Hello from new person!

gentlewomanprefersbonds

So I've had my lightbulb moment and have joined MSE for a bit of moral support. Looking at the advice for new bods I think I have to bite the bullet and post the following (grits teeth)

Monthly Incomings:

My salary - £1354
Benefits - £0.00

Total - £1,354

Monthly Outgoings:

Mortgage/Rent - £250
Council Tax - £110
Gas - £20
Electric - £40
TV Licence - £10.99
Sky £42.00
Phone - £40.00
Food - £235
Petrol - £80
Life Insurance £21.50

Total: £859.39

HSBC Loan – Balance £945 5 months to go

Barclay card £1,716 0% APR until June 2008
MBNA card £1,602 0% APR until Jan 2009

Overdraft - £200 (limit £700) APR 20%

On paper (screen that might not seem too bad but my husband has taken early retirement and we are going through IVF which has bashed all our savings so it has to work first time through! And the roof on our house needs to be fixed at a cost of £5k. I have not included my husband's income as he has taken early retirement, I have also borrowed thousands of him over the years to supplement my income having been freelance for years or 'between jobs'. We have separate bank accounts anyway.

My biggest problem is that the treatment has taken it's toll on me both financially and emotionally. I am awful at curing my misery with a shopping spree and this is where my debts have built up.

I have made the sensible decision of getting my debts on to 0% cards and cut down the shopping bill by growing own veg and supplementing with organic box since I am trying very hard to keep healthy due to IVF. I am also thinking of changing Sky to Virgin to consolidate our services. In an ideal world I'd like to clear the debts so that I can start to save up in case I need to go through all the cost of treatment again.

Anyway, this is me and I just wanted to say hello and look forward to meeting a few more people. Off to read the running club thread as I'd like to be thinner and debt free too!

GirlRacer_2

Hi there and welcome aboard. I think food is a good place to cut back. Pop over to the Old Style board and see what they suggest there, also meal plan. SInce doing that I have saved a fortune on my shopping. Is there any way OH could help you out with paying some on these back?

vandanfc

Sky and phone costs seem high ? Can you not get Sky's combined package for Tv and phone for a lot less ?

perfectlypoor

do you watch a lot on sky? could you get freeview instead.

beanielou

Hi & welcome
we are a great bunch here

Positively you only have 5 months on your loan.
When that has finished chuck that money at your credit cards and they will soon come down.
Pop over to the loose weight thread on the 'I wanna... board.
Will look out for you.

Take care.

jacs76

hi and welcome
how many is the food feeding?
sky do you really really need this? ......i thought i did
car insurance?
dentist?
haircuts?
mot?
tax?
etc etc have you missed these or don't you pay for them?

i do understand the ivf bit we had to stop infertility treatment in the end just because we were bl00dy skint and suffering finacially and emotionally so huge hugs to you :grouphug: and all the luck and love in the world with it

luv jacs xx