Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

[Deleted User]

jwil wrote: »

Good luck with the F&Fs - are you going nice and low so you can negotiate up if you have to?

My DH doesn't know about my DMP either, though he knows I have debts. I wish I'd done mine a lot sooner rather than struggling through two lots of maternity leave.

Yes, definitely starting low. If they snatch my hand off I'll know I offered too much:eek: so I fully expect my first attempts will be turned down flat.


I wish I'd started a DMP sooner too but I'm a great one for hoping for the best. In my misguided thinking there was always the possibility that something would turn up in the nick of time. How naive can you get eh:o?

[Deleted User]

Just seen Martin's weekly newsletter. There's a lot in it on ways to keep warm in the winter:T

doingitanyway

Young people don't think sometimes, too much going on, but I agree with Beanie. Just a little more from DS especially with higher energy costs in the cold weather would make a difference. Could you bear to ask?

badmemory

Does your local library loan out those thingimebobs (technical expression!) that measure your usage. Some older appliances use 4 times as much energy as newer ones do though. If you have any old CRT screens make sure that they are in the least used places. It doesn't matter if you owe them money - give them very regular readings. It is unlikely that their left hand knows what their right hand is doing.

HairyHandofDartmoor

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

Echoing what beanie says about one cup heaters. We use one and have done for years. I love it as DH doesn't do hot drinks so boiling a kettle for just one always had some waste.

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Love that idea, beanielou:T. Might see if I can find one.

We use an old fashioned whistling kettle on our gas hob. I don't know how economical that is, but you can boil a very small amount of water. Electrical kettles don't like us and go wrong every six months :mad:. We've had the hob kettle for about six years and it still works perfectly :T.

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Yes, 4 have been sold and just Lloyds hasn't been.


Could I ask you, did you make offers to your creditors all at the same time or did you stagger them?

We made all our creditors offers on the same day. Well, we posted them all a letter the same day and included our SOA from Stepchange. Then we rang them after a week to say did you get the letter? and how about it? Most of them said yes on the phone :T. A couple wanted more info and one awkward one took three months to say yes :mad:.

They all wanted to know if we'd offered our other creditors the same percentage as them.

The awkward one wanted proof that other creditors had accepted 50% :mad:. DH mentioned he had diabetes, high blood pressure etc. The awkward creditor wanted a doctors letter to prove it :mad:. Once we obtained and sent the doctors letter the awkward one finally said yes :T.

redofromstart

I've always liked the idea of a an old fashioned hob kettle. We have an (expensive!) electric kettle that leaks from the bottom of the spout. One day I will get over my objection to throwing away something that still works, especially now that the boys use it to make themselves noodles.

Beanie/INOD my SIL had a one cup one when they first came out, she said not hot enough so the tea didn't brew properly and she couldn't use it for instant gravy? Was she just unlucky?

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

I wouldn't have thought that DS2's light and laptop would contribute all that much to the electricity bill even if they are always on. It's appliances that heat which use most of the power.


We have no mains gas in this village so have oil central heating which is rarely on. If desperate I use a small halogen electric heater. We used to have an immersion heater but it was so expensive to run that we rely on the oil central heating boiler to heat the water now. It's a standard boiler not a combi one. Of course, the boiler pump uses electricity to drive it. Our cooker is electric and we have an electric shower, washing machine, tumble dryer (which I confess to using more than I should) and all the usual small appliances but no dishwasher. With all that our electricity bill is £65 a month and I sometimes end the year in credit. NPower's assessment of your usage is ridiculous:eek:. I'm sure your own weekly readings will convince them that they've made a mistake.

badmemory wrote: »

Well if I ignore my DS's home built computer, which I swear you can hear the fan going 2 doors away, our biggest usage is the electric shower. But after 30 mins it is over 4kw so, what, about 50p, so add in both standing charges & you are already looking at almost £30 a month.


I would think putting your readings in online even every week should help to "keep it real".


Just so you know - I don't time my DSs shower time because I want to know how much his shower is costing but because it is an indication of how he is. The longer the shower, well I really wish that shower would wash his troubles away. And just may possibly have some bearing on why I am posting at almost 5 in the am!!

It is odd that they can think we're using that much :mad:.

HairyHandofDartmoor

in_need_of_direction wrote: »

HH, is it worth getting your meter checked to see if it's working properly? I'm in NI where, due to lack of competition, fuel prices tend to be a bit higher and my electric bill is nowhere near what you are being charged.

How would we do that INOD? I mean who would we ask to check it? And would we have to pay for the check?

HairyHandofDartmoor

badmemory wrote: »

Does your local library loan out those thingimebobs (technical expression!) that measure your usage. Some older appliances use 4 times as much energy as newer ones do though. If you have any old CRT screens make sure that they are in the least used places. It doesn't matter if you owe them money - give them very regular readings. It is unlikely that their left hand knows what their right hand is doing.

I'm not sure, I could ring and ask them I suppose. What's a CRT screen? I will definitely givd them weekly readings.