I am such an idiot! When will I learn?

asparagus1968

ooh I do love a list! good luck with all that

judi24

judi24 wrote: »

Got a list of things to do in relation to finace and keep forgetting (procrastinating I think!) so going to do a list:


1. ring council tax and change payments to 12 months not 10 - done
2. ring CSA and get process started - going to go with the option for them to manage the process even though I will pay a fee - my ex will not be nice about it at all! I rang tonight - they will ring me back tomorrow once they have worked out what to do if there is shared care for one child and not for the other. She also said it could open it up for him to claim against me for my son!!! so really need to be carefull here - if he can do that he most certainly will! not comitted to anything yet so will sleep on this and maybe mention restarting some support for DD3 in the vain hope he might be reasonable! - all I want is something towards child related expenses like school trips and uniforms - is that too much to ask?
3. Get broken phone repaired then cancel insurance - downloaded claim and filled it in ready to send tomorrow
4. cancel sons laptop insurance (not even sure what it covers!) - done
5. See if i can get a cheaper pet insurance (it has doubled this year!) - still to do
6. Ring martinkaye solicitors re PPI miss selling letter (could get messy as the acount the PPI was for was a joint mortgage 10 years ago with my ex - but almost certainly worth a fair bit - will need to talk to ex which will be a challenge especially as I also need to talk to him about DS treatment and CSA for DD3!! I guess the idea of PPI refund might sweeten the pill!) - rang them and it doesn't look like we bought the PPI - I didnt think we did to be honest but worth a try!
7. contact credit reference agencies and have my ex removed from connections to me - he has financial issues and a recent letter from M&S money turning down a current account application highlighted financial associations as a reason!!! - my plan is to get my credit score up so I can get a 0% card sometime next year - so getting my house in order now! - done one but need to do the other 2
8. Updates signature with new balances once loan payment goes out - can't do this until the loan payment goes out on the 1st

Quite productive day considering I have also done a full days work! I got a payment from my old employer today and it looks like they have given me a chunk of tax back -I won't know for definate until I see my wage slip but I got just ove £900 and expected about £250 - taking advice from the tax forum on here - I will hang onto it incase it is reclaimed next month!


I have looked a little deeper into reclaiming PPI - before I found this site in 2006 my ex and I had had numerous CCs and loans and I know we had PPI on some of them - the problem is I can't remember who we had them with and in who's name they were in - when we split my ex took a case of paperwork that had all the account details in and he says he has binned it! I have some bits in a note book but stupidly I havent put names by each of the accounts to say who had what! as there seems to be so much success claiming back the PPI i wondered if I should just have a go and send SAR letters to the companies I can remember and see what I get back. But each one of them will cost me £10 and I just don't know if I am likely to get anything back! Decisions decisions!


Oh and a no spend day today!

ampersand

judi - good to see you getting stuck in, but really, you should TRUMPET your NSD right at the very top! :-)

It's a headline job, that one - so well done!
Is this the first main article you read?
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/credit-rating-credit-score
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This has just been updated:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/cut-pet-insurance-costs
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judi - some way back, I suggested you remove the nil balances from your siggie:
Nationwide OD2 - 158/0
First Diect OD - 414/0
Nationwide CC - 150/0
- they're still there. I understand your need to feel/see that achievement, but you're aiming to be 'grown-up for good' this time. At least separate them, differentiate the colours of DEBT and CLEARED, if you must still have them there.
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I'd also say it's wise to have a CAB appointment re: CSA, before any action.
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Decide that crimbo will NOT be more expensive and it won't be. It will be terrific though, with all the things you are making for people. There's nothing wrong with announcing it's All Change this year - we're having a Real Christmas.

Hopefully that £900 stays with you - and no £150 overspends this month!
We'll be cross:-)

[Deleted User]

judi24 wrote: »

1. ring council tax and change payments to 12 months not 10 - done

Just out of curiosity, how much has this reduced your monthly CT payments?

judi24

Ah Ampersand so nice to see you - you have been missed! I have read the threads you refer to thanks they are very helpfull.


I don't think I will go down the route of CSA to be honest - I have had lots of problems with my ex and things are ok at the min which is best for the kids - a CSA letter landing on his door step will undoubtably rock the boat and I am not sure its the best thing! I will ask him again to contribute voluntarily and keep the CSA for another time.


I have trawled through old paper work and found old credit card names but not account numbers so have done SAR letters to them anyway just asking for all account info. You never know one of them might just come through for me! Have also written to other 2 credit reference agencies asking for a dissolution of financial association. Sent mobile phone claim too.


Only thing left on the list is to look for cheaper pet insurance but dog is an old girl so not sure it will be that much cheaper!


I will update my signature when all my debt payments have cleared at the weekend - and will take out the cleared debts as suggested.


I am sure my lovely friends will contribute to the Christmas meal so should not be too expensive - although her hubby eats loads!!!! lots of veg is needed I think - and he loves Christmas pudding and have last years here unused!!!


Bob I had a bill from council tax saying my single person discount from my DD2 had been removed from July - which is the date she was supposed to finish uni (but she dropped out before then and I had forgotten to tell council tax) so they wanted me to pay £185 Nov, Dec and Jan - I asked for it to be spread over the year but they couldnt set it up in time for Nov so paying £140 Dec - March instead!


Bankbalance looks very healthy with the extra £900 - not sure whether i should use it to pay debt or stash it incase its a mistake!

ampersand

judi -
'Only thing left on the list is to look for cheaper pet insurance but dog is an old girl so not sure it will be that much cheaper! '

It's not clear to me whether or not you've read the newly updated mse link on pet insurance I included - #254 - precisely for that purpose:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ins...nsurance-costs

Regardless of your view of Brian Sewell, no-one doubts his total devotion to all the dogs in his now long life. I just returned this to Library yesterday:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sleeping-Dogs-A-Peripheral-Autobiography/dp/0704373254
It's wonderful and sprang to mind with your comment on your old girl. Major recommend.

judi24

I guess my decision has to be am I willing to pay out large sums if the old girl gets seriously sick while i was building up a pot for vet bills. My insurance has gone up to £25 a month so If i put that away I would have £400 in the year - I have spend about £40 on vet bills in the last year and din't claim cos my excess is £100 and the problem cleared up - she is not likely to cause damage or injury so don't feel I need that part of the insurance. The issue for me is can I be strict with the savings - now that is a much bigger issue!!!

ampersand

judi - I don't know if some of suziebabe's Thread might strike a chord:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4749798

Hope your w/e is less buckety than the tree-tossing weather finally arrived here.

judi24

Thanks Ampersand - read Suzies diary - yes I can see the similarities. Similar struggles I think wit attitudes to money and debt. Made me think about my lack of savings pots and now thinking about setting up some expenses pots to try to avoid big bills going on credit - I am possibly being unrealistic about how quickly I can pay down my debt and It is good fortune not good planning that has helped so far!


Had a busy weekend waith a bit of a holloween party on Friday (budgetted for!) followed by a nice evening yesterday visiting a friend and takeaway paid for me. Today another friend invited me for Sunday roast so 2 NSD's


Will update signature tomorrow as all of Novembers debt payments should of gone by then - decided to keep the tax rebate in my Nationwide account which will clear the overdraught completely but with the risk that I might end up with a much bigger tax bill next month as I am not convinced I should of got the tax rebate!


DD2 paid her increased keep this month with no arguemnts which was a surprise. Still not got my gas and electricity refund yet but they did say 28 days and I'm sure is has only been about 3 weeks - it would nice if I knew how much it will be though and Npower couldn't tell me as they said it would be calculated when my bill was created and not before!


The dialemma about CSA is still niggling me! I asked my ex the other day about paying something towards DD3s school trips and he simply ignored me! I know he is not as skint as he makes out - he is just back from a 3 day cruise which I can't imagine was free! so might still go down the CSA route! Just don't get why he thinks he doesn't have to contribute at all to his DD expenses!


Anyway - after a busy weekend filled with fun and good friends (and no unbudgetted expenses) I'd better get to bed!

ampersand

judi - 'DD2 paid her increased keep this month with no arguments which was a surprise.'
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This is tremendous news and another niggle fear banished for you that might have created more stress.

I'm glad you found some parallels between suzie and yourself, but that is not a reason to immediately system-hop and try yet another manage-judi's-money scheme or bolt-on.

I looked askance to read you[and others] are PAYING for YNAB.

Why do you need the 'con'fidence boost of paying for something to value it?

[CAPUK would give you this FREE, but I suspect you feel you are not at the broken-by-debt point you believe they cater for. It isn't so: their budget practicals would work miracles for you and your money.]

I see this as a lack of confidence and belief[a] in your own ability to actually stay the course in mastering your old ways/failings in your own 100% decision/desire/drive to do so.

What comes through to me is something of a 'hobby' mindset, almost like judi's newest craze, currently being followed fanatically, but that may eventually peter out, as have its predecessors - and this is judi's fear.

You'd like it to be otherwise: that's why you started this Thread.

But there is so much bouncing around from this idea to that, rather than having THE BIG £££-DEBT-£££ ZERO as the sole, the over-riding, the written-in-gold goal as the ABSOLUTE which directs every single spending decision, or indulgence, or perceived 'need' and all timings of any spending.

Again, here comes my 'slow down' finger wag:-)

e.g. - 'My insurance has gone up to £25 a month so If I put that away I would have £400 in the year -'
No. 25 x 12=300, not 400.

Judi - with my flying fingers, I am often typo queen, but correct maths, spelling, grammar take the same effort as anything incorrect. It's easier to be right first time, so no more 'I should of got', OK? Good[boring] habits like the deep breath, steady-as-she-goes pacing of yourself and your progress to being debt-free will only bed in with even-paced practice.

To those who have already posted here and there about the importance of keeping a little Treats fund - of course! - but let it happen by itself, not as a fallible goal.

It is always misguided to set so many targets that you set yourself up for a fall.

But your good finishing note is VERY good:-)
'Anyway - after a busy weekend filled with fun and good friends (and no unbudgeted expenses) I'd better get to bed!'

re: CSA, I repeat, go to CAB first[although CAPUK would help there, too.]
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None of this should be read as harsh. You have such ability and spark and go-get-em verve, I want to see you really succeed and get to that glorious changed siggie moment we DO see on the dfw board:

:j:j:jDEBT-FREE 32.13.201X:j:j:j:D