DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part Three)

Marru

WhoopieDoodle wrote: »

compulsive spender - I am the opposite, I am becoming Scrooge! I won't spend a penny unless it is absolutely necessary! Perhaps a Scrooge thread should be started, for the misers amongst us

Hi, welcome to our thread http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=829999 there are 145 or us "frugalites" and it is not too late to join.

Marru

shinyhead

GR- After setting up my DMP with CCCS only 2 creditors hassled me over the phone, and haven't stopped. Caller display is a wonderful invention.

lbll-If you're paying that much as a commission per month then it would definitely be better for you to switch to a charity like CCCS etc. Only possible catch is did you sign anything with Churchwood and if so does it have any tie-ins?

loopylu36

My OH is in the police and could do without have to go to the local court to explain himself.


I can imagine that is the last thing he needs!

Funnily enough, I have always wanted to join the police force but had a problem with one of my eyes. But they seem to have relaxed the rules so i though i could apply (other readers will now I have been moaning and groaning about current job) and started the online application last night. But then you have to answer loads of questions about your finances and it looks like I would be rejected cos of being in arrears (well actually I'm not at this precise moment as checked my credit file last nite and seems ok - only one or two late payments marked but nothing serious). So don't know whether to shove in an application pronto and hope they do a credit check quickly or not? If i get through the first stages and then they do the credit check at the end, which could be a few months away, i could be setting myself up for a big disappointment. I'm so cheesed off about this - i thought i'd finally cracked it, you know debts under control, job i know i would LOVE (might not get in obvioulsy but at least i would know that i had tried). They state the reason that your finances must be in order is because otherwise you could be open to corruption?! If i was dishonest by nature why the hell would i want to "uphold the law"? And even if i wasn't in debt but someone offered my half a million to turn ablind eye how do they know how i would react - i think its "finacialist" to descriminate against someone on this basis!

Sorry, rant over!

I hope you resolve things before they get to court (fingers crossed for you)

WhoopieDoodle

Marru, thank you. I will pop along

WhoopieDoodle

loopylu, good morning. My OH is a police officer too and retires in a few years time (which is "our" debt free date, not the official one given to us by Payplan which I dare not write here, apart from the mortgage which we will have to throw money at in the future so it is clear for our "official" retirement at 65)!

I can ask his advice regarding your application but he has been a police officer for more years than I care to mention so may not know the position now (the same applies to the Military - my son is in the army - as you may be open to bribery and corruption).

lisabell

Thanks shiny head for your reply as far as i know i have never signed anything thats why i dont know how long my plan is over or how much i owe i dont have hardly any paperwork of churchwood at all.
And this morning i recieved a defualt notice of one of the loan companies saying that they havent recieved a payment this month and yet it has come out of our bank i called churchwood and they said oh right just send the paperwork in to us then put the phone down.
They really are rubbish and its sad that nearly a year in i still dont know hoe much has been paid off our debts or anything!!!:mad:

loopylu36

WhoopieDoodle wrote: »

loopylu, good morning. My OH is a police officer too and retires in a few years time (which is "our" debt free date, not the official one given to us by Payplan which I dare not write here, apart from the mortgage which we will have to throw money at in the future so it is clear for our "official" retirement at 65)!

I can ask his advice regarding your application but he has been a police officer for more years than I care to mention so may not know the position now (the same applies to the Military - my son is in the army - as you may be open to bribery and corruption).

Morning Whoopie, that would be great, thanks. I''ve wanted to join since i left school, and i was a special constable for a few years (i didn't join the regulars at 18 cos of the eye thing) .

I'm off work today and have just tried to get an appointment with my doctor and they offered me 24 April !!! Not sure if i'm going back either.

i have only been in current job since January (although is it the same career as i have had for the last 12 years). it is a very small firm and I have a secretary who can't quite get over the fact that my predecessor left and boy do i know it! I found out yesterday that she has been reading my personal emails (one of which was to reception concerning her as she had done something really childish and annoying to me the day before !) Also I had been told that she spends a lot of her time sloping around the building slagging me off to anyone who will listen! She had the cheek yesterday to say she was "hurt" over my email! Which only came about because of her behaviour, and wasn't particularly detrimental to her anyway, just a statement of act really. She admitted to speaking ill of me and aplogised, but couldn't quite grasp that i wasn't content that she was apologising because she was actually sorry, or just becasue she had been caught out! Anyway that was kind of the last straw yesterday as i just have no motivation for my job and whilst it isn't currently stressfull due to the volume of work, I have some quite challenging matters on the go, clients are v demanding, are never happy and constantly tell you where you are going wrong (ie; just not doing it quickly enough so far as they are concerned) I am a conveyancer and things need to be done properly or i get it in the neck from everyone but nobody seems to care about that!

I was signed off with stress last year, but that was because of stupid workloads and why i left that firm.

I think that i am more depressed than stressed. My job brings me down so much that i completely lack the oomph i need to get up of my backside and find something else, which is going to need some research as god knows what i want to do instead (apart from police). So hence trying to arrange visit to doctor - i am kind of reluncant to take "happy pills" but i just want to get some motivation back and feel more positive and I'm not sure how else to achieve it - staying in my current job certainly is going to do that for me.

Sorry for the long post, you've probably dropped off and i hate how i sound all whiny and miserable, but that's why i want to sort it and if that means anti depressents in the short term then so be it, as i desperately want to be a much happier and motivated person .

Thanks for reading (if you managed to get this far )

shinyhead

llbl- I can only suggest you call all three debt charities, listen to their advice and choose which one you want to use. Their phone numbers are all over these threads. I'm with CCCS. They take your payment out on the 1st of the month and pay your creditors on the 25th. I think that's how they help finance themselves. The creditors are well aware of this and usually don't create. You get a monthly statement in the post despatched on the 25th. They are happy to review your I&E any time and I wholeheartedly recommend them. I believe the other charities do the same. However do contact all three. I only really knew about CCCS when I had my LBM so went straight to them.

WhoopieDoodle

llbl - some sound advice from shinyhead. We are with Payplan and so far happy with the service.

loopylu zzzzzzzzzzz tee hee ... you do have a lot on your plate at the moment and I sympathise and empathise. It's quite horrible being in a job you don't enjoy as it takes over your whole life. On top of that you have your finances to sort out, so little wonder you are feeling depressed.

My first job was a secretary to a conveyancing lawyer (many, many moons ago). I've also worked for matrimonial, probate and compensation, the latter of which I really did not enjoy so I took the plunge, left the firm and now run my own little business and I've not looked back since.

It is scary at first, breaking away from something you know, but if it is dragging you down then there is no point sticking it out unless you know things will improve.

I would suggest you have a chat to the doctor. You may be run down and in need of a tonic (without gin!)

Then, devise a personal action plan including a list of the good and not so good things in your life. You will be surprised at how many "good" things you have going for you, then you can tackle the not so good, one at a time.

The finances are, of course, a worry. But, after my initial burst of desperation and feeling stressed 24/7, I realised that life is far too short to worry about money. We are doing something positive about paying off the debt and I refuse to have my life destroyed by this.

One day we will be old, life will have passed us by and I do not want to waste too much of it worrying about something that we are dealing with and that will end eventually.

Anyway, I've sent everyone to sleep too

BOO!

cloudnine_2

Hi Lisabell. Obtaining a statement of your payments over the past year from Churchwood is important, and probably will be easier to prize out of them, before you switch to another provider, rather than after when theres no incentive to them. For one thing, it shows CCCS, or who ever you decide to go with, your payment history and moreover, it demonstrates, if asked in the future that you were prompt and consistent with your monthly payments. So, I'd keep hold of Churchwood like a terrier and get that statement. Sounds like you've made a sound decision. I'm also with CCCS, and they have been really supportive. However, there are many on here who are with Payplan and are quite satisfied there too. Good luck.