We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Alice_in_Poorland

More pegging out today:).

Delivered some birthday presents and cards today.

Paid some extra bills today, extra sports club stuff. Will pay next weeks childcare tomorrow.

Need to get milk and other bits tomorrow.

Xx

brizzledfw

How's it going Alice?

X

Alice_in_Poorland

I just want to start all over again, but I don't know where to start.:o

Since my last post we've had to use all the emergency fund, haven't been able to pay this months council tax(yet) and have only paid half amount to stepchange. (Bcard are just going to love that!).

I tried to log onto here earlier in the week but my password wouldn't work so I just gave up.

I'm going to have to dust myself down and start afresh.

Last weekend we went out to a family 'do', spent £80 :eek: I think this is was started my downward spiral. Went shopping without a list, spent £100 plus. Then we had to use all of the money we had for our emergency, so we are back to square one.

I spoke to stepchange to reduce this months payment and whilst I was on the phone I asked for a list of account numbers they pay our debt to. Apparently they can't give me one as they use a generic account number and not individual account numbers, so I better start getting them together.

So basically we have to pay this months council tax (this is the first time we have ever not paid on time), pay this months childcare, pay DS1s money, and this months childcare......also need to do meter readings, should of done them last week..trivial I know.

Will update spending diary/budget later today. First we have a 140 mile round drip for DSs sports club.

Xx

Verbatim

Poor you Alice! I'm not surprised you fell off the wagon! You have been so restrained and careful for so long! How much of an emergency fund had you built up? How galling that it's gone. I know you'll get straight back on to it and be back on track.
Is there any lee way with your son's money? Or if not perhaps you could ask him to pay his way when he's back in the summer and has a holiday job which at least could build you an emergency fund again.
I guess the usual thought is to try to make existing food last an extra few days. Store cupboard and freezer challenge stuff.
Is your payday soon?
I'm sure you'll sort this out but I'm so sorry that you have to.
Vx

Eager_Elephant

(((Alice)))


Sorry last week has gone a bit skew - I agree with Verbatim, you have been so strict for so long it is only a matter of time before a blow out happens.


To build up your emergency fund again could you self -manage and just pay token payments for a few months and transfer the extra into emergency and then rejig payments and go back to paying similar to what you are paying via Stepchange?


There are loads of us who could hand hold for you if you want to self-manage.


When you say about account numbers do you mean the bank account numbers that they use to send payments to your creditors?
If you do then most creditors have their bank details on their website and failing that you could give them a call.
If you mean your debt reference number then this should be on your account details when you log in to Stepchange.


Hopefully the family meal won't be a regular thing and you can reign the spending in again.


Alice, you are so brilliant and you will be back on track soon.

Puzzcat

Hi Alice,

All I did was write to each creditor to tell them I was managing my own debts and requested their bank details. I did open a new basic bank account purely for my self managed dmp and I am now in month 2 and no issues to report..! I did keep my payments the same as my Step change payments and hope to start doing some over payments soon. I do like being back in control...

Puzz. x

brizzledfw

Chin up Alice.. It happens. We have all been there.

Think EE is right..loads of support on here

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Verbatim wrote: »

Poor you Alice! I'm not surprised you fell off the wagon! You have been so restrained and careful for so long! How much of an emergency fund had you built up? How galling that it's gone. I know you'll get straight back on to it and be back on track.
Is there any lee way with your son's money? Or if not perhaps you could ask him to pay his way when he's back in the summer and has a holiday job which at least could build you an emergency fund again.
I guess the usual thought is to try to make existing food last an extra few days. Store cupboard and freezer challenge stuff.
Is your payday soon?
I'm sure you'll sort this out but I'm so sorry that you have to.
Vx

Hi V, yeah DS has some work lined up for when he comes back. He will be back to approx 8-9 weeks, but then there is his flights back to sort! We knew it would be tough when he lost his sponsor, think I we've been naive to think we could manage. Somehow we've got to find money to cover his living expenses.

Payday isn't until then end of the month. I've called into local coop tonight, must of called in just at the right time. Got loads of bargains, spent £12, full price would of come to double that. This and the stuff in the freezer/cupboards already should see us through for a while (apart from milk).

I will or should I say I am back on track. It's a blip that has been brewing for a while. Thank you for your post.

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

(((Alice)))


Sorry last week has gone a bit skew - I agree with Verbatim, you have been so strict for so long it is only a matter of time before a blow out happens.


To build up your emergency fund again could you self -manage and just pay token payments for a few months and transfer the extra into emergency and then rejig payments and go back to paying similar to what you are paying via Stepchange?


There are loads of us who could hand hold for you if you want to self-manage.


When you say about account numbers do you mean the bank account numbers that they use to send payments to your creditors?
If you do then most creditors have their bank details on their website and failing that you could give them a call.
If you mean your debt reference number then this should be on your account details when you log in to Stepchange.


Hopefully the family meal won't be a regular thing and you can reign the spending in again.


Alice, you are so brilliant and you will be back on track soon.

Thank you EE, yep I think it was just a matter of time before this happened. I feel so blinking bad about the council tax, never missed a payment before.

We're going to cut right back on the social events for a bit now.

Yeah I was looking for the account numbers. I've got some I just wanted to double check.

Really not sure what to do about bcard, now we have just agreed these new terms and have only paid them half this month. Do I try and make up the difference just to them? Or do I leave it as we are going to self manage and reduce their payments anyway?

Back on track, I can do this!!

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Puzzcat wrote: »

Hi Alice,

All I did was write to each creditor to tell them I was managing my own debts and requested their bank details. I did open a new basic bank account purely for my self managed dmp and I am now in month 2 and no issues to report..! I did keep my payments the same as my Step change payments and hope to start doing some over payments soon. I do like being back in control...

Puzz. x

Hi Puzz, yeah I've got some of the account numbers. When I write to them think I will get them to confirm their details anyway. Not sure what to do about paying them the same because the main reason I'm going self managed is to reduce payment to bcard, so they reduce the interest charged.

Good job Puzz with your self managed dump, sounds like your going full steam ahead.:)

Xx