My DMP Journey...

Monkeyballs

Wednesday 18th of June

Gym session number 2 today... Not looking forward to it today as while doing my "superman" pose on the gym ball today I for some reason decided to try lifting both hands... LOL, note to the wise, don't do it

I managed a split second of the pose before rolling off and now I feel like I've been kicked in the chocolate eclairs now I have an hour in the gym to endure LOL oh well, I'll live

Finance wise, I've made about 50 plans for the best thing to do with my Cheque Centre refund LOL each one is "very wise" except for the one which involves a holiday to Borneo to see Orangutans and a PS4 LOL

I also sent a cheeky chase email to the Money Shop to chase for an update on my complaint... They never said as much but the response I got was definitely a "sod off" message

Anyway, gotta go gym now so wish me luck! *clutches eclairs in right hand*

MB x

Calling14

Thought I would say Hi rather than read your diary and run off. Glad you got a juicy cheque. Had a lot of trouble in the past with my back, also have a desk job. Stopped paying for physio's too expensive, now I go to a complementary therapist when it is bad, half the price and no where near as painful. I find I have to get up and walk a bit before work, helps stretch everything out, tend to go out for walks at lunchtime as well.
Good luck with your DF journey be watching.

in_need_of_direction

Brilliant news re the cheque. Just be sensible with it.

Seasidegal58

Wonderful news on the cheque - I'm so pleased for you. The emergency fund is an excellent idea, but don't forgot to spend something on a little treat to spur you on.:T


I hope you didn't hurt your back when you fell off the ball, but you did make me laugh! I think a touch of the gold kryptonite must have been lurking around the gym somewhere to bring Superman down from flight (it is gold that makes him lose his powers isn't it? - been a long time since I read my DC comics!):rotfl:

Monkeyballs

Evening all!

I actually queried something on the statement they sent to me... It showed that I had an outstanding balance of £700+ which was wrong as paid an F&F earlier in the year.

I got a reply today telling me I was right and another revised refund offer has been sent... I honestly didn't query it to get more money, I just wanted to make sure it was actually zeroed off and closed as agreed! It doesn't look like it was on their systems although it has gone off Noddle so I'm assuming it's ok? I have a letter confirming it's settled and the remainder won't be sold so I don't really mind

That said, the additional (£700 included @ £200 interest) means the offer is now almost £4400 I've literally never had so much money handed to me except for when I foolishly did a consolidation loan years and years ago!

I know I've had problems with Cheque Centre in the past but seriously, since going into a DMP they have been excellent and even when I called them the woman I spoke to was really nice - based on my experience I would have to say this leopard has changed it's spots

As for what I'm going to do with it, it's sensible head on all the way although I am going to use it as an opportunity to "tune" myself up with luxuries (yep, that's how it feels) like glasses, a trip to the dentist (eventually when I can actually sit down long enough unless they're willing to knock me out LOL).

I also want to buy some new bedding as I've had my current sets for maybe 15 years and are a bit holy I'm not talking expensive sets, maybe a couple of duvet and pillow sets for maybe £20 each and some flat sheets for a fiver a go? I'm making these prices up as I genuinely have no clue but this is the sort of budget I'd like to stick to

As I type I'm looking around my room to see if there's anything else I really need... Honestly, if you asked anyone else they'd probably roll off a list but I'm a man of few needs LOL I should probably refresh my wardrobe but I hate buying clothes and like what I have so why should I? It's just needless expense!

The minimum from the £4300 going towards debts will be £3000 which is reasonable isn't it?

So that's;

Glasses - £250
Dentist - £100
Bedding - £50
Emergency pot - £800(?)

All that together is £1200... it will be with me around pay day so the chances of wasting any are low...

The other thing I was sort of wondering about was using it to make F&F offers, if I did that then I think I'd be better sitting on the money (or rather giving it to my brother to remove any temptation) for maybe 6 months and adding to it? I'm making reduced DMP payments while I'm off work now so if I continued for the 6 months hopefully I'll be back at work within the next couple of months so I may be able to get that £3k built up to £4.5k which I reckon I could use to settle half of my debts? It'll be great if I get a refund from Money shop too! Then I could add that to the kitty

That's only plan B though

MB of G x

Monkeyballs

Hi SSG,

You nerd!! LOL, I think it's Gold... Doesn't it stop him healing or something? Probably, not that I'd know

It gets worse, I limped along to my gym session where there were a whole load of new starters and I decided to "impress" one of the women there on the exercise bike LOL I got a bit carried away and when we were all told to stop and grab a gym ball I stepped of and promptly fell over! My legs had gone numb very smooth of me... Still, she laughed and we got talking

Anyway, I'm signing of for now so I'll catch you later

MB of G x

in_need_of_direction

Depending on how overdue your dentist visit is, £100 may be conservative. I think your spending plans seem sensible. It'll be good to have a nest egg.

Monkeyballs

Hi INoD,

I'm sort of working on the basis that I brush twice a day, use mouthwash on a morning and floss every evening (a bit anal I know) and I don't generally have any problems...

My gums don't bleed, I never get toothache and I only rarely get even an ulcer!

But... I do have a terrible sweet tooth and it has been yeaaaaaars since my last visit (more out of lack of money than anything else) so I'm thinking clean and polish, scan and possibly a filling? I know in the past I'd have got this through my old dentist for maybe £65 or so... So £100 should be about right won't it? Give or take a tenner...

MB x

Monkeyballs

Tuesday 24th of June

It's been a funny past few days... I've not been on MSE much as I've been out and about a bit more and just generally felt I needed some time away from being online in general! So, I'm making this update short but sweet

Back = same old same old, oh well at least it's no worse

Finances = still thinking about the best way to use the refund from Cheque Centre... I need to put it to good use as opportunities like this don't come along every day I do have a few fingers in a few pies tho LOL

In other news, my landlady just changed property management companies who wasted no time in telling me the rent is due on the 22nd of each month? Bearing in mind they told me on the 23rd it was a bit of a surprise but suggesting I get a free month seemed to make them more cooperative LOL

Ciao for now!

MB of G x

Monkeyballs

Friday 27th of June

Sooooo... Ever have one of those days when you regret doing something? Today is one of those LOL

I contacted Provident to offer a (pretty generous) F&F wanting to take advantage of the refund I've received from Cheque Centre and got a call from a fairly obnoxious woman saying "they don't accept settlement offers from failed debtors" but then offered a £50 reduction?

I explained I couldn't afford more and said not to worry as I'll continue to pay through the DMP and she rather snippily said "sure, fine, ok" and then hung up!

So, being more than a bit annoyed I decided to make a complaint about irresponsible lending...

I've posted it but now wish I hadn't... Not because I don't believe I have a case but because I actually believe it was more me being irresponsible and promised myself that I wouldn't be a !!!!!! about this sort of thing

Basically I still owe them about £2.5k and I offered them £1.5k thinking I'd be bartered to about £1.8k since the £2.5k is what's left of a loan I'd taken out over a 3 year period and consisted of a £2k and the rest is interest (I've already paid off £1.3k!).

Honestly there is blame on their side as much as there is on mine because while loaning the agent and I we cooked the books a bit so the loan would be approved and a big chunk was to repay another loan... But, I wanted to take responsibility for my actions.

Should I withdraw my complaint, can I withdraw a complaint? Or should I wait for a response and just accept what they say (which I suspect will be no since there was an I&E form of sorts filled out at the time)?

I don't know...

MB