Reeling from the Reality Check

Historybuff

Back on it. I'm pleased with how I'm doing. Debt is going down. Budgeting is becoming much easier, even second nature now and we are able to do the things we want to do as well, so life hasn't stopped. That's the main thing. You can't put your life on hold whilst paying the debts. Find ways to do the things you want to. I'm never going to turn down an invitation or opportunity because I feel guilty for owing money ever again. Those old debts will get paid back, but in the meantime life has to be lived.

Puzzcat

Hi HB,

Just popping in on a lovely sunny sunday to say hi to you. Your keeping busy as always I see. Make sure you have time for you..

Love Puzz.x

Historybuff

So, Bc*rd have washed their hands of me and passed me over to PRA group. I'm all set up to pay them the same, so will keep going for a while before looking into an f and f. Apart from that and the coerced increased payment to one other, all is trundling along with no probs.
The debt total is not going down as quickly as I would like, but at least all interest is still stopped and it is still reducing.
Also, the mortgage total has gone into the 60s.:)
Sunny day and I've got a day off, so all is well. Have a lovely weekend all.

Historybuff

Done another money makeover and managed to save £62 a month by reducing water and insurances. Going to save it up to put towards the f and fs.

Bobarella

Great saving History Buff!

DawnW

Historybuff wrote: »

Done another money makeover and managed to save £62 a month by reducing water and insurances. Going to save it up to put towards the f and fs.

Just goes to show, a money makeover isn't just something you do once and for all, but needs revisiting every so often. I must redo this!


Glad to hear that things are progressing well

Historybuff

Plodding on. Had some setbacks money wise with some unexpected bills to pay. Trying to work out the best way forward to get rid of debts and mortgage as soon as possible and well before the forecast date in the signature. I want to retire. There, I've said it. Much as I enjoy my job, recent unexpected events have made me re evaluate what I want to do. And I've come to the conclusion I want more time to do what I want with the people who mean most to me. I don't want to spend my time and energy working to just keep paying the bills. I want them gone as soon as possible. So I can live a simpler less hectic and stressful life.
So...options. I will definitely have to get on with trying to get some f and fs agreed. There are eight to do. Shall I focus on two or three, or go the whole hog and offer smaller portions to them all? I have to be realistic. Offering ridiculously small amounts to all will prob get me nowhere, so I think I will focus on the three biggest ones first, or maybe the four smallest, hopefully giving it a try before Christmas.
Yes, that's what I'm going to do. Focus on getting rid of the debt through f and fs as soon as I can. I want the dark debt cloud taken away from over my head. Then I can move forward to what I really want to spend my time on.
Thanks for listening all. Hope you are all getting to where you want to be x

Brogden

Historybuff wrote: »

Plodding on. Had some setbacks money wise with some unexpected bills to pay. Trying to work out the best way forward to get rid of debts and mortgage as soon as possible and well before the forecast date in the signature. I want to retire. There, I've said it. Much as I enjoy my job, recent unexpected events have made me re evaluate what I want to do. And I've come to the conclusion I want more time to do what I want with the people who mean most to me. I don't want to spend my time and energy working to just keep paying the bills. I want them gone as soon as possible. So I can live a simpler less hectic and stressful life.
So...options. I will definitely have to get on with trying to get some f and fs agreed. There are eight to do. Shall I focus on two or three, or go the whole hog and offer smaller portions to them all? I have to be realistic. Offering ridiculously small amounts to all will prob get me nowhere, so I think I will focus on the three biggest ones first, or maybe the four smallest, hopefully giving it a try before Christmas.
Yes, that's what I'm going to do. Focus on getting rid of the debt through f and fs as soon as I can. I want the dark debt cloud taken away from over my head. Then I can move forward to what I really want to spend my time on.
Thanks for listening all. Hope you are all getting to where you want to be x

Good to hear from you again HB !!

I have no idea how much you would have available for F&F's but if I were you I would contact all of the predators big and small and make a paltry offer to them all in the knowledge that they will not all accept but any that do.....whoopie!!!!! If they all accept and you don't have enough money to pay them all don't worry - been there......I just said 'sorry things have changed, can't pay that to you now. I'll have to carry on with my arrangement.' They said 'OK.'

It seems we are doing well if we settle for 40%??? I settled a couple for 25% but I don't know how brass necked you are!!!

The other idea which I have mentioned before is take some or all of them down to £1 a month with an I&E statment that backs up that is all you can pay. Save the money and then move in with F&F's. Just because you have paid a predator £100 a month doesn't mean you can't move it down to £1!!! I have.

All the best with it HB.

Brogden.

Historybuff

Thanks, Brogden. I'm still working up to making offers. I'm not going to try till after Christmas now. Got too much else to focus on at the mo. One thing I will say is, though, that this Christmas money is not going to be a worry. I've got enough saved up to cope with everything and, hopefully, have a bit left over for Jan.
All the best. X

Historybuff

Today's the day. I've prepared the f and fs and am poised to send off the letters making pro rata offers to them all for about a third of what I owe. I'm just deciding whether to send in an i and e and a table showing what I owe to all the creditors and what I'm offering them all. Shall I do that or just send a stand alone letter to all of them? Just making my mind up. What have others done?