Debt and Tears, Plz help!!!

Amberamber80

So Excited!!! lol

I finally did it! I got up really early and 9.01am rang Sky and cut my bill from £50.00 a month to £21 and that's including Broadband! I couldn't cut the WHOLE Sky or I would have lost all tv (crappy/no signal) and would have lots my internet deal! So wayhey, I'm chuffed! When the OH then rang and I told him he was like WHAT, already! LMAO But he's ok, he has agreed if footie match is on he will go to brother-in-laws!!! and NOT the pub!

Also rang up Orange to sort out my mobile phone! Apparently have to wait until im into my 9th month (7th March) until I can downgrade any tarrif I have. But the lowest is only £25.00 and he was very adament at that, grrrr will sort that closer to the time. I have been with them a LONG time and have two mobiles with them (mine and OH's) so hoping they will reward my loyality

Trying to suss out our budget with the 52 week plan (as OH gets paid weekly) it's soooo hard, I am confusing myself. By the time we make minimum payments and fork out for all the bills/essentials there doesn't seem to be much left!!! OH is doing plenty of overtime tho and I guess the cut of the Sky bill will help a bit.

Waiting for a back payment from work too! About £300.00 which is going straight to paying off one of my CC's in full! Yipee! Just waiting on it grrrr taking forever!!

All the SMALL STEPS frustrate me! Anyone else like this? Feels like I'm getting knowhere. Or do I just have to accept that?

Amber x

RAS

Hi amber

When you get the back pay, you absolute priority is to get the Ulster and Cap1 Ccs within their limits, as otherwise the charges will keep taking you over the limits and more charges.

Then pay towards the CC with the highest interest rate, when you have found out what thy all are.

You might find the snowball on www.whatsthecost.com useful. Do not be surprised if OH gets hooked on it.

Tiglet

Amberamber80 wrote: »

All the SMALL STEPS frustrate me! Anyone else like this? Feels like I'm getting knowhere. Or do I just have to accept that?

You've just saved yourself £29 per month. That's £348 a year.:beer:
not bad for first thing on a Monday morning!

Once you start getting on top of all the balances and repayments, you start chipping away a little bit of the balance each month. That means that you pay a little bit less interest the next month, so you pay a little bit more off the balance each month. Keep chipping away the little bits for a few months, then have a look back at how far you've come - you might be pleasantly surprised...

bathgatebuyer

Brilliant! Well done on making those LEAPS in the right direction. The biggest step you'll take is the first one and you've done it.

Now, just learn to adapt to being unable to pick up even a tin of beans in a supermarket without questioning, "Can I get it cheaper elsewhere?!" I can't spend money now my mindset has changed so much.

aliwatts

Well done Amber, u've mad e agreat start. Keep it up!

On a different note, can I ask if anyone one here can give me a link to an income and expenditure form that I can print off? Thanks in advance.

Amberamber80

Thankyou for all your replies! As soon as we get paid I am going to put extra money on the cards that are over the limit....get rid of those pesky overlimit charges!

Sat with OH last night and had a brilliant session just going through the bills and writing everything down (again) but this time so he figures it all out. Discussed how we are going to pay things off and how much money we will have left at end of the week/month that can go towards the high interest CC's. Thinking of getting rid of the smaller amounts (which are higher % too strangley) so that's a couple of less payments a month!

OH is also getting his Charges back for his old account which is then going towards paying off his overdraft! Success! Should be sorted by end of the week! I have also got my charges remembursed (£120.00) which my bank actually OFFERED me before I got chance to ask! That's gone towards my old account which was seriously OVER the limit (so ashamed) It's now under the limit! And OH and I have set up standing orders to clear those icky overdrafts!!!

Currently going through my house looking for things I can sell! So much junk! lol Got some jewellary/clothes/bags/books/and OH has found some things too (boys toys lol). So going to take photographs and put them on computer, ready to list on Ebay and Amazon!!!

Shockingly we went through the food and realised we actually could live on £30 a week on food, that's £120.00 a month!!! Saving us £120.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't believe it! lol I work late two nights in the week so don't have to worry about dinner at home and have strictly started taking a packed lunch during the day (and soups/noodles etc) so is the OH. This should save us loads!!!

Going to try and get it all down on spreadsheet at some point to make it easier to see where all our money is going and what actually IS coming down!

Well that my success so far!

Amber x

RAS

Well done

Good to see things begin to turn round.

biglad

Forgot to add, we have just got a car. It's partners dad's and have just put it through MOT. We need it as we spend a forgune in taxi's and my partner needs it to get to and from work (other wise it would cost £7.00 a day in taxis) So Insurance: £64.00 month and petrol £40.00 month!!!


Just a thought but you say if he doesnt use taxis it would cost £7 a day. what is the actual distance as that looks like minimum fare lol. also your travel expenses seem a lot, could you not walk part to anothre bus that goes more direct etc

well done on the sky, i got rid of it and i love watching tennis more than football on tv as have season ticket at villa ( which i get free as my brothers carer ) which is hard as no friends like tennis, but if i have any left over i will treat myself and pay for it for a month.

we spend £120 a month and thats for rabbits aswell, try cooking mre fresh meals etc as they are a lot cheaper

also definitely worth getting the cards down that your over your limit on, i have never smoked so dont know how hard it is but couldnt OH smoke roll ups or summin??

i actually think setanta is much better value than sky sports, get a lot more football on there

Amberamber80

biglad wrote: »

Forgot to add, we have just got a car. It's partners dad's and have just put it through MOT. We need it as we spend a forgune in taxi's and my partner needs it to get to and from work (other wise it would cost £7.00 a day in taxis) So Insurance: £64.00 month and petrol £40.00 month!!!


Just a thought but you say if he doesnt use taxis it would cost £7 a day. what is the actual distance as that looks like minimum fare lol. also your travel expenses seem a lot, could you not walk part to anothre bus that goes more direct etc

well done on the sky, i got rid of it and i love watching tennis more than football on tv as have season ticket at villa ( which i get free as my brothers carer ) which is hard as no friends like tennis, but if i have any left over i will treat myself and pay for it for a month.

we spend £120 a month and thats for rabbits aswell, try cooking mre fresh meals etc as they are a lot cheaper

also definitely worth getting the cards down that your over your limit on, i have never smoked so dont know how hard it is but couldnt OH smoke roll ups or summin??

i actually think setanta is much better value than sky sports, get a lot more football on there

Hi, thanks for your advice. Travel does seem like alot doesn't it. I need to pay that for my travel as I work about 50 miles from home so it's not like I can walk as it's about a 4 hour commute to and from work each day!!! (that's 2 hours each way now). The OH works about 5 miles from the house and it's in middle of nowhere so no bus routes. That's £7 just to get home from work as he gets a lift in the morning! He has mentioned getting a bike once warmer weather starts tho.

It's been great cutting down on the sky. So many channels we never watch!!!

As for food, we do cook from fresh only. It seems to be the things like fresh bread, milk and vegetables that all add up but we are trying to cut down big time!

Amberamber80

Well it's Monday morning and I feel SO stressed!!! All weekend I have felt so sick with stress. We have had to fork out money for Oil something we hadn't really budgeted for this month so now the money that was going towards getting some credit cards under the limit now has to wait until payday (end of month). Wanted to sort that out sooner. Then my OH had arranged to go away on a 50th birthday weekend months and months ago and has £200 to send to pay for it. We really could do without this but will still have to pay for it as it has already been paid by one of his mates in England (who are arranging it). Even if he doesn't go (which I have mentioned) he will loose the money on flights/accomodation. I swear it seems to be something each week and I am pulling my hair out!!!

Again getting stressed as I feel I am getting nowhere.

Then it's OH's birthday tomorrow, don't have the money to get him much but his Xmas present was part of his bday present too so not so bad. Then 2 birthdays coming up and Mother's Day! His brother wants to go out for dinner for his bday but I have already explained that may not happen, but he understands. Just disappointing for OH. These things we knew would happen and just have to sacrifice Then yesterday I took lots of photos of things I am planning to sell on ebay and find they charge for putting stuff on! Although it's small amounts I was quite disappointed! lol Am I crazy?

I just feel so down and low.