Stop being a Wimp!... DMP Journey

jackies41

Hi Ellie

You definetley sound more positive aboubt things which is good. Dont think I will feel the benefit of starting DMP until October as it is a five week month and still have stuff to buy for kids for school.

Going to try and put some money aside for Xmas I know what a horrible thought but last year stuffed all presents on my Argos card, now regret this.

My Dmp is set to run for 6 years 10 months hopefully not this long but it would have taken me that long to clear credit cards anyway.

Might ring CCCs about payment date tomorrow I was under the impression it was the 25th of each month as well.

Not feeling too bad today Aqua havnt rung me so hopefully wiill get a letter in the post
in the week.

Have a good day Jackiexxx

Ellieseleven

Hi Jackie,

Yes, I've started to think about Christmas too and in the past everything would just go on the CC. I'm going to try and buy 1 or 2 a week and I do save with the supermarkets anyway so already have £50+ which now I'm glad about.

Probably worth giving the CCCS a ring, it will put your mind at rest:)

Have a good day
Ellie xx

Ellieseleven

Not much to report today, phones seem to have quietened down a bit, which is good.

OH has a job to do today, so thats a relief.

We have some money put aside in our emergency fund - this is unheard of!!!

All priority debts have been paid for this month without the usual panic of wondering where the money will come from.

Feeling much better and less stressed out:)

Panic rating 1/10
Bladder behind eyes 1/10
Feeling of failure 4/10
Support from OH 3/10
Determination 9/10

mrscmr

morning ellie

just read through your posts, funny how us ladies seem to have to take charge.
my OH is completely indenial and if it was up to him we would be in a proper mess but its us ladies who sit up all hours with our spreadsheets plotting how to carry on.

wishing u well - be strong and fearless - we struggle on too ... hope one day it will all be gone and we can get on with our lives again
x

Ellieseleven

Morning Mrscmr,

Yes, you are so right about ladies taking charge. There seems to be an awful lot of us about:)

Thank you for your encouragement and I see from your signature that you are making a dent in your debt, so well done!!

Ellie xx

Ellieseleven

Well, we are now 6 weeks into setting up the DMP and although it hasn't been plain sailing I am so glad that I have done this:)

For the last 2 years life has been horrible with constant stress, worry and panic about how to keep meeting minimum payments, it took over everything - as soon as one bill was paid I had to start thinking about the next one etc.

My initial panic about missing payments has now gone because I have accepted that I could not keep up the payments at the level they were and all that was happening was that the debt was getting bigger. I cleared out some old bills yesterday and found that Crapital 1 had increased our interest rate to 37% earlier in the year and I didn't even know!!

The CCCS has been very good and the DMP has been set up quickly. I haven't spoken to them very much but when I did they have helped me enormously. I have done everything on line and this went smoothly.

This forum has been my lifeline and I have spent every spare moment on here reading other people's experiences, taking advice, asking questions and offering hugs/encouragement to others.

I sent my token payments off to each creditor all by recorded delivery and with my name printed not signed and asked that they contact me in writing. Then the phone calls started, this has been the worst bit as they are relentless but we just check who's calling before answering the phone.

Now starting to get letters either accepting or rejecting the DMP, I was worried that the amount we are paying is only small in comparison to what we were paying originally but "they can't have wht we haven't got". So far 6 out of 11 have accepted the lower payments and the phone calls have dwindled to a couple a day.

So this morning I am reflecting on those 6 weeks and wondering whether it has been worth all the aggro and do you know what?..... it has been worth every minute, yes I've been stressed but I was anyway, yes I've cried buckets but I was doing that anyway, yes I've been worried what my creditors would think/say but I'm still here and they don't really have an opinion of me either way because they don't know me as a person.

I'm feeling more positive about the future than I have done in an age, I have more money in my purse than I have for a long time due to being able to budget, I have not used a credit card for months really so have not missed them at all and I never want credit again.

In the back of my mind my retirement was starting to loom and I was beginning to worry that I would still have all this debt hanging around my neck but by doing this DMP and budgetting properly I may just be debt free a good few years before I retire!!

So it's been an eventful 6 weeks but I feel so much stronger and much more determined now to be debt free and feel that I can now look forward to a better life. I know that its still going to be tough and that I will probably still come on here in despair at times but for now I'm happier than I have been in a long time and I have no regrets at going onto a DMP

Panic rating 1/10
Bladder behind eyes 0/10
Feeling of failure 0/10
Support from OH 3/10
Determination 10/10

Loubylou2

Thanks Ellie, you post help as often mirror what is happening with me.

I had a particularly bad day yesterday. The whole thing just seemed to be slamming me in the face.
Worse of all, I had a joint account with my mum just in case she was ill. Well I got advice days ago and knew I should get my name taken off but it was only at the weekend that I faced it and then spent the weekend worrying and not sleeping.
I got down the bank and got the form yesterday but then had to explain to my mum. I couldn't ever tell her the truth so just said that because of OH's drop in wages (which is true and the catalyst for being where we are) we had negotiated a lower rate but thought it best I came off her account.

It was awful. Mum isn't loaded but offered me what is a big amount of money but a drop in the ocean to the debt. I just kept thinking how bad she would feel if she knew. I'm ashamed.
Anyway I said I wouldn't (couldn't) take it but if I needed help in an emergency I would ask her (just to stop her offering really)
It was awful but I know its our responsibility and despite the drastic drop in income this mess was always brewing really.
We only have 3 creditors but large amounts. Haven't had any acceptances yet which is scaring me.

Also when we checked through we noticed that Tesco have given a figure owing which includes interest (ie what we still had to pay if it had run its course) This means that they get proportionally more than another creditor when they shuld be getting roughly the same.
Payplan says that does happen but they will look into it. Seems wrong to me and of course it bumps up the amount of debt a lot.

Presumably if they agree to freeze then that amout would reduce. Does anyone have experience of that?
Thanks again

SarahNeedle1872

Hiya Ellie (and everyone else!)... spotted you on the DMPthread and thought I'd pop over to say hi!

Glad that things have settled down for you a bit now, you seem less stressed than at the beginning of your journey!

Sign me up for the 'pain in the ar$£ OH' club too!

Sx

*subscribes*

jackies41

Hi ellie

Your post this morning is very encouraging to a lot of people who maybe thinking about starting this adventure. I totally agree it is the right thing to do and I like you feel calmer,stronger and feel more able to deal with things.

Those panic feelings at the begining have gone and the feeling of what the hell they cant have what I havnt got, I want to start living again and felt this was the only way I could do that.

I will still have to be careful but the panicky feeling when my wages went in has gone
knowing that most of it was going to people who couldnt care less about you and you are only an account no on a screen.

I would strongly advise anyone to go for it the CCCS are really good.

Good luck to anyone who felt like Ellie and I did about 6 weeks ago It hasnt been as bad as I thought it would be, a few phone calls a couple of standard letters but no too much hassle.

Bye for Now Jackie

Ellieseleven

Morning All,

Not much to report today apart from a letter from CCCS regarding MBNA who refused our offer of payment and said that it was too low. CCCS have said that they will probably now default us and pass over to a DCA. I would have been absolutely mortified a few weeks ago at this news but now I'm just taking it in my stride and not letting it worry me. I did everything to try and get the balance down on MBNA before I went onto the DMP and every spare penny went towards paying them off but their interest rates were unrealistic and for every few hundred we paid a couple of pounds came off the balance and the interest just piled on, so I'm not worrying about the fact that the debt will be passed over.

Still getting a few phone calls but nothing like they were last week.

Sorting some stuff out for ebay, free listing weekend so might as well make the most of it:)

OH has no work today and is under my feet, I wish he would just P*** off. Sorry but he is doing my head in LOL:rotfl:

Panic rating 1/10
Bladder behind eyes 0/10
Feeling of failure 3/10
Support from OH 2/10
Determination 9/10