Help - we feel like we've done everything we can, and we're still piling on the debt!

BlushingRose

Zazen999 wrote: »

Firstly, put figures against what you have saved doing the above; on here if you like but for yourself definitely.

Yeah, I should do that. It feels like it's not helping because we're still spending more then we've got coming in - but I know that we're spending *less*, so it's a positive thing.

You need to work on that food bill next; go to the old style forum with a cup or tea in hand and look at the monthly shopping challenges.

I'm finding all the forums a little overwhelming - but I popped over there and have posted, so we'll see what happens.

Only buy, as cheaply as you can, what you need for the next month's food, try and only go shopping twice in the next month for stock items and if you are still using butchers and greengrocers, only get what is on the list, obviously you can visit here weekly to eat fresh!!! Or just stick to supermarkets for a couple of months - hard to do when you trying to support local shops but sometimes necessary for finance purposes.

We tend to shop weekly, and have usually got a list although this time I'm going to make sure we have one! The plan is to shop al Aldi this week and see how cheaply we can get everything.

Keep treats to a minimum, if you can.

Treats??????!!!! *laughs like a drain* I can't remember the last time we had a teat!

If you truly want comments; post the shopping that you get [minus personal items] on here - but that's up to you of course how far you want to go.

I did think of doing this, but can't remember what we got and have binned the paperwork.

Are there any jobs that you can apply for from last night's paper.

There are a couple that I'm going to apply for, yes.

Do you want any of us to look at your CV? I usually look at one a week on this forum through PM. I am a Company Director and have much experience of CVs, so feel free if you want me to take a look at it.

My cv has been okayed by one of my employment agencies, but I'll have a think about that, if that's ok?

I wish I could come around and make you a cuppa and help - have you got a friend there that understands and who can sit with you and cheer you up as you drag the cupboards apart and list everything...seriously

Nope. I haven't really made many friends of my own since moving here, most people I know are through the OH so no-one I would feel comfortable sharing this sort of thing with. (Golly, I sound like such a billy-no-mates)

Keep your chin up though - and if you can make that phone call about your benefits - if you have paid nat ins then you are entitled to them so go get them.

*wonders if anyone will give her a huge cheque for her birthday in feb*

RAS

BlushingRose wrote: »

I think the OH earns too much for me to get any money...however, I shall ring and enquire

Irrespective of whether you get any money, please sign on. It is important because they credit your NI account.

1. When you get back into work, you access to sick pay etc depends on the previous year's NI contributions.
2. You state pension, such as it is, depends on your NI contributions and if you have years when you do not eanr enough, you can lose entitlement.

duchy

If you've been working -you may very well qualify for JSA in your own right through your own NI contributions so do go to the job centre and ask. The worst they can say is no and you haven't lost anything except a little time-and they might say yes (just like with the child benefit) JSA will also bring you stuff like free prescriptions/glasses etc so may have other moneysaving benefits too.
Most local newspapers have their job vacancies on-line which is often easier to search (and sometimes you see them before the paper is out) and the job centre is on there too for vancancies https://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk .

mum2one

BlushingRose wrote: »

OK, am starting to feel seriously depressed about all this again :-(

Decided to look at the stuff we've done so far.

Switched car insurance from Zurich to I love Eco = saved £17:68 a month - thats a gd saving
Switched from 10 monthly to 12 monthly payments on council tax - that make next 12 months budgetingeasier
Will be getting child benefit again soon, plus back payment- thats agood one, esp the back pay,you can chuck that at aa debt
The Boy has applied from EMA grant - thats good, if he gets it it at least gives him some independance and money budgeting skills.

We did the following before finding the site:

cancelled window cleaning - good
cancelled bin cleaning -takes 2 mons to clean a bin, we puta black black in and then put the rubbish in carrier bags 1st, saves a lot of mess
stopped all charity donations - charity begins at home
cancelled sky - get a freeview box, - you still get some of the channels
reduced The Boy's pocket money - hopefully the ema grant will mean youcan reduce full stop
transferred most of the balence from capital one credit card onto egg & virgin as they are 0% interest until next year - thats saving a fortune each month

Hi

Thats brilliant - you have come so far in a short time, it may not feel like much, but those steps are an amazing step.
have youdownloaded the teen cash guide from this site,

Think you need you to sit both oh and son down and explain the situation to them both, as son may not realise the full implications of the situation.

Have you gone through anything for ebay - half price listing day 2day
have you startedsome online surveys and the click back sites, if youwant any help, info etc send me a pm and I will send you some lists of sites through

Re jobs, it my be worth cold calling the supermarkets re jobs, assometimes they dont always advertise in the paper, ring up1st and find out the name of the HR manager and then write direct, that way you know the letterhas at least gone in the right direction

Also while things are laspe what about some mystery shopping, I'll be honest though a lot of people have jumped on the band wagon in the last yr or so the jobs left arent always the best - but certainly have a look, if you needany suggestions pm me

x

theamazinggem

hey, i'm one of the OS grocery challenge folk, and i'm just starting with it too (this month's my first one, we were probably spending even more than you are now for 2 people, one hanger on and 3 cats) and i'm coming in roughly at my budget of £160 for 4 weeks.

anyway, don't feel like there's just loads of people telling you you can do more over there, there are plenty like me who are muddling through. i don't bake my own bread or anything, and i certainly haven't got the hang of the whole not wasting anything bit either.

so if you need a buddy over there then i can be it, but really everyone is dead friendly and not judgemental or anything, (just like here) and will help you make some cracking savings.

on the debt side, i think what a lot of people aren't saying is that we need to get hubby to face his demons, as well as you facing his demons. i spent a long time (as i'm sure everyone on here did) pretty much in denial over my financial position, and getting horribly down when i did think about it. it took me years to be able to even have a conversation about my credit card without bursting into tears.

if it's even vaguely possible to get him to read through these posts (or perhaps even threads on the DFW boards that aren't directly related to your financial position) just to show him that lots of perfectly respectable folk get into sometimes worse situations that yours, and get out of them in once piece, and often a sight happier for it - it might help his morale a shade?

as for the boy, he needs a job, not just to help you guys financially, but to teach him that money doesn't fall from the sky, and to help make sure he never gets himself into the situation that his father has. i don't mean to sound harsh here, but it really is a good thing for kids to learn.

anyway, keep going, you are doing really well, and i for one admire the corage of posting an SOA.

hopefully see you on the grocery challenge boards a bit more. i've seen you've got a bit of help already...

bozbear

BlushingRose wrote: »

I think the problems are either the school fees, or the bank loan and credit cards. If we could get rid of one, or the other, then we'd at least break even. Taking him out of 6th form at the moment is not an option though. As I've mentioned before, we've been to other state 6th forms in the area and it's too late in the school year to move him.
His mum is aware of our situation, but isn't made of money herself.

I know it is to late to move him this year as it is his A1 year could you not move him at the end of the year for his A2 year?

fc123

Any way you can persuade OH to go to the school and talk to the Bursar?
My OH refused for ages as he was too proud / embarrassed.
But when he did, he said it wasn't too bad....apparently it happens all the time and they have a fund for helping puplls whose parents have change in circumstances.
Try and persuade him to do it.

chardonnay_2

well done on the changes you have made so far:T

while you are not working how about trying to make some money by doing the challenges on here such as make 10 quid a day challenge and olympic challenge - you will get lots of money making ideas, links to survey sites etc.

check out the up your income board for more ways to earn such as the slice the pie thread where you get paid to rate music.

chardonnay_2

storage box - these memories are costing you money! shove them in the loft, buy a shed or worst case get a smaller storage box. could you shove it in your families lofts.

is the portrait loan 0% if not could this be added to the 0% cards and paid off?

pocket money - could this be stopped and encourage boy to get a saturday job?

seven-day-weekend

Hello there, I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but have you room for a lodger?

You ca earn up to 4500 a year and not have to pay any tax.

We've had lodgers on and off throughout our married life and now our son has them.