Just generally a bit fed up of money...well lack of it

fletch3163

Hi again

Just thought I'd drop by to see how you were doing. Last I visited you were having a rubbish night at work.

Your doing great facing up to your money monsters. As I always say, the shadows aren't scary monsters when you put the light on.

Keep going. You really should try to join a challenge. At the turn of the year I joined a lunch challenge and I couldn't believe how much money I used to spend, just on lunches.

poppyg_2

louby_lou wrote: »

ive been thinking of getting a slow cooker - are they really good?

Thanks!

Must admit I've not actually used it yet but I will be this weekend so I'll let you know!! Oh yes in case you want to get one it was £13 in Argos instead of £20, bargain I think!!

I'm trying to set up some sort of arrangement with my creditors myself at the moment, someone has a template letter you can send to them, it basically asks them to freeze interest/accept reduced payments as I'm struggling to stay afloat right now. I'd rather try going on my own with getting my debts sorted rather than through CCCS or Payplan although if I don't have success on my own I will enlist some help from one of them I think

mum2one

RAS wrote: »

M21

Remember to close the account as well.

That stop any strange charges or paymnents being made. it is amazing how many people are contacted about a debt that is wholly charges (for not using the account in a year, for insurance that did not know they had signed up for, plus charges on charges).

Your an absolute star, never thought of that, get that done once all offically clear x

jak

Hi,just to say, at least you've realised you need to sort things out! 28 is a good age to be debt free...I'll be 30 and a bit and beleive me, I wish i'd faced my money demons a long time ago!!!
Good luck and keep posting! It really does help!!!

Poosmate

I would just like to say congratulations too for having your lightbulb moment.

Stick around here and you will have all the support you could need. I always feel so positive after being on this site. Have a wander round, check out the other boards and as has been mentioned, take on a challenge or two, it's amazing what you can learn.

Poppyg, I have been struggling to keep afloat too but have had a spot of good luck recently so have a stay of execution. I did the CCCS questionnaire thing and cried so much I was nearly sick! I decided to make my own DPA (Debt Plan of Action) instead of their DMP. I think the problem with the CCCS for me was that they wanted me to pay all 4 of my debts at the same rate. I have 2 OD's and 2 CC's. I keep the OD's within their limits but am not paying them off each month. One OD is £2.6k at 7.2% and is no longer being added to. The way I see it is, as long as I put enough in that account to cover the interest and a few quid extra I can concentrate on the CC's with the higher interest. CCCS wanted me to pay £144 off that each month - that would be £124 more than I am paying off my debts atm the other OD gets almost completely paid off briefly each payday. I am managing ok on my own atm. It's hard but I'm doing it.

Hope this helps someone.

Poo

louby_lou

hey guys,

thanks for all your wonderful comments - felt sure this would just be another one of my threads which came to nothing! I havent managed to get the APRs yet but Im planning to do that tomorrow - i've noticed that some of my statements don't seem to have the apr on them anywhere - though pleasantly HSBC stick theirs at the top loud and proud lol.

poppyg - i saw a lady at tesco's buying a slow cooker and i thought of you! i think i will look for one next month when i get paid as i think the boy and i would both like some meal planning and for me to cook something other than stir frys as theyre the quickest thing in the world haha.

i do feel a lot better about things now. i like to look at the balances, at least ive faced up to them and theyre no longer just some monster i fear from afar.

mum2one - i too will be receiving some compensation for a traffic accident at some point this year (if they ever get round to it) and i expect it to be around the £2000 mark. I am actually very excited at the prospect of paying a card off - its been a long time since I have been able to do that!

also some good news from the boy, he has 2 more interviews this week for jobs he would love, but he has arranged that if he gets neither of them he will start a temp job for abbey national starting thursday so that will mean we can be referenced for when we move house in July! yay!

we are downsizing our home to a one bed flat from a 3 bedroom house - only the two of us and the cat so really no reason to live here - except to pay the landlord's mortgage lol. its a lovely house but the bills are sky high so we are looking forward to finding somehwere for about £525/month compared to the £725/month which we split now. so hopefully all the bills will fall accordingly!

also i sat him down and discussed how much we spend on food each week and we have agreed to do our shopping online, one week from tesco and one week from asda - who would everyone suggest? ive always liked tesco for their choice and the quality of food seems a bit better (though i am a big advocate of tesco value anyway lol) , since the asda here isnt up to much and never has fresh veg/salad - anyway i digress - online we can at least monitor what we are going to spend and get our meals planned around them.

hmm cant think of anything else ive done worth mentioning at the moment, but im going to have another look at my balances to motivate me and read the boards some more.

oooh though i went to the library on saturday and got lots of books re: personal money management - and also got a book about running which i really want to take up again. i can fit it around my crazy work schedule and can also cancel my gym membership as of next month as my year's minimum membership is up! things are looking better already

thanks for all the support everyone - cant believe how fantastic everyone has been,

thanks again! xxxxxxxx

Sue-UU

Congratulations louby_lou,

You sound so very positive now and so you should from all you're saying. All the very best of luck with OH and either job or any other to tide him over.

Tesco - Asda? I don't know which I'd fall down on the side of, though possibly Tesco, but you can always vary it and give them a trial, after all why not?!!!

I do hope you have some joy with moving house, if you got one £250 pm cheaper - what a difference that alone would make!

Very best wishes!

Sue

mum2one

jak wrote: »

Hi,just to say, at least you've realised you need to sort things out! 28 is a good age to be debt free...I'll be 30 and a bit and beleive me, I wish i'd faced my money demons a long time ago!!!
Good luck and keep posting! It really does help!!!

I'll be the big 4.......0........... b4 Im debt free, but have set myself a challenge, if i get myself debt free by that bday or earlier, im going to fulfill a dream of going to Las vegas. :j
x

mum2one

mum2one - i too will be receiving some compensation for a traffic accident at some point this year (if they ever get round to it) and i expect it to be around the £2000 mark. I am actually very excited at the prospect of paying a card off - its been a long time since I have been able to do that!

Not very money saving, but make sure you buy yourself something from the compensation, b4 you pay ant bills, (hear the gasps... nit very mse.....), not necessary a 1k designer watch, just say £100 ish on a treat, that way your have something to remind you of the accident, not the accident itself, but the fact that you may of fought hard for compensation etc. I have just brought myself a solid silver watch from Argos, reduced from £100 to £50. (was money saving).

my 2nd car accident, I paid a wack of a hol to Mexico, and swam with dolphins, worked out lucky as it was yr of my 30th so double celebration.

When I sued my ex employer it was either buy a new car and risk it being damaged or pay some debts ansd have couple of gd hols, hence the latter won, but I have the memories, i did Dom Rep, swam with dolphins again, went to Cyprus, took a day flight to egypt, brought jewellery from both hols as a keepsake.

Good luck with the compensation claim.

also i sat him down and discussed how much we spend on food each week and we have agreed to do our shopping online, one week from tesco and one week from asda - who would everyone suggest? ive always liked tesco for their choice and the quality of food seems a bit better (though i am a big advocate of tesco value anyway lol) , since the asda here isnt up to much and never has fresh veg/salad - anyway i digress - online we can at least monitor what we are going to spend and get our meals planned around them.

l personally would stick with Tesco, a lot of the cash back sites have Tesco listed, so as well as shopping, your earning extre rewards, I know Quidco and Pigs Back do tesco rewards, sure others can come up with other cash back sites.

Sounds like youve been really proactive this weekend, and bitten the bullet, well done, youve hit the debt free ladder running up with full steam.:T

louby_lou

ah (this may not be the place to disclose where i have frittered all this money away to lol) i went to las vegas for 4 days in the middle of april last month and it was amazing. expensive but amazing! id say everyone should go there at least once! i intend to go for a week - 10 days next year - im excited just thinking about it! the boy and i might get married there next year to save on the pennies lol. also being married by a fake elvis sounds brilliant to me haha