Help - I'm a mess :(

flis21

Hi, Thanks for your comment, biking would be brilliant, but perhaps when the kids are older! My 4 year old got his first bike for Christmas, but he's still learning to use it properly. 2 year old def couldn't ride yet!! I could get one of those seats I suppose, but not much help when I have both him and the 2 year old mindee I'm now looking after!
Def a fab idea for when they're a bit older tho. I'll keep an eye out on freecycle for a bike for me in the mean time.

Hey all - sorry I haven't been on this week, new mindee is here 10 and a half hours a day and I'm exhausted!!! But am just reminding myself of the money I'm earning. Get paid this weekend and most of the money is going straight into my debts! I do have a couple of work expenses to pay out (need some craft materials and cooking ingrediants) but shouldn't be more than £20, so should have £160 to pay off my debts, actually make that £200 by the time I've been paid by one of my after school boys as well.

Not had much chance to do much ebaying, but have still got my box and am putting in things that I can ebay when I get the chance.

I'm still not smoking, coming up for 6 weeks now, whoop whoop. I got my £20 tesco voucher for quitting, so that meant my food shopping this week was only £25!!

Have been searching around and found some good cheap recepies, just have to make sure they're healthy as I'm giving new mindee dinner at mine everyday. But so far she seems to have enjoyed the meals, and she loves rice, so I'm planning on some more rice dishes for next week.

Anyway, best go get ready for the last day of the week (thank goodness, think I'm going to sleep all weekend!!).

Thanks all,
Flis x

Naomim

Hi Flis,

You sound like you have really turned the corner and it's all coming together nicely.

Well done on the not smoking :T:j I've been quit 3 years now and it was the best thing for me and my kids.

Do you have a £1 shop anywhere near you? I got the kids some Easter bonnet kits in there ready for a rainy weekend. They also do quite a lot of sticker books and things.

Naomi x

sugarcube84

sound like you are doing really well, i do the same as you put things aside for ebay and then find a couple of hours to list everything.

Try putting a wanted add for craft materials on freecycle i see a fair few wanted ads, there must be a few people who make cards and have leftovers that they dont need. I think its worth a try.

and well done on quitting smoking, are you feeling better for it?

amorge

Hi Fils,
I'm another that just read your thread, it's great
Sorry to go over old questions again but did you decrease water bills? I only ask because I'm a single mum with 2 teenagers and my bills were over £60 per mthv(this was for the 2 water companies together). I just had my first bill through since I went onto a meter in December and I currently pay £15 per mth (combined!!!!)

Also, have you spoke to tax credit with regards to extra earnings? I increased my hrs from 17 to 37 and pay doubled from feb 1st and my tax credits stayed the same....council tax benefit reduced but that's ok. Also, I see you're on the £25 sky package, I know you can't cancel till September but have you looked at the basic £20 a mth package? No idea on channel changes so may not be worth it but prob worth a look

Good luck and I look forward to hearing your progress.

Anna
X

flis21

Hi amorge, thanks for your message. I phone my water companies, but they just said that the direct debits would be reviewed next time the meters are read. We have been on meters ever since moving into this house, although I know my ex didn't pay the water bills for quite a while when we first moved in, so some of what I'm paying might be paying off that initial bits that were missed.

The Sky packaged, I did think about going down to the cheaper package, but the only thing I have Sky for is the children's channels and I wouldn't get them anymore, so it would feel like a complete waste of money if I got rid of them. At the moment I would rather pay the extra £5 a month to make it useful. It will be going in September tho once my contract is up.

The tax credits work out my earnings on my annual profit as I'm self employed. I didn't earn much for most of this year, so my earnings are not going to be a problem this month. I need to work out a projected figure for next year, then see what they say. I thought I'd just work out my money for this month, then times is up by 12 and take off a couple of weeks worth of my and mindees holiday and see what figure I get to. Not sure if I might end up paying tax and NI again as well, my Mum is going to help me work this out when we do this years tax return at the end of the month. (I'm so glad my Mums an accountant and can help me with this!!)

Managed to pay £250 off me debts this weekend, which I am really pleased about. I'll keep going onwards and upwards!

Flis x

fallenwiccan

flis21 wrote: »

Hi amorge, thanks for your message. I phone my water companies, but they just said that the direct debits would be reviewed next time the meters are read. We have been on meters ever since moving into this house, although I know my ex didn't pay the water bills for quite a while when we first moved in, so some of what I'm paying might be paying off that initial bits that were missed.

The Sky packaged, I did think about going down to the cheaper package, but the only thing I have Sky for is the children's channels and I wouldn't get them anymore, so it would feel like a complete waste of money if I got rid of them. At the moment I would rather pay the extra £5 a month to make it useful. It will be going in September tho once my contract is up.

The tax credits work out my earnings on my annual profit as I'm self employed. I didn't earn much for most of this year, so my earnings are not going to be a problem this month. I need to work out a projected figure for next year, then see what they say. I thought I'd just work out my money for this month, then times is up by 12 and take off a couple of weeks worth of my and mindees holiday and see what figure I get to. Not sure if I might end up paying tax and NI again as well, my Mum is going to help me work this out when we do this years tax return at the end of the month. (I'm so glad my Mums an accountant and can help me with this!!)

Managed to pay £250 off me debts this weekend, which I am really pleased about. I'll keep going onwards and upwards!

Flis x

If you know where your meter is you can take monthly readings yourself and update them, I know the water company here has a website for it to keep them up to date.

Well done on everything you've done so far, I bet it's made an enormous impact. :T

Naomim

Hi Flis,

Just a quick post as I've been wondering how you are getting on?

Send us an update.

Naomi x

Verbatim

Me too. I'm hoping that it's all going so well and Flis is so busy she hasn't had time to post. But it would be lovely to hear.

blessedlife

Hi Fils,

Just thought I would pop in and say hi... I've only recently joined MSE, but I've been lurking for quite a while, and used to read your thread quite often. Many others have said it, but just wanted to say a huge well done for what you've done, your posts are so inspiring, you seem really determined to deal with your debt!

Hope things are still going well xx

flis21

Hey everyone, so sorry that I haven't been on and posted. Life has been quite crazy, working 52 hours a week now!!! Also spent a week in hospital with appendicitis! Appendix is now out and I'm recovering well.

Money situation is going well. All the extra money I'm earning is being ploughed into the debts, paying off between £6-800 a month depending on how much I've earnt. The only thing I'm going to have to watch is I think my benefits will be going down (rightly so of course) as I've just submitted my estimated income for this year. It's such a nightmare being self employed sometimes!! lol

My water bill has come down and I was £70 in credit with them, so I got them to send me that and paid it off my debts too. I haven't heard anything from the couple that were going to be statute barred in April, so hopefully I can now discount them.

I am so much more organised with my money, I have spreadsheets on the computer with my monthly budget, so I can easily see what I've got coming in and out each month and see what's left over for debts. My grocery bills have crept up, but like this week Tesco was doing £10 off £80, but I've stocked up on nappies, wipes and non-perishables, so next week I should only have to buy fresh stuff and that's all.

I'm still not smoking and have even lost the desire to smoke now, which is brilliant, I am so proud of myself for this.

I have a massive box of things that need ebaying now, will get around to it one day!!

Ok, well I've got to go get me and the boys ready, start work at 8! Just wanted to say thank you again for all your advice and support and for thinking about me. I'm so much happier now and this reflects on my boys as well. Thanks,
Flis x