Reeling from the Reality Check

Historybuff

It was £44 INOD, just a bit more than people want to pay for a gift. Anyway, I've decided I have enough bags and can make do with the ones I have already. Just relaxing now. First visitor gone. Phew!

Historybuff

I've been re reading the start of my diary from almost a year ago and am so far away from there in terms of mindset about money and finances now, thanks to the support from this website and forum. 2015 is going to be the year I manage to save at least £1000 emergency fund and at least £365 towards next Christmas whilst also continuing to pay down debt mountain. I also want to do some things with my dad whilst he still can. The key to this is going to be only buying things that are NEEDED. If we can do without something and get by with what we have got, we won't buy it, but will save the money instead to go towards one of the pots. Feeling much more in control of finances now.
Spent some time this morning checking over my pension forecast to see when I can feasibly be thinking about reducing working hours. Not possible until April 2017. I will keep going full time until then. It's not a long time and will soon be here I know. Good to have a date to work towards.

sweetpea26

Happy New Year HB...you have made superb progress.

All the best for 2015.

Historybuff

Thanks sweetpea. Sorted a little low cost trip out for Feb with dad. He's keen to stay active while he is fit, so it has to be done. A change of scenery will be good. Looking forward to a relaxing few days.
Spending on track. I've got a couple of pots I'm saving my emergency and Christmas funds in. I've decided to do the £1 a day as well as the £1 for whatever week it is in the year for the Christmas savings and the emergency fund will have whatever is left at the end of the month put in it. I'm saving! Ha!

Brogden

Historybuff wrote: »

Thanks sweetpea. Sorted a little low cost trip out for Feb with dad. He's keen to stay active while he is fit, so it has to be done. A change of scenery will be good. Looking forward to a relaxing few days.
Spending on track. I've got a couple of pots I'm saving my emergency and Christmas funds in. I've decided to do the £1 a day as well as the £1 for whatever week it is in the year for the Christmas savings and the emergency fund will have whatever is left at the end of the month put in it. I'm saving! Ha!

Nice one HB !! Happy New Year to you. Even the Missus said it was good for us to have got through Christmas without using a credit card Not that we had a choice First positive thing she's said for about 10 years!

Get those payment arrangements sorted out when you can. Less financial stress makes it much easier to take on the 'mountain' though yours is becoming a 'hill' I know. You wouldn't have to wait for review dates - I have just done it when I have felt like it and I know that this will increase the discounts that can be available for F&F's. In about 6 or 7 weeks I will be pushing on with these and I'll let you know how it goes

Brogden x

in_need_of_direction

Today would have been my dad's birthday, he died 17 years ago. I wish that post retirement he had done more as he just seemed to be there for us and his grandchildren. Don't regret a penny of what the trip might cost. It'll create priceless memories.

Historybuff

Thanks, Brogden. I'm certainly going to try to lower those monthly payments.
INOD I have decided that I will spend as much time as possible with my dad and try to do all the things he wants to do. Like you say...it's the memories.
I've made myself a savings notebook to keep track of savings success and had a revelation whilst I was making it! Saving is just paying yourself! Spending money to yourself! Why didn't I think of it like this before!

Historybuff

I've revisited National Debtline My Money Steps and put in actual spending figures per month for everything now I've had ten full months on the payment plans. The new figures coming up show I really do need to reduce the amounts I'm paying to make life that bit easier.
Also had a call from one of the overdrafts today saying the payment plan had 'failed'. It seems it has been passed to collections and the payment was late because it was due to come out on Christmas Day! All is now restored until March. There better not be any charges added!
I'm going to start calling the predators again as soon as I can pluck up courage to see if I can convince them to reduce payments as per My Money Steps. An extra £100 per month will go a long way to reducing stress levels.

Brogden

Historybuff wrote: »

I've revisited National Debtline My Money Steps and put in actual spending figures per month for everything now I've had ten full months on the payment plans. The new figures coming up show I really do need to reduce the amounts I'm paying to make life that bit easier.
Also had a call from one of the overdrafts today saying the payment plan had 'failed'. It seems it has been passed to collections and the payment was late because it was due to come out on Christmas Day! All is now restored until March. There better not be any charges added!
I'm going to start calling the predators again as soon as I can pluck up courage to see if I can convince them to reduce payments as per My Money Steps. An extra £100 per month will go a long way to reducing stress levels.

Hi again HB

You don't have to ring them if you don't want. Send them a copy of that income and expenditure form you have completed with a letter telling them that £x per month is all you can afford (as shown on the I&E) and asking them to write back to you to confirm this is OK for 6mths or preferably 12mths :rotfl:!! That's all I do and I have done it quite a few times to probably a lot of the same people as you!!!!:)

Brogden x

grannyx2

^^ that's exactly what I do too HB, hate, hate, hate speaking to the 'burgers' all done in writing in my house x