Life Gets in the Way of Clearing Debts

Lawbag_2

My wife and I have spent that last 2 weeks sorting out our finances, and we have gotten ourselves a realistic plan to solve them by mid next year. But then life throws obstacles in your way which seems to be mana from heaven for those lovely bailiff men.

In October 2004 our boiler stopped working, during the worst time of year, just when we needed it. It took all of our joint saving to afford a new boiler in January, 2 months without heat and hot water is too much.

And now the latest........ We woke this morning (knowing that payday for us both is Thursday) to the slight smell of gas. Well the long and short of it is that our gas cooker has packed up, and is going to set us back £3-400, money that was ear-marked for paying overdue credit cards.

Does anyone else seem to have these problems?

Murtle

try joining your local freecycle group.

The one I belong to often has working kitchen appliances such as cookers, microwaves, frisge and freezers being offered for free. You will have to arrange collection yourself, but could work out cheaper?!

in answer to your question - oh yes, I think they are part and parcel of life!! Each time I save a little money for "me" something happens, like a trip to the vets, or rust on the car etc!!!

Good luck and keep smiling.

James240

Same here i had a £1000 saved up at one point and then low and behold the clutch went in my car, which broke something else. Then i found out my fronts brakes needed replacing and i needed two tyres. Total bill £580 :mad: :mad: . So yes no exactly what u mean but u got to look on the birghter side of life havent u?? LOL :T

pro_bono

It wont help Lawbag, but there is a boat out there with a lot of us sharing the available space.Just got to keep on going..

Regards

meanmachine_2

This isn't a long term solution, but can't you make do with a microwave until your finances perk up?

In my gaff I have an emergency cupboard - stocked up with cheap tins of beans and so on - enough to keep me going for around 2 months.

If I lose my job or something horrible happens I'll live out of my emergency cupboard for as long as I can.

I'd rather do that than get into debt.

Is that weird? Or am I just being careful?


And £400 for a gas cooker? Here's one for less than £150:

http://www.qed-uk.com/?i=&vp=6&bg=029&bp=51gso4&bi=0&ird=1404

Xbigman

meanmachine wrote:

In my gaff I have an emergency cupboard - stocked up with cheap tins of beans and so on - enough to keep me going for around 2 months.

I applaud your thrift determination and forward planning, but if you live off baked beans for two months you will have your own *gas* leak. :rotfl:
Regards




X

PS well I thought it was funny...

lipidicman

Lawbag wrote:

My wife and I have spent that last 2 weeks sorting out our finances, and we have gotten ourselves a realistic plan to solve them by mid next year. But then life throws obstacles in your way which seems to be mana from heaven for those lovely bailiff men.

In October 2004 our boiler stopped working, during the worst time of year, just when we needed it. It took all of our joint saving to afford a new boiler in January, 2 months without heat and hot water is too much.

And now the latest........ We woke this morning (knowing that payday for us both is Thursday) to the slight smell of gas. Well the long and short of it is that our gas cooker has packed up, and is going to set us back £3-400, money that was ear-marked for paying overdue credit cards.

Does anyone else seem to have these problems?

You are getting there - the savings were useful when the boiler broke - but you needed to have saved again, so when the cooker broke you were covered. Life gets cheaper when you plan and save. The finance companies want you to be in a pinch. That cooker could end up costing a lot more if you cant pay the card company. Try to live below, not above, your means. Clear your debts and then put some away. It sound like it may be time to cut back. I could be wrong, but feel free to post more details, people are very helpful here!

Hunnymonster

meanmachine wrote:

This isn't a long term solution, but can't you make do with a microwave until your finances perk up?

Never mind microwave - now's the perfect time to get yourself a slow cooker - plenty of advocates on here and pointers to where to get them for the least £££ Got to be better than living off stuff that's been zapped to oblivion in the microwave.

skylight

I would have paid my debts off too years ago, if only the kids didn't need shoes or school uniform or if I could never eat again or if I didn't need heat......

IDEA!!!

I could move to a deserted tropical Island, eat the local produce/animals, stay warm forever and sell the kids to finance the trip!!!

Okay - hope bubble just popped. Back to dish up my chicken (slow cooker!) and checking out school trousers/uniform on ebay!!!

And seriously - I have only just managed to save a few hundred pounds in case of an emergency like yours - and with my family, they tend to happen on a regular basis! I think that income/outgoing forms should have a box like this on them so that we can budget for it!

meanmachine_2

Xbigman wrote:

I applaud your thrift determination and forward planning, but if you live off baked beans for two months you will have your own *gas* leak. :rotfl:
Regards




X

PS well I thought it was funny...

It's the ultimate in recycling. I live off beans, produce my own gas and heat the cooker to cook my beans etc etc until on day I simply explode, like at the end of monty python's Meaning of Life.

boogiemaster

Its martins law that if you save up some money? something will go wrong and take it!
You say why didant you break down a few months a go you F@@@@@g B@@@@@D lol.
But it always happens when you have some money saved up? It happens to me all the time!
I save up for something and !BANG! bloody washer machine gose? or the wife needs something lol.
Its part of life mate! We get used to it.