DMP Mutual Support Thread - Part 7

mikon

Just wanted to drop you all line to thank you for the support shown yesterday. I guess this is what being on a DMP is all about the up and the downs.

Everyone have a good weekend.

Mikon

Twit_Head

mikon wrote: »

Hi everyone

cutting back the only thing I have not cut is my throat. I have stopped using the car essential journeys only. Renegotiated the phone packages shopping at Aldi and other stores to maximise bargains.

Monthly increase

Gas/Electric Bill increased
Petrol Increased
Car Insurance Increased
Parking Charges Increased
Food Bill Increased
Clothing for Children increased

No pay increase
Increase in Pension Fees
Increase in NI Contributions on horizon

Everything is going up and my morale is going down and whilst talking to CCCS is the only option they will suggest reducing the monthly payment which will inevitably cause my creditor to re instate interest.

Is it worth continuing being on a DMP? Its not easy especially when times are hard and you have 2 children. I am desperate for a solution.

Mikon

Ooh Mikon - sometimes life is just sh*te isn't it?
I do SO empathise with you. The cost of living is rising for everyone, but for us on a DMP it's not a just a question of cutting back on the holidays abroad, restaurant meals etc. It's trying to slash back what is already pared to the bone.
I understand your fears and worries. Having to decrease payments is something I dread to do, but it's becoming more difficult each month to stay on budget. My creditors on the whole are being fair, and I'm fighting to keep the repayments at the same level but it IS becoming an uphill struggle each month.
Forgive me if I'm preaching to the converted, but
1) Have you checked you are claiming all the benefits you are entitled to? (especially with kids)
2) Don't know what age your children are but if young, consider going 'Car Booting' - lots of quality toys, clothes going for a song.
3) Is there any way you can increase your income? Do a car boot yourself, find stuff for e-bay, increase your hours?
4) Search for the best deals on car insurance etc-don't be shy-haggle the best deal for you.
And if you do have to decrease payments, you will cope with it. You've come this far and helped to support us all, so we don't want you falling by the wayside!
Keep it in mind your mortgage hasn't long to finish.:) This is usually the biggest household expense. It worries me if interest rates rise so many more will find themselves wallowing in the poop.
Chin up chuck! As Del Boy said "One Day We'll All Be Millionaires Rodney" (Well, if not millionaires at least solvent )

Twitty'

mikon

Thanks for the advice:

I have 2 children and work full time in the Public Sector so no pay rise and no increase in any benefits for me. I have just renewed my car insurance and changed companies to get the best deal but still an extra £7 a month. Ebay been down that road made a little but have nothing more so sell except my body and that would not bring much. Used to eat from Sainsburys now eating Aldi and I must admit not bad.

Reduced my driving to essential journeys only to save fuel and everything else has been reduced. I agree whole heartily with you whilst others are cutting back we have already done so and we are now cutting into the marrow.

But muddling through and inevitably will reduce have to reduce monthly payment.

On the good side its the weekend and its going to be sunny so that will lift the spirits.

Thanks

Mikon

Twit_Head

mikon wrote: »

Thanks for the advice:

I have 2 children and work full time in the Public Sector so no pay rise and no increase in any benefits for me. I have just renewed my car insurance and changed companies to get the best deal but still an extra £7 a month. Ebay been down that road made a little but have nothing more so sell except my body and that would not bring much. Used to eat from Sainsburys now eating Aldi and I must admit not bad.

Reduced my driving to essential journeys only to save fuel and everything else has been reduced. I agree whole heartily with you whilst others are cutting back we have already done so and we are now cutting into the marrow.

But muddling through and inevitably will reduce have to reduce monthly payment.

On the good side its the weekend and its going to be sunny so that will lift the spirits.

Thanks

Mikon

Know where you're coming from here Mikon re public sector. I'm NHS so no pay rise, work harder and go whistle!
As to selling your body, the only offer I'd get on mine would be for medical research :rotfl:
And (sorry off topic ) why is it 'celebrities' without a brain, whose only claim to fame is showing off their surgically enchanced 'bits' are living a life of comfort and ease, whilst decent folk struggle to make ends meet?
It will come right in the end. Work through this bad patch and be proud you're honouring your finanacial commitments as best you can.

'Twitty'

Mothermercury30

Twit_Head wrote: »

Know where you're coming from here Mikon re public sector. I'm NHS so no pay rise, work harder and go whistle!
As to selling your body, the only offer I'd get on mine would be for medical research :rotfl:
And (sorry off topic ) why is it 'celebrities' without a brain, whose only claim to fame is showing off their surgically enchanced 'bits' are living a life of comfort and ease, whilst decent folk struggle to make ends meet?
It will come right in the end. Work through this bad patch and be proud you're honouring your finanacial commitments as best you can.

'Twitty'

Hi there all

Just to add to this thread- I had a letter from my employers just today (I am a staff nurse in the private healthcare sector) telling me that this years' payrise is not going to happen, so I totally sympathise.

Hang on in there- we're all here for eachother, and we can all cut into the marrow like there's no tomorrow.;)

Ellieseleven

Just popping by to say Hello!:wave:

We are 8 months into our DMP and struggling along but life is so much better without having to worry about where I am going to find £1300 per month to cover minimum payments - this is what I keep telling myself when I'm down to my last few coppers!!

Keep up the good work everyone.... we will all be debt free one day!!:T

Ellie xx

stelly

Hi all :wave:,


Just thought i would pop in for a little update.

Our DMP with CCCS has been set up and just waiting for the first payment to be taken. Feeling quite a wide range of emotions.

My second part-time job hunt has ground to a stop just now as I have Sinusitis and i'm feeling rotten. I have one Hamster cheek and it's really painfull.

I'm pretty fed up with Lloyds just now and I'm expecting it to get worse.
Why do their collections Dept talk to you like you're stupid?

I had quite a stressy conversation with them about my token payment.
I must admit I started laughing though when she said "now we both know that £1 is not going to clear your credit card" :rotfl:.

Right now I'm just taking it one day at a time.

Hope this week is a good one for you all.

Stelly xx

Hopelessly_Hopeful

Morning All.

Nice to hear from you Ellie, was wondering how you were getting on.

Welcome Stelly, fingers crossed for a smooth start up.

I've just been updating my budget.

Home insurance up by £5 a month
Council tax, no increase
Water up by £1 a month
Petrol up a bomb!

No wage increase in sight.

Petrol's the main concern and given the sex related press for insurance and a speeding fine I'm expecting that to go up too in June. I have a loan that has it's last payment around August so hoping for a full budget review at that point.

I've done some bulk buying to save money this month, wondering if I should have retained it for a back up fund. You can't win some days can you?! The hardest thing is just trying to get ahead when you don't have any slack. That said I feel like I'm becoming increasingly thrifty and try to make every penny work.

Hope everyone doing ok?

HHx

sickasachip13

It is a b u gg er - the cost of life just climbing, and while we're all trying to pare everything back to the last penny possible. We are finding the DMP really hard as we'd been 'supplementing' our household income with credit for so long. I have sold pretty much everything I can on ebay, emptied all our penny jars etc. We're going away this month so there will be extra costs for that so we're trying to live on what we've got in the cupboards for the next few weeks.

Anyhow, we're pretty much 6 months in now. The payments are going smoothly, a couple of creditors are being irritating but they're just not bothering us - we're being honest about what we've got and everyone is getting as much as we can afford. CCCS has been great to deal with and very supportive.

I have to say that while it is difficult to manage, it is a good thing we're being forced too as we've never had to budget before, and being on the DMP is so very much less stressful than the chaotic situation we'd been in for a long time.

the_tooth_fairy

Twit_Head wrote: »

Know where you're coming from here Mikon re public sector. I'm NHS so no pay rise, work harder and go whistle!
As to selling your body, the only offer I'd get on mine would be for medical research :rotfl:
And (sorry off topic ) why is it 'celebrities' without a brain, whose only claim to fame is showing off their surgically enchanced 'bits' are living a life of comfort and ease, whilst decent folk struggle to make ends meet?
It will come right in the end. Work through this bad patch and be proud you're honouring your finanacial commitments as best you can.

'Twitty'

I know what you mean, Twitty, my body is also a temple (a temple of Doom!)
Just reading back through the posts, who in their right mind would give Payplan a bad review? These people save lives, they are practically paramedics! Totally agree about the price of petrol, through the roof, and I wonder how many of us just can't absorb it any more and will have to up our SOA thingys? (see, got all the lingo, me!!)
Seriously, got a letter the other day from Halifax, by far our biggest creditor. Big RED banner headline, and when I rang, they said we were paying too much (Could you not ring Payplan to reduce your monthly sum? Haha- Halifax decided they OWE us £225!). The conversation ended with me saying, No, I really want to continue with my plan, thanks, So,miracles really do happen! It isn't even Easter yet!

ttf