The only way is down (for the balances)!

catandy

selling the banger of a car tomorrow I've been offered 100 squid by a mechanic who lives on the estate and will break it into bits for spares and repairs - works out as a good deal for me


pay day next Wednesday and things are tight for the last weekend of the month but we did it we got thru ok picking up more than I expected next week due to good commission pay-out so next month is going to be doable as well .. gosh im getting used to this, being able to pay my bills plus clear some off the arrears plus be able to eat and have leccie in the meter and live like normal people do! quite scary thinking how this wasn't the norm not so very long ago...


anyway - hit list for the coming month reads like this

• fine 265 (cleared completely)
• 128 extra off rent to bring it to a nice round figure of 400 (it was up to 950 at its highest so I'm getting there with it)
• 12.50 for some crockery/ glasses - we have 2 dinner plates left in the house unbroken so we have to eat meals in 'shifts' at the moment ...
• 20 for some bedding ... yep everything in this place needs replacing..
• 20 for some boots for me - my ballerinas are falling to bits and it will soon be too cold/ wet to wear my canvas pumps... (my look for work doesn't fall into the smart, professional category )
• maybe 50 on some bits of clothing for me - I need to start replacing everything bit by bit, partly as I've lost loads of weight with all this having been going on and partly as its all so old and worn that its falling to bits.
• put the rest (should be around 100) into my slush fund / emergency fund.

working from home Monday next week, tue to thur in the office then Friday/ Monday off for a long weekend. life has definitely turned a corner and all for the good

roxy7699

Hi Catandy,

Sorry to hear about the car but it looks as though it will help a little in the short term cash flow.
Your shoe situation sounds like mine.

catandy

I'm getting used to the bus journey tbh - gives me time to unwind from the madness of the office and its only 2 or 3 days a week so I can cope. and the extra 100 covers the food shop and the electric for this week meaning I don't have to dip into wages immediately - result!


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I've worked out with the revised payments on stuff plus my commission going up steadily I have a minimum of 300£ clear (or should do if I keep to budget on everything). I'm torn between renegotiating the amounts I am paying to everyone or putting it aside and then paying off in chunks. It would make me feel good to see the balances drop by a bigger chunk than planned each month but I really don't know if me and my kids can live on fresh air as we have been doing for the past x amount of years. its something that I will muse on for a bit - I know that by making snap decisions and putting the payments up on everything there is no way back as they cant go back down again (or not without a fight anyway and I really don't fancy that at the moment).

purplefran

I like the idea of putting it away each month and paying of chunks, plus it would give you some emergency money. As you say if your commission drops off in anyway then you would be back to square one xxx

catandy

balance outstanding now down to 36640 which is just less than the 1% I wanted to do this month so I need to try and claw back 37.72 during the month to hit my target - doable.


going to keep to the plan and then pay off extra bits n pieces when I have it. I looked thru the info from stepchange that I consulted about my dmp when I first looked at doing one and they advised me back then to work out my figures on my basic earnings only as commission isn't guaranteed - so for once im going to listen and do as I'm told.


Off now to update signature

Seasidegal58

Great stuff catandy - You've found a method that works for you and the debt is going the right way!

catandy

just got revised figures from all my debtors off the offline balances and updated again I had forgotten I was paying off arrears on priority debts and have been for months so the amount I owe shows a sudden drop - if only things like that could happen more often


oh well at least the amounts are going down and not up

DollyDreamer

You are doing really well tackling this straight on. The more diaries I read the more I see how so much can be achieved:)

Moneymash

Hi Catandy, I found you...wondered why I wasn't getting updates from your diary. Good idea to start a new diary, put the emotional and financial rollercoaster that one was filled with behind you.

Congratulations on becoming permanent in your job, you will soon
squash the debt.

Isn't Aldi great! I find it difficult to shop anywhere else, unless it's something specific to that shop that I like (Sainsbury's doughnuts greasy and sweet), the savings are amazing.

Glad your priority debts are dropping, I've been there, it took me two years to pay off my rent arrears, thanks to an understanding landlady that didn't charge me interest when she could have.

Keep going you are doing well.

catandy

and just got a fine thru from WTC so balances go up by another 1400 - couldn't make it up could you!


oh well back to it!


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no I've just foned WTC about this fine and it just doesn't make sense what they are telling me so I've kicked off with them and I am appealing the over payment and the fine they have given me. its probably going to take a couple of months with backwards and forwards with letters but its worth a total of 8840 to me if I can get it sorted so time to try and get it straight with them instead of just taking what they say as gospel.