yet another sleepless night :o(

Seaxwyn

Hi skintmam and welcome. I think most of us here can relate to what you say about having to borrow from your son's sponsorship.

To make a signature, click on 'User CP' at the top of this page, then 'Edit signature' is one of the options.

One option for home-based telephone work is ringing people to check they received their Yellow Pages - see http://www.deya.co.uk/index.aspx?pageref=5130 - check the website for when they're delivering in your area.

full-time-mum

I know this isn't what you would choose to do, but can you really afford to save £10 a month for your children? I know that it is only £10 but its still £120 off your most expensive card/loan each year.
Its a luxury we've decided we can't afford.

skintmam

I've just been on that website that seaxwyn :T recommended and have registered with them. and have also just cancelled the £10 direct debit into the kids accounts. have only just cancelled Sky which was £17 a month so will now ahve an extra £27 next month - that's a weekly food shop!

I am so motivated now... a bit of a turnaround from 4 o clock this morning! thank you all so much, It's like an on-line counselling session!

DS just gone to school and jsut checked on baby and she's flat out - fell asleep watching mickey's clubhouse.. bless! time to dive in the shower while I've got 5 mins me thinks!

Snafflepants

Hiya,

I've been reading your thread with interest and just wanted to wish you all the best.

Out of the left field here but can you sew? Just that one mum friend of mine supplements her income by making wicked footmuffs and other baby accessories such as taggies while at home.

Just a thought anyways - let us know how you get on

bank_of_slate

Hi skintmam,
welcome to the DFW forum, I can see that you really have the bit between your teeth now which is fantastic!

Can you make sure that you only get petrol from, say Morrison's petrol stations and collect the points that add up to £5 free shopping? I find that these really make a difference as you can save them and use more than one at once!

Also I'd echo what the others have said about the kid's savings, 'freeze' them for the moment and get those high interest debts paid off first!

Have a look on the thread further down the forum called 'Freebies - no spend required' there are lots of things to be had on there and the competitions thread is worth a go too, lots of prize draws to enter.
We are always here for support whenever you need it!
...Linda xx

klane

Just a few thoughts :j

- well done on stopping the kids saving for the time being & for cancelling Sky :T

- if you have "space" on your Ikea card, transfer some balance from your Argos or Mint one to it - it's a lower interest rate. Might even be worth calling each card customer services to ask if they have any offers available for lower interest rates or lower interest transfers at the moment for a few months - all they can do is say no, and you might ends up quids in (worked for me before on a couple of cards). You can always take the line 'well I don't really want to have to leave and change cards, but your interest rate is so high now compared to elsewhere.... so I wanted to see if you could offer anything before I decide...' If they say no, you don't have to leave - you were just asking! Customer retention is good for them, after all!

- How are you renting your second place at the moment? Is it through an estate agent? Maybe you can check you are actually getting the market value? If your rent is too low, an increase might not price you out of the market in that case? Check first though! You can always look in the local paper to see what prices similiar places are listed for too. If you are paying an agent, could you manage it yourself direct so they don't take a cut?

- Why is it you had trouble selling it? Did you get any feedback from viewings/the agent as to what put people off? Would some cheap simple redecoration make the difference? I've watched a LOT :rotfl:of House Doctor type TV programmes (not to mention spent a year trying to buy somewhere doing viewings)! Not to be rude, but would the decor put someone off? Some cheap tins of white paints over dated/loud wallpaper or bright coloured paint could help? Painting kitchen cupboard doors, or replacing handles can really give a facelift etc? Over in the discount section here, there's been lots of offers recently for reduced price paint and so on - plus it's Spring, so all the DIY shops are pushing home decor products more than ever with offers. Not to mention, on sites like Freecycle (have you joined your local one yet? Do you know what that is? I'll explain if not!) you could pick up anything from free paint to different kitchen units!

- Another thought on the selling point - your tenant. Might they be interested in buying it? Then you have no chain either. You could always say to your tenant you're just thinking about options and haven't decided anything, and reassure them not to worry you're not about to turf them out without warning.

I would really focus on trying to get the interest rate down on your Argos and Mint cards - 28% is horrendous. That's something you can do fairly quickly.

Longer term, sort out things with that second property. You are losing money on it every month at the moment - not good. However, if you managed to get it sold (people are still buying houses, despite the credit crunch - it's just harder to find mortgages. There might be less buyers, but there's still some. Where in the country are you, anyway?) you said you have £25k in equity in it - that's over half your total debt repaid. It's nice to have a second property, but it sounds like it's more of a millstone around your neck at the moment. If you cleared half your debt, your monthly payments on the remaining debt also becomes half of what it is now and you might find you're back in black again and able to manage it...

- Lastly, if you've had any credit card fees in the last 6 years for late payments etc, look at claiming them back. They are not "held" like the bank account charges claims are at the moment as I understand it. There's even template letters on the site here you can send.

You can do it! :beer:

skintmam

thanks everybody, i't's really good to have other peoples take on the situation. As I'm one of those people that thinks's she knows it all - when it's blatently obvious that I don't! just don't tell my husband!

1. Just rang Ikea - they don't do balance transfers. and I only have a £500 limit on my asda card so can't move anything onto that. will give them a few months and ring them to see if they will increase my limit and then try and move something - can't do it right now as have only just got under my limit.
and have had a few late payment charges off them in the last few months.

2. The other house is like a bl**dy noose around my neck at the moment. It didn't sell (i Think) because I was too impatient.. I saw this house and wanted it and in my usual fashion railroaded straight into it and 28 days later there I was moving in - had a holiday in Dubai during this time as well - all paid for on my CC of course! i managed to find a tenant in a matter of hours and the rest as they say is history.. i do have a letting agent managing it for me as i didnt want the hassle, but you're right it's easy money - it's costing me £50 a month.. i will ring the agent now with some 'excuse' for me to have to go and visit there and have a word with the tenant.

3. i probably have had fees in the past but all my old cards are long gone - paid for by one of my many consolodation loans, and don't have any paperwork anymore. i managed to claim back £1450 of my bank charges but this was before my LBM and i frittered it away :mad: . out of curiousity the charges that have recently gone on mint and asda are for £12 ... can i claim these back or are they deemed to be 'reasonable'?

4. snafflepants - no i can't sew! i wouldn't have a clue where to start! my mum is a seamstress but i definately didn't inherit her genes!

i'm going to get some more stuff on ebay today - don't know where i'd be without it at the mo - friends and family are happily clearing out their houses for me sell.. they know that we are in debt but have no idea by how much:o , think it would break my mothers heart if she knew

feel a bit sad again now.. this debt free journey is gonna have it's ups and it's downs i think!

Lorne

I just wanted to say well done for posting, takes a lot of guts to post and admit difficulties but as you say and as I've experience the impossible is achievable. The snowball tool is fantastic, I'm a huge fan.

Have you thought about mystery shopping, I top up my income by doing a couple a month and although the money isn't huge it goes against my debts and is another payment to pop into the snowball.

Good luck on your journey

embarrassed_about_my_debt

bank_of_slate wrote: »

Can you make sure that you only get petrol from, say Morrison's petrol stations and collect the points that add up to £5 free shopping? I find that these really make a difference as you can save them and use more than one at once!

Sorry personally i find this is a false economy. I find supermarket fuel doesnt last aslong as the fuel from other petrol stations. My girlfriend didnt believe me until i got her to try it, she reckons she is now saving £30 a month by going to a normal petrol station :eek:

Dont ask me why as i dont know , this is down to my personal experiences since i have been driving.

bank_of_slate

I'll have try that!
I wonder what the difference is?
maybe they should list the 'ingredients' on the side of the pumps so you know what you're getting!
...Linda xx