Minniepoos: New Year - New Life (and it's GONNA be good!)

minniepoos_2

Just a little one for now. My auctions have still got almost 3 days left and I'm up to £6.77 so far (minus the FVF and any paypal fees). Hoping for some bidding wars near the end! I've found some more items to go on too, so hopefully tomorrow afternoon I'll get that done. If not, it'll be Wednesday. Tomorrow morning I'll check out my bank balance and pay some bills if I can. Then hopefully it'll only be a couple of days until my last wages come in, so I'll be able to sort out most of my overdues.

Right. Getting off here to enjoy the rest of the bank holiday

minniepoos_2

Just a quick update....I've got 22 items on ebay, 17 finishing tomorrow which are so far on £7.17.

Not been paid yet, and I'm down to £2.39 in the bank and about £11.20 ish in my purse (I made sure I kept some cash so I can get the ebay parcels out as quickly as I can - I lost my massive good feedback rating when my XOH left, so I don't want to risk getting any negs yet). I've got two biggish direct debits going out tomorrow so could really do with getting my wages by then. They're my CC ones, and total about £170. Plus I've still not taxed the car

Right, I'm going to cheer myself up by making some cheese scones, then I'll get back to ebay for the afternoon.

minniepoos_2

Ok, my first load of auctions have finished, and come to a total of £13.36. I've got another 21 items finishing over the next 7 days which so far are up to £22.98, so all good so far! Plus there's still lots more to get on, including my wedding dress. Kept it all these years - never really been sure why, but now it's time for it to go. Got lots of other bits too, some decent sized bits, so hopefully will see some pennies rolling in

I finally got paid today!!! Thank God! SO I've paid ALL of the bills that were piled up on my dining room table - except 1.....my final gas bill for my old house was just over £54 and was due on 14th April. I phoned the automated line to pay it but was told I only owed 9p. I phoned customer services to check, and apparently it's right! I said if they send me a bill I'll pay it, but she said she doubted they would! Taxed the car too, and did a big grocery shop (£98) which hopefully will see me through the next few weeks.

Plus I had a payment come in from the council for £223, which I assume must be housing benefit - if so I'm sooooo relieved they've caught up on claims!

minniepoos_2

Starting to feel like I'm starting to slip onto that damn black hole...

Ok, so here's the situation:

rent due on Tuesday - £550
Available money in bank - £498 (including overdraft)
Tax credits due Tues, but have no idea how much. Apparently reducing to allow for my JSA, but they aren't paying that yet as they are slow processing claims. Which sucks.
I've got about £28 on Paypal, but can't get that in time.
Got £36 in my purse.
Taking some kitchen scales back to Tesco tomorrow, which will give me another £10.
Not sure, as online banking hasn't updated, but I might have been going overdrawn in my main account tomorrow, so will have to juggle that to avoid charges.
All of my new claims are on 'hold' while they investigate the fact my name is on my old house still. Can't believe XOH is STILL managing to mess up my life :mad:

I've just called the bank and cancelled all of my direct debits except the rent, and recalled the 2 that were due to go tomorrow.

No idea what else to do. Scared, and starting to think this is it. All the juggling and hard work I put in to staying afloat last year, and now I'm going under.

So, this is me. Alone, no job, no money. No future?
Times like this I really could do with somebody to share the burden a bit. Not that the ex actually did that.

I'll update tomorrow with all the correct figures.

girlatplay

Aww minniepoos, don't give up. Keep fighting, do it for DD if nothing else. I have been in a very similar situation to you and I wanted to give up but I didn't, I struggled on for Little Miss Gap and now, four years later, things are much better. Not perfect yet but getting there. If you think positive thoughts then positive things happen. I laughed when someone told me that four years ago and I just wanted to punch them but I now know it does help. I'm sorry I can't give you any proper help but it will get better. I went into arrears with my rent and council tax and I got into trouble with both but it eventually got sorted out and things are definitely on the up. It all works out in the end. I just look at my beautiful DD and thank my lucky stars that I have her. She doesn't even know how much she has helped me just by being her.

I am going to subscribe to your diary and follow your progress. Hope that is okay.

(((hugs)))

Gap x

*subscribes*

cococoladebt

Hi,

Keep in there and keep fighting.

I have also subscribed.

minniepoos_2

Thanks ever so much guys. So nice to know I'm not completely alone.

I can't actually update my figures that much. My account says I have -£48 (overdraft of £100), but only £9 available balance. I'd hoped whatever it was would show up by now, but still nothing.
I took the scales back to Tesco, so they put a tenner back in my account.

Hopefully - and this is my pathetic plan - the rent will go out, and I'll get a text message alert saying I need to get money in by whenever to avoid
charges. That was I'll have time to transfer the tax credits (if they appear) to the right account, or to nip to town to pay in the £36 from my purse. But lame, I know....

Got my housing benefit & council tax benefit letter today. I think you need a degree in talking in riddles to understand the damn thing. I'll have another read through tomorrow, but basically it seems I am only entitles to £90 per week housing benefit, and only about £12 c.tax ben a week - due to my income!!!!!!!!!:mad: What income? They are basing it on my old tax credits on top of my JSA. I explained that the tax credits are being reduced to allow for the JSA but because I don't have it in writing yet they're giving me less. So I'm already behind with my council tax and the year's only just started. I just don't understand the mentality behind it.

When I signed on on Friday, I was told I had been posted out a letter the day before with a load of questions about my old house, and I've still not received it. I phoned them up to see if I could answer the questions over the phone - just to speed up me getting my money, but apparently it HAS to be in writing. But why can't they post it out a bit quicker??? Don't they realise I NEED the money?

When I moved in, I let scottish power know, and they agreed I needed to pay £36 each month for gas, which I have been doing. Today, I got a quarterly bill through, for £358 payable now. What's that all about? I really need to phone them, but I'm struggling to keep focused on things. I'm seeing my doctor on friday. Think I might be going back on tablets. Feel I need them now.

Tried to call the water company today to let the, know I moved out of the old place ages ago, but no matter what options I pressed I couldn't speak to a real person. So I gave up. I spend far too much time talking to myself - I don't want to start doing it on the phone too. I'll try again another time.

I really must try to phone vodafone tomorrow, to see when my contract is up. I'm sure it's next month. I want to get off vodafone as soon as I can - it's expensive and I get hardly any signal. So I'm literally paying for nothing. I'm going to move over to GiffGaff - I'll save so much money that way.

So much to do and so little enthusiasm to do any of it. I know it all needs to be done, but I'm really struggling with the actual 'doing'.

I've got an interview on wednesday. Finally - some nice news. It's only for a temp job, but I'll take anything.

I'm running on because I know if I go to bed I'll lay there stressing about the rent. Even if I manage to get it paid on time, there'll be the steady stream of letters asking why the direct debits were cancelled, and demanding payment. I know I should just take one step at a time, but I hate there being a never-ending line of problems waiting for me. As soon as I get past one, the next is gonna jump out at me.

I just wish the end was in sight - even if it was still miles away it would help to know it's out there in the distance. But I don't think it is. Not yet.

girlatplay

I don't think your rent plan is pathetic or lame. We do what we need to do to survive and that is the kind of thing I did when things were bad.

I can't confirm this for definite but the chances are that they will back-date the HB & CB once you have confirmation. I can't remember exactly what happened with me (once you get a few years down the line you forget stuff when you are trying to put it behind you and you will get to that point ) You won't get kicked out for being late with a couple of payments. There is a legal process they have to go through before they can get to that.

Talk openly to your Dr and do what they tell you. If they think you should go back on the tablets, do it.

Definitely call ScottishPower because it could be that they have sent you an estimated bill. You need to give them meter readings so that they can give you an actual bill.

Sometimes I find that if I call somewhere with options to press and I can't get anyone, I just don't press anything and I often get through to someone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but worth a try.

Call Vodafone and get a date for end of contract. You can put it on your calendar and look forward to that date and you won't be sitting wondering anymore.

Good luck for the interview :T Temp is better than nothing.

You know yourself it is one step at a time. There is an end. It is out there. I know you can't see it yet but it is there, you just have to get round the corner of the tunnel to be able to see the pinprick of light.:D

Keep your chin up I promise it will get better eventually even if it takes a long time. Believe me, I know

Gap x

minniepoos_2

Not sure where I am right now. More bills unpaid than paid.
Not a lot of sleeping going on.
Not got the concentration to fill in all the forms I'm supposed to.
Or to work out what to do first - which bills to pay.
Not that there's any money to pay any bills.
We go on holiday in 9 days. We don't have any spending money to take with us. But it's all inclusive, so I guess we just won't leave the resort.
Just hope I can afford the petrol to get us to the airport.
I think I'm going under. And it's almost a relief.
I just hope I can stay in this house. DD loves it. It feels like home - and the place we were for the last 6 years never felt like that.
I actually got that temporary job. But within a week it went from full time to part time. Better than nothing, but not enough. Still looking for more, but struggling with my concentration so much - application forms are so hard right now.
Just want someone to talk to about everything. Someone special to hold me and look after me a little. It's just too hard. I can't do it any more.

minniepoos_2

Well, I'm still here.

I should have posted earlier, but I've been trying to get my head around everything.

Since my husband left, I've had to focus on the bigger picture to get myself through. I had to focus on future things - plans DD & I had without him. It helped stop me dwelling on all the rubbish we had to get through. I was trying to do the same with my money worries, and I've realised that I can't. It doesn't help at all. I'm still working random part-time hours, and my tax credits etc seem to change every week, so I think for now I have to focus on 'right now'. If I have a direct debit going out, then I worry about it until it's gone. Or if a red bill needs paying before they send in the collections people, I focus on that. I know it seems a rubbish way of doing it, and to be honest I wish it was different, but for now it stops me going mad. A bit, anyway.

So, here's where I am now:

I've STILL not received the JSA for my claim which I started on 18th April. Everything I send them they lose. I've filled in the form about the house I still part own for the 3rd time, and I'm going in to the jobcentre on Monday to make them fax it to the right place. Even if they finally get it there could still be a delay, if they decide to value the old house. And if they do, it's probably going to be worth lots more than I've said as the ex has done loads of work in it to impress his skanky gf. But I'm thinking about the right now, so I'll stress about that if it happens.

Tax credits - I'm only getting £54 a week. Which is not enough.

Work - I'm working around 2 days a week, and getting £7 per hour (and I found out that the company are paying the agency £12 per hour!). So I'm getting around £105 per week. Sometimes they tax me, sometimes they don't. Don't really understand it to be honest.

Housing benefit - haven't got a flipping clue. I get letters telling me I'm getting some, then get la letter telling me I don't qualify. It's late now, but I'll try to suss it out tomorrow afternoon.

Rent - paid it late this month. It's £550, and I had to borrow £300 off of my dad. He needs it back asap though, and I'm not sure a) how I can pay him back, and b) how I can pay rent next month. But once I've sussed out the housing benefit I'll know more.

My vodafone contract ends at the end of this month, so I'll go from £30 per month to £10 with Giffgaff.

The holiday was excellent. We spent barely anything and had an amazing time. And on the 3rd day I actually felt myself relax - it felt so strange. It'd been a long time. Unfortunately I feel just as tense now as I did before, but those few days were amazing.

I want to post a SOA but until all my benefits get sorted it seems so futile.

My car insurance expires at the start of July. I've got some excellent quotes so Monday I'll phone AXA and see why they aren't rewarding my loyalty, then as soon as I can afford the first payment I'll organise the switch.

Anglian Water are weighing on my mind somewhat. I never signed up for direct debits for them, so I'm heading towards a 6 monthly bill. Not sure what I'll do when that happens, but I can't afford to start a direct debit now anyway, so there's nothing I can do.

I haven't given DD pocket money in about 5 months. And I owe her £160 not including pocket money. She's very good about not reminding me much though.

And I had to borrow £60 from my brother to cover the fee for my new tenancy agreement.

I'm kinda exhausted from all this focusing on stuff. so I'll try to post again tomorrow. I'm, going to try to post regularly - to keep myself on track. Don't know how it'll pan out, but I'll give it a go.