Off on our adventure....Jan 2015

Historybuff

Hi ploppy, good luck. I'm subscribing, so I can perhaps offer a bit of support on your journey. I started a self managed DMP a year ago with the same level of debt as you, so can empathise with where you are at present. Stick with it. It can be a bit disheartening in the early stages of setting the DMP up and getting the new bank account sorted out etc and at the start the debt can go up a bit before everything settles down and the regular payments kick in. My advice at this stage would be try to save up a bit of an emergency fund while you are paying the token payments to see you through those unforeseen expenses. I didn't do that and really regret it. All the best. HB

Puzzcat

January2015 wrote: »

I don't have much paper - all our creditor account information is online and there's only the StepChange paperwork printed out.

The bank statements showing our salaries going in are screenshots (hope that's acceptable) because we don't get paper statements. We can email those to StepChange.

So no....not a lot of paperwork but I do have a spreadsheet to track what I have done so far and what's to be done :rotfl:

I only sent a current wage slip and a list of creditors with account numbers and rough balances when I set mine up.

January2015

Puzzcat wrote: »

I only sent a current wage slip and a list of creditors with account numbers and rough balances when I set mine up.

Not meaning to hi-jack your diary Ploppy - but in answer to Puzzcat, I don't want to send my payslips because I don't want to declare my staff car loan (which finishes in 10 months). I don't want my employer involved in any of this :eek:. The SC paperwork states a bank statement showing salary credits is ok. We don't have statements so I've done screenshots.

System

January2015 wrote: »

I don't have much paper - all our creditor account information is online and there's only the StepChange paperwork printed out.

The bank statements showing our salaries going in are screenshots (hope that's acceptable) because we don't get paper statements. We can email those to StepChange.

So no....not a lot of paperwork but I do have a spreadsheet to track what I have done so far and what's to be done :rotfl:

I think I am still an old fashioned girl at heart and although I am very computer savvy, I don't like spread sheets and I like to have paper when it comes to important stuff. Thought if I had an actual diary I can keep note of any phone calls I make or receive and who I spoke to etc and when letters were posted etc. I am sure once I get it all sorted it will be fine.

System

January2015 wrote: »

Not meaning to hi-jack your diary Ploppy - but in answer to Puzzcat, I don't want to send my payslips because I don't want to declare my staff car loan (which finishes in 10 months). I don't want my employer involved in any of this :eek:. The SC paperwork states a bank statement showing salary credits is ok. We don't have statements so I've done screenshots.

No problem January2015....it is not a hijack...we all have to get a long and support each other.

Well I am home from work and still no paper work re the new joint bank account, I hope it comes tomorrow....NatWest did say 48hours so that should be tomorrow, but thought they might have been able to email me details or something with the new account number before the paperwork arrives in post. It is driving me insane as just want to get the DD's set up and as some are due out on the 1st of the month, I am not sure we will get them changed over in time for this next payment and until I have done that I am reluctant to send details back to SC as don't want Lloyds knowing our situation until these last lot of DD's are out of the way, in case they try and take the money towards our debts with them. I have informed all the other creditors except Lloyds so far and Halifax bank as hubby currently gets paid into halifax and his next wages go in on Thursday. So hoping everything will be changed over by the weekend.

Not sure if I should send SC the details and ask them only to contact certain creditors to start with and not to contact Lloyds and Halifax until after the 1st of the month.....any thoughts on this? MBNA have replied to my standard letter already via communication centre and said they are unable to freeze interest and charges until SC contact them, even though I put the SC ref number in the letter.

So apart from that, it is all quiet on the DMP front. Now for a nice soak in the bath and some "me" time:) before hubby gets home from work . I am feeling shattered today as we were messing about on laptop doing stuff until 10pm last night ...(Did make about £8 on Ebay though) and I can never sleep if I do that, normally try to turn it off by 9 at the latest. Only got to go to work till Thursday this week then we both have Friday and all next week off. We had originally planned to go away next week but realised it was a silly idea as just can't afford it, although it would be nice to go somewhere for a day, but don't think weather forecast looks too good!

Sorry if I waffle a lot in my diary, I am a it like that ....LOL. I tend to write as I speak and just get carried away.

Hope everyone is having a good week so far.

January2015

Feel free to waffle away Ploppy - I know exactly what you mean

Just like you I am unsure about SC contacting all our creditors yet soI am delaying sending the SC paperwork through because it didn't feel right asking them not to contact certain creditors yet, i.e. Halif@x because we want to be sure wages transferred to new account - so I will just wait a bit longer.

Happy Tuesday to you Ploppy

Puzzcat

Hi Ploppy,


I was in a similar position at start up, well most people are to be honest. I needed to get a joint account closed before commencing the dmp as OH has his account with the same bank that I would be defaulting 3 accounts with, so wanted us to be disassociated before I started...


I held onto my paperwork, I know SC can contact some and not others but I'm a little untrusting as mistakes do get made so chose to wait...




I'm always waffling on my diary, I think many people in debt don't talk about it in RL, no one knows about mine. OH knows I have some but not the level...!!! So waffle away...


Puzz. x

January2015

Puzzcat wrote: »

I'm always waffling on my diary, I think many people in debt don't talk about it in RL, no one knows about mine. OH knows I have some but not the level...!!! So waffle away...

Puzz. x

I think Puzz has hit the nail on the head Because friends and family don't know about the debt, but the relief of 'talking' to others (via this forum) is so great, it does perhaps feel like we are waffling sometimes.

Thank goodnesss for our new virtual friends on this forum:beer:

System

Well, just a quick diary entry before I get ready for work.....last night was a good night....I had a ceremonial shredding of unwanted credit cards!! Made me feel quite good, although I did have a quick wobble afterwards as I suddenly thought we now have nothing to fall back on in an emergency until we get our emergency fund going. Of course this month has a lot of extras to pay so not likely to get the fund going much this month....had to pay a NI bill of £75 from where I was self employed up until end of last year, then got one last payment of £193 to make on a loan we had that is not worth adding to the DMP as it finishes this month anyway, then I also owe £101 to the company that I worked with when I was self employed, as we used to ahve to rent the equipment of of them and I thought they had already taken the money as I had a DD set up and it should have come out on the 7th, so I cancelled the DD without checking and apparently they havent taken it so now I owe it to them and have to pay it on Friday when I get paid....luckily I should be getting £100 bonus this month but I was planning in buying a few clothes while I actually have some spare money as don't suppose I will get much for the next few years and I am rather desperate.
Anyway, off to get ready for work now and hopefully the new joint account details will be through the door when I get home.

System

Well still no details of the joint bank account, so I rang Natwest again and told them how they had promised me on Monday that they would be here within 48 hours. Lovely guy in the new accounts department said he could see who was dealing with it and he would email her straight away and ring me at 6pm tomorrow night with the account details as I told him we were eager to set up some DD's.
So I actually have nothing to do tonight that has anything to do with our DMP and future finances.....really nice as it was starting to stress me a bit. I keep thinking I will be glad when it is a couple of months down the line and everything is in place.

Hubby came home tonight and said he needs a new sprocket and chain for his motor bike and it will be about £50....so that was £50 I hadn't allowed for this month. At this rate I can see my bonus I am expecting on Friday to be swallowed up before I get a look in, I was planning to go shopping for some new clothes on Friday with my daughter as it might be the last chance I get for a while and I am desperate for a few new bits.
Am looking forward to having next week off work and having a bit of a clear out and tidying cupboards etc. Would be nice if we could have a day out somewhere as well. Will see what happens.

Hope you are all having a good day and things are going well for you all.