I'm on the verge of just giving up

ahrimaniac

you know that phrase, it's never easy? It was made for me!

I meant, I pay £100, but it's between me and my partner - I work in Newburn and live on the Quayside, so I'm thinking about getting my wobbly behind onto a bike and cycling.

Failing that, I currently pay £10 a week for a Megarider and £14 a week for the little Go Ahead bus to work - I'm might chop out the little bus, and use the Megarider to get to Scotswood, and walk...saving £56 a month - ooh!

Thanks for all your advice so far, will reply fully to everyone else as quick as I can!

Northern_girl wrote: »

Oh, just thought of something else I should have added earlier - you mentioned you pay £100 for travel and it was all on public transport. Have you looked at the Network Travel ticket?

An all zone pass (on metro, bus and shields ferry) is £71 a month. I don't know where you work but the area covered is quite extensive so might be worth looking into. The pass is in zones so you're not travelling too far for work you might be able to get it cheaper than that.

ahrimaniac

Hey there –

What’s Bensham like? My sister lives there and seems to enjoy it!

We’re definitely looking to move out, but our six-month extension does not end until November – so it’s a bit of a no-no. That said, when it does come round to renewal, we’ll be telling our lettings agency where to go – they’re rubbish. Repairs never get done and they’re impossible to contact. I was wondering about writing to the landlady the month before and asking for a reduction as the repairs are bad and the whole block of flats is empty, so she would have a hard time filling it…

We’re going to aim for maybe £400 a month, as, like you say, there are loads of decent properties out there for that price. I’m just hoping rent doesn’t go up because of all of this malarkey with the housing market. I lived in Gosforth in a Tyneside flat and that was lovely – would so move back there

Cheers for advice J

Northern_girl wrote: »

Hi there,

Sounds like you are having a tough time of it at the moment.

As another poster said I think you need to look at different accomodation as soon as you can. I've been based in NEwcastle for serveral years and have rented in different areas before finally buying in Gateshead.

£600 is quite a lot of money for up here. I've done a quick search and there are still flats in Gateshead to rent for £300 per month including studios on the Quayside for £400. You can probably get about the same in Fenham. It could probably get even cheaper going direct through a landlord rather than an agency too. I know there not necessarily the most desirable of areas but Fenham and Bensham I've lived in both and never had a problem - for some reason Bensham seems to have a lot of lesbian and gay people living there too (I'm a gay woman).

At £300 per month assuming a 1 month deposit and 1 month in advance you need to find £600. I wouldn't normally recommend it but could you not put this on a credit card - you would be saving £300 a month so could pay it back in two months (maybe three to cover the interest) and every month afterwards have an extra £300 to throw at debts.

At that rate you would have it paid off in no time!

ahrimaniac

That would be an ideal solution, except I have already had a Virgin card - all paid off and closed, but I don't think I would be eligible for another. I might get my partner to have a look though, if he could apply, then it would be a decent way out - you're quite right! So thank you

count_rostov wrote: »

You've already had some great advice here and I don't have much to add, other than to say that you sound very happy and lucky in your relationship and that is worth more than gold. (Even if a lack of gold is really stressful!)
My only suggestion, following on from northern girl's, is that Virgin do credit cards with 0% on balance transfers for 15 months. These cards are issued by MBNA which is one of the few credit card providers to allow you to do balance transfers to your current account. If you got one with a limit of £2500 you could do a balance transfer of £2400 which would give you enough cash to pay the council tax arrears and put a deposit and rent in advance on a new flat. Over 15 months, you would pay back £160 a month and this would clear the debt in its interest-free period. If your rent dropped by £300 then this should be comfortable. Of course, you would have to be very careful not to spend on the card as different interest rates apply then. Also, you should do a balance transfer rather than a cash transfer, as these draw very high interest rates. Martin's article on the best balance transfers will explain it better http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cards/balance-transfer-credit-cards#best If credit cards are used properly then they are a very cheap way to borrow money, you just have to be strong enough to resist temptation!
I wouldn't normally suggest this but it sounds as if your main problem is high rent and the tax bill, rather than living beyond your means. Your day to day spending sounds very organised and moderate.

ahrimaniac

Firstly, thanks to everyone for posting their advice, no matter how small – it’s all very appreciated. I’m only sorry I didn’t reply sooner but I don’t have the Internet at home and I can’t always check at work, so hence my delay. Hope no-one thought I was rude.

I have sent letters to the CEO of the Council, the Council Tax office, my local councillor and for good measure, I also emailed. I have tried to contact them on the phone but I can absolutely never get through – I can’t call except on my lunch break and it seems that’s when they like to lunch too. Boo hiss. I might try and go and speak to them in the office, but I can’t afford to lose three hours pay! - they don’t make it easy. I have suggested in my letter that I pay £50 a month (I’ll find it somehow) and also throw any extra money I find/get at the debt if I get it, on top of paying this years as and when it comes in. We shall see what they say next. I’m tempted to go to court and argue my point but I know it’s a fruitless affair.

Speaking of fruits, me and the partner had a long talk over the weekend about this situation and how we can sort it. We’re going to go ultra, ultra-belt-tightening, and it’s now our target to be debt free by this time next year. Assuming we can do it, and we have no debt next summer and cheaper rent, we’re going to save up for an American holiday to celebrate (but saving up for it, not putting it on a card!), and, if we can, we want to get married over there in a quiet do. Just some thoughts.

However, in a bit of pure serendipity, there could be a big old light at the end of the tunnel from this weekend. A friend of mine has received 150 computers from a big business to do what he likes with – they were going to be skipped. Together, we’re going to format them and install all the free software Martin suggests from this site, and sell them for maybe £150 a pop, with monitor. They’re decent machines so I can’t see it being too difficult, especially as students are coming back to Uni. Assuming that, by magic, we manage to sell them all, we’ll make £22,250 profit (shared between two) – thus clearing my debts entirely and paying for a holiday. So – that’s my new task for me and my partner to work on, and I’m pretty damned excited about it.

Tell you what, too, if it does work out – I’ll be on here dishing out the champers J

Thanks so much, all of you, for all of your help – it meant and means the world

NUFCnutter

I am pleased things are looking up for you. I can confirm that sitting on the dole is not nice. I am disabled and unable to work and it drives me crazy, so I am doing an open uni course, maybe you could think of doing that while you work, getting a degree behind you and then getting a FAB job, in a few years time.

I am in the north east myself, and the flats on the Quayside are lovely but if you are considering reducing the rent then there are a lot of more reasonable areas that are available.

If you are throwing the champers about then mines a vasefull,:beer:

ahrimaniac

Hey everyone - thought I'd give an update.

An incredible thing has happened - my temp job on 7.50 an hour has been replaced with exactly the same job, in exactly the same place, for 21K a year - which is unheard of for a legal secretary. I genuinely couldn't be happier and I will have all debt paid off shortly.

Didn't forget you guys' advice - thanks muchly!

RAS

Wow. Well done, that really is a decent turn round in the NE at the moment.

This suggests that if nothing else you are a brilliant legal secredtary, so congratulations.

And remember, this site is not just for when you are in debt, there is loads of stuff on how to make the most of your money whatever you are earning.

shamac

Hi
don't know if it is your cup of tea but i work in The Sage on an evening-which would be very handy for you! You work totally flexible-whenever you are free- doing stewarding for the shows. Its £7.50 an hour and you get paid weekly and get to see the shows for free and the odd free ticket and 25% discount in the cafe/restaurant. They have a big staff turn over as its popular with students who all disappear in September! They recruit every so often-worth leaving your details at the coats desk!

tyllwyd

ahrimaniac wrote: »

However, in a bit of pure serendipity, there could be a big old light at the end of the tunnel from this weekend. A friend of mine has received 150 computers from a big business to do what he likes with – they were going to be skipped. Together, we’re going to format them and install all the free software Martin suggests from this site, and sell them for maybe £150 a pop, with monitor. They’re decent machines so I can’t see it being too difficult, especially as students are coming back to Uni. Assuming that, by magic, we manage to sell them all, we’ll make £22,250 profit (shared between two) – thus clearing my debts entirely and paying for a holiday. So – that’s my new task for me and my partner to work on, and I’m pretty damned excited about it.

Is this still on the cards? Apologies if this is teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, but the one thing I'd say is make sure that all your paperwork is up to date, and when you start selling the pcs you register with the HMRC as self-employed for this business and get all your money by cheque into a dedicated bank account, so that you have really good records when it comes to paying tax. The last thing you need is HMRC breathing down your neck demanding money that's already been spent.


Oh, and it might be worth double-checking that this is OK with your employers. I don't suppose it affects your job at all, but solicitors might be a bit more fussy about what employees do in their spare time.

mummytofour

Wow I am SO pleased for you, see good things do happen and the rubbish things make us enjoy the good all the more!