Please help a newbie!

dangermouse83

Thanks for the response folks

My other half and I have separate accounts. I pay the monthly bills, he pays the weekly ones. Some of the outgoings I have mentioned, I have halved, as we go 50/50 on some things.

When I'm broke, my other half helps me out, so it's swings and roundabouts.
My money's not great, as i'm on an apprenticeship scheme, but i'll be qualified in december and my money will go up significantly.

I have tried to explain this to "the vultures", but their response is " they all say that". cheeky so and so's.

Good advice about not leaving things on standby, which I try not to. It's only my radio i leave on stand by.

I agree, gas and electric is high. On pre-payment for electric, that's why it's so pricey. As for the gas, we only live in a 2 bedroomed council flat and have a combi boiler and cooker, so why it's that much I don't know.

Then again, i am training to be a gas engineer...... may have to practice my pipework skills..... lol only kidding!

dangermouse83

thanks for the post pinkshoes

the mobile is a work's initiative, I pay for it tax free through my wages. I need it for work anyway! pay as you go was costing me much more.

I have been thinking about getting a part time job too, but the problem is that I go away training alot, 2 weeks at a time, so this could mean problems with any potential employer.

Oh, and don't talk to me about (insert swear word here) council tax! We were paying £190 a month! I still think £90 is too high though. Talking to them is like talking to a brick wall. Or banging your head against it. lol

Thanks for the kind responses

moonriver

dangermouse83 wrote: »

thanks for the post pinkshoes

the mobile is a work's initiative, I pay for it tax free through my wages. I need it for work anyway! pay as you go was costing me much more.

I have been thinking about getting a part time job too, but the problem is that I go away training alot, 2 weeks at a time, so this could mean problems with any potential employer.

Oh, and don't talk to me about (insert swear word here) council tax! We were paying £190 a month! I still think £90 is too high though. Talking to them is like talking to a brick wall. Or banging your head against it. lol

Thanks for the kind responses

Just a thought Dangermouse83, I had bad problems with Cap One and recently added up all the late payment charges etc they had added to my balance. It came to a tidy sum and I have just sent letter reclaiming it back using advice from 'Martin'. Could this be an option for you?

Best of luck...your hard work will pay off soon.

dangermouse83

fantastic advice, moonriver.

This is indeed an option.

Had your captial one debt been passed to a recovery agency?

angelavdavis

Hi DM!

Welcome!

You have received good advice so far, but to add:

1) If you look in the Reclaim Your Bank Charges Forum you will find information about Capital one credit cards - yes you can still claim when it is referred to a DCA. They are B******'s as they really try to wiggle their way out of paying the full entitlement but the forum details the good/bad and ugly details!

2) Why not sign up to freecycle.org.uk and see if you can get yourself a working washing machine for free! You might have to arrange pickup but it would save you £13 a month rental.

I don't know how your OH's salary compares with yours, but honestly it might be worth reviewing your outgoings/incomings as a couple because if he earns more, there should be a different way of sharing things out - I find monthly outgoings are a lot higher than weekly - in our house monthly (exc. mortgages, but includes insurance, council tax, water, elec/gas) accounts for £240, whereas weekly (groceries) is £80!

Good luck!

moonriver

No it hadn't been but that wouldn't matter anyway. Phone Cap One if you don't have past statements and ask them to send breakdown of all charges applied to your account in last 6 years. I got this info. free and quickly but they may ask for a maximum of £10 or this info. Use the letter in the 'Bank Charges' thread and also use the interest calculator. Send recorded delivery and wait. There is a Capital One thread that you might want to look at too.
If you have offered to pay your debt off at £17.50 per month, send a letter with first month and keep it up....if you can't, write and tell them immediately. I have been in some mess before so do know how it feels to be in your position and worse. Folk on here are brilliant and keep reading the threads, the advice is endless.

kevster1009

and another thing...... DO NOT SEND THEM YOUR BANK STATEMENTS!!!!!!

This is none of their business so tell them to get stuffed on that one!

hypno06

Hi, re extra income, have you looked at the sticky at the top of these boards about mystery shopping and other similar ways of getting a bit of extra cash in. Most of these are very flexible so can fit around your training weeks, you simply don't accept work when it doesn't suit you!

Also, some temp agencies do bar work temps too - flexible but reasonably well paid for odd bar shifts, and quite good fun too. Again you can then do as many or as few shifts as you want, but you can fit them in around your training weeks and could earn a reasonable amount of extra cash.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on!