Student, pregnant, sinking and in need of help :( *update*

Blitzwing85

ABetterLife wrote: »

SNIP

No problem. I can't begin to understand the situation but you sound determined to sort everything out and are going about it the right way so happy to provide any advice I can.

I'm sure with some work and a level head it will be all sorted out in time.


For Tv license...what I 'think' happens is that it will stop as soon as you cancel, but you can then get refunded the amount you have over-paid.
I know it works this way when paying in 1 lump sum which is what I did. I cancelled a few months in and they just gave me a % of the money back from the day i told them to cancel.

When you switch you'll just receive a letter from your provider with a final bill. Your new provider will take over the gas/elec from your property and they will take, or you will provide meter readings for the day they switch you over. (typically 4-5 weeks from when you start it). They will then do everything, and the readings they open your account with will be passed onto your current supplier who will use them to give you a final bill.

I'm with scottish power at the minute but overall I haven't found the prices to really change much between providers. £2.39 in one day isn't a massive amount - that's still on the low end.
I use about £2 per day on average and I don't 'try' to save.
Heating is on about 1 hour per day on a cooler day and usually have games console running all evening as it's used for all media, plus TV, PC, oven every day plus numerous hobs as we always cook from scratch.
Probably not too much you could do to get it that much lower really.
I thought it must have been £100 per month on average which would be a lot.

£70 a month isn't so much really for both.

What are the water rates? It's a lot cheaper being on a meter. My wifes Mam recently moved into a property we own and rents it from us now so she could sell her 4 bed house after her divorce. He water rates are now 1/3rd what they were because it's metered.


Kindle Fire is a tablet yes, it can access online browser and video.
Standard kindle is just an ebook reader.
Kindle Fire just runs on Android OS.

Probably not as sleak as an iPad but does the basic things you want and is a lot cheaper. Amazon are selling the HD version for £95 at the minute



Line rental is just one of those things I'm afraid. Not sure about the details but they just know it's a big money maker and would lose too much if it wasn't forced because so many people now just use mobiles.
I don't know a single person with a landline telephone, yet everyone I know has the internet.
I'm sure it'll be ditched eventually but it'll be a LONG way off.

Line rental + broadband is still going to be cheaper than paying for 3G though so just a case of getting a good deal.
This is where a cashback site could be very useful to you.
Deals on them change a lot but I've seen them as good as 12 months internet, with money in YOUR pocket before!! So you get paid to have it for a year.
Even if it's not that good now, it can be as low as £40-£50 for 12 months after the cashback.
Plusnet are often one of the cheaper ones I think. I get Fibre with them for £15.99 so their standard broadband should be cheap.

Uxb

Blitzwing85 wrote: »

Line rental is just one of those things I'm afraid. Not sure about the details but they just know it's a big money maker and would lose too much if it wasn't forced because so many people now just use mobiles.
I don't know a single person with a landline telephone, yet everyone I know has the internet.
I'm sure it'll be ditched eventually but it'll be a LONG way off.

I appreciate this next comment is well off topic.
Line rental in the UK is misleading.
In reality it is a combined fee for the existence/upgrade/maintenance etc of the physical line to your address plus exchange equipment etc AND the costs for obtaining a voice service on it (calls being extra depending on package etc).

OFCOM have required these two components to be lumped together in this way.
So BB charges seem cheap compared to this combined fee called line rental.
OFCOM could quite easily change this and switch such that the physical line part is lumped in with Broadband charges. Then we would all find our broadband charges becoming huge while the extra charge for having a voice service on said line becomes quite small.
We really should be paying 3 bills per month: One to our broadband supplier, one to our voice phone supplier (eg BT retail for ex) and one to BTOpenreach the network operator who maintains and repairs the network.

What everyone wants of course is 'Naked DSL' as it is called where the line has no voice service and they assume they would not have to pay any 'line rental'................no chance whatsoever!

PS I have a landline phone - if you ring my mobile you will most likely not get me.

claire16c

ABetterLife wrote: »

Ah okay, that's good to know! I'd love to attend these when she's born. I want to take her out as much as possible as I have depression/anxiety already and staying in the house day after day gets me down. I want to take her swimming, to the museum, to baby yoga, to parks, on day trips etc. Ah, I can't wait!

Find out if you have a local Childrens Centre near you. They often run free activities. One near me does a group each week for babies and toddlers and the toddlers all get a snack and drink to eat whilst they are there. There is an outside and inside play area.

ABetterLife

claire16c wrote: »

Find out if you have a local Childrens Centre near you. They often run free activities. One near me does a group each week for babies and toddlers and the toddlers all get a snack and drink to eat whilst they are there. There is an outside and inside play area.

Thank you, shall do!

ABetterLife

Blitzwing85 wrote: »

No problem. I can't begin to understand the situation but you sound determined to sort everything out and are going about it the right way so happy to provide any advice I can.

I'm sure with some work and a level head it will be all sorted out in time.


For Tv license...what I 'think' happens is that it will stop as soon as you cancel, but you can then get refunded the amount you have over-paid.
I know it works this way when paying in 1 lump sum which is what I did. I cancelled a few months in and they just gave me a % of the money back from the day i told them to cancel.

When you switch you'll just receive a letter from your provider with a final bill. Your new provider will take over the gas/elec from your property and they will take, or you will provide meter readings for the day they switch you over. (typically 4-5 weeks from when you start it). They will then do everything, and the readings they open your account with will be passed onto your current supplier who will use them to give you a final bill.

I'm with scottish power at the minute but overall I haven't found the prices to really change much between providers. £2.39 in one day isn't a massive amount - that's still on the low end.
I use about £2 per day on average and I don't 'try' to save.
Heating is on about 1 hour per day on a cooler day and usually have games console running all evening as it's used for all media, plus TV, PC, oven every day plus numerous hobs as we always cook from scratch.
Probably not too much you could do to get it that much lower really.
I thought it must have been £100 per month on average which would be a lot.

£70 a month isn't so much really for both.

What are the water rates? It's a lot cheaper being on a meter. My wifes Mam recently moved into a property we own and rents it from us now so she could sell her 4 bed house after her divorce. He water rates are now 1/3rd what they were because it's metered.


Kindle Fire is a tablet yes, it can access online browser and video.
Standard kindle is just an ebook reader.
Kindle Fire just runs on Android OS.

Probably not as sleak as an iPad but does the basic things you want and is a lot cheaper. Amazon are selling the HD version for £95 at the minute



Line rental is just one of those things I'm afraid. Not sure about the details but they just know it's a big money maker and would lose too much if it wasn't forced because so many people now just use mobiles.
I don't know a single person with a landline telephone, yet everyone I know has the internet.
I'm sure it'll be ditched eventually but it'll be a LONG way off.

Line rental + broadband is still going to be cheaper than paying for 3G though so just a case of getting a good deal.
This is where a cashback site could be very useful to you.
Deals on them change a lot but I've seen them as good as 12 months internet, with money in YOUR pocket before!! So you get paid to have it for a year.
Even if it's not that good now, it can be as low as £40-£50 for 12 months after the cashback.
Plusnet are often one of the cheaper ones I think. I get Fibre with them for £15.99 so their standard broadband should be cheap.

Ah okay, best I speak to them then and ask them.

Am I better off waiting until my next bill to switch?

It is over £100 a month on average between the two (g + e). In 60 days it has cost me £211.04 so £105.52 per month!

Water rates are included in my rent. Not sure what they are off the top of my head but my rent is actually £80 something a week but water and 'service charges' bumps it up to £103.70. Dreading getting the letter telling me about the rent increases *gulp* my friend's has just gone up by about £8 per week! How would I go about getting a meter? Would probably be a lot cheaper for me like you say. I don't use much water.

I'll keep looking around!

busiscoming2

I admire you OP for trying so hard to make a good life for yourself and tackle the financial situation you find yourself in.

I can't offer much advice except to say your gas and electric do seem expensive to me and as has been advised use a comparison site to do a check for the best tariff.

Have you looked at this website for cheap food ideas? http://agirlcalledjack.com/page/2/
She also has recently had a book of recipes published.

kindofagilr

Hey hun

I wanted to say I think you are doing awesome and well done for tackling all this

Also try not to be put off by a couple of bad comments on the debt free board most of the people on there are lovely

Your daughter is a lucky little baby to have such a hard working momma like you, I hope in the future you can reconcile with your mam and that your baby's dad can come around to the idea of having a child and see your daughter.

I wish you all the best xx

bluep

OP, ignore the haters. Haters gonna hate. Nothing you can do about that! Sounds like you are doing the best you can to build a life and its tough. My mum wasn't in that different a situation to you when I was born but worked 7 days a week, lived in constant overdraft when I was young. Hey, she scraped together enough cash to survive, I got a scholarship to one of the top schools in the country, went to a top university and now have a top job. Gosh. Look who's paying all the tax now. Strangely enough, I don't have an issue with benefits and welfare payments going to people who work hard and are trying to improve their situation. Keep going. It will all be worth it

Surestart would be good to look into if they are operating in your area? Church mums groups too - very welcoming even if you aren't sure that you strongly believe and are just explorign things - so many people there willing to help out others in less fortunate situations.

Watching tv on your ipad via 3G or 4G is always going to burn through your data. Broadband and a wifi connection you can link to at home would be a much more efficient way of doing things if you can find a good deal.

ABetterLife

Hey guys, I'm going to go out and get some shopping (instead of doing it online) as I have some vouchers to use so I will reply individually when I get back in. Just wanted to say, I'm on TopCashBack and it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!! Why didn't I do this sooner?!?! Hello, free cashback plus more for your money when buying items you would have earned nothing on before! They need to bring out a card, this is amazing. I feel so happy, lol!

Back soon x

rach_k

I don't have much to add except that it's worth looking up your nearest nappy library. I know you said you have some nappies already but many will do long term loans of older styles of nappies that still work perfectly well but aren't in the latest colours or prints and many have newborn hire kits you can borrow for the first month of baby's life. Newborns can go through so many nappies so it's a great way to save a bit of money (and they're much nicer than paper nappies!).

I hope everything works out for you - you sound like you have incredible determination. When I was pregnant I worked 12 hours a week sitting down at a computer and I was completely knackered at the end of each day so I have no idea how you're managing it. What's certain is that your energy and drive will make you a fabulous mum so even if you don't have bags of money, your baby will be very lucky.