Debt free by 40 -- 19 Months and counting

wantabetterlife

oh Steph I can totally sympathise..ebay really peeves me off at times. There really are some pathetic people about. I much prefer to sell on gumtree or facebook.

StressedSteph

Hi all,


I received an very scary letter from Barclays today. It was stating that my payment agreement had been cancelled and they wanted the total outstanding amount back in full. £2675 :eek:.


Well...I haven't done anything wrong, I have stuck to the payment schedule and have been paying what we agreed, so I rang them up.


After waiting forever to get through, I spoke to a woman that seemed to be oblivious to the payment arrangement that has been in place since January. She was acting as if my move to the new bank account had only just happened and was advising me to get a matching overdraft with Santander to be able to pay off my Barclays overdraft :mad:.


I explained that all of this happened in January and I explained that the OD was the reason for leaving Barclays and I wasn't about to transfer it to my new bank account.


I told her that there was no way possible that I could pay back the total amount, and that the £130 per month was the most I could manage at the moment.


She started going on about an interest free loan that the bank could offer me and would agree payments. It all sounded abit odd, but I agreed to go through an income/expenditure form with her and it ended up that they couldn't offer me the loan as I wasn't left with any spare money at the end of each month, she then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go through Stephchange or do it myself and send an income/expenditure form into Barclays, explaining my circumstances and she advised me to offer to pay £1 per month.


It was certainly a turn around from asking for the total amount, down to only £1.


It was all very bizarre. So it looks like I need to send this letter in, I will offer my usual £130 per month and see if that placates them.


Not sure why it has all been messed around with. Weird.

StressedSteph

Morning MSE Diary,


Eugh full of a cold today, not fun.


Well finished a Tractor cushion order yesterday and now I am just making some personalised bunting to go with the order, should get that finished later this morning.


Had an awkward moment yesterday as father in law came round to get some sand and he had a moan at me .


FIL moaned at me because I have'nt been to visit his gf since Christmas . The problem I have with her is all she ever does is moan at me, or make pointed remarks as to how much HER family does for her and then mentions she needs a cleaner (i.e ME) or needs someone to collect her prescriptions or take her shopping (She is a hypochondriac so has convinced herself she can't drive).
I distanced myself from her in January this year as all I ever got was grief from her or errands, and I have enough on my plate with my mum being in a nursing home, I really didn't need to take her on as well. (ps Hubby can't stand her).


Hubby works with FIL so he see's him every day, so makes no effort to see him out of work.


Hubby's opinion is that it isn't all on us as they drive past to go shopping at least once a week and there is such thing as a telephone. So they are as to blame as us.


Anyway, FIL said that hubby's brother who lives near London was coming to visit them the weekend, so I thought I ought to proffer the olive branch and invite them all for dinner.


Well I have messaged the brother on FB and not had a reply, so just called FIL's house and got the GF, who was beyond frosty, and said that I hadn't heard back from hubby's brother yet, so will let them know if it is actually going to happen.


Now I am wondering WHY DO I BOTHER!!!.


Grrrrrr why is it always me that is made to feel like the guilty one. When people can contact or visit us as well.


I am so glad I have a virtually non-existent family as all this politics drives me crazy.


Ok rant over. sorry guys

macpumpkin

Hey Steph, Sorry I don't post much but I always read and you are doing fab. Has the GF got a Carer's Allowance? as if she is ill and needs help then it is non means tested and provides money for people to do her shopping and cleaning etc so if she tries to get you to do something then mention this. My late Grandma was blind and my late Grandad was deaf so they both claimed it for caring for each other! As to dealing with her then I would just moan back. Moan for moan, it really works and she won't want to talk to you after a while! If your hubby doesn't like her either then it is a win-win situation and you don't have to see her much without having a row. I had a moaning Minnie friend who just dragged me down but I didn't want a big fight so I just moaned back and the friendship just drifted to nothingness without a big fight, tis all good.


Anyhow enough of my drivel, I hope you have a fab weekend xx

debtfreewannabe321

Oh Steph doesn't sound good. I don't speak to members of my family any more because of all the drama, life is so much easier without it all although I really miss seeing my nan and grandad (who were stuck right in the middle of it all but chose to side with the ones we fell out with so I haven't seen them since ) Hope you manage to sort it out with your family xx

P.s Barclays did that to me too, one of the reasons why I urged you to leave them as I did! They randomly did this every few months or so even when I was with step change?! One dept doesn't seem to talk to the other I noticed! xx

StressedSteph

macpumpkin wrote: »

Hey Steph, Sorry I don't post much but I always read and you are doing fab. Has the GF got a Carer's Allowance? as if she is ill and needs help then it is non means tested and provides money for people to do her shopping and cleaning etc so if she tries to get you to do something then mention this. My late Grandma was blind and my late Grandad was deaf so they both claimed it for caring for each other! As to dealing with her then I would just moan back. Moan for moan, it really works and she won't want to talk to you after a while! If your hubby doesn't like her either then it is a win-win situation and you don't have to see her much without having a row. I had a moaning Minnie friend who just dragged me down but I didn't want a big fight so I just moaned back and the friendship just drifted to nothingness without a big fight, tis all good.


Anyhow enough of my drivel, I hope you have a fab weekend xx

Hi macpumpkin


Thanks for posting, I really appreciate it.
She does get Carer's allowance, she is quite hot on claiming for everything.
I do feel she just really isn't a very nice person. She has been living in Dorset for over 20 years now and has not one friend. (quite telling!)
Maybe if they do come over, I will just moan back at her. hehe good tip xxx

debtfreewannabe321 wrote: »

Oh Steph doesn't sound good. I don't speak to members of my family any more because of all the drama, life is so much easier without it all although I really miss seeing my nan and grandad (who were stuck right in the middle of it all but chose to side with the ones we fell out with so I haven't seen them since ) Hope you manage to sort it out with your family xx

P.s Barclays did that to me too, one of the reasons why I urged you to leave them as I did! They randomly did this every few months or so even when I was with step change?! One dept doesn't seem to talk to the other I noticed! xx

Hi DFW
Yeah maybe I just shouldn't bother at all. I am wishing I hadn't now.
I know I am bad at keeping in touch but its a two way street.
Aargh, will wait and see if hubby brother gets in touch, if he doesn't then I will cancel it. I might have to lift a decent sized joint out of the freezer just in case.
Wish I had just kept my mouth shut.


I am definitely glad I left Barclays, I was just astounded how the woman seems to have no clue I was already in the middle of an agreement.!!.
Apparently I have two weeks to either contact Stepchange or send my own income/expenses form to them.
I have been managing the repayments fine by myself, so I see no point in bothering Stepchange.
I will just get the letter sent off and offer my same £130 and hope that it is all accepted.
That is all they are going to get until about Spring next year, when I can hopefully start paying extra to them to get rid of it.
eeeuugh stupid banks

First_Trouble

StressedSteph wrote: »

Hi all,


I received an very scary letter from Barclays today. It was stating that my payment agreement had been cancelled and they wanted the total outstanding amount back in full. £2675 :eek:.


Well...I haven't done anything wrong, I have stuck to the payment schedule and have been paying what we agreed, so I rang them up.


After waiting forever to get through, I spoke to a woman that seemed to be oblivious to the payment arrangement that has been in place since January. She was acting as if my move to the new bank account had only just happened and was advising me to get a matching overdraft with Santander to be able to pay off my Barclays overdraft :mad:.


I explained that all of this happened in January and I explained that the OD was the reason for leaving Barclays and I wasn't about to transfer it to my new bank account.


I told her that there was no way possible that I could pay back the total amount, and that the £130 per month was the most I could manage at the moment.


She started going on about an interest free loan that the bank could offer me and would agree payments. It all sounded abit odd, but I agreed to go through an income/expenditure form with her and it ended up that they couldn't offer me the loan as I wasn't left with any spare money at the end of each month, she then proceeded to tell me that I needed to go through Stephchange or do it myself and send an income/expenditure form into Barclays, explaining my circumstances and she advised me to offer to pay £1 per month.


It was certainly a turn around from asking for the total amount, down to only £1.


It was all very bizarre. So it looks like I need to send this letter in, I will offer my usual £130 per month and see if that placates them.


Not sure why it has all been messed around with. Weird.

Hi Steph,

Did Barclays confirm the agreement in writing? If you haven't missed a payment then they cannot go back on the agreement. I would just send them a copy of the agreement and carry on as you are. Remember you can always threaten to complain to the financial obudsman.
I would just keep doing what you are doing you will have paid it off before you know it.

lhead123

Ugh, sounds like you are having a horrible week what with barclays and relatives!
Hope everything settles down after the possible dinner and you can go back to ignoring them again!
I'm lucky in the fact that I moved down here to go to uni and oh followed me down so all our families apart from my sister live in Sussex. That means we only have to deal with them when they come to visit or we visit them... Tbh oh's family aren't too bad, though I haven't met half of them due to fil falling out with his brother 10 years or so ago!

Your tractor cushion is brilliant

Xx

StressedSteph

lhead123 wrote: »

Ugh, sounds like you are having a horrible week what with barclays and relatives!
Hope everything settles down after the possible dinner and you can go back to ignoring them again!
I'm lucky in the fact that I moved down here to go to uni and oh followed me down so all our families apart from my sister live in Sussex. That means we only have to deal with them when they come to visit or we visit them... Tbh oh's family aren't too bad, though I haven't met half of them due to fil falling out with his brother 10 years or so ago!

Your tractor cushion is brilliant

Xx

Hi lhead


To be honest I am kinda used to the Financial problems, nothing is quite as bad as it was at the beginning of the year, when the phone and the post was full of scary stuff. Will get them sorted next week.


I am annoyed at myself mostly about the family stuff. I wish I had just let sleeping dogs lie.
I am now left in a kind of limbo, I have seen hubbys brother has been on FB a few times today but hasn't yet replied to the lunch invite for Sunday. I like plenty of notice to get a lunch sorted/house tidied, so if I haven't heard anything by early evening and I will come up with an excuse and message him.
I don't want him to not reply, but then still turn up at 4pm on a Sunday expecting dinner to be laid on. I am tempted to find somewhere to go so I am out of the house, but with ZERO money its sometimes hard to do that.


Note to self* Learn to keep your mouth shut in future :rotfl:

maddiemay

Hi Steph,
Firstly, thank you for the cover it is great, it really matches one of the colours in kitchen tiles, so think I will use it as bread maker cover and put old BM cover on iron, and possibly ask you to make me another for Kenwood chef:D

You have some pain in the **** stuff going on this week, paypal, barclays and now family, 3 things, so hopefully all done for a while.

Good that DH and you are singing from same hymn sheet on the family stuff, good idea for you to have a moan at FIL and GF about how you have too much to do, looking after OH, children, livestock, poly tunnel, PT Assoc, family admin and worrying about your DM, etc. hopefully they will get fed up and just back off (fingers crossed smiley?)
MM

P.S. Meal plan needed in case you defrost joint and don't need it for guests:)