Sort of debt-free but hope to be a super-scrimper in 2019

beanielou

Great news on the treats fund :j :j

[Deleted User]

beanielou wrote: »

Great news on the treats fund :j :j

Thanks, beanielou:T. You're always so supportive and encouraging to everyone whichever diary I see you on:A

beanielou

carbootcrazy wrote: »

Thanks, beanielou:T. You're always so supportive and encouraging to everyone whichever diary I see you on:A

Just dont read mine as I moan a lot!!

[Deleted User]

Well, who'd have thought I'd be finding it so difficult to pay the money to clear my penultimate debt?:eek:. I spoke to the creditor on the phone last week and after accepting the settlement figure (which he wanted me to pay there and then over the phone by debit card:eek:) I asked for the written confirmation that is pretty standard in F&Fs and which everyone advises should be received before parting with the money.


This letter came sooner than I expected, despite my impatience that it even took as long as it did. I know from experience that these people are very slow to respond to requests but I expect they are anxious to get their money this time;)


The wording of it wasn't what I asked for so I posted on a F&F thread asking if it was enough. I also posted on another advice thread as 'footfall' in the first thread is sometimes a bit low and I needed a speedy reply. Amazingly, people responded very quickly on both threads but with conflicting advice:(


The standard wording should include something along the lines of:

…. neither we nor any associate company will take any other action to collect or enforce this debt in any way and that you will be released from any liability.


What the creditor actually said was:

The parts in red are the bits that I'm querying.

' We refer to your offer to pay a sum in settlement of your account...……….. We have reduced the amount due on your account to the sum that you have agreed to pay.

Once this reduced amount has been paid, where this is recorded on your credit file, this will be updated as partially settled with a zero balance and not as settled or satisfied'. .


I understand the 'partially settled' bit, that's pretty standard, but do you think this reference to 'zero balance' etc is enough of a guarantee for me that it will all be done and dusted once I pay the £480?. The 'amount due' at the top of the letter shows as £480 and not the £1548 that is really outstanding.


The poster on the F&F thread said that although it was worded rather oddly it was probably OK. The poster on the other thread suggested I should go back and ask the creditor for what I originally wanted:doh:.


I know I'm probably being nit-picky here but I have an overwhelming need to tie up all the loose ends and tidy up my previously chaotic financial situation. I want to avoid any potential problems with this or any other settled debt in the future.


I hate dealing with creditors on the phone so I may see if this creditor has a secure messaging service on their website where I can contact them again about this. I expect they're heartily sick of me making such a fuss about what to them is so little:o


I'm posting this on here as I know some of you have had experience of settling debts and may have some valuable advice to offer. The money for getting rid of this debt is burning a hole in my pocket:rotfl:. I can barely wait:o for the day when I just have one debt remaining.

beanielou

Cant advise I am afraid.

Karmacat

I can't either, CBC, but if they've changed the wording you wanted to one that *they* want, they're not giving you that security, on purpose. Am I right in remembering you're paying £1 a month to them? If that's still so, I'd go back and work on the wording again, it's worth that extra time - like I'm taking an extra day to send a bit more to the post office so the bond I open at such a good interest rate has a bit more money in it.



HTH - its not official advice, its just about safety.

[Deleted User]

beanielou wrote: »

Just dont read mine as I moan a lot!!

I bet you don't, beanie. You're always so honest and there's nothing wrong with telling it like it is:beer:. I must find your diary, I'd love to read it:).


I've written a 'real' letter rather than an email/message and posted it 1st class to my creditor requesting the changes to the 'guarantee' that I asked for. The sooner they respond the sooner they'll receive their money. I can curb my impatience for a few days longer;)


I've finally itemised the sums of money I've added to my Treats Fund. Anyone would think there were hundreds of them the time it's taken me to get round to it:o. Not sure why this turned out to be a 'frog', given that it was concerned with making/saving money rather than having to spend it:rotfl:


Anyway, so far this year I've managed to squirrel away:

• £14.35 bank interest from saving all last year for F&Fs
  
• £142.61 from the 10 eBay sales
  
• £24.18 redeemed from Prolific
  
• £9.74 Quidco cashback (pending for about 6 months!)
  
• £2.50 Quidco bonus (ditto)
  
• TOTAL: £193.38 :j

I'm not sure what I might do with this money but I desperately need a replacement recliner chair for my little sitting room. The one I'm using at the moment is so old and has had so much use that the springs have gone and it's begun to cause back ache:(. I want to nip that in the bud, I can't be too careful with bones and muscles at my age;)


I also need, rather than just want, a good reading light, preferably a floor-standing one rather than a table lamp. I don't have any space for a table to put one on:(. It's a small room and there's no other way I can arrange the furniture that I already have in there. I do a lot of reading and am currently straining my eyes:eek:. On the subject of eyes I need to arrange an eye test (thankfully free for OAPs:j) pretty soon. I'm hoping my prescription hasn't changed over the 2 years since I bought my current glasses but I have a hunch it will have. I needn't spend too much though as they'll probably be able to fit new lenses into the current frames.


So, I need to make some more money to fund all these 'needs'. I have a space at a Table Top sale booked for Saturday 23rd at a village hall fairly near here. It's a lovely venue, really warm, spacious and well-lit. It's in quite a prosperous village and the buyers turn out in force to support the local church (who the sales are in aid of) and are willing to spend money:j. Pitches there are like gold dust so I'm thrilled to have nabbed one this time. Now all I need to do is root out some saleable items:rotfl:. I'm not sure I have much that will appeal to that particular clientele though:o. In days of dire necessity, all my 'good' things were already sold:(.

HairyHandofDartmoor

I think that your F&F offer letter wording would probably have been okay, but it doesn't hurt to get the wording exactly right before you hand your precious money over. You certainly want the security of knowing that no one will ever pursue you for this debt ever again. We had to contact one of ours to tell them that the wording wasn't right and it turned out that they'd sent the wrong letter by mistake :mad:. Very frustrating when you just want it done and dusted :mad:.

Good luck with your tabletop sale. You never know what people will buy, so just take all of your clutter along :rotfl:.

[Deleted User]

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I think that your F&F offer letter wording would probably have been okay, but it doesn't hurt to get the wording exactly right before you hand your precious money over. You certainly want the security of knowing that no one will ever pursue you for this debt ever again. We had to contact one of ours to tell them that the wording wasn't right and it turned out that they'd sent the wrong letter by mistake :mad:. Very frustrating when you just want it done and dusted :mad:.

Good luck with your tabletop sale. You never know what people will buy, so just take all of your clutter along :rotfl:.

Thank you:). That's really interested that one of your creditors sent the wrong letter. I'm glad you got it sorted to your satisfaction. It must have been really annoying for you when you were so near to being debt free. Lots of people might think being so precise about the wording is nit-picking but after being in such mountainous debt for so long it's important that everything ends well;)

I hope your volunteering went well today and that you enjoyed it. I don't suppose it's very long to half-term now.

Karmacat

£193 is a great sum of money, CBC, well done you. And I'm glad you've written the letter to your creditor.



And hurray for the good pitch! I bet you have more quality stuff than you think you have - and sometimes changing tastes and fashions mean that something that used to be not well thought of is now tip top