DreamerHelen's New Diary - "Ad Astra per Aspera"

crimson.addict

thats better. does that include your mum and monthly payments and stuff too?

DreamerHelen

crimson.addict wrote: »

thats better. does that include your mum and monthly payments and stuff too?

Yes, if I save up across the Month rather than saying "Well this Week I've got to pay £51 for EDF"....I'll be saying "Well I've got another 4 weeks before I have to pay so I'll save so much per Week"...If that makes sense...

It DOES include Payments to Mum (in fact I only HAVE to pay £15 per Week to Mum but I'd like to pay £25 if I can to pay it off quicker) Plus the £65 Loan that she took out for me...Plus Rent....It covers ALL of that...Plus Therapy and Food and Oyster Card....

So it's good....Feels MUCH more manageable than trying to earn £890 a Week which is pretty much impossible.

And don't forget that I will also have the Text Chat as EXTRA money...AND my Tax Credits every Week....So I think I'm in a better position now....

Mara_uk7

Makes sense, At least the end is in sight for some of the debts now, Just dont do anything daft like take out another pd loan or Ill be on the first flight to Heathrow to give you such a spanking ! lol

DreamerHelen

Mara_uk7 wrote: »

Makes sense, At least the end is in sight for some of the debts now, Just dont do anything daft like take out another pd loan or Ill be on the first flight to Heathrow to give you such a spanking ! lol

Don't do that....I might enjoy it :rotfl: LoL

Seriously though...I will NOT take out another PayDay Loan under ANY circumstances....I just won't....

I haven't included my Tax Credits in the money that I'm earning....so I can use that as Fritter Fund and to buy top up Food and anything else....Which will help....

Thank You for your Support hun xXx

Shovel_Lad

Does that include money to Capquest, Arrow Global, CDCS and Bryan Carter which you owe a total of £24700 to?

What about tax and NI? If you are earning £500 every week you will be paying tax and NI and need to include it in your budget. You also won't be able to claim any tax credits. You will need to bear this is mind as you may end up with an over payment for this year.

DreamerHelen

Hi Shovel Lad....It's everything....So I'm really pleased that they accepted really low offers....and when I'm earning a lot more once I'm qualified I can up it....

I'll have to Work out Tax and NI...NI I already will be paying from August....and Tax I'm not sure I will have to pay as there are various expenses that can be offset....so I'll have to Work it out....

But, feeling much more Positive....

Shovel_Lad

DreamerHelen wrote: »

Hi Shovel Lad - They offered me an IVA....and I have heard really bad things about them and about the repercussions of them....Very similar to being Bankrupt and I don't like the idea of that!!

Anyway....I have contacted my Creditors and made the arrangements which gives me a little breathing room and means I am still paying them back - It will still take time and I won't be Debt Free anytime soon...but at least the Payments are manageable now rather than £50 a Week each which is just not feasible when you have several Creditors!!

So that's where I'm at right now....

So the professionals have recommended a IVA and you are ignoring them because you have heard "really bad things about them"?
What have you heard? Have you told StepChange about your worries?
They are the experts - they know everything there is to know about debt and paying it back. You don't - you know about hiding from your debts and pretending everything will be OK.

I was very pleased this morning to see that you were going to contact StepChange. Not for me. It makes no difference to my life what you do with yours. I just hate to see someone constantly sabotaging themselves.

I understand that an IVA may seem like a scary concept. Nobody would ever say otherwise, certainly not me. It's a huge decision to make. You don't have to sign up for one this minute. Talk to StepChange again, tell them what you are worried about. Ask on the IVA board here on MSE about it and get some real life experiences of it.

If you really can pay all your current expenses and debts based on an income of "about" £500 a week that is fine if you want to continue to work 95+ hours each and every week.
Do you?
How can you fit in your course, placement around that? Sleep? Never mind having any kind of life.

You finish your course in November 2014. Even if you walk into a well paying psychotherapist job the day after you finish that is 16 months of working 95+ hours a week. Every week. No days off. No holiday's.

I am not getting at you. I think there are very few people who could do that. I couldn't. I have worked those hours but not for anywhere close to 16 months. You are not failing because you can't either.

The question I think you need to answer is "If I follow this plan to work 95+ hours per week every single week where will I be in 12 months?"

Please reconsider what StepChange have said.

If you don't want me to post workable solutions on here anymore then I won't.

DreamerHelen

Hi Shovel Lad....I'm happy for you to continue to Post your thoughts....But please accept it when I say that I want to try it my way first....I have contacted my Creditors, reduced the amounts that I'm paying (which incidentally is LESS than what Step Change want for an IVA) and feel that I CAN do it....

It won't be easy and I accept that....

You might not like it but those are my thoughts and that's what I would like to do....I feel that I have turned my Work-Life around and I will continue to do so....I'm managing to have some Downtime every Week and I will get there....

PestoPasta

Hi Helen, how is it going today?? I have been out all day working, and so not been able to log in.

You plan sounds good. It is your life and ultimately up to you how you go about paying off your debts. I guess as long as you earn enough to make the payments, and the debt is going down, then that is all good. The only thing is, do you think you will be able to earn £500 when back at college?? I guess the text chat will help. Look again at the mystery shopping thread to boost the coffers.

I do think that you have turned a corner and started to take responsibility for your life and money. And I think it helps you to have a team of supporters in the background 'cheering' you on. If that works for you then why not?

Have the phones been busy for you today??

DreamerHelen

Hi Pesto....Thanks for checking in on me....

I haven't worked much today as we have had bad news about my Grandad....He has a Brain Tumour and we're not sure until tomorrow what will happen....so today has been full of Phone Calls and trying to calm down my Dad....He's finally settled somewhat so I'm starting Work at 8pm....

Have earned £44 so far this Week....not great but tonight hopefully will be busy...

And yes, I DO think I should be able to still earn £500 in a Week when I'm at College as I have been scheduling in some Downtime every week over the past couple of Weeks and College would count as Downtime....

I'm pleased with how things have Worked out with regards to my Debt....And feel proud with how I have handled things today...

I HAVE turned a corner...and I'm really pleased with that...

Off to have something to eat...See you all at 8pm for the Night Shift...xXx