If we can get through the next 10 months….

joedenise

As you've got the craft supplies it's got to be worth trying to make some things to sell.  My only advice would be to not sell stuff too cheap but also not too expensive - getting the pricing right is probably the difference between success and failure.  Good luck.

pjcox2005

Hi, 

Know you say you can't do a debt management plan, but I'd strongly suggest calling each credit card company explaining debt and trying to repay, and asking for interest rate to be frozen or reduced. You may see that they can all do something on interest rates which will just mean your overpayments have more impact.

Probably not the nicest calls to have but what you got to lose?

nettyz

thanks Joe Denise - yes pricing is hard.  ironically when I was doing craft fairs i sold the more expensive items much more easily than I did the cheaper things. But I just never felt comfortable pricing my own work stupid I know.  I'm not great at face to face judgement - at least etsy and folksy keeps a bit more distance between me and the customer

pjcox2005 - thanks for the advice.  I think you are right, what do I have to lose.  I hate making phonecalls about money.... I'll have to psyche myself up.

pjcox2005

nettyz said:

thanks Joe Denise - yes pricing is hard.  ironically when I was doing craft fairs i sold the more expensive items much more easily than I did the cheaper things. But I just never felt comfortable pricing my own work stupid I know.  I'm not great at face to face judgement - at least etsy and folksy keeps a bit more distance between me and the customer

pjcox2005 - thanks for the advice.  I think you are right, what do I have to lose.  I hate making phonecalls about money.... I'll have to psyche myself up.

Go for it, they should all be professional and used to these calls every day so you won't be anything new. The worst a call can go is "Sorry, appreciate it's difficult but there is nothing we can do.". If that's the worst then that's no change at all.

Get all details together so account number, amount, interest rate and contact number for company then blitz it. If you have to write a script or keep it simple to one line. "Hi, i have a credit card with you but struggling with repayments and making a conscious effort to clear the debt, is there anything you can do to lower or freeze interest on the account for a 6 month period?". Leave it at that.

nettyz

pjcox2005 said:

nettyz said:

thanks Joe Denise - yes pricing is hard.  ironically when I was doing craft fairs i sold the more expensive items much more easily than I did the cheaper things. But I just never felt comfortable pricing my own work stupid I know.  I'm not great at face to face judgement - at least etsy and folksy keeps a bit more distance between me and the customer

pjcox2005 - thanks for the advice.  I think you are right, what do I have to lose.  I hate making phonecalls about money.... I'll have to psyche myself up.

Go for it, they should all be professional and used to these calls every day so you won't be anything new. The worst a call can go is "Sorry, appreciate it's difficult but there is nothing we can do.". If that's the worst then that's no change at all.

Get all details together so account number, amount, interest rate and contact number for company then blitz it. If you have to write a script or keep it simple to one line. "Hi, i have a credit card with you but struggling with repayments and making a conscious effort to clear the debt, is there anything you can do to lower or freeze interest on the account for a 6 month period?". Leave it at that.

Brilliant thanks. 

JJC1956

Does he have to stay in Halls, maybe a flat/house share with his friends would be cheaper. 

nettyz

JJC1956 said:

Does he have to stay in Halls, maybe a flat/house share with his friends would be cheaper. 

we've priced it up - he's going to Royal Holloway uni just outside Windsor and it's new to him as he did he undergraduate studies at Bangor. So he knows no one.  When we priced up flats/room shares around the area there were some that on the face of it looked cheaper but either were further away so he'd have to pay for travel or they didn't include bills so that's why he's gone for halls.  There was a choice of five post graduate blocks he picked the cheapest option.  He'll be able to walk to lectures most of the time except for once a week when he'll have to travel into central London.  The biggest shock for him will be the price of drinks.  At Bangor it was £2 a pint - don't think he'll find it that cheap in Windsor   

In all fairness we are prepared to take the hit.  He's applying for jobs in the area already, he's actually much better with money than we have ever been - we've always been upfront with him in the hope he'll learn from our mistakes and at the end of it fingers crossed he'll find a job in academia or research.  Either way he knows that once the masters is finished it's down to him to sort his future.... just hope he remembers this when he's picking out a home for me when I'm old and senile. 

In the past we would have paid the minimum off cards or just paid them and used them over and over.  If we did that and didn't reduce the debt it would be relatively easy to find the money for him and us to live on, but I'm so determined to lessen our debt that that's what is making it tight.  But I keep thinking of how much better we'll feel this time next year.

JJC1956

nettyz said:

JJC1956 said:

Does he have to stay in Halls, maybe a flat/house share with his friends would be cheaper. 

we've priced it up - he's going to Royal Holloway uni just outside Windsor and it's new to him as he did he undergraduate studies at Bangor. So he knows no one.  When we priced up flats/room shares around the area there were some that on the face of it looked cheaper but either were further away so he'd have to pay for travel or they didn't include bills so that's why he's gone for halls.  There was a choice of five post graduate blocks he picked the cheapest option.  He'll be able to walk to lectures most of the time except for once a week when he'll have to travel into central London.  The biggest shock for him will be the price of drinks.  At Bangor it was £2 a pint - don't think he'll find it that cheap in Windsor   

In all fairness we are prepared to take the hit.  He's applying for jobs in the area already, he's actually much better with money than we have ever been - we've always been upfront with him in the hope he'll learn from our mistakes and at the end of it fingers crossed he'll find a job in academia or research.  Either way he knows that once the masters is finished it's down to him to sort his future.... just hope he remembers this when he's picking out a home for me when I'm old and senile. 

In the past we would have paid the minimum off cards or just paid them and used them over and over.  If we did that and didn't reduce the debt it would be relatively easy to find the money for him and us to live on, but I'm so determined to lessen our debt that that's what is making it tight.  But I keep thinking of how much better we'll feel this time next year.

Amazing job you are doing, keep up the good work, standing next to him on Graduation Day will be one of the best days of yours and his life.

PS The Uni might have a bar, be lucky to get 1/2 pint for £2.00 in Windsor

nettyz

@JJC1956 thank you.  I'm very lucky, we get on well, and yes we may have been rubbish with money in the past and lived way beyond our means but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and after a year of covid and all the rubbish that's been going on I just think life is too short to keep burying my head in the sand.  OH is great in that he'll jump on board and try to stick to any plan we have, but he's also rubbish in that it's me that has to find the plan.... 

nannygladys

You have a really good positive attitude so keep it up. You must be very proud of your son.

It took me years to realise I was struggling with money, I was never in lots of debt, it was more struggling to keep afloat with 3dds, and a low paid job and lack of confidence in myself to try for anything better, but we all got through it, dds all have jobs they enjoy and I have retired owning my house and solvent - just!! But happy and trying the best I can. So keep at it and you will get there quicker than you think! 
Good luck
Nannyg