Um, help and advice please?

LandyAndy

Since when did a policeman take home £900 per month . Thats about £13,000 gross p.a.. I think constable's pay starts at around £20,000.

There are plenty of vehicles more economical than a Shogun that would fit your needs. Are you sure there isn't an 'image' problem here?

Why are you thinking of having a baby?

£350 a month on tobacco?:eek: You know you have to stop this.

Recovering from debt is about a change of mindset and re-evaluating everything you do.

If you really want to change and get yourself back on track this is an excellent place for help and support.

Good luck.

Hawthorn

Landy Andy, that's the wage after tax, NI, and various other schemes he's involved in, such as life insurance and healthcare insurance. I think it's accurate, but I'll have to double check it. I admit, I may be wrong as that goes into his account, not mine.

Um, Image problem? With the shogun? :rotfl:

I'm sorry, you wouldn't think that if you saw the shogun. It's ancient. One door is scratched. It's a tank and we do use the offroad function when we camp. Not often, granted, but it does get used.

I'm thinking of having a baby, because my husband would like a child of his own. Simple as that. I'm getting older, and the older you get the riskier it gets. For both child and mum. Also, I'm majorly broody. And before you suggest getting a dog, (lol) I did, and it didn't work. I love her to bits, but it ain't the same.

What model of car would you suggest? I would think we could sell the Mitsi on for about £2500 max really. It's due an MOT soon, and has about six months tax on it.
I don't want a car loan, so it would have to be something around that price range?

Thanks.

Merlot

We don't judge people on this board, who are in genuine need of help, if the OP wants another baby, we must find ways in reducing her outgoings to enable her to have a debt free baby. Everyone is entitled to have more children, even those with debts, Hawthorn, come back and post your actual OH salary, it does sound low and update your SOA, and we will take it from there.

Merlot.x.

Hawthorn

I'll have to do this tomorrow when I have figures from my husband. He's working until midnight tonight. We could do to sit down and discuss this together anyway.

Thanks Merlot for your comments I do appreciate it.

I must admit this board is a bit scary.

Hawthorn

Could someone point me to the 'old style board' please. I'm maybe being dense, but I don't see it?

The idea posted earlier was a good one. I have a chest freezer full of food, and a shed full of other stuff, plus what we get from the allotment when its' up and running. I should be able to manage for a couple of months if I'm careful. That alone will save us, um, £700 ish? That could pay off the next bill and five hundred quid off the credit card.
Another reason it could be so low (hubbys wages) which I only just considered. He has an overdraft.....I think it's £200. I don't mess with his accounts but I do know that when his wages have cleared he has around £900 in there. It could possibly be that a couple of hundred is clearing the overdraft before we even see it. That would make more sense. Plus, I missed a couple of things off the SOA.....hairdressers and the like. I spose it all adds up huh?

Oh, Merlot, babies don't cost me a great deal of money anyway. I tend to use a sling, which I can make myself. I can get a pattern. Baby clothes I can either use freecycle or charity shops for ( I use these where possible....it's harder for the older kids, and they rarely have stuff for me. I go to Ebay for my own stuff), I breastfeed, and I cloth nappy. Baby food also, not a problem as I blend down veggies we would eat when the babe is old enough to wean. I'm not one for having the latest gadgets in baby raising.

Hawthorn

Ok, I found the old style board. I WAS being dense. LOL.

LandyAndy

Merlot wrote: »

We don't judge people on this board, who are in genuine need of help, if the OP wants another baby, we must find ways in reducing her outgoings to enable her to have a debt free baby. Everyone is entitled to have more children, even those with debts, Hawthorn, come back and post your actual OH salary, it does sound low and update your SOA, and we will take it from there.

Merlot.x.

LandyAndy

Hi Hawthorn.

This board is very supportive and 'huggy huggy'. This can be important for people in debt problems.

Some of the other boards, which I normally inhabit, are a lot more abrasive and my posts can come across as such.

You are definitely in the right place for good advice.

Lol at your old Shogun. What I meant was some people (men) would do a lot to not have to give up their 4x4 and buy an MPV instead (Kia Sedona, anyone). I have to say I 've never needed a 4x4 when camping and I've camped in fields with a trailer tent.

Good luck

LA

Incidentally: Six years ago I had over £75,000 on credit cards. Now I have £1,700. So I do know something about dealing with debt.

LEWKI

Hi Hawthorn

Good luck with everything - lots going on having read the thread. My neighbour recently sold her "P" reg Shogun for about £1,000. She now has a 3 year old renault of some description with 7 seats. Her insurance, road tax has decreased. Her tyres etc are about 25% of the price. More importantly, her fuel bill has more than halved!! She has a small loan over 3 years to pay back but she took the decision as she is still better off financially. The new car is almost paying for itself!
PS - check out the giving up smoking thread on DFW - its helping me!!

All the very best

Hawthorn

LandyAndy wrote: »

Hi Hawthorn.

This board is very supportive and 'huggy huggy'. This can be important for people in debt problems.

Some of the other boards, which I normally inhabit, are a lot more abrasive and my posts can come across as such.

You are definitely in the right place for good advice.

Lol at your old Shogun. What I meant was some people (men) would do a lot to not have to give up their 4x4 and buy an MPV instead (Kia Sedona, anyone). I have to say I 've never needed a 4x4 when camping and I've camped in fields with a trailer tent.

Good luck

LA

Incidentally: Six years ago I had over £75,000 on credit cards. Now I have £1,700. So I do know something about dealing with debt.

Dah, don't worry about it. I'm just a little over sensitive at the moment. My husband (thankfully) isn't a poser in the slightest. The shogun is a shed on wheels. Granted, I love it (I call it babe *blushes*) but it is the first car I ever owned. It may not be much, but it's ours, you know?
£75,000 huh? You HAVE done well to get down that far. Thats a heck of an achievement.
I think, I'm so over sensitive, because now I have to reevaluate everything. I've also got to admit to myself that we have been incredibly foolish living beyond our means. Change scares me too.
As I said on the old style boards, I was always frugal, until I met a previous partner who had a fair bit of money and owned his own home etc etc. I kinda got used to having disposable income. The same thing with my Husband. We have still been living that way, right or wrong, and now we're paying the price.
My dad always used to say it's easier to raise your standard of living than it is to lower it.
We're not at the point where we're getting snotty letters or in danger of being blacklisted or anything, but if we carry on like we are we will do.

LEWKI, would that be a renault Espace? We'll look into it. I've discussed this with my husband, and we are going to change cars.

We also discussed the smoking thing. Obviously I'm going to quit, but my husband is willing to use tobacco in the meantime. He wants to quit too, but has smoked since he was 16 and he's now 38. I've only smoked solidly for four years. I've smoked since I was 16 too, but quit when I got pregnant, and only restarted when things got tough (divorce etc)

I seriously don't know where the money has all gone, and that is what scares me. I am no longer keeping track of things.