Not sure where to start....Help please....

vanilla

Thanks for all your kind words and support.

chevalier

Hi there
Do you get DLA for your daughter? As I think it is a gateway benefit for getting other things like carers allowance? Also ref the grant to change the room. Did you appeal? Sometimes you can get these things by appealing. Same with the DLA. Also I thought that after a certain age boys and girls couldn't sleep in the same room anyway, so that made be a point to push.

Does your OH get extra money because of his condition ie free prescriptions? If not then if he is on a lot of medication then a prepayment card for them would save you money.

Others have mentioned the food bill £110 a week equates to £477 a month. I think this is a big area where you could save ie by having a challenge to eat out of cupboards/freezer for as long as possible, then meal plan for the week, and use this to draw up your shopping list. Also if you shop online then you can often get free delivery codes/ extra points so saves time and petrol:D . And the points can go towards treats.

What are the apr's on your debts? When you know have a look at the snowball calculator on www.whatsthecost.com. You can input your debt, apr and repayments and it works out your debt free date. Can be a great motivator. It also shows you how to snowball. This is basically where you only pay minimum on the lower apr rate debts, and pay as much as you can off the highest rate one. This saves you interest in the long run, and moves your debt free date closer.

Also whilst I understand that you don't pay rent/electric to your FIL, might he chip in with some of the money to upgrade his property, ie the extra bedroom and new kitchen, it will improve the value of his asset, and I am sure he would want to help his grand daughter.

best of luck
chev

vanilla

Hi and thanks for the reply, both my daughter and husband are on DLA and i recieve carers for my daughter. As for the grant i did appeal and they said the decision was final, i also put in for it again in may and said it was urgent but they don't want to know. I argued last time about boys and girls sharing a room after a certain age but there is no such law only guildlines.
As for food bill i defo will be bringing that way down and hopefully get onto the whole online shopping as i think it would stop me buying things i don't need.
As for apr's i don't have a clue but will look at it.
Fil and Mil have been very good to us but i would like to do this off my own back and stand on my own two feet. They've worked hard all there lives and i would feel awful taking money from them because they have already said that the house will be our's one day.

MissKJ

I have just found out about a local scheme run by the WRVS. They provide large bags of either fruit, veg or salad for £2.00 organised by a co-operative.They are are starting a delivery service. tThe amount you get is a lot more than you could get in a supermarket and would go a long way to feeding a (healthy) family for a week. It could be worth all you careful shoppers finding out if you have a local food co-operative. You usually find them in areas that are more deprived, but they will still sell to any-one who wants them.

I am new to this as well, and I have had similar difficulties in the past.

Keep going, you have done it before, so you know you can do it again. Any jobs you can do for a few hours a day whilst kids at school?

vanilla

I have looked into jobs but i can't leave the kids with my husband incase he has an eposide. He tends to have them 3-6 times a year and is hospital for anytime between 3-6 weeks. As for working when there at school i'll still have one at home and have a lot of appointments for my daughter and husband, it just wouldn't paid for me to return to work just yet, but i will as soon as my youngest goes to school (next september).

I know i can clear this debt it's just the getting started and figuring out which one first as for the food bill, i'm gonna do a meal plan today for the next 2 weeks and get all today and only buy what is on the list.

chevalier

As I am unsure as to your daughter condition, I can't be specific, but how about asking charities for a grant? Perhaps there is one that is specific to your daughter? Also there may be local charities that have money to give. You would need to ask locally about that.

Well done on keeping in there.
chev

vanilla

Hi my daughter has cerebral palsy, but thankfully she is quite mobile but is partly deaf due to her condition and wears two hearing aids, she has astma and reflux.
I have read some very inspiracial stories here of how people have managed there debt and i've picked up some great tips on how to watch my spending, plus the look on my daughters face when she gets her own bedroom and all pink will be be so amazing so i feel that i can do this. i feel so lucky that my daughters health is as good as it is (considering the doctors thought she would not live as she was born 3 months early) that i wouldn't want to take money of a charity as there are children who need it so much more.

thank you chev for your suggestion.

madmoney_2

vanilla you really inspire me, ive just done my ds bedroom, its spiderman and i got really creative and did a mural and everything, you could take a look at the diy forum, theres some good advise on there good luck hun and keep us posted!
xxx

vanilla

Madmoney my boys are crazy into there spiderman as well it would drive ya nuts.
I've just been and done shopping that i hope will do us a fortnight and spent £40 and have £40 left which i will pay into the credit card tomorrow. Still will need to buy things next week like bread, milk ect but hope to put a really good lump of money into abbey credit card.
I really need to master the online shopping with tesco's and start useing codes so hopefully the £40 i put in tomorrow will be used in a fortnight to buy the food.:j

myrnahaz

Vanilla, take care that you don't leave yourself short of cash for essentials (like food). You're doing really well and your attitude is fantastic, but take care not to be too enthusiastic - I'm sure your in-laws would prefer to help you out in the short-term rather than see you crack under the strain.
Have you tried to negotiate a payment reduction with your credit card providers? They may be sympathetic.
You'll also find that it helps to come onto this site and have a little whinge - you'll get plenty of advice and sympathy which will help you cope with any stress.