Sh*t creek - is now in my rear view mirror...!

MovingForwards

It's so frustrating when banking fraud occurs, like you said though it was nipped in the bud before anything happened!
The day Rambo and I were moving to the last rental we both had alerts questioning payments being made abroad, oddly same area abroad. Both of our cards got stopped, his got reissued and I did mine after moving. Thankfully I always have a second current account and emptied all my money to that account to pay for van hire etc. There was only one place we had both used our debit cards and we never returned to that place again. 

Well done on going out, even if you did wear a full hazmat suit 😁

Good luck opening your savings account, the extra few pennies in interest does boost funds each month 🤗

Skint_yet_Again

I am glad your family member got it sorted. I’ve had my card skimmed twice. First time the bank contacted me & many locals & it was even in the paper that was the local petrol station. There were 3 attempts for £10 top up for a phone network I don’t use. 

The second time the bank contacted me as an attempt was made to spend almost £10000 on flights on Australian airlines 😱 Thankfully they stopped that before it came out!! Never found out who/ how they got my details. 

It’s good you are opening a savings account even if it is with your own bank. When you feel more confident you can move it to a higher interest account if you want to. 

Irenadler

MovingForwards said:

It's so frustrating when banking fraud occurs, like you said though it was nipped in the bud before anything happened!
The day Rambo and I were moving to the last rental we both had alerts questioning payments being made abroad, oddly same area abroad. Both of our cards got stopped, his got reissued and I did mine after moving. Thankfully I always have a second current account and emptied all my money to that account to pay for van hire etc. There was only one place we had both used our debit cards and we never returned to that place again. 
It's a horrible feeling, isn't it? Like someone has violated your space, not quite like a burglar going through your stuff, but close enough to make you feel like looking over your shoulder.... And yes, the relative is questioning re-visiting the shopping web-sites they have used....
Well done on going out, even if you did wear a full hazmat suit 😁
Ha! Thanks, makes me feel like an extra on a bad disaster B movie.... only without the drama....
Good luck opening your savings account, the extra few pennies in interest does boost funds each month 🤗

It's been a long time for me to get to the point of opening one, makes me feel like I am almost a proper grown up, and at last I will be saving something....

Irenadler

Skint_yet_Again said:

I am glad your family member got it sorted. I’ve had my card skimmed twice. First time the bank contacted me & many locals & it was even in the paper that was the local petrol station. There were 3 attempts for £10 top up for a phone network I don’t use. 

I think I remember reading about that, in my local newspaper quite a few years back, although I bet it does happen more often than that....

The second time the bank contacted me as an attempt was made to spend almost £10000 on flights on Australian airlines 😱 Thankfully they stopped that before it came out!! Never found out who/ how they got my details. 

The blummin' cheek of them! Thank goodness the bank was on the ball....

It’s good you are opening a savings account even if it is with your own bank. When you feel more confident you can move it to a higher interest account if you want to. 

Thank you, confidence is my weak point, but I am getting better...

MovingForwards

The way to look at it is you've mastered budgeting and can now afford to save, even if it's just annual Insurance 🤗

I've every faith you can do this 😉

savingwannabe

I cannot believe how far you have come in such a short way. Even helping a relative out with being hacked. If that isn't confidence i dont know what is! I worked in banking almost 30 years ago cloning was very common then it must be  crazy now.

Irenadler

Thank you both, that's very kind.... I think I was more emotional support rather than technical, we were both terrified we'd been got at, but spoke to people who knew more about this than we did, i.e. took all the help we could!

I think it turned out to be from the local petrol station, from what's been unearthed, weird how they always seem to be a problem....   Think they call it skimming... I am definitely more inclined to cash now!

Quick update:
@Swan, got my 4 envelopes up and running! 1st week, and just under £25 spent....Thank you for the gentle prodding.

@Babs, got a plan, just need to action it, when I withdraw my grocery money, leaving the rest in the bank, allowing £200 as a 'buffer', I am going to set up standing order after direct debits come out, for £100. OR 25% of current income, into the new saving account. I am just waiting on the application for it now...This leaves me lee-way for emergencies, mad urges, dog care, or any penalties from UC (which I hope aren't going to happen obviously)... 

Woman with a (Savings) plan! Glad you think I have come a long way, it doesn't feel like it for me yet, but I am taking the first steps towards some financial security at last...

MovingForwards

It is odd how it's garages and fast food places for skimming / cloning of cards. 

Pre-covid I mainly paid by cash, it's easier to see how much money is left for that week, but your cash envelopes work in the same way 😁

That's an impressive S/O for your income. So far you've sorted your bills out, learned to budget and now planning ahead. How can you say that doesn't feel like a massive change?! Come on Ren, give yourself some credit for turning things around 🤗

savingwannabe

You are very switched on i think. I hope you had a good day. I do what you are doing withdraw grocery/spending money in cash and leave rest in the account and move it to savings. 

Irenadler

Thanks Babs
Its kind of hard to be kind to myself.... a hang-over from major life events/stress, etc I think....

I compare myself to how I was, to how I am now, and feel like a shell of my former self in comparison....Functioning depressive I think they call it... Have to be more positive!

Right, from posting on here a quivering wreck with only around £9 a week to feed me and the dog, I have:

1. Forced myself to confront the direct debits, and sought help (on here and council/utilities).
2. Reduced direct debits from about 90% of outgoings compared to income, to about 25% (with a lot of help!)
3. Really focused on what I am spending/over-spending on.
4. Tightened the belt to £25 per week on groceries (loving the envelopes/£25 a week cash budget)
5. Used refunds to pay off annual house and contents insurance in one go, not monthly.
6. Also to pay off annual green waste.
7. And to buy one-off things:
a) Gravel - pond project
b) Waste pipe to use the 3rd rain barrel for over-flow
c) Sheets & pillow cases because I only had 2 sets in rotation, and duvet cover because I didn't have one
d) Shower curtain cos the old one had 'rust' at the bottom, from the weights in it, years old !
e) Over door storage in kitchen
f) Paint to revamp 30 year old pine bedroom furniture (future project)
g) Woodworm killer to revamp old table for use in front room
h) Mass deep declutter and deep clean in every room, some has gone to charity/family/friends, some still to sell
i) Got my head together and planted food, which saves a bit on groceries
j) Managed to apply for reward card from switching broadband & landline, and register it, and blummin' use it for some of the projects! £60 worth!!
Guess I am not completely useless.... And I am being ambitious with the trying to save 25% of my minute income, I just remember many years ago when I was more sane, that this was one thing I used to do and it seemed to work well. I could pretend that the money was 'accounted for' and couldn't be touched, after bills had gone out, so what was left was 'spends'. This time I am going to see what spends are left at the end of the month, and if there is any left, scrape that over.... Phew! I am now going to lie down in a dark room....