StressedStephs Fight against debt..Again!

out_of_debt_at_last

Hi Steph, Sorry you are struggling so much at the min, sending loads of virtual hugs too!

StressedSteph

maddiemay wrote: »

Morning Steph,
Feel a little better thanks, but now have a cough, but it didn't keep me awake, so OK really.

Sounds like a productive weekend, great news.

Shame about (probably) having to turn down coffee and natter, if you need a reason, I guess pressure of orders to make would be a good one (and probably true).

Re: the finances, stop beating yourself up!! you knew it would be incredibly tough for December and Jan and you are dealing with it, you can't do more than that at the minute. Your craft income has perhaps made the difference between squeaking by and sinking without trace, have a coffee and give yourself a pat on the back, and keep plodding (said in a Strictly Come Dancing tone:rotfl:)

Several lovely diarists have become debt free at the end of November:j, for some it has been really long haul and life has been pretty desperate at times, but they have made it, inch by inch, penny by penny, and you will too, I am sure the support from keeping the diaries updated of triumphs and disasters has made "the difference" for many of them.

Your budgeting skills may not have been great in the past, but they will become amazing as you progress through this journey to being debt free. Virtual hugs and :D xx

Hi Maddiemay,

Hope the cold is still not too bad. Thanks for your lovely post yesterday, I really appreciate it.
Got a few more orders for gifts yesterday approx another £52 worth. .

Its really frustrating this week. So many big bills have gone out and the overdraft is over its limit and a couple of small DD are due out which are going to bounce and cost me £8 each in the bank :mad:, but hubby is owed a total of £394 from a couple of jobs he has done, but yet again the joys of self employment strike and we are sat waiting/hoping that they will pay quickly. Which of course never happens when we are desperate .

Once we get through this week we should be ok for the rest of December.

On a slightly scary note. I had a letter from the Council Tax yesterday saying that this is the 2nd reminder they have had to send this year so they now want the total of £570 paid within the next 7 days :eek:. I am due next week to pay off two months worth which is £380, but can't pay the last £190 until January.
I am only late paying Novembers bill. They are so intolerant
Guess I had better give them a call, hopefully they will accept the last payment to be made in January, especially as its not due until then :mad:.

Got a long day ahead of making the fir bases for Christmas wreaths I am selling. Got to get 50 made up and sold this week, going to be tough but its more money so won't complain.

Hope you have a good day planned. Speak soon

out_of_debt_at_last wrote: »

Hi Steph, Sorry you are struggling so much at the min, sending loads of virtual hugs too!

Hi Out of debt at last,

Thank you for the virtual hugs, I could really do with it this week.

It still feels like I am the only one worrying about a million things and hubby is just concerned about money for his tobacco and skittles :mad:. Trouble is, I am not a sharer really.....He just moans and complains to me about it if I try to talk to him, so I tend to keep it all to myself. Trouble is it makes me feel abit more desperate and that it is all on my shoulders.
Nevermind guess its just the joys of complicated marriages

Hope you are ok, Looks by your name that you are out of debt, I ought to try to find your old diary to get more inspiration. At the moment I can't imagine EVER being out of debt.

xxx

maddiemay

Good morning Steph
Congrats on the new orders:D. Mmmm the self employed thing is a nightmare, OH and I have always been wage slaves, but I well remember trying to juggle the cash flow (lawfully) for a small company I worked for while waiting for the cheques to arrive:eek:

Council Tax - I suggest getting on the phone ASAP with the figures in front of you, heavily stressing the self employed angle and assuring them that you are confident in paying, but cannot meet their time frame. Swallow that frog and hopefully you will be able to sort it out with them. When I had to do a bit of juggling a few years ago I always found the water people to be really helpful and the CT pretty reasonable. The letters are purely computer generated and once you get to speak to someone, hopefully you should be able to agree a schedule to pay. West Dorset and Somerset always used to take telephone payments, so any small payments can be made to show willing, I guess you come under ND?

The wreaths sound lovely, hope it all goes well.
xx

StressedSteph

Well I called the council tax and you were right MaddieMay.

As long as I bring the account up to date within December then they are fine, it is just a computer generated letter. she has noted on my file that I intend to get up to date as of the 9th December so thats another bullet dodged!.

I really feel like I am getting somewhere, I have Barclaycard that is nagging for its payment, but I am due to make a large payment in the next week that is budgeted for so that should get them off my back.

Got a couple of other things to sort, RAC breakdown for hubby and I and also pay hubbys N.I contributions of £200 but that will have to wait till January.

Maybe after all that I can stop being scared to answer the phone and open the post

Chrysalis1976

Definitely get on to the Council r.e. tax I'm sure they will be reasonable especially if you are able to pay a huge chunk of the bill. Do you pay over 12 months? This might free up a few pounds per month if you are able to.

You need to share with your dh otherwise you may burn out, it's so much better to be in it together.

Good news on all the orders, take care C x

Chrysalis1976

Sorry crossed post!

I've read back on your soa, sorry you've been feeling down over the debt recently x.

Feel free to say if you've already sorted some of the things that I've mention below:

* Mortgage and Council Tax come first in my eyes as long as these are paid then the other debt is sedondary, CT is now organised and is mortgage repayment schedule sorted? I can find the right post!

* In one of your posts you mentioned the bank charges added to your account, do they inform you of what they are charging and when it will be applied, I would either have an email or letter. If not ask them to do this so you are aware of when this is happening.

* I know you've sorted out speaking to the relevant credit cards but what are your current payments I.e. are you paying minimum/agreed amounts for all and working on clearing one debt by making extra payments? I know it's sensible to pay the ones with the highest interest first but maybe you would benefit from paying the smallest amount off and then transferring the money to the next debt.

You are doing so well, soon your craft funds will be used on the debt and then one day any extra will be on the family.

Keep going, C x

StressedSteph

Chrysalis1976 wrote: »

Sorry crossed post!

I've read back on your soa, sorry you've been feeling down over the debt recently x.

Feel free to say if you've already sorted some of the things that I've mention below:

* Mortgage and Council Tax come first in my eyes as long as these are paid then the other debt is sedondary, CT is now organised and is mortgage repayment schedule sorted? I can find the right post!

* In one of your posts you mentioned the bank charges added to your account, do they inform you of what they are charging and when it will be applied, I would either have an email or letter. If not ask them to do this so you are aware of when this is happening.

* I know you've sorted out speaking to the relevant credit cards but what are your current payments I.e. are you paying minimum/agreed amounts for all and working on clearing one debt by making extra payments? I know it's sensible to pay the ones with the highest interest first but maybe you would benefit from paying the smallest amount off and then transferring the money to the next debt.

You are doing so well, soon your craft funds will be used on the debt and then one day any extra will be on the family.

Keep going, C x

Thanks C for taking the time to post.

Yes mortgage company have been pretty good and agreed that as long as I paid Novembers amount within November, then there would be no charges. I paid that on the 28th.
Decembers DD is cancelled and they again said I just need to call them up to confirm what date in December I will pay. Think it should be in the next week, but want to wait for hubby to get paid before I make any promises.
I do plan to ask them if I can either change my payment date from the 1st to mid month permenantly or maybe ask if I can just have the DD cancelled again for January. Its so much easier for me to plan when I will pay rather than it being on a set day which inevitably ends up being the day before pay day etc.

Up till now I have only been paying the minimum on CC's and sometimes even missing a payment.
BUT......Have done a snowball calculation and will be paying off set amounts this December, but paying more to Barclaycard as this is the first debt I want to get rid of.
It is only £1000 and its in hubbys name and is the highest interest. So thought I would be easy to kill this one off first.

Thank you for all your help C, I am really good at getting myself organised with debt busting etc, its sticking to it that trips me up. I get bored very easily and it is boring trying not to spend money, So i fall of the wagon really easily. :mad::o:mad:

Alot more determined this time. I know my weaknesses now and will keep an eye on myself

maddiemay

I hope that the wreath making is going well and that your fingers are not too sore:(

Bright and sunny here today, OH is steeling himself for another leaf raking session:eek: and I am in need of a very hard kick up the rear to get going and do something:rotfl:. I should be going to knitting group and although I feel well enough I do have a cough and don't think I should go and share it round, so may just drop in and say hello and find out the details for our pre-Christmas lunch which is booked for next Wednesday.

Right, cup of tea (yet another), vac living room, shower and hair wash, hang some washing on airer and then, another cup of tea I think:rotfl:

Take care.

out_of_debt_at_last

HI Steph, I did not keep a diary on here just a paper one until I was out of debt but wish I had, as it was a slippery path and still is!!,( just stopped myself from buying something's because they were on sale!! did not need them but put them in the basket then stopped myself):)

I had no tricks up my sleeve just determination like you have!:)


and I read the forum to keep my determination to stay out of debt!

StressedSteph

Just a quick look in to say hi, and I am still here. Just been working super hard making up the wreaths yesterday and today.

Another long day of it tomorrow, making up stock for the Christmas Fair I am attending Saturday.

Busy Busy but all money going in the right direction :-)

Speak better soon xx