Debt Free in 2013... I can do this...

girlatplay

Make sure you take a final electricity meter reading at the flat when you go to get your things today then turn the electricity off at the mains as you are leaving. Call the elec company to tell them the date and final reading. Keep a note of your call, who you spoke to, date and final reading. I used to be a council tenant (less said about that the better!) and I did find that it took them ages to catch up with themselves haha!

There are going to be little hiccups as you are sorting this all out. They will be ironed out eventually.

Shelski_2

It's always 2 steps forward and one back. Look at it this way, that's one less payment you'll need to make to each of them (that was dire, even for me but am trying to reach for silver lining here !) glad to see you looking forward and having a plan though.
Keep going, baby steps
Shelski x

hereigoagain22

I keep coming on here, writing a huge reply and then forgetting about it!!!

Yes, the positive way to look at it is that I have to pay less to Wonga and Lending Stream. On the downside they have put me £300 over my overdraft limit with no means of paying it back until next month. At £5 a day this is going to cost a fortune... what should I do? 5 x 31days is £155 so it would technically be cheaper to take out another PDL but I don't think this is a good idea.

Things are so muddled just now, no idea where money is coming and going. Flat isn't completely empty yet - underestimated how much could fit in Mums car. So have had to hire a van for Sunday, hopefully this gets the rest. Then have to lift carpets, finish a bit of painting, take meter readings and hand keys back to landlord.

Also have to sort the Council Tax out.

Debt Free Action Plan

1) Write flat notice letter
2) Empty flat furniture
3) Fill out unoccupied discount form and hand to Ctax with letter + tenancy end date
4) Take meter readings and get final elecs bill
5) Make minimum payment to Barclaycard and Luma
6) Pay rest of Wonga in Feb
7) Pay Bank of Scotland O/D with lump sum payment from work
8) Pay Bank of Scotland Loan with Feb pay
9) Pay Lending Stream with Mar pay (token payment in Feb)
10) Pay Next with Apr pay (make min every month)
11) Pay Luma with May pay (make min every month)
12) Give clothes to cash for clothes
13) Sell highchair
14) Eat all the food in cupboards and freezer before doing a new shop
15) Check mystery shopping opportunities

hereigoagain22

Bump for the morning crowd.

girlatplay

From what I can see on the bank website they charge you £5 per day up to a maximum of 8 days in one billing period (1 month). That means your maximum charge should be £40.

I got the information from here look at the section "Representative example" which is about a 1/3 ish down the page.

Never ever ever take out a payday loan again, even when things get better and you have the money to pay them back on time. I am led to believe that they don't look good on your credit report.

hereigoagain22

Oh that's good - thank you so much for checking that.

Living at my mothers is absolute hell. I remember exactly why I left a few months after I turned 16. My mother is lovely and would never say no to helping anybody but she's a control freak. She is dictating which nursery/childminder my children are allowed to go to and today I went to view a flat - Mum gave me a lift and we only got to the front entrance and she said "No way you're not living here" and turned around! She gave my 2 year old fruit pastilles at 7am then a Flake and a packet of Smarties. Okay occasionally, I'm pretty laid back but this is a daily occurrence. I can't get my kids to bed cos she's hoovering or messing around in their rooms til 8pm and they are so grumpy and exhausted in the morning. I'm forbidden to put their clothes away unless they are ironed. Any single parent of a 2 year old and a baby will know how difficult this is!! We have no room to put any of our clothes as Mum is a hoarder - I'm the opposite and a complete minimalist. Anyway, it's bearable but I am rethinking my plans. We might iron the kinks out but I doubt it so I'm reconsidering using my lump sum in March to pay a deposit and first month's rent meaning I only have to survive another 7 or 8 weeks. She only has 1 day a week off work and the rest of the time I only see her in the morning and evening but she's still a nag ;-)

Right... here's the situation with the rest of the stuff at the minute.

Flat - Rent - this week's rent not paid, will submit notice tomorrow and pay final rent amount with 15th Feb pay.
Flat has furniture and toys too big to be moved by car but everything is packed... van booked for Tuesday. Carpets and unwanted items being donated to homeless charity - my Mum is arranging this. Once empty need to go back for a final clean and have a few areas to touch up with paint. Then to take electricity meter readings before handing keys in!

Need to hand notice in tomorrow as keep forgetting - must give 28days notice or pay rent for this period.


Home insurance - must write and cancel and cancel direct debit

Sky TV/phone/broadband - cancellation date 7th Feb, final bill due 14 days before. They only mention "Sky TV" in the cancellation confirmation so have e-mailed to check all services cancelled as don't think I was clear!! Cancel DD once final bill agreed and paid.

Council Tax - My account is on hold until I get confirmation of tenancy end date, hold is due to run out Monday so need confirmation by then. Once furniture removed apply for exemption as this will reduce bill. Currently in arrears so will still have a bit to pay.

Electricity - this months installment not paid due to Wonga mess-up. Need to cancel DD. Not going to affect credit report so will just wait until get final reading and final bill and pay on 15th Feb.

Work - start date agreed 6th March, hours agreed. Pay reducing but shouldn't make too much difference with tax credits anyway

Nursery - kids registered at a lovely small nursery round corner from Mums, didn't think this through and if I move away from Mums I'll need to move them so need to re-think this or work out how I can do it. This is the area I want to live anyway but may not get a house here. Didn't like the nurseries or childminders central to my work so really need to work this out.

Kid's Dad - contact agreed 1 day per week with both children and 1 child each weekend - he is unable to have both as they are terrible at sleeping in the same room which is fine but have warned him it can't be long term so needs to come to other arrangements. Still phone/texting me 10+ times a day and not giving up. Completely ignoring all contact except regarding kids now.

Mail - need to get a mail redirection set up

Wonga - now only £85 left to pay but increasing daily. Wonga being difficult and refusing to discuss it. Priority number 1 once final bills and living arrangements are worked out.

BoS overdraft 1 - only £50 but being charged £1 a day!! Priority number 2 to bring back within authorised o-d limit and then repay.

Lending Stream - £428!!! remaining on a £300 loan taken 3 months ago, I've already paid £265. Shocking. Also refusing to freeze interest and charges but have agreed repayment plan of £50 per month. Priority number 3.

Payday UK - paid in full, offering me more loans haha as if!

Bank of Scotland overdraft 2 - £1000!!! £1 a day, keep within limit and make priority number 4.

Bank of Scotland loan - £265, already defaulted don't appear to be doing much about it or adding any further charges. Priority number 5 anyway?

Greenwoods - forgot about them around £380 remaining, missed todays payment as in another area. Just messaged lady to see what to do now. Once the others are cleared will just throw everything I have at this to get rid. Will keep making agreed payments so doesn't go into arrears and make priority number 6 to repay in full?

Next - Around £550. DD set up for minimum payment. Will repay once everything else cleared. Priority number 7?

Luma - forgot about this one around £180, just about to set up DD for minimum payment, not in arrears. Will repay once Next cleared. Priority 8?

Barclaycard - only £55 ish. Closed but low interest (from when I had a good credit rating) Forgot about it. Will keep paying minimum (not in arrears) and will pay anything remaining once rest are cleared. Priority 9?

Tax credits overpayment on joint claim - will ring and ask payments to be deducted from new single claim very small amount each week that I won't miss. Won't ask ex for contribution as it was always me who controlled the TCs. Plus it's only £170 so not worth the hassle of asking him. No interest or charges so will pay anything remaining once everything else clear.

Other debts - British Gas, Paypal and the library not pursuing me. Will repay in full once other debts clear and then I have a clean slate!!

Everything is such a muddle, need to figure out whether I can hang on here as if I can and can use lump sum I could be debt free in April. Otherwise looking at 1-2years.

Shelski_2

That £170 would pay wonga. Don't write it off, it could help you move out if your mums more quickly. How do your dc like the snow?

hereigoagain22

No snow up here!! Strange as I live in Scotland on the coast and we are usually the first to get snow. It's ridiculously cold - too cold to snow. Staying wrapped up indoors.

Well, made a bit more progress. Emptied more from the flat today. Leaving my mother to sort out the rest as she's giving me earache so will just hand over the keys and let her get on with it. Finally wrote my notice too so will hand it in to landlord on Monday.

I have realised that I am only here to be housekeeper and pay the bills while she lives at my Dads! Least it's only for a few months. She usually pops in once a day for an hour to lecture me on the things I haven't done up to scratch.

My ex picked up our eldest today and came in for a couple of hours to spend time with the youngest. Apparently I look half-dead, too thin and have no boobs. Well, could be true but he doesn't have to point it out. I'm tired because my youngest wakes me 8times a night (actually I counted 14 times in one night last week!!!!), I can't rest during the day because I have a toddler to keep going for, I'm in the middle of a house move, I'm worrying about debts etc. And I've always been very thin but naturally I have lost a little more weight in the past month. I'm feeling rather crappy about myself today now.

Got my SOs set up for Luma and Barcaycard.

Did my mealplan for next week. Have loads in the cupboard and freezer to trying to use it all up :-)

Trying to set up SO with o2 rather than a DD as they take it out on a different date each month which is confusing but I can't find their bank details anywhere. Anyone know them?

Need to get myself a diary so I can write a few tasks in each day. Got more unpacked to do tomorrow and a big deep clean then will take a wander into town with the youngest. My eldest is with her Dad until Monday - I'm struggling as this is the longest I've been away from her!

My new To-Do list (in no particular order) -
1) Fill out Council Tax exemption form, hand in and sign work flexi request at same time.
2) E-mail Albion/BoS and inform them that payment will be made in Feb (or should I just leave it for time being as they haven't been in touch in past few weeks?) then ring and pay in full with debit card next month or contact if they write sooner?
3) o2 bill due by 27th - pay from next week's TCs
4) Get mine and son's haircut from friend tomorrow - only £10
5) Check e-mails to ensure Sky & TV Licensing cancellation have gone through
6) Write to Endsleigh to cancel Home Insurance
7) Write a list of companies I need to give my new address
8) Set up a mail redirection
9) Spend my £20 butchers voucher on useful stuff
10) Do basic food shop on Tues to top up essentials - bread, milk, cheese, drinks, yoghurts, snacks, cereal, veggies, fruit. Enough food for meals to last
11) Borrow some cookbooks from friend for inspiration for the following week
12) If anything left over from next week's TC's pay it to Wonga to reduce interest and balance
13) Write to Tax Credits and give new address

hereigoagain22

Bump for morning crowd

girlatplay

I live in Scotland very near the coast (Edinburgh) and we are usually the last to get snow. We started getting it on Friday evening and it has been on and off ever since. It is not lying on the ground outside my work (town centre) but there is still some outside my flat (5 mins from town centre). I don't like the snow and feel quite depressed at this time of year.

Try to ignore what the ex is saying about your appearance. You are so run down at the moment with stress and the like that it is understandable you might not be up to scratch healthwise. I hope you managed to get some rest while DD was at her dad's. In a couple of years when all this is behind you, people will start commenting on how well you look and you will feel very well too.

Just let your mum's controlling wash over you. Like you say, it is only for a few months until you get everything sorted out. You will have much bigger outlays if you start renting again right now.

You are actually doing incredibly well. At least you are making an effort to get these payments set up, write your letters and deal with everything. Just keep going. It probably doesn't feel like it right now but you will get there