My girlfriend's SOA

cassidy0111

BeautyandtheBeast wrote: »

how about getting the train to the midlands rather than driving - would that be cheaper?
She could do tutoring on the side to get some extra cash depending on what she subject she teaches. What does she teach and is she an NQT?

I am not really sure about English salary scale, but as a Scottish teacher, this is very similiar salary to my newly qualified salary. I hope she is due a pay increment increase in the new term.

MattSS

She travels back for the weekend to see me. Not putting a stop to that! (Perhaps she'd welcome that idea more than any others actually!)

She's early teaching career too so low salary but says her wages have fluctuated a bit on her last few paycheques so we used the lowest recent figure for safety.

I go back to elsiepac's escellent point though that it really is about that spending diary and figuring out more precise spending figures.


What does everyone think of using the £1000 savings to pay off a chunk before BTing. I'm in two minds, wouldn't this as a safety net be useful?

Thanks once agian to all that are helping us.

kazwookie

Maybe move nearer you and family in a similar job role would cut some of the expense down, has hse had a look at the local job market?.

paul_62

What do you think about if you wait until Oct how about writing to the credit card company saying you are struggling to make the payments then make them an offer, could wipe out all her savings but possibly reduce the amount - a little cheeky!

BeautyandtheBeast_3

MattSS wrote: »

She travels back for the weekend to see me. Not putting a stop to that! (Perhaps she'd welcome that idea more than any others actually!)

She's early teaching career too so low salary but says her wages have fluctuated a bit on her last few paycheques so we used the lowest recent figure for safety.

I go back to elsiepac's escellent point though that it really is about that spending diary and figuring out more precise spending figures.


What does everyone think of using the £1000 savings to pay off a chunk before BTing. I'm in two minds, wouldn't this as a safety net be useful?

Thanks once agian to all that are helping us.

Why are her wages fluctuating? if she is an NQT then they should not fluctuate. As she is teaching in Surrey then she will get a pay increase in september paycheck. If she looks at NUT website it will tell her how much her salary will rise to in September. This is assuming she is not a supply teacher but a full teacher permanent teacher.

Firewalker

Does your GF really have £1000? If the answer is yes and in light of the interest on the CC going very sharply up after October I would:

1) pay £1,000 off immediately
2) pay the £350 x 4 (£1,400) off (this is July till October)
3) in August bring the petrol down to £30 (cycle, walk and no driving to work)
4) will buy no presents during the four months
5) will skip the entertainment for four months

This means that by tweaking things she can pay all that is on th CC; in fact this is £10 more than her 0percent balance. The programme needs discipline and motivation but it is short and focused. GF could also get a job for seven weeks or even look for work (tutoring, marking, day jobs).

Hope this helps.

Firewalker

shop-to-drop

Are you in a position to share the petrol costs for her to come to see you every weekend?

climbgirl

I would use the £1000 to pay off the credit card debt - you can always use the credit card again in a true emergency if you absolutely have to. Either that or keep £200 as a small buffer.

Definitely get onto that spending diary though - they are very illuminating as to where the money really goes!

bouncydog1

paul_62 wrote: »

What do you think about if you wait until Oct how about writing to the credit card company saying you are struggling to make the payments then make them an offer, could wipe out all her savings but possibly reduce the amount - a little cheeky!

What a silly idea - she will trash her credit rating and all that will happen is that she will be asked to provide a statement of income and outgoings, from which they will see she can afford the payments.

OP - please don't go down this route!

elsiepac

MattSS wrote: »

She travels back for the weekend to see me. Not putting a stop to that! (Perhaps she'd welcome that idea more than any others actually!)

She's early teaching career too so low salary but says her wages have fluctuated a bit on her last few paycheques so we used the lowest recent figure for safety.

I go back to elsiepac's escellent point though that it really is about that spending diary and figuring out more precise spending figures.


What does everyone think of using the £1000 savings to pay off a chunk before BTing. I'm in two minds, wouldn't this as a safety net be useful?

Thanks once agian to all that are helping us.

Hiya

My advice is to save £100 (or £200 as another poster said, but I can't see the need for this) and use the rest to chuck at the CC.

Are you going to try my suggestion at her next pay day? Hold back £250 or even £350 and see if she sticks to that budget?

Key thing to remember is that a budget is only useful if you stick to it. If figures are unrealistic, you won't stick to it, and you'll spend more on top as you've already had to dip into that emergency pot/savings/holiday fund etc - once one tenner's gone, what's another, and another, andbefore you know it, emergency pot gone. I would strongly suggest, as I said before, a month of sticking to that budget, and you having the surplus will force her to (in a way...at least the money is still accessible if she gets stuck). Spending diary while on budget will certainly show the leaks and you can identify either A. how to stop them, or B. a more effective way of paying for them, by budgeting, planning etc. For example, if she was a smoker and was consistently buying a pack of ten here and there and not budgeting, it would be better (if she couldn't quit!) to buy in packs of 100 as there is a good few pounds saving there. Many other examples out there!

LC