DMP & Mutual Support Thread - Part 10

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Grr, blimmin' garage still not got back to me with a quote for the car...

Which isn't such a bad thing. I'm thinking I might get one or two other things done - anti roll-bar bushings and drop links (neither of which are expensive for parts), so I'm going to order the parts today and then call the garage on Monday and ask to book it in for something like next Friday when I get paid. Spoken to a friend and he's happy to lend his bike to me so I can ride/get the train to work which helps keep costs down - the car's drivable but feels horrible! All 'floaty' and vague in the steering. Poor thing

If I get parts that's probably £30-40 at most, then hopefully labour won't be much more than about £150 to do the lot. My thinking is if one thing's gone, the ARB bushes and drop-links won't be far behind, so if they do need to drop the subframe like they said they would for the control arm bushes, it makes sense to get it all done whilst they're under there.

Just thinking aloud really!

Suseka

Karen777 wrote: »

Hello
Just wanted to say thank you and hello. I posted on here about a year ago having just taken the first steps towards a dmp with pp and got some encouragement from people on here. I am now a year in and sleeping better than I have for years and looking forward to a debt free life. I am gutted I waited so long and can honestly say it has saved my life. It's hard living month to month and I still have a way to go but I do know even on the bad days that I am getting there.

Most of the creditors have reduced but not frozen interest which is disappointing but can't be avoided I guess and I am grateful they have reduced it at least - apart from Halifax who take half of my payment to them every month in interest. I have written to them repeatedly but no response other than to add default charges and letter writing charges on to my debt to them. After researching, I made a complaint via the FOS yesterday, so see how that goes.

Anyway - thank you all for existing and making this journey feel less scary and good luck to all of you in the same boat.

Kaz.

I'm just past my first year marker and recently managed to get BC to drop interest on two cc's to 1% (all bar one of my others have stopped and defaulted the accounts).

The only creditor I'm still battling with is Halifax. I did the FOS thing, but they replied saying that as Halifax had not explicitly stated in any of their letters that their response was the final one on the matter, all they could do was contact Halifax advising a complaint had been made. Admittedly it did result in Halifax writing to me with a £50 cheque enclosed for all the inconvenience caused. The letter from Hfx also said they would expect to default my account shortly -which they have still not done. So I'm in the midst of following that up. They are still charging me 1/3rd of my payment in interest. I'll post on here how I get on and all I can say is keep at them

Karen777

Hi Suseka
Keep at em indeed! Does feel like a battle...
Thanks - Halifax seem to be a pain for a lot of people. Be good to know how you get on and i'll update too. Good luck!
Kaz

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The results are in...... Drumroll please......

£220!

So I went over to Protyre and they quoted £180 all-in. Booked in for next Friday to get it done. Instant saving of £40, it pays to shop around - what's even funnier is the local garage quoted £360 all-in for a cambelt and water pump change, and protyre quoted £450 - another saving of £90 - £110 in total saved just by shopping around - the old me would've got one quote and paid for whatever it was, it's scary to think how much money I've thrown away over the years by doing that!

So I've taken £100 out of the small amount I've managed to keep hold of this month, and I'll put that towards the cambelt change. Pay for the bushes when I get paid next week, and take another £200 out and re-budget, then £100 in July's payday and get the cambelt done early august, just in time for the MOT :eek:

My friend's letting me borrow his bike for the week so that saves a bit in petrol/train fares as well.

I'm getting there! I'm actually getting there!

blisteringblue

I'm lucky in that I get a company car so only have these hassles with the wife's run around. But in true DFW I've just got my new car. Hybrid this time which is so good on tax that it literally is a free car this time, seriously the tax is offset by the fuel I can claim as a hybrid. Will be close to £200 a month better off (if I've done my sums right) which gives us a little more to budget with each month.

I had a letter from one of the cards telling me I had missed a month, but I hadn't their payment date does not align with Stepchange's payment date. Anyway they are still charging a little interest so figured I would kill 2 birds with 1 stone and wrote about the dates not aligning, but also mention FOS, Interest, Not Fair with others etc etc so will see what the come back with.

It's all a bit painless this DMP lark isn't it. Its our 3rd payment next month.

Growurown

Powered_By_Pies wrote: »

The results are in...... Drumroll please......

£220!

I'm getting there! I'm actually getting there!

Well done PBP, it certainly does pay to shop around.

blisteringblue wrote: »

IWill be close to £200 a month better off (if I've done my sums right) which gives us a little more to budget with each month.

Great saving BB, I'd put it in my emergency fund.

blisteringblue wrote: »

It's all a bit painless this DMP lark isn't it. Its our 3rd payment next month.

I agree it isn't that bad is it?:rotfl: Third month in and you are an old hand at it now;)

timeforchange2014

Hi all

I have been reading these threads for just over a month now and am about to start on my debt free journey. Still totally confused by a lot of things and have massive ups and downs with feelings.

If I am being honest I have gone from being a confident bubbly character to a reserved lifeless shell. I have daily emotions and thoughts about how our careless actions leading us into debt have now affected our children. Having to tell them we can't go on holiday like their friends in school and we can't do this and that because me and my wife have got ourselves into debt. Some days I think of all sorts of things that are really not viable or sensible.

Anyway for now it is what it is and we have to get ourselves out of it. The only thing keeping us going at present is that we both have fairly good jobs and at the end are planning to take the kids (although they wont be 'kids' then) to America for a proper family holiday and be able to help them out in early life.

Sazzie23

timeforchange2014 wrote: »

Hi all

I have been reading these threads for just over a month now and am about to start on my debt free journey. Still totally confused by a lot of things and have massive ups and downs with feelings.

If I am being honest I have gone from being a confident bubbly character to a reserved lifeless shell. I have daily emotions and thoughts about how our careless actions leading us into debt have now affected our children. Having to tell them we can't go on holiday like their friends in school and we can't do this and that because me and my wife have got ourselves into debt. Some days I think of all sorts of things that are really not viable or sensible.

Anyway for now it is what it is and we have to get ourselves out of it. The only thing keeping us going at present is that we both have fairly good jobs and at the end are planning to take the kids (although they wont be 'kids' then) to America for a proper family holiday and be able to help them out in early life.

Hey Time for change, the debtfree journey is full of ups and downs, please don't beat yourself up, we all got here for different reasons but I think quite a few would admit to making some sub-optimal choices at one point or another.


Main thing is you are trying to change, and making steps. There will be many other people you work with in the same position. I recently found out my boss had just finished a 10+ year DMP Good luck with it, you'll find lots of help & support on here. .

timeforchange2014

Sazzie23 wrote: »

Hey Time for change, the debtfree journey is full of ups and downs, please don't beat yourself up, we all got here for different reasons but I think quite a few would admit to making some sub-optimal choices at one point or another.


Main thing is you are trying to change, and making steps. There will be many other people you work with in the same position. I recently found out my boss had just finished a 10+ year DMP Good luck with it, you'll find lots of help & support on here. .

Thank you 'Sazzie23', it's people like you that gave me the courage to post it on here. These threads are wonderful.

I'll be here for the long term so really appreciate all the support.

Baked_Beans_Babe.

Hi hope someone can help.
I've been on a DMP with SC since march everything is going great with the exception of HSBC. My OH has a £300 overdraft with them which was included in DMP, when he switched accounts to go with the COOP bank for his basic account, he was switched over using the switch guarantee where the Coop changed all his DIrect Debits,. Fast forward to now the payments from SC to pay off his overdraft are getting put into his Coop account. I've spoken to SC who advised that with the switching anything that gets paid into his HSBC account for the next 13 months will automatically be transferred into his new Coop account.
They advised to speak o HSBC who could top this from happening.
I've tried my best o sort ths out but unfortunately with he HSBC all their call centres are abroad so no one understands what is happening. Has anyone else had the same problem. If so how did you resolve it.
Sorry for the long post.
Beans x