Struggling - anyone else have this issue when starting up?

rising_from_the_ashes

BlushingRose wrote: »

Things are so tight that Mr BR spent only £5 on a present for me birthday and got upset today when we went through the month's spending as it meant he had to tell me how little he'd spent (his words). I told him it didn't matter (it doesn't) but it did make me realise that we have nothing 'spare' or budgeted for presents through the year either.

Awwww (((hugs))) for you both ...

I'm now also thinking it may be a good idea if you could post up your SOA - it does sound as if a few things might've been missed off and ... if you can face doing it, it may help for when Mr BR phones tomorrow.

rising_from_the_ashes

Sorry ... meant to say - the SOA needs to be realistic and allow you to live (not extravagently, just live).

I know you want to clear the debts as quickly as poss but it's better to have a "true" SOA in place - esp when you're starting out and adjusting to all the changes / not having credit available etc.

Once you're a few months in and used to the new budget / have some money set aside for emergencies etc, then by all means increase the payments if you can. HTH

camuk81

My turn Rose, off to have a cry and a sleep. My tax code has just changed by £115 a month!

BlushingRose

camuk81 wrote: »

My turn Rose, off to have a cry and a sleep. My tax code has just changed by £115 a month!

*huggles* xx

blossom36

Hi BlushingRose - just to say, it does get easier... I am well over a year into my DMP with CCCS. I started off with fairly low payments as tried to be very realistic about how much it actually costs to live sensibly. Since then I have increased the amount of my payments twice - not because I have an increase in income (I havent!), but because the budgeting becomes part of everyday and gets easier. As many will testify on here, the little money saving things each day, become a big deal and a reason to give yourselves a pat on the back.
This is early days - token payments are still payments and indicate a commitment to work something out. A couple of my CC companies did not accept my DMP initially but that said, they now have stopped writing, stopped phoning, and some stopped the interest thank goodness.
It does get easier - Chin up Big Hug!

wannabee_in_credit

DVardysShadow wrote: »

Puts money in its place. Some things have value money cannot buy.

I've just sneaked a home made cupcake with a heart on it into his work bag - cost nothing but it's the thought right?
Don't know if you remember BR but I had to pay almost £400 in repairs on the car on 23rd December last year. I cried for 2 days about that, when I emptied my wedding dress fund to pay it. But in 6 weeks, the money is put aside again for when the call arrives - and I've even found enough to pay for a balloon man to entertain the kids at the wedding.
Once you get into the new way of thinking it all kinds of slots into place and you get a new kind of rush from having a bit of money to put to one side. Mind you, I don't know what's wrong with me tonight - I'm so down and have been crying for a couple of hours - feeling sorry for myself. But tomorrow is a new day, and if I wake up and there's my old teacup in front of the kettle with a teabag in it then everything will be just fine.
You really will get there, and you'll be a much stronger person for it you know. I agree with everything Rising says - live realistically for now, and pay more later if you can.

BlushingRose

wannabee_in_credit wrote: »

I've just sneaked a home made cupcake with a heart on it into his work bag - cost nothing but it's the thought right?
Don't know if you remember BR but I had to pay almost £400 in repairs on the car on 23rd December last year. I cried for 2 days about that, when I emptied my wedding dress fund to pay it. But in 6 weeks, the money is put aside again for when the call arrives - and I've even found enough to pay for a balloon man to entertain the kids at the wedding.
Once you get into the new way of thinking it all kinds of slots into place and you get a new kind of rush from having a bit of money to put to one side. Mind you, I don't know what's wrong with me tonight - I'm so down and have been crying for a couple of hours - feeling sorry for myself. But tomorrow is a new day, and if I wake up and there's my old teacup in front of the kettle with a teabag in it then everything will be just fine.
You really will get there, and you'll be a much stronger person for it you know. I agree with everything Rising says - live realistically for now, and pay more later if you can.

I really should start to bake cakes, we don't eat them often but the option would be nice. I'll Pm you about cupcakes

I guess part of the issue is that we (I, certainly) expected to be able to have 'spare' money for all the things we couldn't do before, and if anything it feels like we're even poorer than we were. Perhaps, probably, I'm being unrealistic.
I'll try and remember to post up the SOA we've agreed with CCCS tomorrow. We've decided for Mr BR to ring the CCCS on Wednesday instead so as not to end up talking about money on Valentine's day.

BlushingRose

OK, here is the SOA as agreed currently with the CCCS (scared now in case you all say it's easy to live on!)

Mortgage = £662 (although it's actually £622.25)
Water = £20 (although it's actually going to be £60)
Council Tax = £87 (paid over 12 months)
Gas = £66
Elec = £27
Building & Contents Insurance = £30
Telephone inc BB = £50 (although it's actually £51.53)
TV License = £14
Life Insurance = £81
Spares/servicing = £15
Road Tax = £10
Insurance = £20 (although it's actually £20.33)
Fuel/Parking = £80 (although for the last two months it's been more like £100)
Food/Toiletries/cleaning = £280
Pets = £20
Clothing & Footwear = £20
Professional fees = £31
Medicines/prescriptions = £10
Dentist = £10
Newspapers/mags = £20
Entertainments = £20

Bettingmad

okay the obvious missing is an ammount for an emergency fund, my figure allowed is £49mth, mot and maintenance comes in at £50 mth for me. Housekeeping looks too low set against the acceptable guidelines which are between 355-423. As you say petrol cost have been underestimated.
The above depends obviously on income levels, without knowing yours it is difficult to say exactly.
Your figures are extremly tight again available income allowing, increasing your expenses will mean you debt free date will be longer. I am of the mindset it is better to live to comfortable figure and take a little bit longer to pay off than go to the bone with no room to manouvre. At the end of the day it's your plan and therefore your decision as to which way you want to go.

BlushingRose

Bettingmad wrote: »

okay the obvious missing is an ammount for an emergency fund, my figure allowed is £49mth, mot and maintenance comes in at £50 mth for me. Housekeeping looks too low set against the acceptable guidelines which are between 355-423. As you say petrol cost have been underestimated.
The above depends obviously on income levels, without knowing yours it is difficult to say exactly.
Your figures are extremly tight again available income allowing, increasing your expenses will mean you debt free date will be longer. I am of the mindset it is better to live to comfortable figure and take a little bit longer to pay off than go to the bone with no room to manouvre. At the end of the day it's your plan and therefore your decision as to which way you want to go.

Thanks, yes you're right, I didn;t think and left off income and stuff. I'll redo it again tomorrow.
Our payback is already about 8 years...