Beginning my journey...

enthusiasticsaver

It will get easier. There is great support on the DMP thread and lots of people on here with diaries have DMPs so any questions you have will have come up before. The credit union savings is probably a good idea. Emergency fund is a must and it would be incredible if you were DF in 2 years 7 months. Sensible to put in complaints to the payday loan sharks on affordability. All this will get easier once it has settled down and you are paying the DMP payments. Good luck and I look forward to reading about your journey.

daisy_jean

Quite a few of my creditors have responded, and as positively as can expect - to freeze interest for 30days and cancel payments. That has eased my mind slightly from the unrest last night. I need to bang out some letters to the last of the creditors to be contacted but I’m going to do that tomorrow.

Tonight, I am going to enjoy a glass of wine, whatever nonsense I can find on the television (it’s all rubbish!) and try to relax. Tomorrow I will tackle the rest. It’s been a super long day at work (staying late for a unavoidable meeting did not help!) and I just need to try and unwind slightly.

Tomorrow is a new day!

daisy_jean

Ended up having to put a lost card report on my debit card - all companies cancelled the CPA with the exception of one, so I just cancelled the card.


Sat here about to put an affordability complaint into SafetyNetCredit - despite being able to see what payday stuff was coming into my account, they continued to up my credit limit and take unaffordable repayments that made it necessary to immediately reborrow. Going after them now! It'll be Wonga next...
I've already complained to MyJar, Pounds to Pocket and Mr Lender - those were about a fortnight ago, so a bit to go yet till the 8 weeks is up. I think my strongest case is with SNC tho.

daisy_jean

I am also going down to the local credit union on Saturday too to open a savings account. DD has a school savers there too and has a build up of grandparental pocket money to deposit (she's already more money savvy than her mother!)!

daisy_jean

Going into the bank tomorrow to enquire about closing our joint account (so we’re no longer financially tied) - hub has agreed that it’s useless having it (literally 2 bills come out of it!). Using this months EF to pay off the overdraft and shut it completely. Bank is also linked to another bank where some of my major debts are, so before I contact them with details of the DMP, I think it’s wise to get shot of the joint account.

Snotty email received this morning from Pounds to Pocket adding late charges to a missed payment. I emailed them last Saturday to cancel the CPA and to advise of DMP but they never responded (hence the card cancellation!) and obviously took no notice.

On a plus - little money saving moment today - found £15 of tesco vouchers in my club card account so that reduced today’s weekly shop a little! :money:

daisy_jean

Joint account in the process of being closed, went into the bank and they were very helpful! Also opened a savings account with the local credit union too, £50 immediately put in there with a plan to add to it next month.

Sent a couple more notices of impending DMP to creditors, and this morning SNC acknowledged receipt of my affordability complaint. Fingers crossed on that one!

enthusiasticsaver

Sounds like you are making progress. Good luck with the affordability complaints.

daisy_jean

Today I finished painting the front room - started it about 7 weeks ago (did a feature wall plus another white wall) but never got around to finishing it. Today I got them done (already had the paint, just had to actually get on with it!). My small achievement for today. Shattered now and I think I pulled my back getting up and down the ladder oh well!

daisy_jean

Today I rang StepChange and talked through some queries I had... The guy was nice and friendly, and for the first time I didn't feel judged. I came off the phone feeling slightly better and determined to take the bull by the horns.

Then tonight I've started my spreadsheet to send - creditors/how much owed/account numbers. And I'm sat here freaking out again. It'll pass as it has each other time, but the amount is so huge, how did I let it get to this point?

I'm still debating whether to take another month again and start the DMP in June. My 30 days grace with creditors is up at the end of the month (the SC guy said I did it too soon if I wanted to build a EF - b$$$$$d!) and they'll question the delay. But realistically what can they actually do? Say it's up at the end of this month, if I delay sending the SC forms so I miss the deadline for setting up May's direct debit, but they'll still get notification it's coming in June? What can they do?

On a plus though, logged into the joint account today and it has definitely closed and gone.

daisy_jean

I have emailed all of my forms and information to StepChange. I just want it started. I have worked out I will be debt free in 2years 10months if creditors play ball (I suspect not all will). So in 2years 11months I will have an extra £750 a month and be debt free - it sounds like a dream!