New member...long post

Janey51

Hi mojo

I think your light bulb needs to be a long life one like mine as our debt free date is 61 yrs away:eek:

Good news for me is that hopefully things will soon be better and I have learnt so much from MSE over the past year that I could hug everyone:A

Good luck and it will get better. I am amazed that you are managing to study and hold down a job when everything is so difficult for you at the moment.

mojo-jojo_2

I can't beleive how quickly people are replying, I am overwhelmed!

All I can say is thankyou, I so wish I had found this site a long time ago!

Can someone enlighten me as to what the coin savers clubs are? and what is quidco? Still haven't found my way round the site yet

Jo

lynzpower

coin savers are what they are on the tin. Some people save every £2 coin they get, and use for whatever, treats, debt repayment, a holiday, xmas - if it suits you join in . However, in london I seem to get most of my change in £2 coins so I cant join in ( ie th eother day I got 5 which is half my shopping budget so i didnt bother!)

quidco is a cash back site. there are however, lots of things on there that you get paid for and it costs you nothing, like7.50 for taking out a free dvd trial. Do have a very good nose on there and read through the FAQas. its strightforward. And if you have to buy anything ( eg Xmas/bday presents) go through them & get cash back - the cash drops into your bank account a good while later.

Hope tis helps

lynzpower

sorry its https://www.quidco.com

crocker

Hi mo jo,

Sorry to hear your in a quandri.

My suggestion may sound an option but it rather depends on a bit of luck
Google Wi Fi

My university son bought a devise from linkseys for £20 than can be fitted into his aged PC and it enables him to pick up shared wireless signals and get on the net etc for free.Nearly all new laptops have this feature built in.If you are lucky your neigbour might have converted to WI FI which is becoming very fashionable as it does away with wires from pc to printer etc.This message is sent via neighbours wi fi and costs me nothing.I have "invested further by constructing home made aerials from old coax cable.I have to buy some small fittings.




I would readily agree if you replied saying I have to spend money to save money but my suggestion is meant to be of assistance.

I hope also you read all the money off coupon sites MSE excellently provide.

moonlightpjs

Hi, well done for posting - I can relate to your "health" problems as I am much the same and coming on here has helped me a lot, it takes a lot of guts to post when you are feeling like you are so you should be proud of yourself.

Also, well done for keeping working - I wish I could do it but the thought of it fills me with dread - our problems wouldn't be half as bad if I could work so you really are a star! Just make sure you are getting the right support from your GP etc.

As for the finances, well there people a lot more experienced than me as I'm still learning so I'll leave it to them to help you out in that way.

Just wanted to say hi, welcome and well done!!!

Oh, and to send you a big hug!:grouphug:

Vickicb

crocker wrote:

Hi mo jo,

Sorry to hear your in a quandri.

My suggestion may sound an option but it rather depends on a bit of luck
Google Wi Fi

My university son bought a devise from linkseys for £20 than can be fitted into his aged PC and it enables him to pick up shared wireless signals and get on the net etc for free.Nearly all new laptops have this feature built in.If you are lucky your neigbour might have converted to WI FI which is becoming very fashionable as it does away with wires from pc to printer etc.This message is sent via neighbours wi fi and costs me nothing.

Crocker, does your neighbour know you're using his WiFi? If not, I *think* I read somewhere that it's illegal. Could be wrong though! I personally think it's immoral if they are paying out for their connection and you're piggy-backing it for free (and possibly slowing down their access). Make sure you don't download any illegal music or films (or anything else dodgy ) as they could get into trouble if their ISP does a spot check (in my local paper recently a Dad got a £2K fine for the music his kids had downloaded illegally).

mojo-jojo_2

Hi, its been a while, so I thought I might add an update to my original SOA

hubbys wages take home - £1174 NOW gone up to £1550 (includes mileage)
my wages - varies between £50 -£200 zero at the moment as I am off sick and do not get sick pay
tax credits - £151 gone down to £36.92 (£8.52 per week)
child benefit - £116 gone down to £72.40 (son has left home)

total £1591 £1659.32

outgoings

mortgage £355 (never missed a payment) the same
secured loan £220 (was a bad idea) gone up to £229
endowment £35 the same
service charge/ground rent/buildings insurance £35 the same
water £32 the same
council tax £80 gone up to £89
electricity £70 gone up to £104 (playing catch-up because of a faulty appliance that was drinking the electric!)
contents insurance £17 the same
phone/internet/cable/ PAYG mobile £50 down to £40
tv licence £11 the same
car loan £98 the same
car insurance £57 gone down to £39 by shopping around
AA £12 gone up to £15.60 (we had a few callouts..grrr!)
road tax/servicing £42 the same
petrol £80 gone up to £240 (hubby changed jobs and does a LOT of mileage)
housekeeping £280 (2 adults, 2 kids 10&19) down to £160 (2 adults, 1 child)
contact lenses £20 (not for me, I would love them, for 10 year old to try sorting eye problems) the same
CCCS £95 the same (unfortunately)

£1589 new total £1656

So, one year on we are no nearer to increasing our payment to CCCS and so still have 40something years to go on our DMP.
I am off sick through clinical depression/anxiety at the moment, but am having treatment so am hopeful I will be better able to contribute financially soon. I feel so useless because I can't face work, so our financial situation isn't improving.
AND to add to it all -because my hubby has taken a new job that requires A LOT of driving (both to and from work...daily 80 mile round trip, and more visiting clients) he gets a mileage allowance that bumps his salary up, so the inland revenue has reduced our tax credits accordingly, even though we are no better off because it costs us a fortune in petrol just for him to be able to work!
My condition was made MUCH worse by the harrassement I received from some of our creditors to the point that the phone ringing STILL makes my heart jump over a year later. Unfortunately it is the time of year where some of them have decided to see if we can go back to our original credit agreements (after all they have given us a year's grace.......hhhmmmm), and so some hassle is ongoing.

I wish we had known about CCCS years ago before we got ourselves in the poo. My hubby had gone part-time due to stress, but having credit cards allowed us to continue to live as if he was working full-time....what idiots!!!
Now we don't have any credit cards and basically if we haven't saved for something, we can't have it! It has been a very hard lesson to learn. Holidays were a thing of the past but I managed to get a sun £9.50 holiday for october, so total cost of £38.00 (I saved 3800 pennies for that one!). There won't be much in the way of spending money, but we need a break.
My hubby has been plodding on working 11 hours a day, and the last thing we need is for it to get too much for him - we don't have any illness/unemployment cover.

I try to be positive, but some days it just seems a never ending drudge, none of our family are aware of our DMP, they know things are tight but don't know the full extent.

total still to repay £46925

jojo

redfaced

Hi there mojo-jojo

I'm very new to this site but after reading your thread today, i just wanted to say well done for keeping going, it must be hard at times,however you are doing the right thing. As for the whole feeling daft about the secured loan thing, we did exactly the same last year! Our loan has gone up by about £70 in the last 12 months and like you we wish we'd found this site sooner. We're waiting for our DMP with CCCs to start on Sept 1st. Still along way to go but feel so much better this week than last.

Keep going and keep posting on here when you can, everyone seems so supportive, I posted earlier this week and when someone-Newlywed god bless you!- replied it made me cry because someone other than my DH understood. My DH sounds like yours and no-one knows of our circs because he too is v proud. Keep smiling :A

Jo

beanielou

Hi m-j
Can I just ask if you get a benefit called DLA at at all?
If you dont you should think of applying.(Make sure that you get CAB or similar to help you wth the forms)
Take care