A Thread for After Debt?

SOT2011

I did the MSE guide quote process, discarded a couple of the cheapest as I had never heard of them, then when I got a quote I was happy with I checked Quidco and my lowest acceptable (to me) quoter was on there so I cleared all my cookies, signed in to Quidco, clicked through and redid the quote through there and it came out the same.

SOT x

JulieGeorgiana

I have this spreadsheet, and it's great, you see I have a 'set' amount mortgage, life and building insurance. Because of the extended mortgage we have money left in that pot, which I had expected to be used up. So we decided to pay the difference as an overpayment, and every two overpayments (total of £300 only) shortens the mortgage by 1 month... I am amazed at how little it takes to pay off a month!!

We think it's realistic to pay off the mortgage in 20 years (17.5 years is our aim though) so I will be a mortgage free wannabe for a long time, but it's amazing how just £50 here and £50 there can effect your mortgage.

I love this spreadsheet, because if you learn how to fiddle with it you can see exactly how your overpayments effect your mortgage.

So without sacrificing anything we will be overpaying what we can, when we can, just to knock off a month here and a month there

Ref. Insurance - I looked on Quidco, £30 cashback with the company I am planning on going with, so I will 'clear my cookies' - thanks for the suggestion SOT and I will try and go through them if the offer is still there when I come to actually getting my insurance!

You guys are great

£30 is just another overpayment on the mortgage

But right now I am planning on buying £45 of books from the book people for my children...

DS is being terrible, the move is really upsetting him, so I plan to wrap the books as gifts and offer them as rewards for very good behaviour (I have 4 Top Gear Books, one for each week of the month). Then as the ultimate reward if he earns all 4 books at the end of the month I got him Terry Pratchets 'the carpet people' which I think will capture his imagination.

I am also buying Eliza more books (Spot the dog books, and a flap book, and a soft toy book) we read to her every night, and we just love getting her books

I think I am a sucker for books and the book people just know it... I am qualified for ANOTHER free book. JO Great Britain

SOT2011

Hi JG

Sorry to hear DS is finding the move idea hard. Will he be moving schools or just to the other side of town but same school IYKWIM? Although even that often means the far end from best friends.

I hope he settles into the idea soon. The books as rewards sound a great idea, I love books too. Terry Pratchett is a very clever writer, his books are full of colour and imagination and I still love reading them even at my age :-)

OU is back this week so today I have to plan the next 6 months of study and then get on and do some of it! But first I can see a lovely colourful study timetable needs creating :-)

SOT x

JulieGeorgiana

SOT he claims to not be finding it hard, and to look forward to it. But since we told him he's been playing up really bad.

He didn't handle the last move well either (he was 4.5 years old then). We are moving closer to family, but 45 miles away, so new friends, new school, new area... it's all very scary for him. Everything seems to be changing on him right now. We tried distracting him with how amazing the park is, and how he can finally decorate his own room, the swimming pool is at the end of the road too... but it's not working

So I just designed some cards (ie. Week 1 he here Monday - Friday and he has to tick 4 out of 5 boxes for good behaviour and he gets a wrapped gift) I did 4 weeks, and Week 5 is the finale (he has to get all weeks 1-4 and get week 5 for the big gift) I think this will help him see his own behaviour....

He lost his pocket money for April, so I bought the books with that, so he kind of earns it back in a way

I only ever read 'The Carpet People' but I remember being really caught by the story and enjoying it very much. He's really into Harry Potter (Book 4) and I hope in 5 weeks he might be nearly finished and this will be his next book

I remember moving every 2 years as a child, and I found it REALLY hard myself, so I really want to give my children stability and I really hope this will be a house for life for them all...

Study timetables are great - I love designing them... never follow them though, you are so strict

Now working from home, I always manage that really well... just not studying

rising_from_the_ashes

Suesie sorry to hear your son's having problems ... for the best advice I'd suggest starting a new thread so as many people as poss see it and you get the best help.

Had he acknowledged or made any payments to the debt in the past 6 years? If not, it may be statue barred - but I'm not the most knowledgeable on these things so you'll get better advice on the main board.

Best of luck

JulieGeorgiana

Aggggghhhhh! Spent a fortune today!

First on Eliza buying plates, bowls, spoons, dummies, teethers etc!

Second on a printer... we really NEEDED a printer, and DH finally caved as we need a document for the mortgage people, and the library is closed so there was nowhere to print it... £49 for a printer, scanner, copier, it's wireless and has seperate colour cartridges

Bargain

JulieGeorgiana

Okay... picking brains here...

I am trying to swap banks and for various BIG mistakes made by both banks I have Direct Debits bouncing and not getting paid!! Now i'm sorting through to mess and I know what, where and how it went wrong...

BUT what I need to know is which people I pay would black mark my credit file for late payment:

TV Licence
Sky
Gas & Electric
T-Mobile
Pet Insurance
Rent (I think this is sorted)
Council Tax!
Home Insurance
Southern Water
Life Insurance

I am pretty sure T-Mobile black mark, so I paid DH bill by CC already even though it's not bounced yet.

I am worried, because the Mortgage company has been known to do a 2nd credit check just before giving you money...

The mess is sortable, but a bad credit file is NOT something I want to have to sort right now...

SOT2011

Hi JG

I'm not sure I can help, but if I were you I'd be ringing them all and explaining the situation and see what they say.

I suspect only a few are actually on your credit reports as such, def mobile, maybe gas and elec depending who with but I'm not too sure about the rest.

Not sure that is much help, but I expect this happens a lot, bank swaps often seem to be less than perfect, but often letting them know what is happening ASAP can help.

Hope all gets sorted ok.

SOT x

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhh beeping beep Julie - nightmare ........ I think you'd get reminder / late payment letters first but not 100%

From my limited knowledge:

TV Licence ??
Sky think you get a letter & they don't appear on my CR
Gas & Electric Not sure - I *think* some report to CA but not all
T-Mobile Definite
Pet Insurance it may invalidate / cancel the policy so I'd also pay this one
Rent (I think this is sorted)
Council Tax! Def priority - although if you phone them & explain they're unlikely to do anything for 1 month (although some will remove the option to pay by D/debit
Home Insurance As pets
Southern Water Sorry not too sure (Water paid with CT here)
Life Insurance As other insurances

rising_from_the_ashes

Seems to be the month for problems .... (although mine is self-made:o) - looks like I may be into the ....... deep breath .... OD :eek:.

Still waiting for a refund from the "failed" ISP - which is a total pain in the butt as I have £135 on this month's cc which I'm now going to have to pay or I'll end up having interest on the whole lot:mad: (I know I'll have less to pay next month as the credit will be on there but it's this month, I've a cash-flow problem:o).

I do have more than enough in pots to cover it (and may yet do a bit of "shuffling") but I have overspent in Mar/Apr bill - part of the mess was with changing the pots & how I transferred money & I ended up putting a bit more into pots last month to get the budgets not covered started (and to where they should be by end Apr) ......

Not sure if it's worth "taking the hit" for this month and knowing that the pots are sorted or taking from the pots (so the new budget ones will be wiped out again) ..... or there's the emergency fund (but there's not a huge amount in there and really hate the thought of it being back to £0).

Grrrrr sorry - rant at myself (for a change!;)) over!