Mr and Mrs K's New Journey to a Debt Free Life.

7roland8

Well you are keeping motivated which is the main thing.

EchoDelta

It's really great to hear you sounding so positive and motivated. I'm happy for you (without wanting to sound patronising!)

heartbreak_star

Sounds like a great little party!

I hope mum and OH's parents will get on. She wasn't very keen on my ex but still made the effort, and she actually likes this one haha!

HBS x

AlexLK

Thank you, all. Not having a great day today if I'm honest but managed to do a few things business wise and heard back from the agency I sent the letter to about the full and final - they have sent an offer of 75% what I owe. To be honest, I think I can do better than that so I'll send them another offer back - I can see this becoming a long process of negotiation.

HBS: I hope they get along OK.

AlexLK

Friday 1st November, 2013.
Day 62.

Dear Diary,

Today seems to have been filled with more ups and downs than in a usual week. Firstly, on the positive front I have heard back from the agency in regard to the full and final settlement offer I made and will be renegotiating. Whilst I see this becoming a long, drawn out process, I am glad to have a starting point. I have also managed to get a few work related things done and saw some great progress in one piano pupil's playing this evening. However, my Land Rover has developed a fault which will most likely end up costing some money to put right and I think I am going to be visiting the doctor next week for a rather personal but potentially serious matter. That particular "discovery" (and I'm not taking of the Land Rover variety) has not done my mind any good whatsoever, at least I had the piano pupil to take me away for a hour.

On the debt busting front I have managed to clear another couple of draws in the spare room and photograph some items ready for eBay. Mrs. K. has also sorted out some of her old things that she no longer wants and has decided to sell them which did please me to see she really is on board. She is also planning to take her own lunch to work two times next week, stating that she's happy to work as a team so long as I am. My only hope is for my marriage to carry on like this.

November promises to be a busy month for my family and I with us hopefully going to see a few fireworks displays (if the weather improves), my mother's birthday and my son's birthday all within the next thirty days.

Summary:
+£25.00 Music Teaching.
No Spend Day.

Yours Faithfully,
Alex.

mum2one

Wow, it really sounds like some major changes have come across, so glad about Mrs K being on board, thou did have a thought of her lunchbox being lobster thermadore! it really sounds like your working together.

Glad your having Little K bday at home, sounds like a nice number the 4 kids, and I love the sound of the jigsaws, agree with what so many people have said about party bags and the tat. I've done book sets before, and backpacks, swim bags, thou I got them from £1 section from Half Cost - for a couple of DDs birthday she shared with a friend and we had the whole class, hire the sports hall. If you can put a bit of time your get some lovely ideas.

Thinking re full and final - once youve opened the negotiations you could get as low as 40%, they wont normally take offers on cards that aren't with collections dept. Make sure it is in writing as full and final, otherwise they can leave it upto 6 years then come back for the rest.

There is info on Stepchange charity page about full and finals may be worth a read

You do have the right to ask for letters only, you may need to put this in writing, but they do have to abide by this.

Hope your fathers health on the mend, and you, hope your ok.

Would have loved to see Mrs K poking around the car, some sellers certainly use poetic license.

It was def a wet week in Wales, we stayed in a static, but on the Sunday I really thought the caravan was getting blown about.. rocking for the wrong reasons...
DD went to go to big firework display - got rained off.

Glad you had a good halloween party, just give it a yr or so when Little K wants to go trick or treating, DD dragged my dad with her, she even brought him a glow in the dark skeleton necklace to wear. She got £5 and half carrier bag of sweets.

You take care, x

AlexLK

mum2one wrote: »

Wow, it really sounds like some major changes have come across, so glad about Mrs K being on board, thou did have a thought of her lunchbox being lobster thermadore! it really sounds like your working together.

:rotfl: Next week is pasta salad for Mrs. K.'s lunch, so not quite lobster. However, we are having a decadent Saturday lunch tomorrow.

mum2one wrote: »

Glad your having Little K bday at home, sounds like a nice number the 4 kids, and I love the sound of the jigsaws, agree with what so many people have said about party bags and the tat. I've done book sets before, and backpacks, swim bags, thou I got them from £1 section from Half Cost - for a couple of DDs birthday she shared with a friend and we had the whole class, hire the sports hall. If you can put a bit of time your get some lovely ideas.

I hope it'll turn out well and the kids we've invited seem to really get along with our son. I'm sure we don't have a Half Cost around here, we do have a "Home Bargains" and a "Discount UK" though.

mum2one wrote: »

Thinking re full and final - once youve opened the negotiations you could get as low as 40%, they wont normally take offers on cards that aren't with collections dept. Make sure it is in writing as full and final, otherwise they can leave it upto 6 years then come back for the rest.

There is info on Stepchange charity page about full and finals may be worth a read

You do have the right to ask for letters only, you may need to put this in writing, but they do have to abide by this.

Thank you. I am only sending off letters about F&Fs to the two cards that went to collection agencies. Hoping very much for 40% and I shall take a look on the Stepchange page as I didn't realise they'd give out information if they weren't handling your debt.

Interesting on them having to abide by letters only - what can one do if they don't?

mum2one wrote: »

Hope your fathers health on the mend, and you, hope your ok.

He's had to stay in hospital for the evening but should be out tomorrow. I'll have to be OK.

mum2one wrote: »

Would have loved to see Mrs K poking around the car, some sellers certainly use poetic license.

:rotfl: Let's just say my wife shocks a few sellers when she goes to see cars, they don't expect her to roll about under a car with a lead light.

mum2one wrote: »

It was def a wet week in Wales, we stayed in a static, but on the Sunday I really thought the caravan was getting blown about.. rocking for the wrong reasons...
DD went to go to big firework display - got rained off.

Glad you had a good halloween party, just give it a yr or so when Little K wants to go trick or treating, DD dragged my dad with her, she even brought him a glow in the dark skeleton necklace to wear. She got £5 and half carrier bag of sweets.

You take care, x

Pity regarding the weather on holiday. Having stayed in a few touring caravans at various "car 'dos", it's horrible when the wind gets up.

:rotfl: I'm not sure how we'd do trick or treating as we've two neighbours within reasonable walking distance, unless our son could perhaps join his nursery friends who live close to one and other.

mum2one

Your stalker again...

Jthe link to stepchange, that will get you to the home page, and theres info and fact sheets on there.
http://www.stepchange.org/

Re the calls - send the letter recorded delievery (so you can track it online) say that you wish no more telephone calls, and you will only deal in written form, and that your give them 7 days from date of letter for this to be applied.

If they did continue the calls - you'd report them not sure if its financial obsbumnen or like office fair trading, someone like that, the company could get a large fine, so it usually works.

Half cost - its an online company - can be hit and miss, its all new items, it items that are over stocks, last season, they include betterware, Argos, etc you can get some bargains from there, generally changes stock on a Friday,

https://www.halfcost.co.uk

Thats good if your father is coming home tomorrow, your be strong,

You've really disappointed me with Mrs K lunch.... sure your have a good one tomorrow, you can't let the side down.

Trick or treating, - guess in a village your lucky, we fall luckly as our house is in a cul-de-sac of four, so unless you know where we are, people just carry on round the rest of the street.

You were def braver than me in a tourer, I like to be fixed to the ground... we did well for Oct. Now its feet to the ground, debt busting, and getting ready for Xmas... might even treat myself to a fountain pen... thats if you get one for a tenner!! xx

cottage_retreatist

AlexLK wrote: »

Thank you, all. Not having a great day today if I'm honest but managed to do a few things business wise and heard back from the agency I sent the letter to about the full and final - they have sent an offer of 75% what I owe. To be honest, I think I can do better than that so I'll send them another offer back - I can see this becoming a long process of negotiation.

HBS: I hope they get along OK.

Hi Alex - you can do better - with mine so far I managed to get down to 50% or so of the total original amounts. And that was only because I became bored of sending letters and wanted them paid to keep to my challenge targets!

As others say - ALWAYS contact via letter (recorded delivery, second class) and ALWAYS request a letter from them confirming they will no longer chase the debt once it is paid. and if you can when you come to pay - ask for their banking details DON'T pay over the phone with a card!!!!!

And good luck! :D
Glad to see you and Mrs K being a team on this!
Good luck - with both 'discoveries'

x

AlexLK

mum2one wrote: »

Your stalker again...

Jthe link to stepchange, that will get you to the home page, and theres info and fact sheets on there.
http://www.stepchange.org/

Thank you, I shall have a look after responding to you on here.

mum2one wrote: »

Re the calls - send the letter recorded delievery (so you can track it online) say that you wish no more telephone calls, and you will only deal in written form, and that your give them 7 days from date of letter for this to be applied.

If they did continue the calls - you'd report them not sure if its financial obsbumnen or like office fair trading, someone like that, the company could get a large fine, so it usually works.

Excellent, thank you for the information. In an odd way I'm actually looking forward to paying the debts off just for the letters (and the odd phone call) to stop. Yet, when I was completely ignoring the debt it never bothered me.

mum2one wrote: »

Half cost - its an online company - can be hit and miss, its all new items, it items that are over stocks, last season, they include betterware, Argos, etc you can get some bargains from there, generally changes stock on a Friday,

https://www.halfcost.co.uk

Will have a look, thank you.

mum2one wrote: »

Thats good if your father is coming home tomorrow, your be strong,

You've really disappointed me with Mrs K lunch.... sure your have a good one tomorrow, you can't let the side down.

He'll be alright and so will I.

:rotfl: We'll have to think of something creative for Mrs. K.'s brng her own lunch to work days, just in order to not disappoint you.

mum2one wrote: »

Trick or treating, - guess in a village your lucky, we fall luckly as our house is in a cul-de-sac of four, so unless you know where we are, people just carry on round the rest of the street.

I've never actually experienced trick or treaters knocking at my door (don't think they'd dare walk up parents' driveway, my current house is secluded so was our previous one and before that I was at university), something Mrs. K. thinks is hilariously funny!

mum2one wrote: »

You were def braver than me in a tourer, I like to be fixed to the ground... we did well for Oct. Now its feet to the ground, debt busting, and getting ready for Xmas... might even treat myself to a fountain pen... thats if you get one for a tenner!! xx

Mrs. K. and I have "roughed it" in worse than a tourer at some car events.

You can get plenty of pens for a tenner, whether they are any good is a different matter though.

cottage_retreatist wrote: »

Hi Alex - you can do better - with mine so far I managed to get down to 50% or so of the total original amounts. And that was only because I became bored of sending letters and wanted them paid to keep to my challenge targets!

As others say - ALWAYS contact via letter (recorded delivery, second class) and ALWAYS request a letter from them confirming they will no longer chase the debt once it is paid. and if you can when you come to pay - ask for their banking details DON'T pay over the phone with a card!!!!!

Thank you, I was thinking the same (went in at 25% ). Also thank you for the practical advice, before being a member on here I would have foolishly paid them over the 'phone and not requested a confirmation.

Yes, there is a part of me now thinking "how gullible".

cottage_retreatist wrote: »

And good luck! :D
Glad to see you and Mrs K being a team on this!
Good luck - with both 'discoveries'
x

Again thank you. Mrs. K. and I are hopefully sorting our marriage out but whether we can keep up the enthusiasm remains to be seen. We've been through some great times for a couple of weeks many times.

Fortunately, now my wife has shared my health problems with her mother (no, I most certainly did not request this), it appears I am most likely fine; will still be visiting the doctor though. The car is booked into the garage on Monday.