Posting up SOAs - did you take the advice?

sammiboo

This is just out of interest really.

You see lots of SOAs posted up everyday and sometimes you get a feeling some people dont really take the advice given as it isnt always a quick fix to lower their debt and takes a bit of work and time to get it down.

If I am honest I didnt take all the advice that was given but I took on board most of the advice that was given and I have managed to lower my debt.

Has anyone else who posted up their SOAs taken the advice that was offered?

With me I already had an idea what I needed to do, I just needed to confirm in my head it was right. The hardes thing for me was to change banks and also get rid of my savings account. I think thats more because I am a creature of habit and hate change

Lucy1982_2

I've tried to and cancelled everything that I didn't need. I have picked up another internet access and kept my expensive RAC cover, but I decided peace of mind was worth it!

Jacks_xxx

:hello: Hey sweetie,

D'ya know what?

I'm going to go back and look at mine, and see if I did.

Love Jacks xxx

Shineyhappy

I honestly cant remember, but to be honest there wasnt even internet or a home phone line on my SOA so not much to be cut back on!

I checked around for cheaper suppliers before I posted and I couldnt cut back on my contract mobile (until next month I think- yay!!).

I have never budgeted for clothes or at all before so I just cut out anything that wasnt essential and any treats (shoes/clothes) had to wait for my birthday and I will get more treats for Christmas and I dont spend anything on social stuff unless I absolutely have to!

Luckily my OH and immediate family know I am really skint and trying to pay off my debts asap so they support me loads and dont mind buying me specified presents. My mum also is a bargain hunter and got me loads of presents in the M&S sales (t shirts for 1 pound!) and wouldnt let me pay her back. My mum is great!

sammiboo

Jacks_xxx wrote: »

:hello: Hey sweetie,

D'ya know what?

I'm going to go back and look at mine, and see if I did.

Love Jacks xxx

You will have to let us know what you found jacks

immoral_angeluk

I took the advice and fitted it in to our circumstances. The advice from people on here helped us massively!

Lemon_Tree

i took some of the advice which i could put to use and learnt from the rest. It helps just to clarify the situation sometimes and face the reality of things so a SOA is good in that way.

pandapaws

I definitely paid full attention to all the advice given, but because of circumstances I wasn't able to do anything about most of the suggestions. I'd already checked/switched all utilities etc, and was in the process of claiming back C.Tax etc, already well into Quidco and the like, and the remaining things were the way they were for a reason! But it was definitely excellent advice whether I took it or not, and not ignored.

The best bit of advice I got and definitely took was NOT to cancel HSA as I'd been planning - I'd forgotton they give a maternity payout on birth of a child, and someone kindly pointed that out. I'd expected that to be one of the things that people told me to get rid of straight away!

Rather than getting advice about things, I love and use this site because of the support that's available. Posting a SOA gives people a better idea of your situation so they can offer the right sort of support - if they can advise on how to improve the SOA then it is a bonus!

dsljfreeman

I took on board everything that people said, I cancelled Sky, joined Quidco, sold our car, cancelled car insurance and garage rent, challenged csa re maintenance payments, it has really made a difference month to month, hasn't really made a dent in our debt but at least we aren't running a deficit each month.

Go DFW Board :rotfl:

chloebelle

All the advice I was given was more or less what I had already identified myself e.g. stop buying junk at the supermarket every week!

Main advice I followed was about my mobile, I was very against getting a contract but lots of posters pursueded me to take a look at the deals around. Definately fantastic advice, has saved me about £70 a month!!:T

meyore

Most of the things that everyone else identified were things I had worked out for myself, but was yet to act on. This site gave me the motivation to put it all into action Xx