Mud, floods and money worries

oceandreamer

Hi Dizzy, I don't post much but didn't want to read and run.  I'd just echo what the other posters have said - if you could even identify one area that is a' problem and post about it we could maybe make some suggestions.  It can be so overwhelming sometimes that you don't know where to start but there is always something you can do, no matter how small, that will start to help you feel in control.  So sorry you have all the added problems of the weather on top of everything else, sending virtual hugs.

Dizzy_Imp

Wow! Thanks for all your responses everyone! I'm very grateful indeed! 
I've looked at doing an SOA in the past, but the numbers are huge and frankly terrifying.  DH is working from home today so I have spoken to him again about the situation.  He's telling me to go back to the doctors, which us easier said than done, as our local satellite branch is closed for refurbishment and the two other surgeries are both 20+ miles away and cut off by flooded roads.  Oh the joys of rural life!

Anyway, I'll work on the SOA tonight even if it's just for my eyes only...right, off to collect the small beans from school x

kazwookie

Dizzy

Take care of yourself, try to get some sleep.

FL's love you xxx

Buffythedebtslayer

Dizzy_Imp said:

Wow! Thanks for all your responses everyone! I'm very grateful indeed! 
I've looked at doing an SOA in the past, but the numbers are huge and frankly terrifying.  DH is working from home today so I have spoken to him again about the situation.  He's telling me to go back to the doctors, which us easier said than done, as our local satellite branch is closed for refurbishment and the two other surgeries are both 20+ miles away and cut off by flooded roads.  Oh the joys of rural life!

Anyway, I'll work on the SOA tonight even if it's just for my eyes only...right, off to collect the small beans from school x

Hi Dizzy, I have been awol in general but wanted to say hi. 
I am not in the same position as you at all but life at the moment is keep an eye on mum, try to keep the house clean, enormous to the bones declutter of everything I own, full time job, part time job, 6 pets, plus fish tanks and pond, trying to fix up the garden, rebuild and fix things out there,  shopping and errands for sister. 
I too only sleep for 5-6 hours a night, seem to live on wosits and creme eggs and barely function by Thursdays. I think in many ways modern life sucks because we have to do this to keep our heads above water. Money wise things are ok for me at the moment but I have been up that creek without a paddle before too. 

I would recommend making one fixed rule - Like going to bed at a specific time each night or deciding on a debt to get rid of or things to sell. Lists are good. Sleep is the best thing tho so I would say in bed by 11? 
and randomly I have started to eat sunflower seeds.......................

XXXXXXX 

Dizzy_Imp

kazwookie said:

Dizzy

Take care of yourself, try to get some sleep.

FL's love you xxx

Aww, thank you! You lot are the best xxx
So, I did an SOA. Scared the living be-jeysus out of me, pressed a button to save and promptly lost the bloomin' lot 

Long story short: 2 properties worth a combined £1M.  Mortgages outstanding around £340K.  Unsecured debt (mainly as a result of being flooded 5 years ago) approx. £72K. Six dogs, 8 goats, 50 chickens, 2 small children, two adult-ish stepkids.  Income around £4500 per month (which sounds like loads) but eating beans on toast and carrot curry by half-way through the month.
Something needs to change - I've got a sporty little Audi that I could sell, but it's not a cheap model, so will have a limited audience as DH will not consider taking less than he knows it's worth.  We seem to have shares in Sky but again DH refuses to cut this at all.  I cook from scratch 95% of the time and never go out with more than a tenner in my purse once in a blue moon.  I'm low-maintenance to the extreme (no nails, eyelashes or pampering of any kind) and wear clothes until they fall apart.  

We can't sell the house in Sussex as we have a tenant signed for another 12 months. Our credit cards are maxed out and I took four money bags filled with coppers to the bank today to stop my food shop being declined...life totally sucks.

And breathe.............

Moneywhizz

It does sound like your circumstances are very difficult and not helped by your DH who doesn't seem to appreciate the pressure you are under and how our health is suffering. Are you completely in charge of your finances? I know you are overwhelmed with things to do, but what you really need to do is sit down and work out a proper budget so that you can see whether you have any way of meeting your financial obligations each month or if you are just falling further into debt with no light at the end of the tunnel. Your priority really needs to be paying the essential bills, food for your family and the transport you need to get to work. Luxuries like Sky and expensive cars may have to go. At least if it is all written down and doesn't balance you will have something in black and white to show your husband. If he continues to be unreasonable about cutting back on things, perhaps he would like to manage your finances for a while and see if he can make it work. Something does have to change as you are obviously nearing breaking point. 

savingholmes

A car is only worth what someone will pay - having said that if it is a soft top or convertible you may get a better price around Easter when hopefully the weather improves. We gave a car back at the 3 year point in its lease period - so saved ourselves £360 a month - it was a deal changer for us. We sold a motorbike - for spares and repair and got £350 - it all helps. DH went from driving a car we had bought for £24K to a motorbike for £4K. He is currently driving a car we bought with 55000 miles on it from 06 for £750. He now loves it. Cars are a modern trap that keep us stuck. Do you know that they use most of the same parts in a bmw that they would in a skoda?

£4.5K pcm take home doesn't sound a lot to fund a £350K mortgage from. I would go through you budget line by line - over a number of weeks if necessary - to see what fat is still there that you could either cut out or get a better deal on.

I would also ring your surgery and explain the situation about the flooded roads and ask whether you can speak to a doctor over the phone and then whether they could send a prescription to a chemist you can get to.

HTH

vampirotoothus

Hi you can sell your tenanted property as an investment. I live in Dorset and tonnes of properties are sold this way. Talk to a local agent to find out what they think, that will be free and will give you some information to chew over. Good luck

Dizzy_Imp

Afternoon diary...another stressful day here at Dizzyland.  Texts from two banks warning of lack of funds (yes, I know!) and frantic juggling of pennies to try and save the day.  Not sure yet if I have...

Moneywhizz - I daren't let my DH manage the finances as, if I did, we would be homeless and starving within days.  He would have his 60" curved LED TV and complete Sky package though, so he'd likely not care.  His first wife left him over financial problems (she was equally to blame) and I thought he had learned from that , and the past 8 years, where I have been slowly helping him to rebuild his credit rating, but I honestly don't think he has.  When we first met I was a young widow with a small fortune and I think he saw an opportunity...life together is rocky at best, but at the moment I can't consider looking deeper into that as my kids need a home and food.

Thanks for the suggestion to sell my property with a sitting tenant Vampirotoothus.  I looked into this some time back, but all the local agents want to throw out the tenants and are asking for a break in the tenancy clause, which I have not got, as our tenant is lovely and wanted security.  This suited us at the time too.  She (rather, her ex-husband) doesn't currently pay the going rate for rent either, as we were advised by our agent that it was better to have an excellent tenant looking after the property who pays a bit less than run the risk of having our place trashed or left empty.  This same agent takes 12.5% of the rental amount for basically doing nothing...easy money for him!

One of my customers is late paying too, which is adding to my woe and I have an horrendous pain behind my right eye which has been there for four days now and doesn't respond to painkillers, so I'm a bear with a sore head (literally) plus the youngest dog ate my glasses while I was painting in the dining room, as I stupidly left them on the coffee table in the lounge.  Luckily I have a spare pair, but I look like Jack Duckworth as they're held together with tape 😂 

Is this rock bottom yet?

savingholmes

I feel your pain, Jack Duckworth glasses and all. The pain behind your eye - you aren't having flashing lights are you? It really sounds like ringing your doctor would be a good way forward. When you did the SOA that didn't save - was there any money due to be left at the end of the month or were you in negative figures?