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

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I really don't mind Carboot . One of our creditors was Lloyds if that's any help and they weren't the awkward one. The awkward one was Asset Link. Two of our debts hadn't been sold on and they still said yes to 50%.

Try not to worry, although I did get very stressed when we were doing it .

Thank you:A

Just to clarify, did you offer all your creditors the same 50% or did you too have a sliding scale? I thought Lloyds might want 50%-ish and I can just about afford that but I was hoping to get away with less than that for the others. And if you paid them differing percentages how did they react if/when you told them that when they asked you?

Sorry, seems like there's no end to my anxieties:o

Willowtree222

Hope you car is okay and passes for you both.
I remember you paying last year. If I remember rightly, one payment went astray for couple of days

Hope you enjoy volunteering x

jwil

carbootcrazy wrote: »

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?

I was exactly the same

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thank you:A

Just to clarify, did you offer all your creditors the same 50% or did you too have a sliding scale? I thought Lloyds might want 50%-ish and I can just about afford that but I was hoping to get away with less than that for the others. And if you paid them differing percentages how did they react if/when you told them that when they asked you?

Sorry, seems like there's no end to my anxieties:o

Are they really going to be that bothered? I've cleared a couple of debts, and no creditor has queried it. I've offered random F&F to a couple of different ones (not all of them) and didn't mention whether the other creditors were getting offers or not.

I'd just send the first offer letter showing that you are offering them all the same low percentage, and then negotiate with them individually. My credit report doesn't show what I settled the debt for, just that it's settled.

jwil

Congratulations on being a year DF :T

Shame about the car. If you are not going to use it and are worried - just SORN it for a few days and tax it when it's through the MOT. DH forgot to sorn a car earlier this year (it's not on the road at all), he just got a letter after a month or two saying 'tax it immediately'. You'll be ok for a few days I'm sure, especially if you are not driving it.

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

We got paid enough to pay for six months car tax and to catch up with our NPow3r payments. But when DH went to pay the car tax he realised our MOT has run out . So he couldn't pay the car tax. DH thought the MOT expired in November. We've got the car booked in to the garage but they can't do it until Saturday. I hope we don't get fined. Plus we need someone else to pay us before Saturday so we can pay for the MOT. I hope the car passes or we are really in the sh*t .

It never rains but it pours. DH is so stressed he's been waking up at 5am every morning this week .

I know we should have a pot for car expenses, but we can't afford to save one at the moment .

I really feel you over the car situation:kisses3:. Car expenses have been the bane of my life:mad:. My tax, MOT and insurance renewal dates all crop up in the same month:eek:, I was forever trying to catch up after each renewal month because, like you I had no savings to cover such an outlay. I started paying my tax and insurance monthly by DD but I know it's an expensive way of doing things. No option though without the money upfront,


I hope your car passes its MOT OK and doesn't need any work done. I don't know what the police are like in your area but I'd keep off the road as much as possible before the MOT if I were you. Luckily they can't spot an out-of-tax vehicle now without the old tax disc on the windscreen but they can do it all electronically if they have any concerns about anything else to do with the car. I think they give a bit of leeway with the tax, a few days anyway but I could be wrong. OH was once questioned about an out of date tax disc, only a couple of days out, and they didn't fine him or anything. It came to light when he was stopped and pulled in to one of those random roadside checks they do from time to time otherwise no one would have been aware probably. They just told him to see to it ASAP. His MOT was up to date though.

[Deleted User]

Morning Hairy,

Fingers crossed that your car passes its MOT and Happy Debt Free one year anniversary for yesterday :j xx

badmemory

A CRT screen is one of those old bulky ones, not a flat screen as they all are now. All modern appliances seem to use so much less power than the old ones. I've compared my old fridge & freezer usage to what they say new ones use & the old ones use 4 times as much. I need a new kitchen when I will finally replace them. My father installed this one 28 years ago & most of it is still absolutely fine. This is one of the very few times I miss having an OH cos I always feel that I am being pushed into getting something which is not really what I want - I don't & never have done trendy!

HairyHandofDartmoor

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thank you:A

Just to clarify, did you offer all your creditors the same 50% or did you too have a sliding scale? I thought Lloyds might want 50%-ish and I can just about afford that but I was hoping to get away with less than that for the others. And if you paid them differing percentages how did they react if/when you told them that when they asked you?

Sorry, seems like there's no end to my anxieties:o

We paid them ALL 50% of what we owed. Stepchange said that we must do that or they would think it was unfair.

You could offer them all less, say 30%. If any say yes then pay them, and then negotiate with the ones who say no.

The trouble is everyone has different circumstances and it's difficult to predict if they will say yes or no. But you could start low and go higher.

Even if only a few accept you'd have less debt and could pay off the rest more quickly.

HairyHandofDartmoor

jwil wrote: »

I was exactly the same



Are they really going to be that bothered? I've cleared a couple of debts, and no creditor has queried it. I've offered random F&F to a couple of different ones (not all of them) and didn't mention whether the other creditors were getting offers or not.

I'd just send the first offer letter showing that you are offering them all the same low percentage, and then negotiate with them individually. My credit report doesn't show what I settled the debt for, just that it's settled.

Yes that is good advice and worth doing.

HairyHandofDartmoor

Nicnak wrote: »

Hope you car is okay and passes for you both.
I remember you paying last year. If I remember rightly, one payment went astray for couple of days

Hope you enjoy volunteering x

Thanks Nicnak .

jwil wrote: »

Congratulations on being a year DF :T

Shame about the car. If you are not going to use it and are worried - just SORN it for a few days and tax it when it's through the MOT. DH forgot to sorn a car earlier this year (it's not on the road at all), he just got a letter after a month or two saying 'tax it immediately'. You'll be ok for a few days I'm sure, especially if you are not driving it.

We don't have a drive or a garage so can't SORN it unfortunately but we're not driving it.

Deleted_User wrote: »

Morning Hairy,

Fingers crossed that your car passes its MOT and Happy Debt Free one year anniversary for yesterday :j xx

Thanks and thanks .