DMP Mutual Support Thread (Part 4)

ihatedebt_2

Hi all,

I am just after a bit of advice really I am currently looking at going on a DMP with CCCS, I am not able to do it at the moment as currently waiting to start a new job and as such have no income to include yet.. I am due to start at Uni and will be getting a NHS bursary/maintenance grant - will these needed to be included as income or are they excluded?

Many thanks

maz1964

markey77 wrote: »

Sorry, always seem to be on here asking stuff and I'm not any help to anyone else!

hiya markey77

just wanted to reiterate what rabbit said about you always asking stuff, if we can help thats fab and dont forget there are some people who look at the forums and because someone has already asked the question it has helped them immediately when an answer is shown, they may be shy to ask themselves

so feel free and dont worry about asking questions, this way we all learn something new everyday, and thats cool to be part of this gang

:beer:

have a good weekend everyone ciao for now laters - maz

ald65

hi Markey 77
We opened a new bank account when we started our DMP and managed to get all our direct debits transferred in time for the following month. However we did our own direct debit transfers[ due to a slight distrust of the banks involved!] and also we may have just been lucky!

Good luck

markey77

Thanks all! We should be able to do the majority maually, I think I only have the gas and electricity, sky, paypal and ebay...that's about it. There's one that I'm not able to change because I don't have any of the details at all but that can just wait for the banks to sort it out!

I'm a bit scared from going from having a visa debit card to an electron one, does everyone find that you can still do a lot with it? We do loads of our shopping online due to living in a rural area. Think it's going to be a shock to the system lol!

sarriep

From what I can gather most places accept Visa Electron! I hope so anyway as that's what we've got. I'm quite looking forward to spending my own money, not the banks overdraft! As we've only made token payments this month we've managed to save a bit. I haven't saved since I was a child and it feels good!

sunshine38_2

Hi Markey

I'm finding it quite a challenge having an electron card and do miss having my old debit card. For instance, Asda wouldnt accept payment online after having spent 2 hours doing an online shopping list - I was not amused to say the least!

I have to think ahead and draw out cash for shopping. I'm finding that Matalan is my new best friend (having said goodbye to Next ) and whilst I'm learning to budget better, it's hard to find that Matalan dont accept an electron card so I spend my time worrying in the shop about whether I have enough in my purse - but then I suppose at the same time that's a good thing because I really do have to stick to the budget I have.

What we have done, in the lead up to Christmas and knowing that I will need to order certain things online, is obtained a Virgin prepayment credit card. I've had to pay £9.95 for it BUT it's a way of being able to budget for Christmas and knowing that I can use that card for any purchases I need to make without any embarrassment! Okay, you have to pay 30p per £10 spent, but I dont envisage spending massive amounts anyway, it's just to be able to use online shopping more effectively. What I'm doing at the moment is trying to save in my online savings account and then in December transfer what money I need to the Virgin card and do online shopping with that. There is another card (gold plus cash card or something like that) and with that one you have the choice of paying £1 per transaction or £4.95 per month if you will use the card loads and it works out cheaper to do it that way. I'm not planning on using the card very often so I went with the Virgin option. It is NOT a credit agreement in any way - it's just like a PAYG phone. You have to preload it with your money and you can only spend what you have on it. There are no credit checks - they just check you live at the address you say you do etc.

So, that's my alternative to a visa debit card problem!

Hope that helps.

Sx

Jvic28

sarriep wrote: »

From what I can gather most places accept Visa Electron! I hope so anyway as that's what we've got. I'm quite looking forward to spending my own money, not the banks overdraft! As we've only made token payments this month we've managed to save a bit. I haven't saved since I was a child and it feels good!

I've had to get an electron card since starting the DMP. I haven't had a problem. You can't use it if you want to pay at the pump at a petrol station but that is the only place I have been refused, and that wasn't the end of the world, you can still pay at the kiosk using it.

I have found starting the DMP one of the best decisions of my life. Although I don't have loads of money to spare, it's liberaing to not be using my overdraft (as I haven't got one now) and not to be topping up on my credit cards (cos I haven't got them either). Before I would be paying off credit cards only to be taking out what I was paying in. Now, although I'm only paying off small amounts, at least it's staying paid off, and all of the credit cards have agreed to freeze interest (for the time being anyway). That makes such a huge difference as I had those nasty cards for people with bad credit (ya know the ones, Capital One, Aqua, Vanquis....I had the lot!!)

Anyway, speech over with....Good Luck everyone.

x

Jvic28

You don't sound like you have much luck sunshine...I have never been turned down in a shop with my electon card and never carry cash with me. I've used it at Tesco, Asda and even at McDonalds. Maybe as it's a Visa Electron thats different...I dunno...it's only the basic account I got because of my shockingly bad credit.

sunshine38_2

Hi Jvic28

As the online electron payment wasnt allowed I didnt dare try to use it in the Asda store itself. I tried looking on the doors when I went into the shop to see if it was accepted but couldnt see anything and felt too embarrassed to ask someone at a checkout . So I drew cash out of the machine first and just used that.

It's weird checking store doors/windows before I go in anywhere. To actually go and have to ask someone "can I use an electron card" makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong and they (that person) would know that I have a naff credit rating and trouble with my finances if I have to ask them about accepting the card! I cant deal with the additional embarrassment. I feel like a second rate citizen

Jvic28

Well now you know, you can use it in Asda and Tesco.