelligent Finance £4770 (0% 8 months) don't know monthly payment yet Limit £5300 - probably 2/3% monthly payment
BOS £2842 (0% 5 months) £56.84/month Limit £3600
Natwest £2.25 credit (18.3%) Limit £2900 as has already been said by others!MBNA £10.65 credit (15.9%) Limit £8900 as above
Marbles £293.65 credit (15.9%) Limit £11,300 as above
Halifax £0 (22.5%) Limit £13650 close the card

Loans
Cahoot £6425.58 (9.5%) £128.51/month Limit £11,000 (About £5500 should be payed off soon)

Overdrafts
Joint account £128.69
My account £1,608.48 (not for long hopefully) as you reduce this, reduce your overdraft limit so you won't be tempted to go into it again!

Total debt
£28970.09 ouch

Mortgage
£174,000


Well thats it I think. We've got 2 cars to sell So the insurance will be reduced
and my overdraft will be reduced and some of the debts. I've been selling stuff on ebay too.
Go for it lets see what u can do to help.
Thanks
Kelly

good luck :T and well done for posting!

Little_Miss_Road_Rage

I forgot to put our water down doh. I've phone the water board and asked to have a meter fitted as when we were renting with a meter our bill was over half what it is now. The lady on the phone said we'd save nearly £100 a year

KatrinaC_2

Little_Miss_Road_Rage wrote:

I saw an idea on here somewhere about baking your own bread. I have a bread machine so I can have a go. Is it freezable?

It freezes wonderfully. You'll never be able to make a loaf of bread cheaper than the 25p loaves on sale in the supermarket, but it will be cheaper than the £1.50 loaves with bits in and taste so much better.

Kat