Evans DFW Diary - Flybabies in every way!!

~evanesco~

Thanks Blue,

It is all about being disciplined and organised isn't it. It's being strict with yourself, and not aspiring to have things you really cannot afford, like the £50 coffee maker that I can't afford to buy coffee to put in it!!

Having the AO resovled helped infinately, before that I wouldn't have been bothered as that was going to take me 40 years to pay back at £10 a month!! Super judge wrote the whole lot off and gave me astern talking to regarding not getting into debt again. I'm sure he could tell from my guilty face that I already was.

To be quite honest these are joint debts with a new partner, we had alot of trouble financially when we first moved in together, trouble with tax credits and benefits not being worked out properly, job losses and lost benefits claims. Now it's all sorted it's time we were too!!

Evans. xox

~evanesco~

Update...

Yesterday I drew up a monthly budget for the whole of December. I forcast everything I expected in income, and outgoings, including an extra £150 to pay off CC, which I didn't intend to start my DFW plan until after Xmas. But after budgeting, I discovered I had some spare!! I'll wait until the end of the month, just to check it is spare though!! I'm new to this so there may be something I've forgotten. I also included saving allownaces, and a pocket money amount. I don't normally do these at all.

I'll let you know at the end of the month how it went.

Evans. xox

~evanesco~

Somehow we have managed to increase our debt. Well not 'somehow' more that we did some overspending. The december budget went to pot!! January one is all ready, we're going to have to stick to it as we've taken a reduction in housing benefit due to overtime, but the wages won't be paid until the end of the month.

On about work, I think I may be in for a very stern warning. I didn't go in today, I drank too much last night and overslept. Anyways, onwards and upwards.

Evans. xox

~evanesco~

Bah!!!

We had a review of our benefit situation, and we've been being overpaid. I should have noticed this sooner to be honest, but what's done is done. :rolleyes: Fortunately the council reduce payments by £8.70 p/w to reclaim the overpaid benefit. However, we now have a whacking great council tax bill to pay. And an extremely tight budget. There's no room to save for emergancies, clothes, birthdays etc, so the first few months of 2007 are going to be really hard for us. So, a couple of our debts are really small and will be paid of by March. What I intend to do is continue to pay the council tax at the rate I am now (£50 p/m). Then in March I can throw the spare money at the council tax (since there is only enough money in our budget to cover living costs and minimum payments), I see this as my priority debt right now. Is this the right thing to do. It's £450 odd at the minute. Then I'll have to redo our budget in March to account for the new council tax which will have gone up. Grrrr!!! I thought we was all sorted. I could redo our SOA, but TBH I really know there isn't anything to budge on. If anyone thinks it'll help then say.

Evans. xox

~evanesco~

*Shameless bump*:D

~evanesco~

*Again!*:D

CLAPTON

it would be better if you posted a full and detailed SoA including all the debts, APRs, minimum payments all in one post.

have you stopped using the strore cards completely now?

~evanesco~

Not using Store Cards, we did use the CC over Xmas, we knew we would though. Anyways....

Income

My Wages 497.55 (Sometimes more, shouldn't really be less)
C/B + Maintenance 196.60 (Go up a wee bit in April)
My Tax Credits 278.76 (Will go done in April, due to next years predicted anuall in come)
OH's Tax Credits 302.68 (As above)
Housing Benefit 108.52 (We're not actually receiving this full amount, due to overpayments as previously mentioned)

Total 1384.11

Household Outgoings

Rent 340.00
Coucil Tax 50.00 (Will rise in April, due to underpayments this year and next years bill)
Water 36.68
TV Licence 10.95
Gas 15.00 (This is the cheapest, again, we're on underpayments, there is actually about £70 outstanding)
Electric 10.00 (This is in credit by about £20)
Ntl 48.49 (This is the cheapest, we're on a 12 month contract, we've got Broadband, basic NTL TV pack, and talk unlimited, due to the bill being quite high)
Mobiles 40.00 (Contracts, got them both reduced today, this is the cheapest for the way we use our mobiles, it's for 2 of them)
Grocery 349.48 (For 2 adults, 2 children, including household products, not just food)
Weekly Allowance 80.00 (For, well, stuff really, this is the alllowance I've given that things we buy can be accounted for via a spending diary, plan was to withdraw the whole amount on the first of the month, then use as and when. However, we know what we're like so it's staying in the bank and will be used as needed)

Total £980.60

Debts

N Lincs Council 0.00% £130.00 £40.00
Ann Summers 0.00% £130.00 £40.00
Shell's Next 26.49% £892.79 £85.00 (10% of balance)
Littlewoods 29.90% £688.53 £34.00 (percentage of balance varies, some items aren't on APR)
New Look 27.90% £121.69 £5 (5% of balance)
G E Money 27.90% £29.76 £5 (5% of balance)
My Next 26.49% £515.38 £50.00 (10% of balance)
Vanquis 34.08% £395.36 £20.00 (5% of balance)
OH's Loan 15.90% £894.49 £30.95 (fixed)
Provident 0.00% £52.50 £30.00 (interest already charged, so this one won't increase)
Capital One 34.08% £495.62 £25.00 (5% of balance)
Shell's Mum 0.00% £900.00
Dad 0.00% £300.00

Total £5550.50 £324.95

Available £78.65

The Council tax bill is outstanding by £454.95, or something very similar, can't be bothered to go dig the bleeping thing out, since it's being recalculated again at the mintue, which may mean we owe a bit more, or a bit less, and may mean changes to our Housing Benefit!!

So, in theory, at the end of January we can throw an extra £78.65 at the council tax. Then at the end of February we will have an extra £86.60 to throw at it. Then at the end of March we'll have £196.06. I think, that pays it off!!

Hehe, only by sitting here and redoing my SOA have I realised we can pay it off by the beginning of the new tax year!!

Thanks,

Evans. xox

Edited to add: Sorry about the spacing, I can't figure out how to make it clearer.

liuhut

Your NTL for £48. is that for the 3 for £30 thing?? I rang them the other day to cancel my TV off and the guy said that I could have it for free so I have now got 3 for £19.50. Might be worth a go

Storm

If you're on Housing Benefit aren't you entitled to Council Tax credit too?

Check out https://www.entitledto.co.uk to see if you're claiming everything you can

You said before that you can't get a CC because of your credit history - but could your partner get one to transfer the high interest balances to?