The future is bright for 3Dogs and it's about time too

Money_Fritter

Yeah I finished walking now. I have just finished my cuppa too.

Just got to change the bedding now and then off to bed.

Nite nite guys.

And remember.

"things, happen for a reason, so us meeting was fate"

3Dogs

savingwannabe wrote: »

I dont teach till 1.15 hooray then i am on till 5.15. I have some English Homework of my own to do. Then night class to attend till 8.30. A long but good day.

I feel all happy and mellow again. What are you doing tomorrow 3Dogs? Do you think we met by chance? I cannot believe how much you have helped me.

Mr 3Dogs is getting up at 7 am and going down to sort out the storage unit, as new stuff gets put in at the front and some good stuff is buried at the back, so he need to go through it all - he said I don't need to go down so I can stay in bed later - ain't he good? :T anyway, we have slimming class in afternoon - we go for 2.30 pm to help set up - class starts at 3.30 pm, then we stay to help ot for second class at 5 pm leaving at 5.30 pm

I am glad to have helped you petal - and you have helped us too, I've told you that before - fate? chance? who knows? but I am glad we 'met', and actually met too :j

I'm going to put finishing touches to next instalment, as I promised I'd post it tonight, and then get to bed

savingwannabe

Good night Our Frit. Sleep well i hope tomorrow is a fantastic day for you. 3Dogs shall we sleep i am tired.

savingwannabe

3Dogs wrote: »

Mr 3Dogs is getting up at 7 am and going down to sort out the storage unit, as new stuff gets put in at the front and some good stuff is buried at the back, so he need to go through it all - he said I don't need to go down so I can stay in bed later - ain't he good? :T anyway, we have slimming class in afternoon - we go for 2.30 pm to help set up - class starts at 3.30 pm, then we stay to help ot for second class at 5 pm leaving at 5.30 pm

I am glad to have helped you petal - and you have helped us too, I've told you that before - fate? chance? who knows? but I am glad we 'met', and actually met too :j

I'm going to put finishing touches to next instalment, as I promised I'd post it tonight, and then get to bed

oh but that is such hard work. Are you sure you can't leave it for a while so you can sleep?

3Dogs

No, it's typed up, I just have to transfer it over really, so it won't take long - I'll do it straight away

Night Frit - sleep well pet

Night night SW - it's been a good night - you can sleep happy :j and wake refreshed in the morning - one more week then half-term eh? goody goody :j :j

savingwannabe

Eyes are closing. Still have to take makeup off. oh gosh. Goodnight and many thanks 3dogs.

3Dogs

savingwannabe wrote: »

Eyes are closing. Still have to take makeup off. oh gosh. Goodnight and many thanks 3dogs.

Taking your make-up off will take hours SW :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

3Dogs

Listening to this as sorting out instalment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT41vw6hgZw For The Good Times

savingwannabe

Am listening to Holly Throsby Not the Girl you think you are. Love this song. Crowded house cover. Mellow just before bed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpW4Glizxt4

3Dogs

So, the story so far - part eight:

In early 2010, we were getting pressured by two creditors in particular, Mr 3Dogs’ Jacamo catalogue and the company dealing with the balance due on the surrendered car. Jacamo had passed the debt to in-house Reliable Collections, who kept pushing for more money than the £20 we were paying, as were close Credit Management, dealing with the car debt. The phone was ringing several times a day at this point. Sometimes I answered it but most times I just let it ring.

I had been reading the MSE guides and forums and getting to know a little more about how people could deal with their debt, the people you could get help from, and the various options available.

Then one day at the end of February 2010, I answered a call from Reliable collections regarding Mr 3Dogs’ Jacamo account balance. I had been paying them £20 a month, but I’d had to reduce that to £10 a couple of months before when I was struggling again. They wanted the payment returned to the £20 immediately and I confirmed that we just could not afford it. The chap was going on and on, and then said “look, you either have to pay £20 a month or we put you in touch with a company who will take, say, £50 a month and they take a fee of £8 and then pay the rest to all your creditors – one way or another, you must deal with this”. Now this suddenly rang some bells with me and I just said that I would need to talk it over with my husband.

So I logged-on to MSE and checked the Debt Problems advice guide. I had realised, during that call, that what the DCA was telling me to do was to go through a fee-paying debt management company, and I knew that this was frowned upon on MSE. I looked up the references to CCCS, National Debtline, Citizens Advice Bureau, etc and went off to check their sites. I found the details of our local Citizens Advice Bureau and its opening times. I printed off details for the various options available – DMP, IVA, Bankruptcy, DRO, etc. Looking through these, I realised that a DMP or DRO may be the best action to take, and that there may actually be an escape from the hell we were going through. For the first time in years, I actually felt that I could get in full control of our debts and was looking forward to the future.

Anyway, Mr 3Dogs had been out all day helping a mate, so that evening, I told him what had been said on the phone and what I had found out online. I ran through all the options with him and he was pleased that there seemed to be answers available to us. I told him that it looked like we could apply for something called a Debt Relief Order and I explained what this entailed. We both studied the print-outs about DRO’s and other options thoroughly, and openly. I said that I would call the local CAB and make an appointment when it opened for queries in two days time. Mr 3Dogs went to bed and I continued to check for further details online.

The next day, when Mr 3Dogs was out again (he was helping a mate get his motor back on the road) I obtained online copies of our separate credit reports using free trials and getting cashback for this too!! After checking the reports, I decided that I could not wait any longer to sort this out, so I got all the necessary information together and rang CCCS straight away. When I say all of the information, I do mean ALL as I included the debts that I had ignored too, which had been shown on the credit reports. I explained our situation to them and, because I had all the information to hand, with exact figures, she was able to put me straight through to a Counsellor, who ran through my financial statement with me, adjusting it as necessary according to her guidelines. She advised a Debt Relief Order for me and Bankruptcy for Mr 3Dogs. He was not eligible for a DRO as he has a small pension pot from previously opting out of SERPS. However, our rent and council tax arrears would have to be included and I felt unwilling to do this, first of all because of the consequences of this with our tenancy if rent arrears were written off, but also because in my mind I needed to pay these debts. I had come to an arrangement with the Housing Association and the council in order to pay off these arrears, which would mean that we would be up to date on both rent and council tax within 6 or 7 months. The Counsellor therefore advised that, if I wanted to continue paying these off, I should write to all our other creditors explaining that I had taken advice from them and offering token £1 payments for 6 months until we were in a better position to pay more. At that time, I could go back to CCCS to see about a DRO but would have to bear in mind that without the extra payments to our priority debts, our available income after household expenses may then be over the £50 limit and a DRO might not then be suitable. At which point we would talk about a DMP instead, with CCCS managing our payments to our creditors.

I felt so elated when I came off the phone, I was almost light-headed. I felt in control again. When Mr 3Dogs came home later, I had paperwork all over the place. I explained it all to him and he agreed that we had to pay the rent and council tax arrears before going any further. And for the very first time, we discussed the problem properly and openly. I did not show him the full list of debts as I was still hiding some from him, but I did tell him the exact balances on the ones he knew about. Although he was surprised at some of the amounts, he understood why I had not talked about it before. He said that, as long as he had not known the full details, he had pretended that everything was under control already. But he was happy now, knowing that we had help in sorting it all out one way or another, to discuss it. He did not read all the information and told me that as long as I had read it and understood it, that was fine by him. I explained about DMP’s and DRO’s and what they entailed. The feeling of elation from talking to CCCS was still there, but magnified by the fact that we were now talking about it openly. I felt like a door had been opened and I could walk straight through. Like a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. A great pressure had been released. I felt like I could take on the world ...... and win!

And so begins the part of this story when we do actually start to deal with our debts properly and secrets are no longer secret ................................................

....................... to be continued