We are about to pull the purse strings soooo tight!

Alice_in_Poorland

Hi V, not sorted anything out as yet. we are still paying back money for car so the longer we can hold off for the better. Possibly have to borrow from family member. Would have to rejig the money whatever we do.

Thanks V

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Think I've messed up a bit....well possibly a lot!!

I sent Bcard our in and outgoings, thought I'd got it right so we would only afford to pay Bcard £25 per month, then we wouldn't be charged interest. But I've received a letter from them today claiming I can afford £184 per month towards the debt with them.

I am £370 behind with my payments to them as I've only been paying them £25 per month.

Account on hold for 30 days.

Can I just call them and try and change the figures?

Xx

brizzledfw

Ouch. Hope someone like the lovely EE can advise re BC. £184! Can't be right, surely?

I was wondering about a heated dryer as we are drowning in damp washing at the moment and can't see it getting better this winter with 5 of us. Any advice on whether they are worth it? And if so, which one, the Lakeland one?

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

brizzledfw wrote: »

Ouch. Hope someone like the lovely EE can advise re BC. £184! Can't be right, surely?

I was wondering about a heated dryer as we are drowning in damp washing at the moment and can't see it getting better this winter with 5 of us. Any advice on whether they are worth it? And if so, which one, the Lakeland one?

Xx

Hi brizzle, yeah fingers crossed. Everybody else has agree to a monthly amount.........except Bcard!!

We've got the Lakeland one. They claim it only costs 6p per hour to have on. I've found that it works better if you layer the clothes. I put it on overnight and in the morning they're normally dry (except bigger bulked items). Doesn't dry them to a crisp either. The Lakeland one does take up a bit of room when it's up. I don't use if that often but better than using the dryer....unless you want something dried quick.

Xx

Eager_Elephant

Alice_in_Poorland wrote: »

Think I've messed up a bit....well possibly a lot!!

I sent Bcard our in and outgoings, thought I'd got it right so we would only afford to pay Bcard £25 per month, then we wouldn't be charged interest. But I've received a letter from them today claiming I can afford £184 per month towards the debt with them.

I am £370 behind with my payments to them as I've only been paying them £25 per month.

Account on hold for 30 days.

Can I just call them and try and change the figures?

Xx

Have you got a copy of the financial statement you sent?


If you have then double check it and see what the outcome is.
If you haven't give them a call and ask why they think you can pay £184pm - they will probably say that on the FS you have allocated x for something and the acceptable amount is y so they want the extra. Or maybe the FS was wrong.


Either way you can't afford to pay them £184pm - is this an amount they were getting before?


Depending on what has happened I would try to negotiate by phone to get it to £25pm and then they will follow up in writing or if they are not nice on the phone tell them you will be writing in and then send a letter to confirm that you can only pay £25pm and make sure the FS agrees.

brizzledfw

Thanks for the advice Alice. Have a good week, hope all going well

Xx

Alice_in_Poorland

Eager_Elephant wrote: »

Have you got a copy of the financial statement you sent?


If you have then double check it and see what the outcome is.
If you haven't give them a call and ask why they think you can pay £184pm - they will probably say that on the FS you have allocated x for something and the acceptable amount is y so they want the extra. Or maybe the FS was wrong.


Either way you can't afford to pay them £184pm - is this an amount they were getting before?


Depending on what has happened I would try to negotiate by phone to get it to £25pm and then they will follow up in writing or if they are not nice on the phone tell them you will be writing in and then send a letter to confirm that you can only pay £25pm and make sure the FS agrees.

Hi EE, thanks for the advice. Not sure why they thought we could pay £184pm. I've looked at the FS and I can only assume they read it wrong!?! I took the bull by the horns and called them. They are going to default the account which will stop interest and I am paying them £25 per month, with a review in 12 months. Usual stuff that it will stay on the credit file for 6years etc etc.

Not sure how I feel about all this. I sort of feel we are no further forward than we were 5 years ago, but on saying that I know we have achieved so much. I'm really just not in a very good place with all is at the moment.

DS needs so much money over the next 2 years I really don't know where to start. Still need to pay DS for car too.

Also on the money front haven't counted our NSDs for this month which I'm really miffed about. Have kept spending diary and budget up to date though.

OH is back to his old self again. He has absolutely no concept of how financial poor we are. I need to pay for another flight for DS to return at Christmas. Having only just seen him in the summer makes me think perhaps he could stay there and then come home next summer. But I just don't think I can cope with that.

My wrist is still hindering me. The doctor has said that a break would of healed quicker. Doh!!

DS3 is really pushing us over the last few days too. Want want want. I've told him not to expect a new games console that he 'would like', regardless of the fact that 'everybody else in the class is having one'. He's just tidying up his room then he's off to rugby training.

DS2 is learning to drive. We paid for DS1s lessons so we should really pay for his. He is using birthday money for set of lessons.

On a lighter note I've got a colour on my hair and I've pegged 2 loads out. House is an absolute mess and all I really want to do is sit on the sofa and watch carp TV.

Off to rinse my hair and pull myself together.

Hope everybody OK.

Xx

Eager_Elephant

(((Alice))) - have a hug


Well done on calling BC - are you sure your account has not been defaulted previously? Have you really been paying more than the minimum for the last 5 years?


If you are not sure get your Noddle credit report and have a look - its a free one.


You are further forward than you were 5 years ago - in Jan 2012 your debts were £34906 and in Jan 2016 they were £16839. That's £18000 paid off in 4 years and of course you have been paying them throughout this year so the debt will be even lower. You have done amazingly well!!!


Is OH actually in denial again - it must be hard for the bread winner to feel they have failed to provide for the family and that you have loads of debt? My DH often says things that make me think we are on the same wave length and then he goes and orders £50 of stuff from Amazon {bangs head on brick wall}.
Is OH having much say in the finances at the moment? I know he got ratty in the past but would he be ok if you talked more about your finances?


After paying for the flights at Xmas could you work out how much DS1 will need for the next 2 years and start putting aside an amount per month?


How old is DS3? I had a memory come up on the book of face this week from 2012 - it was DD's Xmas list (she would have been 9 nearly 10 years old) and on the list was a Nintendo 3DS XL, Ipad, Ipod, IPhone etc
Of course what she got was a 3DS and that was it. I think kids are so up with technology nowadays that everyone wants what their mates want.
What console does he want?


I know you feel you should pay for DS2's driving lessons but I'm sure he understands that at the moment you can't afford to. Could you either go halves now and then give him a lump sum in the future to make up the difference in what you gave him compared to DS2 or tell him you can't afford it and he will have to fund it himself?


Have you looked at your budget recently? Can anything be tweaked?
I know that weekends are your spend days but is there anyway of cutting back on some of the shopping you do? How much food do you have in the cupboards/freezer - could you only shop for fruit and veg one week and have a challenge to use up what is in the house already?


I am a Ninja Saving Turtle and part of the challenge and it really does make you think about when and why you are spending and there are also challenges about not buying any food except fruit/veg/milk until you have used up what is in the house - I am getting to the bottom of my freezers because of the challenge.


I am still pegging out also - I have a load of towels out at the moment.


If you want to watch TV all afternoon why shouldn't you? My house is always a mess and I just don't care (well I do when the door knocks and I am not expecting visitors), I have so much else to do each evening I can't do everything.

Verbatim

Hi Alice
Thanks for the update. I don't know your situation but I get the impression that in your house everyone's needs/ wants come before yours. You perhaps prioritise your OH and kids and your needs come a poor 5th.
If there is belt tightening to be done I would suggest that first in line for the money diet is your OH. Take a look at how much is spent on his activities and perhaps some savings could be made there.
And delegate the chores. There are 4 at home now so no reason why you should do it all as well as working full time, planning and worrying for the whole family.
Is ds1 banned from working in the US? It would be good if he could work his way through uni to help with the expense. Is there a job he could do in the UK while he's home for Xmas to at least repay you his fares and keep?
Well done on sorting the evil bc and on paying off so much since you started. I do admire you for your energy and the way you keep it all together.

LauraB89

Just read your whole diary - you are amazing. Definitely helping to inspire me on my df journey!

Xxx