I have not read any worse than this!

HappyMJ

Good about the switching now you have found the best deal on Uswitch get onto quidco and get cashback and switch and do it this week today would be good.

Even if you are on BT then option 3 broadband is only £25 per month what else have you included? Have a chat to BT if you want to stay with them but don't commit to anything over the phone come back here and check for other offers.

HappyMJ

I think instead of paying grandma another 43 payments of £500 you'll have to cut a deal maybe 1 more payment of £500 to bring it down to £21,000 outstanding then 70 payments of £300 per month.

econnin

well done for posting the soa.

My thoughts are pretty much the same as the others. A couple of thoughts though - have you put a notice of correction on your credit file regarding the barclay loan dispute? I notice your mortgage is a low rate so I guess this is a tracker/variable. My concern is that this will rise quite substantially when the BofE increases the base rate eventually, as your mortgage is so high, so i think you need more than saving a few quid here and there (but of course this does make a difference too). To make some serious in-roads, I would have to re-iterate what others have said - speak to Grandma, and ask for a payment break, but offer her a good interest payment to compensate.

Lets see what others say

anh1904

Excellent start, well done for posting.

Gas and Electricity are clearly going to be available for less, unless you pay for all of your neighbours as well, so tackle that nice low hanging fruit.

Sky do "Phone, calls, TV, internet" packages, and if you go for it, make sure you do it through one of the cashback sites to maximise return. Alternatively, Freeview and BT with some sort of call package would be much cheaper than you currently have.

I think you need a thorough review with your wife about your travel situation and plans. To spend over £540 a month on travel is alarming, and depending on your collective attitude, is an area you could save substantially.

One thing is to start a spend diary. Working in the city, the odd beer, sandwich, lunch etc. mounts up to hundreds of pounds a month, and I think you need to be aware of all such expenses while you get a handle on exactly where you are, and how you then get to where you want to be.

dancingfairy

With regard to the electric and gas - do you know how much you actually use? Hopefully unless they are seriously ripping you off you should have credit on your account - perhaps leave some of it there for winter and get them to pay you the rest back straight away - it can be useful to lower your monthly payments and use the credit up gradually but I think in your situation you need any spare money now to pay off debts.
With regards to the secured loan - you may want to investigate the PPI thing - you may be able to get cheaper stand alone cover and seperate it from the loan as you may be paying a premium for the PPI with the loan provider - you would have to check though and you may have already paid the premium for the PPI at the front end of the loan so this may not work - but definitely worth a try.
Also I wasn't suggesting balance trasnfers just yet until you had cleared some of the cards so hopefully you will be able to get your dispute settled.
df

Mode1803

Couple of tricky things

Phone, TV, Internet - Am with BT for broadband and phone - I am on sure if I have a "tie in" period on the broadband. If I place this order with Sky will they come back and advise me if I am going to be penalised or not?

Gas/Electric - Phoned EDF and they tell me I am on cheapest tariff (they would say that though wouldn't they!!) Am on Online Dual Fuel Version 6 of that means anything to anyone. Anyway after the call decided to go with Eon who came up as next cheapest and did it via Quidco. Not completed the order yet though as I want to check that EDF also has a tie in or not.

Finally,

have you put a notice of correction on your credit file regarding the barclay loan dispute?

- Yes I have!! Not sure this makes any difference but I did that anyway.

Cheers

Mode

cobblers_boy

You can just phone BT and ask them when your Broadband contract expires. If it has already (which it probably will have done if you have been on it for over 12 months) they will offer you a cheaper deal immediately if you say you are thinking of moving. Do not accept it. Check the cmparison sites. I saved nearly 50% on Broadband alone going to O2. Don't forget to go through cashback site as well.

See other areas of MSE to decide which one best for you if not already using. However with 2 utilities and potentially all your telecoms as well you could earn around £150 in cashback this week alone.

Good luck and make sure you check all the deals out before switching.

CB

Mode1803

To spend over £540 a month on travel is alarming

Am not sure how you got to this figure but I spend about £324.

Per week - £36 for tube, 25 for parking, 20 for diesel - £81 per week. Say £350 to make up for long months etc.

This is way lower than if I used overground which (this is for laughs) would be:-

Train/Tube (weekly ticket) £74.4, parking £31, Diesel £12 - £117 per week or £468 per month.

Shocker but I reckon I am doing OK by doing what I do - if i can get free parking sussed it will only be £250!!

cobblers_boy

PS meant to say as well the Notice of Correction will probably make very little difference in terms of credit rating. Whilst firms are obliged by regulation to view the NOC or NOD (Notice of Disassociation) they then generally ignore it and use the analytical data only.

Sorry

cobblers_boy

On the travel I think the poster was including Insurance etc. However after removing your Diesle expense it leaves your wife spending about £120 per month on fuel. Does that sound about right?

CB