In pursuit of happiness - the kebabmeister's debt diary!

donner_kebab

Thanks LA!!! You truly are the soup queen!

mae

Hi I have been reading your thread and I just wanted to say even though your daughter has been through a lot she is very lucky coz you sound like a lovely mum. And with your new attitude and motivation it also sounds like she has a lovely future ahead of her. Well done you're really working hard to pull this together and before you know it so many other things in your life will fall into place too...
I don't know how you work your finances but I find it so much easier since I have opened 2 bank accounts.
Account 1 Spending money
Account 2 Bill account.
Wages are paid into account 1 then from that account there is X amount automatically transferred into Account 2 which covers all the bills. Then the bills are covered all month and the money that is left in Account 1 is what we have left for the month to cover all expenses and if by some chance there is anything left in it at the end of the month then that can be saved or paid towards your debt. By having the bill account set up with everything on direct debit there are never missed payments and I don't have a cash card for this account so can't 'borrow' easily from it.
Also I like to have the amount paid monthly into bill account set slightly higher than is needed then there is money in there to cover any one off unexpected bills.
So this means basically that account 1 is never waiting for a direct defit to go out or anything so I know exactly where I am without having to think what bills are due out. Basically I feel more in control and both accounts are with the same bank and I use internet banking which makes life so much simpler too. I hope this makes sense.

Good luck

Lemon_Tree

hi have just found your diary and you sound like you are really getting things sorted, you have had so much to tackle and you are facing the challenge head on, maybe you don't realise just how strong you are to face this challenge.
Like Mae i also got two bank accounts to try and sort out my finances and although i managed to get myself further in trouble, before i came here, i think it has helped me to know just what there is to spend.
This year i took some of my front garden to make a raised veggie plot, i'm lucky with my neighbourhood that no one nicks stuff (touch wood) so i am now the proud owner of a MASSIVE pumpkin about twice the size of a football. Wonder if there's any pumpkin soup receipe's out there. I like veggie soup but have 'problems' with ones with tomoatoes or potato's in, it's a strange phobia i have.
well i'll leave you to it, well done for tackling everythng, you may have even motivated me to put my dvd's on ebay as well.

donner_kebab

Thanks Mae and Lemon Tree, that might be the answer...2 accounts? Least that way I know exactly what I have left to play with each month. Only problem I could see would be where the credit card payments come out from? All bar 2 of the cards come out by minimum payment direct debit, so this varies each month. Don't know what the best course of action would be there? Could have them coming out of the account all the bills go from and just make sure that as I am not spending on them, I just keep paying whatever the minimum payment is at the start of the account as the minimum should never go up (providing I don't use them of course!). That would be nice then as would know how much we can use for food and then whatever is left (hoping something is left!) this can then go towards debt the day before payday?

Lemon Tree you are soooo lucky! I wish I lived in a neighbourhood like that and one day I will! What are you going to do with that fab pumpkin? I made soup once from a pumpkin but it used tomatoes so no good there then?!? I have a strange phobia too...peas! When I was growing up, my dad used to give us peas everyday! I cannot eat them now, feel really ill if I have any of them in my mouth! Mini-me adores peas! A while ago I went to my dad's house and he said he wanted to cook me dinner...and he dished up peas! I had to eat them to be polite but my god did I feel ill afterwards!!! Good luck with your dvds! I have a few watchers on mine and hope to list some more over the next couple of days too!

mae

I think setting CCs up with a fixed amount, minimum payment as it stands now is a good idea. You will know better what you can afford to do once you have full income and outgoings posted on here.

Have you signed up with Quidco too?

Also have you thought about doing your food shop online with Tesco? I have saved a fortune since doing this. I use the codes posted on the discounts board (either money off or clubcard points) and it is so much more of a controlled shop. I put the list in then look through it and see how many meals I make from it and check if there are things I don't 'really' need then edit it. It stops impulse buying and also saves you time rather than actually going out to do it which is a bonus in my book. I tend to shop online every other week and then the inbetween week I nip to Harrods (netto) and get milk, fruit veg etc just to top up so only a small amount. If you chose the extra points you could save these for maybe a caravan holiday for you and mini me next year??

Just a few ideas that may or may not work for you too.

Tustastic

Hi Donna, I've just read your diary and you sound really positive and forward looking. You've done wonders in your personal life and the debt - now you're tackling it - is just money that you'll sort out slow and steady. I agree with everyone about hounding the council and involving local councillors. The council website will give you their names (the ones that cover the small area you live in - called a 'ward' round here) and you may even be able to email them.
However please reconsider trying to replace the element on your cooker yourself - please get a qualified person in. You can find out about those in your area on http://niceic.com/. (Am assuming it's an electric cooker - if it's gas, get someone off http://www.trustcorgi.com/consumers.htmx) Phone up three, get quotes, tell them you've already got the part and then haggle one of them into submission.
HTH and well done for getting this far - I look forward to reading the next instalments (plus ogling that gorgeous cat and copying all the soup recipes)!!

LookingAhead

Tustastic....I'm not trying to get readers onto my own diary truly....but if you want more soup recipes, I might be posting some more on there in the near future as another DFW has asked me for some. I said if I find any more I would post them on my diary which is called Regular Ramblings of LookingAhead.

That sounds like a total shameless plug for my own thread but I promise it isn't at all!

Oh & I did post another recipe on there the other day actually for a cheap casserole - you might want to check it out, it is on the last 2 or 3 pages I think.

donner_kebab

Hiya Mae - Thank you! I think with the meal planning it would be a good idea to do that! I can find the codes and hopefully save the delivery costs! Usually I have to spend a fortune on the bus, then can't carry much back! 1 bag of cat litter weighs a ton on its own! Cat food too...so that isn't even counting mine and mini-me's food! Each Saturday morning I think they have a fruit and veg market down the road, so could grab some top ups from there and hopefully they will be a little cheaper too? I would love to take her on a holiday. I am learning to drive (should be taking my test by the end of the year. I know it is expensive but I have spent so many hundred of pounds on lessons already it would be crazy to stop now especially as lesson prices keep going up and I have done my theory and hazard test already.) so hopefully won't have many more lessons to pay out for. Would be great in a couple of years to have a little run around and then the pair of us can go camping etc at the weekends. I haven't tried Quidco...a lot of people talk about it here on the boards, is it very hard to get your head around?

Hiya Tustatic! I think I am gonna get my bro down here to sort the oven! He is a maintenance engineer and can rewire houses etc so he should be able to do it! He is coming over soon as it is mini-me's birthday in a few weeks. By the time the element gets here, he should be able to try and help me out! I love my cat so much! Will try and get some more piccies up very soon! The soup recipes sound fab don't they! Definitely gonna try some of those this week!

Ha ha LA! Not just a soup queen then! Gonna have to check out your cheap casserole!

Right I am off for a hot drink before bed! Will work out the finals of my SOA for tomorrow and then that will be on here for everyone to see! Hopefully them I will get a better understanding of what is going on. Got so much stuff to do now! Contacting the Council, meal planning, budgetting etc! Phew gonna be busy but I can't wait!
Sleep tight everyone! Luv the kebabmeister xxx

mae

Quidco is simple. Basically you just sign up then if you buy anything online go through quidco and check if they use that company, for example Boots, then you just make sure you are signed in and search for Boots, click on their link and it will take you to the Boots site. You then shop on the Boots site as normal but you will get cashback from Quidco for going to Boots via their site.

The biggest pay outs are for things like insurance though. For example I used More Than for my building and contents insurance this time (obvioulsy checked that they were the cheapest first) so I went through Quidco and received £85 cashback from Quidco. Takes a while to come through but its like saving up and can go towards treats or debt.

There is a thread (someone may post a link, I'm rubbish) that tells you all the things you can sign up to through Quidco that are free to you but you still get cashback for, so when you get some spare time it may be worth checking Quidco out and remember to go via their site for everything you purchase on line.

Oh and now you've said you get the bus for your shopping definately check out the shopping online its so easy and I am sure you will be able to get more organised that way. Set yourself an amount for food for the month then it doesn't really matter how you split it weekly as some weeks you will need more than others. But if you have a set amount for food for the month you will hopefully be more careful and stick to it as near as possible. Having the set amount just helps you think twice before dashing off to buy a rushed shop that ends up a small fortune that doesn't actually add up to many meals (well thats how I used to be anyway). I am not as good as the people on the old style board, I don't exactly meal plan I just roughly work out that I have enough meals and that all the food is necessary as much as possible (we all need some treats surely). I use the mid week evening delivery slots as these are usually the cheapest at £3.99. There are quite a few £10 off codes about at the momentso quite a big saving as well as saving the bus fares and the time it would have taken you. I budget £200 per mth for food for 2 adults and 2 children, sometimes I stick to it, sometimes a little over if we have a take away or if I am not as organised but I don't beat myself up about it I allow some flexibilty but its good for me to have a guide so I am more controlled about it if you see what I mean.

Good luck with the lessons it will open a new world to you and your daughter when you manage to get a car. I think you are right to continue with those at the stage you are at.

Hope that helps.

PS. I agree with the others re: getting onto the council about the jobs. Keep a file of all correspondence, print our any emails you send or receive, keep letters and write down date, time and name of the person you spoke to in any phone call conversations then you can keep track and also have proof if you do have to see your local MP.
It sounds as though you have not pushed it too much for them to do the jobs coz you have a vision of not living there for ever and see you and your daughter in a nice little house thats your own someday. Well I am sure you will end up exactly where you want to but in the mean time how about how you deserve to live now? You deserve to live in a homely well kept home no matter how short a time you intend to be there. If anything is actually dangerous make sure you mention you have a child and her safety is paramount. Ask if they offer vouchers to help you buy paint etc and maybe offer to do some of the jobs yourself?? Not sure if this is an option.

So as well as meal planning, debt sorting, bill planning, working, being mum, cooking, cleaning etc etc GET ON TO THE COUNCIL :rotfl: Seriously though you deserve a better home and you need to hound them into it.

Sorry for the long post

chevalier

Hi Donna
the link to the quidco thread is here
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=512871

Also there is a site called pigsback which you can get vouchers from (for clicks ie nothing), the thread for this is here (read the first two posts it tells you everything)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=564858

the rest below is sites that I use and have got money from so worth a go (and I haven't paid out anything in some cases or only for things that I would have been buying anyway). I think that you are doing very well, and I hope the council pull their socks up soon
chev

www.lightspeedpanel.com - this is a survey site, where you get points that turn into vouchers (you choose). May not help with the cash flow, but the vouchers could be saved towards birthday/xmas or given as presents.

www.ciao.co.uk - survey site that gives money. A bit fits and starts i.e. no surveys for a couple of weeks, then three or four the same day.

www.yougov.com - again paid surveys. However takes a while to get to the minimum payout level

www.mytns.com - again this is a survey site, but it pays you in points that convert into Nectar points at Sainsbury’s.

www.pigsback.co.uk - this is a points site, i.e. they give you points for buying things via their site. BUT you also get points for signing up for news letters (some of which are even interesting!), and also for clicking on adverts with pink borders. I have spent NOTHING with them but got a £10 voucher through this week (only been registered since January). There is also a thread in the freebies section, of https://www.moneysavingexpert.com that gives you all the daily answers to the competitions so you can have a better chance of winning on them. I won £20 of points recently on the daily quizzes so a nice boost to the Christmas fund.

www.mutualpoints.com - another points for clicks site. You can also buy things via their site and get points too. For a long time, I just clicked the links in the emails they send you, and that gets you 5 points. At 3000 points you get £20 I think. You can do searches via their site and that gets you points too.

www.quidco.com - this is a cash back site, so very good, for checking if any potential new insurers (i.e. if you have checked your contents insurance say and found a new provider), are offering cash back. E.g. Lloyds was offering £120 cash back on new policies at one point (the offers do change). You can also get small amounts of cash again for doing searches via their site. You can earn 52p a day by doing this. Every little helps.

www.greasypalm.co.uk - another cash back site, where you can do searches and get small amounts of money. But it all adds up. I think you can get about 50p a day on there for nothing. Minimum payout is £20 I think, but you can sign up to survey sites via there, and get extra money that way for nothing.

www.topcashback.co.uk - another site where you can do daily clicks to get money for nowt.

www.britishrewards.co.uk - same as topcashback, daily clicks to do searches for pennies a time.