Who turned the lights on?

xx-Tina-xx

... Because this lightbulb is REALLY bright!!

Hiya all... Please be gentle with the newbie (You can be brutal and honest with the advice though!)

I'm not sure where to start really... Other than to say i've been spending more than i'm earning! I'll sort out a SOA in the next couple of days for you all to look at for me... and you know what?? The thought of doing it doesn't fill me with dread anymore! I'm quite looking forward to it after reading everyone elses posts on here (some heartbreaking, others funny but all of them with encouraging advice). I just want to get some control back into my life. I want to be able to sleep easily again and for my credit card bills NOT to be the first thing I think about when I wake up each morning. I have an incredibly lovely partner, an amazing son, a job I adore and its all becomming overshadowed by the fact i'm getting myself deeper and deeper trying to pull myself out of debt when really i'm just getting stuck in the mud.

I don't really have anyone to blame but myself... Other than to say I like my nice house and I'm a sucker for buying for others. We've been on holiday earlier this year and are going away again in December (Via Mr Mastercard... or was it Mr Visacard??) I can't believe I was so stupid as to book it but whats done is done... I can't get the flights or hotel refunded via Expedia and mounting visa bills isnt classed as an emergency on our travel insurance... and we might as well make the most of it as its the last we'll be having for a LONG while as I'm absolutely determined to throw as much as I can into paying everything off (2 loans totalling about 20,000 and CC's totalling about 7000.. you know the routine... one loan to pay the cards off, then another to pay off the loan + the additional spending on the cards - yadda yadda blah blah), and a monthly household income of about £2000 (I'll get round to posting the full picture soon)

Anyhow, today I took those first tentative steps! Might only have been small steps, but at least i'm walking in the right direction.. I actually bunged a load of books and cd's on amazon and i'm feeling reasonably proud of myself right now!!

Thanks for listening (or reading!!!) Heres hoping I sleep easier now i've had a good old rant... Ah... its good to talk!!!

pounds_and_pensive

Falling asleep over the keyboard here now, but just wanted to say 'Well done!' I like your attitude - I think you'll do great

Toomuchdebt

Hi Tina-well done for posting here-looking forward to seeing your SOA

beverleyhills

Tina welcome.

Recognising the problem is the worst hurdle. Well done.

Hope you slept well.

lynzpower

Good luck to you, big welcome and glad you foulnd us

postingalwaysposting

welcome tina, well done on posting, but dont worry you have come to a great place they are all great here welcome

Bambywamby

Good luck Tina - it's a very liberating feeling when you have your "lightbulb moment".

Bams x.x

mark_steps

Good luck hunny, may i suggest something if you havent already done so? Just a suggestion ok, but the bank charges as we know are ridiculous. Read through the steps on http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/ and go for any credit card charges or bank charges you may have had in the last 5 years (if in Scotland) or 6 years if England.

Then you can use the money you ge, if any, to go towards some of the debt.

Keep me updated

xx-Tina-xx

Thank you all for such a warm welcome, and thank you especially mark for the link regarding bank charges! It looks VERY interesting!! Call me a bit dim (OK, call me alot dim) but can I claim back the charges for going over my agreed overdraft limit (30 quid a day for a max of 3 days per month) or is it just for charges caused by returned cheques, DD payments etc?

If I CAN claim back for charges caused by going over my agreed limit, then (Oh my God!!!), I figure i'll be close to paying at least one of my CC bills off!!

I'm currently sorting out my SOA still, but life is a bit manic at the moment but I should have an accurate picture in the next few days!

So far i've sorted out changing my Utilities supplier, car insurance, TV/internet and phone package, and I've made nearly 50 quid on amazon selling 4 books since yesterday afternoon, with still another dozen or so to sell Oh, and today i've done something i've never done in my life before... I went shopping in ALDI!!! Thats a big step for this Sainsburys kinda girl, but hey, I'm not proud and I was actually incredibly impressed!!

Oh HOW positive do I feel?? :j

Thank you all so much!! :T

oakdale_minx

hi there Tina - yes you can claim back the charges for going over your overdraft limit!. Also, returned cheque charges, returned DD charges, the charge if they put through a Visa/Delta payment which puts you over your o/d limit as well as overlimit charges on your credit card.

Go for it!

lynzpower

Wooo hooo :T Great start!!!!!