Going under and annoyed my first thread disappered!

Rage_in_Eden

I would take very bit of paperwork you've got the CAB - don't forget they have their own solicitors. One option I would think if to ask the CAB people to help you contact your creditors and say "I can't afford this much on a monthly payment but can afford that much". If you go for an IVA or bankruptcy they won't get anything so they'd rather get back 50% or less of the total debt than 0%! Mobile phones - is there a reason you have 2? Is there anyway you could combine both and maybe get a better deal? Have a look at some of the threads here for that - and remember what Martin says threaten to leave them. I rang up to cancel a credit card once which I had paid off and the person on the 'phone was practically offering me the crown jewels to stay with them! Is there anyway you can revise your electric down? If you spoke to them they might be willing to allow this rather than risk you not paying at all. Try the automated service first. This is what I did with the phone bill and got it down to less than half their original estimate (that reminds me it's time for me to try and do it again). How did we survive? Well, I got another better paid job (which I want to leave but that's another story) so we got a bit of breathing space. The Mr Rage got a job as well so we were like "OMG what do we do with these wages!" We got the food budget down quite well by following OS methods (or rather reverting to the methods my Mum used :rolleyes: ) and now when we go to the supermarket and spend over £50 we're horrified with ourselves and feel the need to justify it with "well, that's £5 for the top and £10 on wine.....". We also splashed out on one of those energy monitors recently from B&Q so now when we put the microwave on it's "OMG what are you doing in the kitchen? Stop it!" As for socialising your local library is also a good one. Most of them now have reading groups so you can get the book from the library and then have a free night out to discuss it. I know our library has a few of different genres and nibbles are provided :j . One of mine and Mr Rage's fave pastimes is window shopping (mainly to complain about the prices :rotfl: ) and then maybe a coffee somewhere. Don't forget any art galleries near you and there's also the trusty "walk around your neighbourhood to laugh at other people's decorating" - a personal fave of mine!! Some city centre libraries also have leaflets of self-guided walking tours (I used to like blue badge guides but now in Manchester they are quite expensive.) Remeber the internet is a great resource - there is also a good website called something like "frugal living" and then the freebie sites mentioned on here are quite good. What I would do right now though if I were you would be to go and have a drnk of your choice and switch off for a few hours with your feet up infront of the telly. Tomorrow is another day and you should just chill. Take a nice relaxing bath and do nothing. Have a hot milk to help you get to sleep. Worrying will just give you wrinkles.... Take care and PM me if you want to. Rage x

bogged_down_with_£

Yeah cheers Rage . Will do just that. I'm gonna walk the hounds and then have a bath...the wine has helped me to stay online already! I got two mobs because they were both £15 and gave me the chance to keep in touch with my family who live 300 miles away. They offered more than what 1 mob company offered per month so though it was best to keep two- they have only recently been renewed too!? Last month. Doh. I've gotta keep check on internet time too as I only have limited mobile access per month. Keeping track of money is hard...how do you become a pro???!! xx

bogged_down_with_£

Also I must be really thick but I can't get straight to my thread on the forum. Is there a clear cut way??

Rage_in_Eden

You become a money professional through years of watching every penny and then suddenly realising that you're doing it without thinking. I started saving 20ps years ago and now come out in a cold sweat if I see Mr Rage hand one over!!! :rotfl: I'm having problems getting to specific hreads too. Must be something in the water. Right, I'm off to feed my hedgehog (he's called "Mr Snuffles" and so far has saved my lupins from a wartime slug snack attack!). Take care and try and find the most hideous wallpaper you can on your walk!

Poosmate

Hi Bogged Down,

You don't have to include your partners salary as income or what he pays, it's just your income and what you pay that's important.

I know your new bf has already helped you by furnishing the place where you live but looking at the figures for rent, council tax, elec, water rates, tv licence and groceries this figure alone comes to £1100! So you are paying £700 whereas he is paying £400. Have I got that right? I mean his share not the figures. I'm guessing you may be a little reluctant to ask him for more given his help already but at the end of the day how many months at £300 difference will that initial help be repaid? I don't mean that to sound harsh just trying to help.

Regarding your bf's sound system and electrical goods, does he have receipts or bank statements or any other paperwork to prove that he paid for them? Anything to prove they are his assets and not yours/jointly owned. They would definitely be safe then.

Don't even start to worry about that yet anyway, you haven't got any bailiffs letters yet have you? So you are just creating worry where you needn't.

The most important thing is that you have caught this before it's got too far for you to do anything constructive about it.

Straight off you can knock £100 off your shopping bill. Longer term you can reduce the elec payments by reducing your usage - unfortunately it's not something that will happen overnight unless you can play a blinder and get a much better deal by switching. And if push really does come to shove you could always get a part time job - even if you only get £30 a week from it it's a step in the right direction.

If you are able to switch your elec supplier you could go through one of the cashback sites (note to self: Poo sign up to them!). Have a look on the Up Your Income board to see what else you can do to boost your income even if it's only £20 every few months - right now (or next few months) that could just be the few quid that will keep you from going overdrawn on an OD or something.

It's not going to be easy, but you are not going to be doing it alone - you have us lot now! Get as much free advice as you can from CAB, CCCS and Payplan but don't do anything rash - if they offer you a DMP think about it long and hard before entering into it. There's no way I'd have coped on the DMP they suggested for me so I'm doing it Poo style!

Hope some of this helps.

Poo

Poosmate

Rage you make me laugh so much! Who needs to go to the pub when you have such talent entertaining you on here hey?

Bogged down, I hope you are feeling a little less bewildered and a bit more positive now. This site is so uplifting and inspires so much positivity.

Best of luck to you and enjoy your bath!

Poo

bogged_down_with_£

Good night.
Thanks for the sound advice. Say hello to the hedgehog for me! The dogs noticed some really bad wall paper at no. 153. Oh well- that's what you get for spendingg a ridiculous amount of money on designer paper! xx

red_bertie

:hello: Hi again bogged

Also I must be really thick but I can't get straight to my thread on the forum. Is there a clear cut way??

:shhh: No you're not, if you knew the number of times this query was raised, you'd realise you're in good company.

Go to top of page, click on User CP and any threads you are subscribed to should appear. You are automatically subscribed when you make a post.

Well as I'm not a DFW guru and you are now in good hands I'm going to bow out of this thread. I just wanted to make sure you'd got some help.

Try to stay positive and well done for taking those first difficult steps, good luck.

RB

bogged_down_with_£

Hi All,I have recalculated my SOA. Decreased electric to £64 (was £140),found the actual value of my HP car (£3000), Found out the actual amount I owe on it (£3536.74) and now know how much my personal loan is: £10048.09 ( a little more than i thought!)Thanks to all who have replied so far xx b]Monthly Income Details[/b]
Monthly income after tax................ 1713
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 400
Total monthly income.................... 2113

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured loan repayments................. 0
Rent.................................... 565
Management charge (leasehold flat)...... 0
Council tax............................. 128
Electricity............................. 64
Gas..................................... 0
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 28.51
Telephone (land line)................... 0
Mobile phone............................ 32
TV Licence.............................. 11
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 7.5
Groceries etc. ......................... 240
Clothing................................ 25
Petrol/diesel........................... 90
Road tax................................ 17.91
Car Insurance........................... 33.33
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 8.33
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 20
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 5
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 35
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 12.34
Life assurance ......................... 7
Other insurance......................... 0
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 33.33
Haircuts................................ 20
Entertainment........................... 30
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 20
Total monthly expenses.................. 1433.25

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 100
Car(s).................................. 3000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 3100

No Secured Debt

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
barclaycard....................9223.84...154.......6.9
MBNA...........................5049......90.65.....20
M and S........................1098.01...27.45.....3.9
Natwest........................4104.97...92........0
Amex...........................2479.5....64........0
next...........................168.......17.34.....0
natwest personal loan..........10048.....271.5.....0
natwet overdraft...............2000......30........0
barclays overdraft.............3000......35........0
Car finance....................3536.74...107.......13.8
Total unsecured debts..........40708.06..888.94....-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 2,113
Expenses (including secured debts)....... 1,433.25
Available for debt repayments........... 679.75
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 888.94
Surplus(deficit if negative)............ -209.19

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 3,100
Total Secured debt...................... -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -40,708.06
Personal net worth...................... -37,608.06

Created using the SOA calculator at https://www.makesenseofcards.com.
Reproduced on Moneysavingexpert with permission.[/font]

Bismarck

red_bertie wrote: »

:hello: Hi again bogged



:shhh: No you're not, if you knew the number of times this query was raised, you'd realise you're in good company.

Go to top of page, click on User CP and any threads you are subscribed to should appear. You are automatically subscribed when you make a post.

ooh! I never knew that...I just look at my recent posts and go from there.....