Anyone fancy a mutual support partner?

JoJo_Sparkly

Hello Everyone

Haven't managed to get on here for a couple of days, been so busy with work and quite honestly felt a bit hopeless about the whole debt thing. Had to fix the fence this weekend and am desperately limping along with a broken TV - (not a huge problem for me, but devastating for my son), added to that I got another unsympathetic letter fom Abbey telling me to pay up the arrears on my account - just felt really fed up.

But back to positive self now - not going to feel sorry for myself any longer - time for action (Just like Fireman Sam!). So have sold more dvds on Ebay - that should help pay for a little TV. I've been in touch with CCCS about getting a new mortgage and they didn't seem too worried about me going ahead. I've called a mortgage broker to see what deals I can still access. I have about £30K equity in the house so I wondered about going for a bigger mortgage and clearing off a huge chunk of my debt and then seeing if I could go for a final settlement arrangement on each debt. That would see my DMP reduce from 28 years at least. Not sure if it's a possibility yet but at least I'm exploring my options.

I've done another couple of mystery shops which will means a little more money next month.

Sharon = What's the MSE Challenge and how are you doing ith it?

Tracey - I'm so impressed you've been cleaning - now that's something I'll never get under control. I've been doing the flylady thing but it's just too much with work as well - so I aim to get a washing load on each day, dress to shoes at the weekend and clear the kitchen (sink and all) everynight. The rest of the hot spots etc has to wait till the weekend. Hope it's working for you.

Shopaholic - how's the diet?

And Hypno - thanks for your positive words and putting things into perspective - got me back on track.

Jojo

bobbie78

hi jojo,

Have you checked free cycle in your local area to see if anyone might have a free telly you could have? otherwise you might be able to get one cheap from ebay.

Have you looked at the whatsthecost calculator? there is a section in this that shows you if you snowball your debts compared to adding them to your mortgage how much more money it will end up costing you in the long run by sticking it on your mortgage. Obviously you will have to way up what is best for your circumstances but it is quite scary how much it might end up costing you which could have been spent on a new car say.

I_was_a_fool

MSE Olympic Challenge

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=338896

Im going for bronze, target to raise £1007 extra (not usual income) by July, using ebay, amazon, pigsback, quidco, surveys etc. This week I made £56 (spent it, but it still counts!).

I have got £65 waiting in quidco for joining betting sites and putting on first bet, plus a couple of free bets to use with matched betting. So far have got to keep all my qualifying bets plus made £6 from matched betting (from a £10 free bet). Not very good but Im still picking it up & it is worth it for the quidco alone! Dont have any spare cash now to carry on the matched betting, will have to wait till payday. I have a free bet of 25 waiting, but need at least £25 to match it before I go ahead.

Difficult to explain matched betting, the aim is to get to keep as much as possible of the bookies free bets by making two bets that basically cancel each other out. It is explained as well as it can be on the gambling site threads.

Sharon

tinytot143

Hiya everyone,
I have been away for the last few days as it was my uncles funeral in cambridge, but managed not to spend a thing. Mum paid for the room, gran paid for the food, and my cuz took me out for a few drinks and he paid. But I came home with a bang as our side fence has all been blown down, our back fence is half blown down and the shed roof blown off again!!!! and then the fence between the house's has come down too but that is a council fence so ok!!!!

Dog in vets again with his cruciate ligament on his back leg(Thank god for the pet insurance).

just phoned insurance company and they have said that they will cover the shed and the roof from the week before but not the fence!!!

JoJo_Sparkly

Hi Tracey

I'm with you on the fence. Had mine blown down when my lovely big tree hit it last Thursday. Amazingly my ex husband came round and fixed it last Saturday so I was quite relieved. But Thursday's storms brougt the whole thing crashing down again. So builders coming round tomorrow to do it properly - I reckon it will cost about £100, so all I've made of Ebay in last few weeks is now going towards the patch up. One step forward two steps back!!

Hope the dog's OK

Jojo

JoJo_Sparkly

Hi Chums
How are we all doing?
Jojo

hypno06

Hi JoJo,

Well, all my good work with my grocery challene came to an end today. DD is ill - she has not eaten now for the best part of a month and is basically exhausted. Took her to the emergency doctor today who said that she simply has to eat small amounts of high sugar food to get her used to it again, so I took her to Tesco and basically said "anything that takes your fancy, put it in the trolley"

I spent as much today on "stuff" - nothing for meals or general housekeeping, as I have done for the rest of the week. I felt awful because when I was told the total of the shopping, I felt as though I begrudged it, but I know that it will be worth it if DD eats and gets better. At the moment she doesn't have the energy for school, so I have to get her sorted.

Still ebaying like mad. I have challenged myself to be able to clear DH's Egg card this year just from ebay and the like. (about £4k)

Have the phone calls etc settled down now, allowing you to get on with life?

JoJo_Sparkly

Oh Hypno, I'm so sorry to hear about your DD, sounds really stressful for you. At least she was willing to consider food and showed willing choose bits that took her fancy.- what a nightmare, and I know you felt bad at the bill but its money well spent if it gets her back to eating.

That's a big target you've set yourself on the ebay bits - I'm deeply impressed. I've had a few bits on over the last week - but my DD is just moving up to the next size clothes so I'm ploughing most of it straight back into buying clothes for her. Still at least its not an expensive trip out to Next, Gap etc. (You see no matter how hard I try I can't stop myself wanting the nice bits!!)

The phone calls have stopped but still getting the odd nasty letter - got 3 CCs who haven't acknowledged the DMP at all and are sending me the "you've missed another payment" letters. Of the rest, most have now agreed the payment schedule - One has refused and 3 are still charging me interest. I'm also exploring the possibility of a remorgage which will help me with the scary mortgage payments - my fixed term ends next month and the new payment has gone up by £300. If I took out more, I could pay off a huge chunk of the debt and lower my monthly fee if I get the right deal. And I figure as I'm still on early days with the DMP I still have a reasonable credit rating. If I can get the right deal I might be able to pay off some debts and then make larger payments on others to stop hitting defaults etc. I know its more when you snowball - but somehow it feels like a better option - I don't know why maybe I'm just kidding myself.
I don't see the mortgage in the same terms as my other debts, and I'm fortunate enough to live in an area that is very popular and so house prices are still rising steadily so I'm fairly confident if I go for another fixed term deal for a couple of years I could then look at clearing any remainder debts with the growing equity. (I don' know if any of that made sense or not!) just can't bare the thought of the DMP lasting 17 years!!!

Anyway another Monday is almost upon us and I 'm almost at payday without going in the red- got £15.62 to last me till Thursday and am due some Mystery Shopping fees so hopefully tehre's a light on down this very long tunnel.

Big hugs to you for DD - pop a couple of creme eggs in her pockets for breakfast!

Jojo

Poppy39_2

Hi everyone

This is my first post on this site. I've read just about all this thread and one minute I'm feeling positive and wanting to sort out my money problems, but the next I'm thinking 'No chance, there's too much!' I've done a mental calculation and I (we) owe over £60k in loans and credit cards

I haven't written everything down properly as it's been too scary. But now, after reading lots on this site, I realise things have just got to change. By posting this I'm hoping I'll feel compelled to definitely sort things out....

So, is it ok if I join the club in advance?! I'll make a pact with you and myself to get all my debts listed tomorrow with some sort of payment schedule. I'm going to try to sort it myself as the CCCS website said they couldn't help til our income increase. (As we're both self employed it was difficult to say what we get each month so I put down a min figure, which wasn't enough.)

I'm quite scared about phoning the creditors though.

I shall get back to you tomorrow evening with the bad news

Px

tinytot143

Hope everyone has had a good weekend.
We have had some good news 'I am pregnant', not so good on the saving money side but ha at the moment I am on cloud nine:D

Sorted the shed roof out for a little while and will have to wait until insurance claim goes through or weather a bit better so we can replace it totally.

Roof is still leaking but not too bad same, will wait for insurance claim to go through.

I am hoping that I get the nest bug again as our house will be spot lesss and I will be on top form for the flylady challege.
Just ebaed some more stuff so hopefully some more cash will be rolling in soon

Love

Tracey x x x:p