A complete mess

Lady_A_4

I think you have misunderstood....

Stay on your contract £45 a month, take the simcard out of the iphone and place in a cheap phone (example £20 phone from Tescos) sell Iphone and use money from the sale to pay off your debt.

Once the £45 a month contract comes to an end, either go on pay as you go - or get a much cheaper contract.

In the meantime, try to get your £45 contract reduced, explain to your cannot afford to pay it.

Ellabelle

iregretitall wrote: »

Hi,

Correct me if I am wrong.

But if I stop paying my contract which is £45 a month

£45 x 12 months (remaining) = £600 (will go unpaid to a debt collector) and will make things worse.

Then purchase a Phone £20, and then top up with £20 a month

£260 over a year.

So I will save money straight away but in the long run it will cost me £860.

Where if I stay for the next 12 months on the iPhone I get 1200 minutes that I just about use up every month as my partner uses the phone aswell it will cost me £600.

As the £600 remaining on the contract for the next year will have to be paid eventually.

I would just see that as being another default on my file. and there is no way I would get the same tarrif on pay as you go. so if i run out of credit after 2 weeks ill have to put another £20 on so it will cost me £40 anyway . .

As I think I have explained before, you are paying £45 to a phone company instead of £45 towards your council tax as your council tax is a priority and your phone certainly is not.

This could be seen as willful non-payment of council tax as you are paying for loads of minutes (you could cut-back your phone use) and for a posh phone instead of paying your council tax.

A default on your credit file will hardly make things worse at all as an extra default on top of all the ones you already have will not really make much of a difference to your credit rating.

What will make things worse, is if you continue to avoid paying your council tax, get caught, have the bailiffs round or worse get put in prison, maybe just in time for the birth of your baby.

I'm sorry if thats blunt, but its too much of a possibility for you to ignore.

shellywelly1968

iregretitall wrote: »

Petrol/diesel........................... 150 - This is already at a minimum, there is no local bus stop to where I work. I already leave the house at 7:30am to get here for 8:30am. I really doubt I can cycle down 4 motorways to work

Could you car share with anyone that lives and works near to you? This would help petrol costs.

Regarding your insurance, if your partner has more NCB than you, I think it would work out cheaper if the insurance was in her name and you are on as a named driver. I use to do this for my ex as he didn't have any NCB. The only prob doing it this way is that you wont accumulate any bonus towards yours but for now I am sure it would help.

I would think about ways of trying to make extra money to help pay for the bills and debts. Have either of you got anything you can sell on ebay or at car boot sales? We all have things lying around the house that we don't use anymore and every penny helps towards the debts. What about a part time job at weekends?

Hope some of these suggestions are of help and Good Luck

Ellabelle

shellywelly1968 wrote: »

Could you car share with anyone that lives and works near to you? This would help petrol costs.

Regarding your insurance, if your partner has more NCB than you, I think it would work out cheaper if the insurance was in her name and you are on as a named driver. I use to do this for my ex as he didn't have any NCB. The only prob doing it this way is that you wont accumulate any bonus towards yours but for now I am sure it would help.

I would think about ways of trying to make extra money to help pay for the bills and debts. Have either of you got anything you can sell on ebay or at car boot sales? We all have things lying around the house that we don't use anymore and every penny helps towards the debts. What about a part time job at weekends?

Hope some of these suggestions are of help and Good Luck

Absolutely, If you can find a way to pay both the phone and the council tax, with some of Shelly Welly's ideas perhaps, then go ahead, keep your phone contract.

You might find that your entitled to council tax benefit, especially as your partner recieves some other benefits. Check it out.

I don't mean to be horrible but you just can't ignore the council tax. If the council didn't do spot checks on their systems nobody would bother paying it at all. Eventually I would suspect you will be caught.

ferox666

iregretitall wrote: »

Mobile phone............................ 50 - I am stuck at this rate for another year. The line rental is £45 a month but sometimes I make tohe odd call out of my allowance. I'll speak to T-Mobile at lunchtime today to see if they can reduce it to the £35 a month version but as its a iPhone tarriff last time i asked they said no we cant.

Unbelievable.

This may sound harsh but you need to re-assess your entire attitude to lifestyle and money. I have £12,000 in the bank and wouldn't get an i-phone because, although they look great, they're too expensive right now. But you saw fit to sign yourself up for one at this ridiculous price?

The insurance on your car is extremely high I would suggest dropping the car and using public transport.

There's lots that can be cut back here just knuckle down, work hard and you can improve the situation greatly but it will require adjustments to your lifestyle. You are deep in debt and living hand in mouth, you can not afford a car that's costing more in insurance than it's actually worth, or a £50 a month phone contract.

sonnythecat

Iregretitall - well done for facing up to this. I really think you need to involve your partner - come clean and give her the chance to help.

Also, could you try to get a second job in, say, the evenings?

I've got to say this, having an iphone when you're in such a financial mess is bloody silly.

I know some of the advice on here seems hard but its all completely spot on. You've been smart to seek advice on this forum.

MrsTinks

shellywelly1968 wrote: »

Regarding your insurance, if your partner has more NCB than you, I think it would work out cheaper if the insurance was in her name and you are on as a named driver. I use to do this for my ex as he didn't have any NCB. The only prob doing it this way is that you wont accumulate any bonus towards yours but for now I am sure it would help.

OK I'm going to have to step in here... NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

If you are the main driver then the insurance has to be in your name! If your girlfriend drives the car more then fair enough it can go in hers with you as named - if you put it in hers and name you just to get a cheaper tariff and she barely uses it or never uses it it's classed as fraud - please don't ever do this! If you have an accident your insurance company will wash their hands of you so quick the engine won't even have cooled before they kick you...

RAS

Thanks MrsTine

Just to add, if you have a junior householder, please do not take out insurance in your name and add junior as a named driver unless they only use the car occasionally, either. Same applies.

mel12

I am short every month on my wages as it is and im worried if i register for council tax at the new address i just moved into it will go on the electoral roll and they will start chasing me at my new address.

OK is the issue with the council tax not wanting/being able to pay it, or not wanting to register your name at the address?

Would registering in your girlfriend's name work? so long as she doesn't register for the single person discount (which would be fraud and could lead to a lot of trouble), you might be able to start paying without putting your name down anywhere?

[nb I actually think the advice about dealing with the debts and not worrying if they get your address is good, but if you're not prepared to do that then this is another suggestion so you can at least start paying council tax - thats a priority debt cos they can cause you all kinds of trouble if you don't pay it].

kezzygirl

hiya, just wanted to comment on your girlfriend not working etc due to ocd/anxiety...these are easily resolved problems.if she makes a trip to her gp she can get the help she needs.Does she plan on never ever working again?