Go easy on me I'm new.....but also help me!

TwenteenYearOld

Well I'm new and feel a bit silly putting my story up here after seeing the figures you guys are talking about but I would appreciate your help......

This is my tale.....

I have managed to get myself into approximately £5,000 worth of debt. Don't give me sympathy as most of that (probably 80-90%) has been spent on nights out and generally being an idiot. But then what do you expect from a teenager! However I turned 20 last week and I want to sort it out.

I don't know what other info you guys will need to help me so I will just list what debts I have and answer anything you want to ask.

I really will appreciate any advice given.

Welcome Finance - £2700 approx (but always rising)
Provident - £500 approx
Barclays - £280
Vodafone - £260
Friends and Family - £135
Aunties Credit Card - £850

Please help!

slowlyfading

hello, and welcome! You need to post a SOA (statement of affairs, see the stick on the DFW forum) so we can help you

TwenteenYearOld

Monthly Incomings:

My salary - £138 per week

Total - £590 approx

Monthly Outgoings:

Council Tax - £30
Phone - £50
Welcome Finance - £58

Total: £138


When I put it like that it seems fairly simple.....here's the more complicated part!

I live in Scarborough (North Yorkshire Coast for anyone who doesn't know!) but my lovely girlfriend lives in Preston.....if you are really nosey extra info for you. We met on holiday in Kavos.

I have got down the train fare from £50 to £25. Before anyone suggests not going through there to see her....it would be ignored! She is the main reason for me wanting to turn this around. She's keeping me sane....ish!

Is this enough?

Numpty_Monkey

:hello:

Hi and welcome
you have done probably one of the best things in your life by finding this site
and finding while your young. The ammount of debt is not important, everybody has different situations, so your not silly.

Have a read of these the stickys, ill try to post the links
and maybe they can give you a bit off help

Guide for newbies
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=562271

DFW Dictionary
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=672601


never fear of asking questions or asking for help we are all here and all been there

keep posting xx

Lemon_Tree

good luck, i understand the travelling bit, my OH and i have managed to get the costs down to £18 but that's if we're lucky. And we're trying to look long term so see each other about every other weekend. It's hell but boy do we talk a lot.

It will probably be said that you need to give us more details, as you've said on the fact of it it looks like you're ok but you have only factored in payments to one creiditor, you're not including rent or food or other essentials. this is probably how you get to this position (experience talking here) so if you write it all down you will be able to tackle it much better.

TwenteenYearOld

OK I'll start with a few questions first then.....

Survey sites that actually give you money and are reliable....I can't find any....where are they?!

TwenteenYearOld

I mean instead of sweepstakes entries by the way

Sassamac

whats your situation? are you living with your parents? are you studying? how many hours do you work? can you increase your income - more hours / better pay?

how much are you repaying towards every other debt? anything else you pay for - food, beer money etc.

pandapaws

Hiya!
There are loads of ways of upping your income - I see you've already discovered the free bingo thing - that can be very lucrative!

Survey sites - try these for starters, there's loads of others that I can't think of off-hand but they'll be on this site somewhere:
onepoll
yougov
valuedopinions
ciao
acop
harrisonline
lightspeed (get the referral to join through pigsback)
testandvote/toluna
opinionworld
A lot of them offer a mix of surveys for cash, for gifts/vouchers, and for competition entries, but you can do whatever ones you want. The more you sign up for the more chance you've got of getting something decent! In my experience though, there isn't a huge amount to be made from them considering hte amount of time you have to put into it.

Good luck!

TwenteenYearOld

Living at home.

Am going for a different job with better pay tomorrow night actually!

And nothing structured. I am just kind of flitting between them.

Barclays have me on final warning thing (don't know technical term). Have to pay 40 within next two weeks. Then 80 each month for 3 months.

Vodafone have obviously switched my phone off so I can't speak to my girlfriend as much - obviously with the distance I need that though.

Friends and Family need the Money back though.

I have given myself £20 for one night a week, is this ok? Just need some kind of place to relax.

When I go through to Preston. Maybe 2 out of every 5 weeks in total. I might spend £60-£80. Including Travel.

TwenteenYearOld

Mystery Shoppers as well?

Sorry for not putting all these together!