Becks in Debt - Debt Free Diary

angelavdavis

Hi becks

Well done you for getting it down so far in such a short time.

Looking at your SOA, I would:

1) start a spending diary - its an eye opener!
2) do you get any tax credits? check on www.entitled-to.co.uk to see if you are entitled to any.
3) life insurances - see if you can get cheaper.
4) gas/electric - £150 per month is a lot to be paying. Switch to low power lightbulbs and switch off devices on standby. Get the kids involved - daily noting down the meter readings and then show them how the meter slows down when you turn everything off, etc so they can keep a daily meter reading and have competitions to see which day is the cheapest, etc. Its amazing - they turn into the power police!
5) TV licence should only be costing you about £12 per month.
6) It would be worth finding out the aprs for your debts and use the snowball calculator to work out which ones you should hit first.

Hope that helps!

Becks_in_Debt

Thank you Bestthingsinlifearefree, my idea on the Sky is that if we have Sky Sport's OH resists temptation to go to the pub and watch it with his mates which would cost atleast £20 a go, he is a total Sport fanatic and watches it constantly, football, rugby, cricket, if it is on Sky it is on in our house, I could get rid of the movies but I did tell OH I wanted that to watch atleast 1 film a week to make up for all the sport me and DD have to watch. Maybe I am just being to pickey, I will need to have a word with OH about it, I have thought about maybe cancelling Sports and Movies whilst the sports season is finished, and I have heard that they normally offer it at 1/2 price to keep your custom.

Becks_in_Debt

angelavdavis wrote: »

Hi becks

Well done you for getting it down so far in such a short time.

Looking at your SOA, I would:

1) start a spending diary - its an eye opener! I will start one, I think we will be amazed as to where the extra money is going to.
2) do you get any tax credits? check on www.entitled-to.co.uk to see if you are entitled to any. - We currenly get about £100 a month, but I am going to start having it paid in to DD account so that she can have enough for when she is older not to get in a mess like we are in, I know that the money would come in use now, but we have always used her money eg Birthday/xmas/born as we were that skint.
3) life insurances - see if you can get cheaper - 4 years ago I was diagnosed with a Tumour just infront of the Brain so I was lucky to even get this Life ins and hardly anybody will touch me, it is a really rubbish Ins and will only really pay off if I die within the next 10years max, I am not planning to though, so for this reason we have gone for a better Ins for the OH, really to sort out DD for her future.
4) gas/electric - £150 per month is a lot to be paying. Switch to low power lightbulbs and switch off devices on standby. Get the kids involved - daily noting down the meter readings and then show them how the meter slows down when you turn everything off, etc so they can keep a daily meter reading and have competitions to see which day is the cheapest, etc. Its amazing - they turn into the power police! - This is why with the Loan I plan to pay off Powergen, as we have never been able to pay off a bill totally before a new bill comes along, this way we can afford to pay them off and go to a cheaper company, I have already been looking into it and with Electricity we can be saving £96 per year elsewhere, we have sterted putting in low power light bulbs in x2 in Kitchen, Landing, x2 DD bedroom, in our living room though we have 4 spot lights and a 4 light bar, which batters electricity,
5) TV licence should only be costing you about £12 per month. - we are behind on this but yes it should only be £12 P/M
6) It would be worth finding out the aprs for your debts and use the snowball calculator to work out which ones you should hit first. - As we are dealing with CAB all the APR's have been frozen which is really good, so the figure never increases, only with the A & L Ac where they add on 50% of payment recieved each month.

Hope that helps!

Thank you angeladavies it did help, maybe I am being to pickey about things and just finding stupid reasons not to cancel/cut down on things.

Bestthingsinlifearefree

Becks_in_Debt wrote: »

Thank you angeladavies it did help, maybe I am being to pickey about things and just finding stupid reasons not to cancel/cut down on things.

I think the thing is beck if you cut back on certain things for a few months if you really, really miss them you can always get them back or once you are debt free etc etc.

But if you and your OH are brutally honest with yourselves:

Whats more important using £500 a year to pay your debts, feed your kid, keep a roof over your head etc OR is it better to pay £500 to watch crap on sky;)

(10 years a go or so Sky did not even exist so it is possible for humans to live without it!)

Sometimes for the families financial security tough decisions and sacrifices have to be made.

Keep going forward.

Best

Becks_in_Debt

Thank you Bestthingsinlifearefree, I will def have a word with OH over the weekend RE: Sky, and cutting back on it, I suppose I wont miss the movies that much and as fer the sport, football season is nearly over isnt it?

Becks_in_Debt

Well what a bank holiday that was.
5.30am Saturday morning, somebody smashed into our car which was on our driveway, both cars are a write off. It has been one of those weekends,

Lucy1982_2

Becks!!

That is not a good thing. I guess everyone was ok? Have you spoken to your car insurance people yet?

It never rains but it pours doesn't it. Let us know how you get on. Other than that how are things?

Becks_in_Debt

I have tried putting the photos on here, but i can not figure it out, the police say she is lucky to be alive. Yes i have spoken to the insurance company, fingers crossed should get a curtesy car today. Other than that I am ok, didnt do much over the weekend, I was in a foul mood on Saturday, it is prob a blessing in disguise this happening to the car, I will keep you posted on how it all goes though.

Lucy1982_2

Just glad your all ok. The question I'm not sure I want to ask is how the hell did she write off you car as it was on your driveway!!! She must have been moving.

Becks_in_Debt

she was on her way home from a night out, she said she thinks she passed out, I think she fell asleep, she went into a lamp post, went through 3 fence panels and landed in our car, as soon as she found out the police were on their way she did a runner, she did come back later with all her insurance details though.
I am getting a curtesy car this afternoon, and they are picking up my car today