I worked some sums out

ceejaydee23

From my calculations, paying £15 (£10 a week of that is technically housing benefit that is being paid as we are currently paying a few pence over what full weekly rent would be) off a week from my Rent arrears i should be all paid up in 20 weeks time, I will then add that to what i hope the council will agree to with regards to my council tax arrears.

If at the end of next month I should be only £397.41 in arrears with my council Tax. (unless we have another lump sum we can pay off at the end of march) If The council agree to me spreading my 2011/12 payments over the 12 months, and then paying £5 a week towards the outstanding until (20 weeks time when i can increase it to £20 a week) Then we can be free of both arrears by end of October at the earliest! (I just hope the council tax payments like this will be excepted) But i have a feeling the start figure they are more likely to accept is £10 a week, which if thats the case then both could be paid within 26 weeks! (I'll be talking to my other half tonight! showing him my sums!)

Byatt

Good luck ceejay! It's exciting isn't it when the prospect of paying something off is in a few months time. I think I've paid off my arrears as when I phoned the council this morning to ask if they would be taking a payment in March, they said I was all paid up! So I have something to put towards my other debt.

xx

ceejaydee23

WELL DONE Byatt! I spoke to my other half tonight, and when i told him if we paid just £5 more a week towards CT arrears he said go for it! as he is hoping to do an extra hours overtime each night (doesnt sound much but at 12.30 an hour over the month it works out a little chunk, especially if he does 4 hours on a saturday too) We are now both sooo determined and up for getting these debts out the way, its kind of therapeutic knowing things are more in control now!

Byatt

Well done too! That's great. And I agree, it is therapeutic when things are more in control. For a long time I had resigned myself to always being in debt and it was a kind of "learned helplessness", but since my LBM and coming on here, I do feel in control for the first time in many years.

xxx

ceejaydee23

I mean before we were "coping" muddling along, But not getting anywhere fast! The big learning curve for me, is using cash and staying away from the debit card! and making that budget and sticking to it, its all very well having one on paper, but its no good if your not applying the theory into practice!

Byatt

That's a good reminder about using cash. I'm still finding it hard to remember this, although I hope to be better organised when March comes along. I check my bank account every day on line now. Before, I became so stressed I'd leave it for weeks.

ceejaydee23

Byatt, actually seeing the cash disappear from your purse/wallet is a big incentive to be a bit more careful and realise its not a never ending pot! I could probably still do with doing a spending diary as i know i still spend on rubbish, i mean things like choccy and crisps, sweeties, BUT on the whole i tend to only get them if i can find them at a reduced price anyway (I sooo love shops like home bargains and £land) which i can go in for something specific and come out having spent a few more quid then planned!