Need some guidance on what to do next...

lvm

I have no idea about benefits or anything but have you checked to see if you're entitle to housing benefit because you're on a low income? I'm not sure they would be happy about you basically renting a room from a relative but I suppose it might be worth a try!

linz

Why not browse around this site and print off all the restaurant/meal/drinks vouchers for when you eat out with your girlfriend? Loads of places are doing 2 for 1 meals/BOGOF's etc.

Also join Orange Wednesdays/Groupon/MycityDeals/KGB Deals and see what offers there are on there for your area for cheap entertainment. It needn't cost a fortune to spend time with your girlfriend. eg. I paid less than a tenner for an hour of pool and 4 bottles of beer at a London bar courtesy of a Groupon deal the other day. You may even think about staying in for a few weeks til you start to make a dent in your debts.

Good luck

theoretica

Cut down on Sky/broadband.
Take sandwiches where ever possible. £100 a month is a lot on eating out.
Sell everything you can on Ebay.

You are earning about £865 a month and spending £625 (without the suggested cuts). The remaining £240 a month + whatever you can earn on ebay should clear your debts in under a year. It is very important to pay something to each debt as they really don't like being ignored.

andrewlancelot

Thank you very much for all your advice, it's so much appreciated. I am looking at CCCA as a possible route for a DMP. I think if all interest and charges was frozen I could pay this off and be debt free in 12/18 months, would this be a good idea for my circumstances?

fatbelly

andrewlancelot wrote: »

Thank you very much for all your advice, it's so much appreciated. I am looking at CCCA as a possible route for a DMP. I think if all interest and charges was frozen I could pay this off and be debt free in 12/18 months, would this be a good idea for my circumstances?

Yes, it would, Andrew

It's CCCS, btw

I have sky with broadband and sky talk - just checked my latest bill. The tv is 24.50 and calls cost me 3.90 last month so 28.40 in total. Broadband is free but has a download limit. If I wanted to remove the limit, it's an extra £5.

You should check what you're paying for.

foxgloves

Agree with a lot of previous posts. You can save on food by taking packed lunch & avoiding eating out as much as possible. If you can't cook, learn! it saves a fortune and it will be cheaper to surprise your partner with a romantic homecooked meal than going out to eat at somewhere even quite run of the mill. £2200 of debt sounds horrendous but it isn't at a disastrous level yet. the key thing is that it doesn't get any bigger. You have learned the lesson where credit is concerned i.e Companies make it sound like they are giving you a service, but they are only interested in making money from you. That's an important lesson to have learned. It should mean that you now know that if buying a phone or whatever it is has to be on credit, on a loan or involves going into overdraft, then that's someone else's money & you can't afford it. If there are any non-essential gadgets you don't need, then put them on ebay or join in with your Dad & do a car boot, anything you raise to chuck at the debt is worth having. Sky bill is enormous. if it is for sport channels, you have to accept that unless you both earn more, this package is a luxury. We have phone, broadband & lots of channels for about £36. That's through Virgin but there are bound to be lower Sky packages than you are on. Food, bills & paying off debt are essentials. Sky is not. I hope you can turn this round. I first started getting into debt aged 19 & it lasted for 20 years!! Things only changed when I realised the truth about credit ALWAYS being someone else's money, but it sounds like you've realised that already which is a good start. Good luck!