Keeping afloat till I can get round to the debts!

NeverendingDMP

Been a no spend day. Proper one as well no bills either (I don't count them though for a nsd)
I do have nsd from time to time but shows I'm more focused I suppose that I've actually noticed !

NeverendingDMP

Stepchange have been back in touch. Just need proof of income. Then payment from memory is the first of the month. Not fussed if I miss a month but also not overly fussed on if it starts straight up. Three of four debts have frozen interest already. Last one I've not contacted yet as that was the one  used last month for shopping. I'll get in touch when statement comes and tell them it's stepchange from now on. 

NeverendingDMP

E fund is just over 500 and I've 27 left in weekly food/spends budget till Friday.

slm6002

You sound a little more positive and calm already which is good to see.  Money worries really do take their toll

jwil

All good progress

NeverendingDMP

Thanks everyone. 

debtfreewannabe321

Well done on getting in touch with SC again. I think self-managed DMPs must be really stressful. I remember signing up for my DMP and had to open a new bank account without an OD It was a shock to the system not to have that buffer and a big wake up call (even after my initial LBM) 
I was also glad I did sign up because after they talked me through a proper budget I had more disposable income than I had ever had before. I had pots for the car, EF, food, kids etc and I felt much happier. I hope you get some relief soon from it all. 
I remember when my kids were smaller and I spent so much money on swimming lessons, cubs, brownies, martial arts etc in fact it was where most of my disposable income went as I felt bad that the kids should suffer through my bad budgeting. It does get easier though, hold on in there, I think you're doing an amazing job considering your DH isn't exactly on board 100%!

jwil

debtfreewannabe321 said:

Well done on getting in touch with SC again. I think self-managed DMPs must be really stressful. I remember signing up for my DMP and had to open a new bank account without an OD It was a shock to the system not to have that buffer and a big wake up call (even after my initial LBM) 
I was also glad I did sign up because after they talked me through a proper budget I had more disposable income than I had ever had before. I had pots for the car, EF, food, kids etc and I felt much happier. I hope you get some relief soon from it all. 
I remember when my kids were smaller and I spent so much money on swimming lessons, cubs, brownies, martial arts etc in fact it was where most of my disposable income went as I felt bad that the kids should suffer through my bad budgeting. It does get easier though, hold on in there, I think you're doing an amazing job considering your DH isn't exactly on board 100%!

Self managed is actually really easy.  It's only a case of the initial set up.  Once it's up and running there's no issue at all, just an annual review.  I use NEDCAB and it produces all the letters for you.  I set my own budgets, and it gives tips on the amounts you should have in each category so that you are making sure you include reasonable figures.  My creditors have never queried anything, except sometimes they tell me my figures are too low in some categories.

Equally though, sometimes you just want someone else to do the work and that's where SC and the others are so good.

NeverendingDMP

I'd second jwil. Once you are settled in a budget and more confident self management is pretty straightforward and can have benefits with regards to full and final settlements and taking control of how you want it to work. If you feel confident in a year or two then you might decide to take that route. Alternatively stepchange are absolutely fab at doing the legwork for you and simplifying it into one payment.
We'd halved the debts had nearly 1500 in savings but then got into a year long pickle due to our financial situation, cost of living and being a one man band at times with regards to caring. We're still carrying original debt and have new ones. I've got us in a mess and the only way to stop panicking then throwing money at debt every time I've saved some then having none for the other stuff or emergency on repeat is for me to to say let stepchange handle it then at least for the first year or so I can't overpay. I also need to save, have a life, chill out and stop letting debt take over my headspace!!!

NeverendingDMP

@debtfreewannabe321

debtfreewannabe321 said:

Well done on getting in touch with SC again. I think self-managed DMPs must be really stressful. I remember signing up for my DMP and had to open a new bank account without an OD It was a shock to the system not to have that buffer and a big wake up call (even after my initial LBM) 
I was also glad I did sign up because after they talked me through a proper budget I had more disposable income than I had ever had before. I had pots for the car, EF, food, kids etc and I felt much happier. I hope you get some relief soon from it all. 
I remember when my kids were smaller and I spent so much money on swimming lessons, cubs, brownies, martial arts etc in fact it was where most of my disposable income went as I felt bad that the kids should suffer through my bad budgeting. It does get easier though, hold on in there, I think you're doing an amazing job considering your DH isn't exactly on board 100%!

Yep we probably spend 100 a month on planned childrens activities/clubs. I could cancel this and pay debt but between three kids it's a reasonable amount each and a darn site less than other people spend...although how they manage to get to all these activities and find time to eat, wash, complete homework or clean the house is beyond me..
Plus then its nearly 300 on childcare, then food, clothes, uniforms, school trips which started off cheap but have shot up in price and  grandeur of now they are older.
No overdraft is scary but after a while it will make budgeting easier as you are not constantly having to work out plus and minus numbers and what you actually have left. And the less direct debits to think about the easier it is to monitor. I reckon I've had many lbm and epiphanies along the way to varying degrees of success. My latest lbm is that life is for living, if only I'm putting the mental energy into the debts it will tire me or break me so I'll let stepchange help for a couple of years until we are more financially sound.