Hi new on here/ advice appreciated

Head-Out-Of-Sand-Now

Hi im new to this site so hope Im posting in the right place. Sorry if I havn`t.

Thought Id post on here and join this site as really need to take control of my finances. Ive read a few threads an its inspired me to do something about my situation. Im very good at being an ostritch about a lot of things and money is one of them and have got myself into a mess and not sure where to start. Im ashamed to say my filing system up until a week ago was 3 carrier bags buried in the cupboard under the stairs. I spent a few days sorting it all out and its now been filed. Some was unopened post that Id tried to avoid. I dont owe loads, but what I do owe is dragging me down as Im struggling to make what I have stretch far enough to pay everything. I rarely go out and dont smoke so not really sure whats going on. I`ve recently been diagnosed with depression and have pcos and insulin resistance im not sleeping and lay awake worrying about one thing and another.

Im about to start a second job so will be working full time hours as of next week which Im dreading. My doctor wants to sign me off but I dont want to be as dont want depression on my records as will effect future jobs. Ill be working in social care for the elderly in their own homes. Ive done it years ago and know it can be quite hard going. I need to rely on my car to get to each client and just yesterday the brakes went which is going to cost 347.00 which Im going to have to pay out of this months rent money. My daughter has just finished full time education and has already found a job starting next week. There are alot of changes as in order for me to receive working tax credit I need to do 30 hours a week so will be dong care work as its the only thing going at the moment. I work on checkouts 16 hours a week at Tesco. Im thankful for a job but the stress isnt helping healthwise. Its not the best place to work to say the least for various reasons mainly the (management) and the stress of keeping up with impossible targets they expect us to maintain. Im above target as work hard but its draining to say the least especially when Im not on top form healthwise. I got told off for waiting for one customer to leave the checkout before starting to scan the next customers shopping. I grabbed the hours they had available but now cant get off working allday saturday which is the busiest and most stressful/ draining day. Im mentally and physically exhausted by the end of the day and its been affecting homelife for sometime. My daughter and I are close but things are getting on top of me.

If I dont do 30 plus hours I will be expected to live on 63.00 pounds a week after payed rent/council tax. So basically for doing 16 hours on checkouts Ill get what Id get on benefit. Evenso Id rather be in work and am grateful to have a job. Work dont know about the depression as a few others have it and they not understanding to say the least so I prefer to plod on and put on a face as if everythings ok which is draining. I took one day off sick and was made to feel like a criminal even though I wasnt going to get payed for being off so darn`t take anymore time off as a someones just received a verbal warning for being off sick. The doctor refered me somewhere 4 weeks ago so hopefully things will improve once they get back in touch with me. The medication makes me too ill so not sure how I go about improving things as there doesnt seem to be much support out there.

As ive said im not in loads of debt but seem to be swimming against the current with it.

Visa (Initial) 29% interest owe 330.00 but big chunk of what i pay goes on the interest so it isnt really reducing. I pay about 10.00 per month (They wont lower interest rate despite promising they would several years ago)

Elec/gas approx 600.00

water approx 400.00

Argos (approx 300.00)

Hp (approx 500.00)

Recently applied for a Tesco 0% balance transfer card but got refused. Also applied for an overdraft but also got declined. (Barclays) Not sure why as thought my credit rating was ok and havnt had any bank charges for ages.

Hope to get my car insurance and house insurance cheaper elsewhere but confused.com just got me more confused to be honest. At the moment Im with more than for both and paying 369.00 per year for car insurance despite having max no claims discount and no accident claims or convictions. If anyone can recommend a cheap one id appreciate it.

Just realised how much Id written, sorry its long. I know my financial situation isnt as bad as some but its still a problem to me. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thank you for reading x

Sunnylooloo

Hello and Welcome!

Well done for taking the first steps - its hard eh - but just think we have all been in very similar situations so we know how you are feeling.

Hang around here, there are some great tips and help for saving money and helping with you debts.

xx

NorthernLas

Well done for posting and starting to get organised.
You should get working tax credits if you work 16 hours or more. So I would check to see if ou are entitled to anything else. You can do this on-line via http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx
Then you say you will have to pay the car repairs out of your rent money - is there another way that you can think of to do this?

The debts you need to look at first are the priority ones electric / water / rent etc. But to start paying them you need to work out a budget, so that you know what you can afford.

The national debtliine has a good self-help pack that works through what you need to put in a budget and how to calculate it. Have a look at section 1.Self help pack and section 3. Personal budget from here http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk/england_wales/debt_advice.php#4.

People often fill out a statement of affairs using http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html and post it in a reply on here. Others can look at it and give advice on savings. This is the same information as in the budget, just it is in a standard format that people recognise.

Any questions just ask!

HPshel

Hiya, I can't comment on your debt situation as I've just signed up myself today and I'm also an Ostrich when it comes to my finances......I don't have a filing system, I have 4 years of unopened mail dotted around in various places. But I have had depression, not badly but enough to make me go to the doctors about it. I would say that you should tell your employer, I was really worried about telling mine as I've got a pretty good job which by nature should be stressful and the some extent I should be getting paid to deal with this. However, I wasn't dealing with it and it came to a head, I told my employer and they've been fantastic with me. Changed lots of things around in my department to suit me and instead of my once bullying boss giving me grief, she tends to ask how I'm doing instead now. If your employer knows what you're dealing with, you may find attitudes change to your odd day off!

andrea1968_2

I completly agree with HPshel, employers - especially the big ones like Tesco- have an obligation towards their staffs well being. There's nothing worse than being at work and absolutely hating it, we're at work too many hours in a day to be unhappy and if it's contributing to your overall feeling of despair than its more of a reason to contact your HR department. Do it anonimously at first ( or I suspect there may be something on their website for employees) see what their policy is and then work out your options from there.

Keep your chin up and good luck !!

PNPSUKNET

Why are you breaks costing so much...

Marisco

Hi Head out, have you had a look at Tesco car insurance? That's the cheapest one I could find when renewing. And I did it all online:) As you work for Tesco you might get staff discount, worth looking into.

Head-Out-Of-Sand-Now

Thank you all for your helpful replies.

There are a couple of people at work suffering with depression and Ive been advised not to say anything to the managers as they are less than sympathetic, if anything by telling them it has made it worse for them as they have used it against them for various reasons and just made them feel worse. Ideally i`d like to tell them but dont think it will do me any good.

The brakes are costing so much because the caliper has seized and damaged the disc, there is also no brake pad on rear drivers side so metal to metal. This afternoon I spent a couple of hours phoning round and managed to get the price from 346.00 down to 180.00 so thats being done tomorrow.

Ill have a look on the tescos car insurance site this evening.

Thanks again for all your kind replies. Ill be hanging around the site as think it will help me to plough through and sort things out x

RAS

Do you have a local credit union as they might let you have a small loan at less than 15% to pay off some or all of the Visa card. That would reduce your monthly liabilities.