DMP Mutual Support Thread - Part 7

FredFlinstone

need some advice please! we have recently set up our dmp (just waiting ont he paperwork to come back to say when 1st pay day is) i have £50 this week and £50 next week to last me and my 2 kids (hubby will fend for him self) untill pay day any tips on budgeting? i need to get petrol which will be about £20 p/w and a few essential food bit? i have never been so skint but then again i wasnt really spending "our" money before ( major LBM) i know once the dmp up it will be fine but we stupidly paid our creditors more than a token payment this month and then took advice from cccs (wrong way round i know) hope you can help?

candypop

2 letters from halifax today one saying my card is due to expire and they have reviewed my account and I wont be getting a new one :rotfl: and another showing my arrears for the last 2 months I get these regularly.

ianmak

FredFlinstone wrote: »

need some advice please! we have recently set up our dmp (just waiting ont he paperwork to come back to say when 1st pay day is) i have £50 this week and £50 next week to last me and my 2 kids (hubby will fend for him self) untill pay day any tips on budgeting? i need to get petrol which will be about £20 p/w and a few essential food bit? i have never been so skint but then again i wasnt really spending "our" money before ( major LBM) i know once the dmp up it will be fine but we stupidly paid our creditors more than a token payment this month and then took advice from cccs (wrong way round i know) hope you can help?

Once the essentials are out of the way it's surprisingly easy to budget, just think carefully about everything you buy, do you really really need it? Use own brand stuff, Aldi, Lidl etc. I have a local shop that's very cheap on some veg, use greengrocers but check prices. In other words, avoid supermarkets...

Don't carry money with you, to avoid the urge to spend unless you go out specifically to shop.

sickasachip13

Hi Candypop - just chipping in to say that I totally agree with ianmak - Blair, O, S, are pretty easy to deal with. I do ring them from time to time to check my balance and make sure everything's ok, because they don't send that many statements out once the account is set up with them.

Hi FredFlinstone, you'd probably be surprised at how much food etc you've got in the house. Get it out of the cupboards and have a look to see what can be done with it. Getting used to not living on credit is such a mindshift - we found that. And trying to get out of patterns of spending and assumptions was hard too. Try not to panic, you will be able to ride it out.


Anyhow, now for a question of my own - have any DMPers used CCCS to negotiate F&Fs for them? The reason I ask is that my kind dad has offered to give us a lump sum of £500 for christmas to help clear some debt. I talked to CCCS and they said they can negotiate for us if we like.

ianmak

sickasachip13 wrote: »

Hi Candypop - just chipping in to say that I totally agree with ianmak - Blair, O, S, are pretty easy to deal with. I do ring them from time to time to check my balance and make sure everything's ok, because they don't send that many statements out once the account is set up with them.

Hi FredFlinstone, you'd probably be surprised at how much food etc you've got in the house. Get it out of the cupboards and have a look to see what can be done with it. Getting used to not living on credit is such a mindshift - we found that. And trying to get out of patterns of spending and assumptions was hard too. Try not to panic, you will be able to ride it out.


Anyhow, now for a question of my own - have any DMPers used CCCS to negotiate F&Fs for them? The reason I ask is that my kind dad has offered to give us a lump sum of £500 for christmas to help clear some debt. I talked to CCCS and they said they can negotiate for us if we like.

I've been thinking the same with PayPlan as I hope to sell my flat and use the equity to pay off debts and move in with my partner. I believe they can negotiate on your behalf, but think it's more a case of working out a percentage and asking them to speak to the creditors.

Twit_Head

sickasachip13 wrote: »

Anyhow, now for a question of my own - have any DMPers used CCCS to negotiate F&Fs for them? The reason I ask is that my kind dad has offered to give us a lump sum of £500 for christmas to help clear some debt. I talked to CCCS and they said they can negotiate for us if we like.

Quick chip in of my own!
I'm very, very nearly at the end of my F + F doings now.
Apologies to CCCS if I misheard the conversation but I don't recall any offers to help negotiate when I informed them I was in a position to offer F+Fs.
I've done it on my own and it's been a protracted, difficult process. CCCS have been brilliant with advice, but like a DMP itself, I've found the onus is on yourself to take control.
Would love to know more about how you (and Ian) get on

'Twitty'

sickasachip13

Hi Twitty, maybe negotiate was my interpretation of what they said! CCCS said that if I had an amount to offer (we were discussing £500) they could offer it to creditors - I said that it could, potentially, pay off our two smallest debts, if there were no reductions in the amount owed and the woman responded by saying that they would be able to deal with this and that, potentially, with their involvement we could spend the same amount but tackle three debts as the creditors could be quite likely to accept less than what is owed.

Hmm, well, if I find out more I'll report back - as is noted, it seems to be a very involved and protracted process and if someone else could be managing this / leading it, I might be tempted!

Twitty, are you ready to report successes yet?!

SAAC

Twit_Head

sickasachip13 wrote: »

Hi Twitty, maybe negotiate was my interpretation of what they said! CCCS said that if I had an amount to offer (we were discussing £500) they could offer it to creditors - I said that it could, potentially, pay off our two smallest debts, if there were no reductions in the amount owed and the woman responded by saying that they would be able to deal with this and that, potentially, with their involvement we could spend the same amount but tackle three debts as the creditors could be quite likely to accept less than what is owed.

Hmm, well, if I find out more I'll report back - as is noted, it seems to be a very involved and protracted process and if someone else could be managing this / leading it, I might be tempted!

Twitty, are you ready to report successes yet?!

SAAC

Very shortly! Just waiting on one last last letter to confirm monies paid, account closure etc. then I will reveal all (well the money goings on anyway - the rest is not a pretty sight!:rotfl:)

'Twitty'

candypop

This months statement arrived from Halifax and they have charged me 2 lots of interest both at £75 They get £90 a month so my balance has gone up by £60 this month. Didnt get a statement last month but have asked for one just hope they havent done the same there. Going to ring them I think and ask why.

sickasachip13

Candypop, yes, definitely give them a ring. Don't be scared to ask them questions. Ask them for the rationale behind charging you twice and explain that they are making the debt worse while you're trying to behave responsibly and deal with the debt.