SOA please offer advice.

kimplus8

sourcrates wrote: »

With 8 kids to look after, debt is the last thing you want hanging around your neck, you want it gone as quick as possible, and you don't want the uncertainty of things escalating in the future if one creditor wants to be stroppy.


DRO is your best bet, quick and reasonably easy to set up through an intermediary such as Stepchange, after 12 months your debts are written off, so cant ever come back, your creditors are forbidden from contacting you, or starting legal action, so it will give you piece of mind as well.


I would say its a no brainer !!

I was worried about the stigma that this would attract but as Erics Mum said its about the childrens needs and what they need is for me to be free from the stress of all this debt!
Thanks sourcrates for your superb advice :-)

[Deleted User]

kimplus8 wrote: »

pretty much any programs they like are free on youtube etc.

You can also watch on catchup, on BBC I-Player (until the end of the year), and ITV Player, All4, etc.

Dird

8 kids...

Fosterdog

Your landlord or letting agent cannot stop you from changing your energy provider unless you are part of a multi feed (a block of flats all fed from the same meter with a single supplier) if you have your own meters then you can switch to whoever you want. You don't technically have to tell your landlord or LA that you are changing but it is usually a good idea to let them know. Personally I wouldn't ask permission I would just inform them that I am changing, asking gives them the chance to say no, telling them doesn't.

If you do change you should be looking at cutting your energy bills by a third or even half.

The only other things I can see you could reasonably cut back on are the groceries which you said you are already looking into and haircuts. Can you cut the kids hair yourself? I bought a £25 Wahl clipper set and cut OHs hair myself, we made the money back in less than six months, I've been doing it for him for over a year now and the only extras needed were some more oil for the blades and a new attachment after one broke but both came in at under £5.

kimplus8

Dird wrote: »

8 kids...

yup-8, was waiting for that, thanks.
getting sterilised ASAP.

kimplus8

Fosterdog wrote: »

Your landlord or letting agent cannot stop you from changing your energy provider unless you are part of a multi feed (a block of flats all fed from the same meter with a single supplier) if you have your own meters then you can switch to whoever you want. You don't technically have to tell your landlord or LA that you are changing but it is usually a good idea to let them know. Personally I wouldn't ask permission I would just inform them that I am changing, asking gives them the chance to say no, telling them doesn't.

If you do change you should be looking at cutting your energy bills by a third or even half.

The only other things I can see you could reasonably cut back on are the groceries which you said you are already looking into and haircuts. Can you cut the kids hair yourself? I bought a £25 Wahl clipper set and cut OHs hair myself, we made the money back in less than six months, I've been doing it for him for over a year now and the only extras needed were some more oil for the blades and a new attachment after one broke but both came in at under £5.

Will do.
I think the biggest problem with my bills are that we have either convector heaters upstairs or hot air gas heating which was functioning incorrectly for a while, plus the water is on an emersion heater that also was constantly on, mostly because ive never not had a combi gas type supply before and had no idea it was so expensive to run. The hot air heating has been turned off by the gas engineer as it only just passed the gas safety check pending a full service and the emersion has been turned off too.
We have an electrical shower and no bath so I see no need to turn the emersion back on again as I just boil kettle once per day for dishes. The convector heaters have all been taken down as they don't work well and were costing me a bomb to run.
Sadly I only found out the true cost of these appliances etc when my first quartly bill came in at almost £1000!!!!! the end of the cold weather we just used the gas fire in the living room to take the edge off the cold to get dressed in the morning and evenings after kids showers etc. we doubled up on blankets etc on the beds and didn't really need to have the heating on at all.
The gas engineer seems to think the landlord will be hard pressed to heep the current heating system going as its obsolete and had put on the advisories a suggestion that switching to a combi boiler with central heating is a better option for both landlord and tenant.
I hope it gets sorted but if not we can make do as we are just now.

ladymarmalade222

I second the advice of switching suppliers. I doubt your letting agent will even know.

I helped my Father in Law who sadly passed away with cancer switch his. He also had the clause in his agreement but I contacted shelter who informed me it was an unreasonable clause in the contract. The letting agents get a fee from the power companies for switching all their tenants so it is in their benefit to put the clause in.

My fil was spending a fortune due to heating bills and his treatment. I swapped him from SSE and never heard a dicky bird from the letting agent. His bills dropped dramatically as he was on the highest tariff with SSE hence the back hander to the letting agent. If you have your own meter it is illegal for your agent to force you to stay with a specified company...they could issue you with a section 21 however at the end of the term but they could do that anyway.

Nearly £220 pm for gas/elec is eye watering!

Good luck

thegrind

Hi,

My opinion is that you are on £2.6k of benefits that is given to you by the state to bring your children up with a minimum standard of living that all children should be entitled to in this country. Benefits are not there to pay debts owed. So for the sake of your children and your not a homeowner i would suggest as others have to go down a DRO if not bankruptcy.

Goldiegirl

How old are the kids ?

Are any of them working? Can they contribute to the household

undaunted

kimplus8 wrote: »

I am not currently getting any kind of regular money from kids dad as he likes to humiliate me by having me ask for money when I'm struggling, I need to apply through the CMS but as he is seeing them regularly at the moment I don't want to upset the apple cart and have the kids messed up again, we have been split for 2 years and have a love/hate relationship since some episodes of DV and the kids have been dragged through it enough as it is. He didn't see them for almost a year after we split initially and since then was quite ad hoc in his visits, We've lost our home and had to move, changed schools/jobs etc and they have only just got back into a routine and feel happy.
I know I need to just bite the bullet and apply for proper maintenance, even something regularly is better than me having the embarrassment of having to ask him to help me when the kids need stuff.
No TV as the kids are happy to watch youtube, pretty much any programs they like are free on youtube etc.They are happy to watch tv on the lappy or tablet and we really don't miss a big screen.:p

kimplus8 wrote: »

I know I'm out of control at spending so please don't be too harsh but I need to hear the truth to sort my head out. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL OF YOURHELP:A

What are you thinking? This charming sounding guy isn't doing you or your children a favour seeing them or "helping you" and there's no reason you should feel embarrassed about asking him to step up - assuming that all 8 are his too it's his duty to provide for your children at least as much as it is yours. Allowing him to continue like this is surely just another form of abuse & control isn't it?




Assuming that he now has any money after bankruptcy please stand up for yourself and your children & go & get your entitlement(s) asap - it's their right not a favour that he provides for them!!


As to your SOA.


Food sounds high to me. Keep an eye out for bargains & cook fresh perhaps?


Haircuts £50 p/m ? Even with 9 of you perhaps a trip to the local hairdressing college every couple of months would cost less than £100


Emergency fund £100 - just how much is already in this fund & how much worse are things going to get before a debtor goes to Court & you have an "emergency"?


No tv - saving the license but significant entertainment expenses. I know there are 8 kids and yourself but can you really afford them all / would a tv help offset a little of them? Would it be cheaper to dump the internet - which you could still access via school, libraries etc and have a tv license instead?


Other travel? What is this? Generally it's going to be cheaper to drive than use public transport - particularly for 9 of you isn't it? Where possible, could you park on free streets rather than pay for parking? (I appreciate with 8 kids this may not always be possible)


Utilities - you may or may not be able to save money by switching. If you are in debt to them consider an application to the trust fund to clear that. http://www.charisgrants.com/ Also get onto your landlord - and if necessary local council - to chase up getting a decent and possibly more economical heating system in place, make sure the house is properly insulated etc