My Debt Diary, the ramblings of JCD

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  • JCD_Capulet
    JCD_Capulet Posts: 1,441
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    Karmacat wrote: »
    Hi JCD
    Sorry things are so bad for you. Hope your cats are of some comfort to you, I know when I was able to have cats, they meant the world to me (thats why my name........).

    Just had a quick look at your soa. The first thing that strikes me is how huge your internet access bill is. I'm guessing this is a lifeline to you, but...... its a big proportion of your money. How would you feel about using the library for internet access, since its free of charge?
    The virgin media bill is my net access and phoneline. I've got it sitting at that figure just now because I had a huge bill (£156 :() last month and I've been clearing it off slowly. Pretty much every month since my unemployment ive been having £10 late payment fees added and the £5 to have your bill sent to you on a piece of paper thing I think is unbelieveable! I'll be calling them today to see if I can move from BB to a lower package. My phoneline has unlimited calls for 0p if kept under an hour, which I really need just now to call folk when im looking for work. But cuting it off completely...:eek: I guess I'll need to consider it.
    Karmacat wrote: »
    The other thing is that your cat costs you a lot - I'm guessing its cat litter? Any way you can cut down on that? e.g. larger size bag so cheaper, cheaper version, do you use too much, do they *have* to have litter or can they go outside, that sort of thing.
    I moved my cats from IAMS food to asdas own make tinned stuff and own brand litter, but due to my eldest cat having stomach problems it started making her ill. She's allergic to alot of ingredients found in cheaper cat foods, it gives her eczema and makes her vomit (outwith the usual fur ball style sickness), so I had to move back to the more expensive brand cat foods. The youngest cat still gets the cheaper stuff because she doesn't mind what she's being fed so long as it's edible :rotfl: I will look for alternatives though for the eldest one
    Karmacat wrote: »
    Bits of online money without any money having to be spent - things like pigsback, daily clicks and surveys, it will take a while, and the money is comparatively little, but every little really does help.

    Can't think of anything else at the mo (I'm a bit distracted cos I have to go out really soon) but I hope things can get bit better soon.
    I'm signed up to pigsback.....but I'm a little lost as to how theese things work. Is there an FAQ anywhere on the forums about how to use theese sites and which ones to use?

    Thanks for the input Kat :heart2:
    Joanne
    Debt free since 2014 - now saving for a mortgage deposit :heart2:
    This time I'm on top of it! We live and learn :coffee:
  • JCD_Capulet
    JCD_Capulet Posts: 1,441
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    Having meters in isn't always the best solution, but when you are on 59.50 a week, it can sometiems be the only way to clear the debts. You have stuff like water and tv liecence missing.
    I'm giving the suppliers a call today to try to arange something. I ask then about a payment meter. There's a water bill?!?! I've never seen one in my four years of living here! Oh no, something else is going to jump out of the woodwork and bite me :( I guess I just presumed it was included in my council tax. I don't pay for a TV lisence because I gave up with TV back in Febuary. I gave my telly to a neighbour, called and cancelled my lisence and called virgin media to cancel my tv package too. I just got tired of paying for something which wasn't providing me with anything I enjoyed. so the TV went bye-bye :p

    thanks, Penny2MyName :heart2:
    Debt free since 2014 - now saving for a mortgage deposit :heart2:
    This time I'm on top of it! We live and learn :coffee:
  • Your debts are solvable, try the cash back and survey sites on here, not well paid, but its all a help when you are on such a low income, give it a go, read the posts and theres plenty of sites to choose from.
    Competition wins. 2 festival camping tickets worth 310, case of grants whisky 74. :beer: :p
  • JCD_Capulet
    JCD_Capulet Posts: 1,441
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    Your debts are solvable, try the cash back and survey sites on here, not well paid, but its all a help when you are on such a low income, give it a go, read the posts and theres plenty of sites to choose from.

    Hi Dave. I've registered with lots of the sites you suggested and sat up untill 3am eagerly clicking away. I know the debts are solvable, it's finding a job and getting my debtors to understand that I want to pay them back which is the hard part. *sigh*
    Thanks Dave



    I'll update my journal later, I need to go have dinner at my mums house.
    Debt free since 2014 - now saving for a mortgage deposit :heart2:
    This time I'm on top of it! We live and learn :coffee:
  • JCD_Capulet
    JCD_Capulet Posts: 1,441
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    So yesterday I went to my mums house to see my sister and to have dinner. Mum had left a steak pie in the fridge for us, damn I nearly passed out, REAL meat! I've not eaten real meat in so long. Cooked dinner whilst my sis was getting ready to go out, cut the pie into 3/3 and left mums part in the oven for her getting home from backshift then plated up for sis and I.

    I did something rather silly when I left. I went to the shop and bought a pack of cigs, £4.40 down the pan *flush*. I should have stuck to my guns and bought tobacco instead, I find it so unpleasant that a 1/2oz usually lasts three days or more. Gah.

    When I got home I set about getting my clicks in for the night, it's been going not too bad really. I seem to be doing ok with Freefivers, but the rest are moving quite slowly (if anyone can offer advice on how to boost my clicks I'd be grateful x). Had a look for more jobs, applied for more jobs then went to bed at silly O'clock in the morning.

    Today I got a phonecall from the company I had applied to work with last week, as I had expected, they weren't offering me any positions. I'm beginning to believe I'm completely unemployable. I went to the jobcentre to ask for some advice. I'm pulling my hair out with boredom what with not being in work, and I wanted to know if I find a part time job under 16hrs a week (as it states on their website) would I be able to keep my benefit, would I be any better off? I've to go back in tomorow at 11.30 to speak to someone, it seems everything is done by appointment only theese days.

    Anyway, I want to be earning again, I really do. My health is suffering through my rubbish diet, I've no quality of life anymore and I want to be paying back my debts *sigh*

    I'm looking around me for things to sell on ebay, I don't see much. Most of it sold a while ago. I can't get a car boot sale done because my mum works seven days a week, so I have no access to a car.

    I'm getting so tired. I want to work, I want to repay my debts.......I don't want to keep feeling like this.

    Joanne x
    Debt free since 2014 - now saving for a mortgage deposit :heart2:
    This time I'm on top of it! We live and learn :coffee:
  • Dr_Hook
    Dr_Hook Posts: 509
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    There's a water bill?!?! I've never seen one in my four years of living here! Oh no, something else is going to jump out of the woodwork and bite me :(

    Just a thought - water rates are sometimes included in rent payments. I'm sure they'd have been onto you by now if you hadn't paid in 4 years, have a look at your tenancy agreement to see if it's in there.
    Proud to be dealing with my debts - DFW Nerd #491
  • Just another thought, on a more serious note, you sound depressed and perhaps you should look further into that. You have to get yourself in a condition to face the world in a better mind set.
    If you are deemed long term sick through this you may get a better benefit payment. Dont mean that to sound like a flippant bonus, but sickness pays more than jobseekers I think, someone will correct me if I am wrong.
    Competition wins. 2 festival camping tickets worth 310, case of grants whisky 74. :beer: :p
  • JCD_Capulet
    JCD_Capulet Posts: 1,441
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    Nail on the head, Dave. I've been on-off depressed since I was five, had my first break down when I was twelve. I've been on meds, off them and on again ect for as long as I can remember. I don't take meds theese days because my stint in counseling helped me enough to deal with things. I do still get regular up and down spells, but the down spells only hit when I'm out of controll of things. As soon as I'm working again I'll be sounding my old cheery chirpy self. Really, it's nothing to worry about, I'll be fine. I've always muddled through.

    Thanks hon x
    Debt free since 2014 - now saving for a mortgage deposit :heart2:
    This time I'm on top of it! We live and learn :coffee:
  • Karmacat
    Karmacat Posts: 39,459
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    JCD
    Sorry about the delay in coming back to you. I can see that you've tried hard to get down the cat-bills. The only thing I can suggest when any problems come up is to use PDSA, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, they'll take someone on benefits and treat the cats for free (I believe, I'm not completely sure, but clients of mine have used them).

    Pigsback - there is a thread on here about it. If you go to the freebies board, there's a massive thread, but its only the first three posts to be concerned with. Its a bit unfortunate right now, since the poster who takes care of it is on holiday, and I understand its not being updated till the end of this month.

    Other thing is that there's a sticky on this board about ways to get bit of money in. There's a similar sticky on the mortgage-free board - it can help with debts as well as mortgage-freeness tho!

    Best of luck.
    2023: the year I get to buy a car
  • JCD_Capulet
    JCD_Capulet Posts: 1,441
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
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    Dr_Hook wrote: »
    Just a thought - water rates are sometimes included in rent payments. I'm sure they'd have been onto you by now if you hadn't paid in 4 years, have a look at your tenancy agreement to see if it's in there.

    I double checked my council tax bill, it's included in that *PHEW!*
    Karmacat wrote: »
    JCD
    Sorry about the delay in coming back to you. I can see that you've tried hard to get down the cat-bills. The only thing I can suggest when any problems come up is to use PDSA, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, they'll take someone on benefits and treat the cats for free (I believe, I'm not completely sure, but clients of mine have used them).

    Pigsback - there is a thread on here about it. If you go to the freebies board, there's a massive thread, but its only the first three posts to be concerned with. Its a bit unfortunate right now, since the poster who takes care of it is on holiday, and I understand its not being updated till the end of this month.

    Other thing is that there's a sticky on this board about ways to get bit of money in. There's a similar sticky on the mortgage-free board - it can help with debts as well as mortgage-freeness tho!

    Best of luck.

    There's nothing that can be done for Babes with regards to her sensitive stomach aside from bush her alot (if and when she lets me) and feed her good foods.

    I joined alot of the clicks websites (all noted in my signature) and so far I seem to be doing well with freefivers, quidco and pigsback seem to be slower moving. I dunno. I'll have a look into the suggestions anyway.

    Thanks Karmacat x
    Debt free since 2014 - now saving for a mortgage deposit :heart2:
    This time I'm on top of it! We live and learn :coffee:
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