Countdown to a new life...2.5 Years to Debt-free ....Revisited

Sellurgranny

Oh woe is me. I have received a HUGE bill from my council for council tax. My DD3 is at uni and is in her 2nd year. I know I'll need to get a letter from her uni to prove she is in FTE so that i can still claim the 25% single person discount BUT, it seems they have adjusted my bill in every other respect too - meaning I get less CT support than before. How can this be? I am still a single parent to 2 school children on a low income.

Have posted a question in the benefits section on the forum in the hope that someone else has been through this issue and can advise what I am liable to have to pay. Even with the 25% single person reinstated, it still leaves me with a bill for £750 ish.

Sellurgranny

Just checking in to update my totals following my pay day yesterday.

I have managed to pay an extra £60 to my Legal aid bill. Its not a huge amount and I have kept some of my spare cash to one side just incase anything untoward crops up.

Its so easy to just coast along paying the set amount each month. I need to get going on ebay but I dont think things are selling that great at this time of year.

Managed to get the letter I needed for the council tax - took that into their offices today. Our local council have a new 'in town' one stop shop. Its all very nice and new and there appeared to be dozens of staff around but there wasnt anything much that any of the staff could do to advise/help. Apparently you have to make an appointment. Luckily I just needed my letter scanned and am hopeful that I just have to wait to get a revised bill which will ALOT lower - or at least that's what Im hoping.

Awful weather down in the south west - full wet weather gear was needed to get to the council at lunchtime. I am so done with the dark afternoons - I long to be able to throw open the back door when I get home from work and spend a couple of hours pottering in my garden. It looks so unloved and untended. I think the grass has all but disappeared despite no one going out there except the cat and thats only under duress.

I am a bit worried about her, (the cat) she is 10 years old and just looks a mess at the moment. Shes short haired but seems to not be grooming herself very well so that knots in her fur are appearing all over. Shes eating and drinking fine so I guess its just old age.

Sellurgranny

Well this week has not been great so far.

My little cat died over the weekend; I think she waited for us to not be around (I was away overnight and the DD’s went to their father). I found her on Monday morning – I think she went not long after we left on Friday though. She didn’t come in on Sunday and the food I left for her hadn’t been touched. She had a bed in the garage for when we weren’t around and as it was dark on Sunday when I popped my head in, I couldn’t see her tucked away at the back.

Really surprised how much it has affected me. In a busy household she was sometimes overlooked but never unwanted. I guess she was part of the furniture and not having her around is taking some getting used to. DD3 was very upset too. We won’t get another, mainly because I couldn’t face going through the loss again but also because the girls are getting older now and have busy lives themselves. Bless that little cat.

So, my other piece of bad news is that I have a £1,000 council tax bill to pay by 31st March. It looks like the fact that my DD1 has gone to University means that my council tax support has reduced by about £12 a week and because I didn’t notify them when she went to University in 2014 (didn’t realise I had to – I thought it was automatic via HMRC) they have backdated and adjusted my entitlement.

I am not going to get myself upset about it – I plan to redirect the payments I would normally make to my LSC and CC bill for the next 2 months plus use the whole of my emergency fund (not much only £200) to pay off the £700 which is on the first backdated bill. The 2nd backdated bill for 2015-2016 will hopefully be able to pay by instalments throughout the year.

I have a week off soon, for half term. I can’t wait. Nothing much planned yet but some welcome time off with the kids. I hope we get some dry weather so I can get out in the garden and tidy it up. The grass is almost non existent as I think the wet weather has pretty much killed it. Will need to reseed it in parts.

Sellurgranny

Today I bought a winter flowering Hellabore to remember my little cat by. I am looking forward to planting it when we have some dry weather hopefully on my week off.

I bought some bird feeders too. .Maybe without little kitty prowling i can encourage some feathered friends into my garden too.

Sellurgranny

A very appreciated week off work for me this week. Sad to note that its already Wednesday though! I have focussed on catching up with appointments for the children which always come around so quickly. Was shocked at xmas to realise my DD2 hadnt been to the dentist since the previous April. So that's where we're headed this morning for a check up. First pair of glasses for DD3 this afternoon. She's excited to be getting them but Im sure the novelty will wear off soon!

I am making time to see friends and family this week too. Saw my sister yesterday and will see two of my good friends on thurs/fri. Hope to catch my mum today too. Not that its a duty but always feel better when i've been to visit everyone.

Finance wise, I am diverting all my usual debt repayments to the task of paying off the council tax. The 1st amount of £357 is due on 21/2 and I have that ready to send. The 2nd is due 30/3 and is the hefty £700. I should have enough for that by then.

Its got me to thinking about a proper emergency fund and whether I should divert some money from the debt payments towards one for a couple of months. I think i could accummulate at least £500. Whilst its not a huge amount it would be a buffer against the unexpected.

Been having some moments of clarity and realisation about the house sale/moving in with my fiance over the weekend. Not getting cold feet at all but the enormity of it hit me rather heavily. I will need to be brave and focussed when it comes to it. Not for my sake, but for DD3 who will be leaving her school/friends and everything behind. There are plenty of plusses for her to move but I am sure it will be hard going convincing her of them when the time nears.

Rainy and dismal here today after some belting sunshine the past two days. Think i'll get some baking done today and do some freezer meals to stock up for when im back to work next week.

DD1 and I had a nice conversation last night - she is contemplating her next move after Uni next year. I think she is set on further study and was trying to find out about Post grad funding options in terms of medical school. Will have to do some googling on that.