Who turned the lights on?

ZTD

all_hours wrote:

I wish there was a way of doing columns. :rolleyes:

Change the font to a monospaced one, then copy+paste

=============

My salary...............................1500
Partners.................................600
Child Benefit.............................69
Maintainance Payments for son............250
Working Tax Credit........................50

Total...................................2469


ETC....

xx-Tina-xx

Hiya all

Sorry for the lack of updates, but i've been away for a few days visiting relatives and going to see a certain ex-member of Take That *swoons*, although it was like a night out at Batley Variety Club... but I digress...

So what have I achieved so far? Changed my car insurance and my Telephone/Internet Provider which I've made pretty impressive savings on. My car insurance is down from £30+ per month to £21, and whereas before I was paying £27.99 for my internet and around £25 for my landline, i've got (what I think) is a pretty good deal with Talk-Talk... £19.99 a month (for the first 3 months and then £20.99 a month) for Unlimited Calls (including line rental and international calls... important to us as my other half has family in the States).. and also included is Broadband (although thats not going to be 'live' until the end of October).... and the best bit is I changed my suppliers via quidco, and now have £82.50 worth of transactions tracked!!!! Today its TV and Utilities to be changed, and also a couple of insurance policies to be cancelled which, when i've looked in to them, are neither use nor ornament!!!

I've spent yesterday and a couple of hours this morning scouring through the Consumer Action Group regarding my bank charges. This morning i'm going to send off my request to Barclays for copies of my bank statements for the last 6 years to see exactly HOW much i've paid in bank charges and then start the ball rolling to claim them back! I have another bank account set up just incase they start to get funny and I need to rearrange the bank my salary is paid into and my DD's come out of

Oh... and I've made £55 on Amazon selling 5 old Uni books, with another 15 or so still on there to sell!!

All in all, its been a great week and i'm feeling incredibly positive!

Thanks for all you input!! :T

lynzpower

Wow :j YOU are doing so well!!!!!!

xx-Tina-xx

lynzpower wrote:

Wow :j YOU are doing so well!!!!!!

Thank you! I thought so too until I've just read all the posts about Talk-Talk being quite appalling! Oops!!! :rolleyes: Ah well, time will tell for me I guess, and even if it DOES take them forever and a day to connect my internet, i'm still saving a fiver at least with the telephone package only (It could be much higher if OH makes a few calls to the States each month)

bobbadog

When considering the phone options, don't ORange do free broadband if your tarriff is 30 or more a month? If you weighed that up against Talk Talk and others, it may make a difference x

TallGirl

I noticed you hubby calls the states a lot so have you thought about using VOIP to call them. I use Skype as 3 of my family abroad has it and it has cut my calls from £80 per quarter to £5. Find out if any of them use VOIP and get the same system alternatively you can call a normal landline but check the price first. I have had 1 hour off free Skypeout calls since August so the £5 I put on last January still have £3.58 left.

It is also nice to use webcams and see the other person you call all free of course.
Otherwise good luck with it all but do try to get your DH onboard as it is better to deal wiht all the debts at the same time. My advice would be to not push him into doing it but make it sound as if it was his idea in the first place.

xx-Tina-xx

Thanks Bobbadog and Tall Girl! I've been tempted by setting up Skype as I know the relative who my OH calls most frequently has it... The only problem is my computer is on its last legs! It doesnt matter how much I defrag/scan/check it etc etc... Its ALWAYS slow!! I'm loathe to buy a new computer right now, or throw money at upgrading this one, as my mum plans on buying my son a new computer for christmas, so we'll share that!! I'm going to see whats the cheapest broadband package I can find, and then perhaps cancel the broadband part of the Talk-Talk order as everyone seems to be quite happy with the actual phone package... its just the broadband that seems to be causing everyone hassle! My computer usage certainly doesnt justify the £27-99 a month I'm paying right now which goes back a few years to when Broadband was first an option and it was pretty expensive... The price has never been reduced since though

On the plus side i've just gotten back from the Dentist... I havent been in 10 years.. I hate the places, but a new Dentist near us is taking on NHS patients so I thought i'd bite the bullet and go and have a check-up and HUZZAH.... I didnt need any treatment other than a scale and polish!! I thought it was going to cost me an absolute fortune, but £15-50 for a check up, xrays and a clean wasn't too shabby!! Oh..... and I sold another book via Amazon whilst I was gone... So thats £60 on there since Saturday!!

floridadreamin

Keep it up Tina you are doing brilliantly

xx-Tina-xx

Thanks Floridadreamin!!

I'm probably going to wind up talking to myself alot in this thread, but it really does help to see what I've achieved in black and white! I've just been on the phone with my ISP and have reduced my package from £27-99 to £14-99... Not as big a saving as I'd have liked, but its good in the interim until I get Talk-Talk sorted and see whether their Broadband gets installed or whether they give me the runaround.. Its still 13 quid a month though, and its certainly much better off in my pocket than it is in anyone elses

I'll have to sort out a signature in here with what i've managed to save and pay off month by month... Now if only I could find the key to my utilities metres I could go outside and check the readings so I can have an accurate picture of what I can save there.. Will have to wait until our ever-so-organised neighbours get back from their jollies so I can borrow theres!!!

floridadreamin

Any penny is better in your pocket than some-one else's. I'm still trying to explain that to my hubby. £7 saved on car insurance is better in my pocket than theirs. He still laughs at me, but secretly it's rubbing off on him. He scoured the internet for prices for his new golf clubs (crimbo pressie) finally finding the one's he wanted for half price to the usual place he goes. There is some-one standing at the end of the tunnel with a torch even if the batteries need changing on occasion.:)