Can we have a support thread for people who are massively in debt?

[Nerfmother]

Because you can't talk about it in real life? We owe 44k, reduced from 60k in a year. Not including mortgage.
It's so depressing.
Dh is determined to pay it off and so bankruptcy or plans isn't an option. I do think its doable, just hard hard hard.

Thanks TiP...it has certainly made me focus on what I need to do...and being able to put a near date on each of the debts being cleared shows me there is light at the end of the tunnel

Jeezy peeps...what a day I've had!! Firstly, great news...redundancy notice has been lifted and my job is safe til around Sept 2016! I've also been awarded a 0.75% wage rise from April. Now normally Id be disappointed but I'm just happy to still have a job albeit only for the medium term. Plan to up debt repayment DD by the increase amount

Also (and probably not in the spirit of the thread!) I've had a balance transfer offer from a previous provider. It would normally go in the bin but it's also a 0% transfer fee! So have taken the offer and will transfer bulk of balance on CC1 to it. That will leave approx £1200 on it but will target myself to repay it in full by end March. That will leave me with 2 CCs that are interest free well into next year...CC2 however I am targeting to repay by Dec which was original target of CC1!

All that aside, today has been NSD!

Wow Mum that sounds like a pretty brilliant day all ways round! Such great news about the job. You are going to smash those debts this year!

Very spendy day here. Train tickets bought and online shop done so we now have £195 to last us the next twenty days. With the cupboards full, travel sorted and the DDs paid we should be just fine. As long as the baby doesn't come early...

Thank you Pixie! How exciting for you too! When are you due?!

Mum, great news

Thanks Kazza

Mum2Fergus, just wondering if it's acceptable for me to ask which CC company is offering the balance transfer at 0%?! As I reckon I have cards with everyone(!) and haven't been offered a transfer for a while and could do with a new one. As I'm abroad, my post takes a while to come and I have missed out on offers before for being too late.
Thank you

I'm due the third week of March Mum. Trying to stagger the last minute hospital bag purchases and bits and bobs so that some of them fall in next months pay check. If the little one is late then I will get March's paycheck in before hand as well

Debtfull afaik transfer offers are tailored to the individual customer. I never get an offer from HSBC, for example, unless I have recently transferred the balance to another card Virgin on the other hand give me an offer every time I have paid about £500 off their card. (I have balances with everyone as well!)

Sorry to be stupid, and I should really know this, but does the council tax restart on the 1st March or the 1st April?

Council Tax - April ... their year end is 31st March so you pay from April to January but not in February and March

so if you have set up a standing order to pay council tax. will they not retrieve money from your account coz their is no payment in march or is it down to the person to cancel the stsndinv order

Standing order is controlled by YOU
direct debit is controlled by them ....

It's with MBNA...I had a card with them for a few years then closed it about a year ago. I think though specific customers are targeted with specific campaigns. The one I've got for example is not available online, I had to call to say Id like to go ahead with it on the back of the letter they sent.

Going to have to break into this weeks shopping budget for first time tonight...milk and bread needed. DP working late so will get away with toasties or something equally easy for tea for DS and I.

I've taken the plunge and dug out every pair of shoes I own to sell the ones I no longer wear.

I'm a mixture of impressed and horrified at how many there is.

Hope everybody's still doing well today, it's my day off and I've lazed around and spent nothing so I'm going to count it as a win!

Good for you Kitty! See if you have a local FB selling page, or Gumtree maybe...I'd avoid Ebay if you can.

I've never been a shoe person...DP has more pairs than me lol will manage without a shop tonight after all, will go tomorrow (day off) but need very little so looking forward to putting remainder of budget to CC1 on Sun night!

Gutted. I had managed to out 600 aside to pay off a card at the end of the month. Then the wind took the car door out of my hand yesterday and it hit someone's wing mirror. He just rang and says it will cost 150 to repair so I've said if he emails to say that's the full amount I will pay it to him. I tried asking which garage but he didn't know the name, he spoke English quite well, but I just can't face getting three quotes, making him go to one etc etc.

Awe Nerf...nightmare for you! Whatever amount you settle on for the repair, make sure you get something in writing that he accepts £??? as full and final settlement of the incident so he can't come back looking for more...

I've told him to email me and I will email back to confirm that either insurance or I will pay 150 but will not accept any further costs. Then he can confirm. Then I will pay.
Oh well.

How disheartening Nerf At least you can still pay 3/4 of the card - that's a massive amount.

Hi guys, thank you. Had a nice email from him so will pay up tomorrow. I'm doing minimum payments to avoid charges by direct debit and then anything left at the end if the month to a card. It's just depressing using the cards if I pay earlier.
Glad there is still some chirpiness buy agree re eBay. Don't use it all now.

Nerf,could you start reducing the limit on the cards in line with what you're paying off them (remembering to leave enough to cover interest of course)?

Took great pleasure cutting up CC1 this morning more than half of this weeks shopping budget left so will have a good amount to pay over to debt come Sunday night Scottish Power not updated ac with meters readings, pretty sure it will still be in credit so will be asking for a refund which will go towards debt too...£23 of Tesco vouchers in today too!

Yes that is a good idea. Did that with the overdraft -2500 down to 2000.
Paid the car money and have 500 left (avoiding emergencies) to pay off a card. Not telling dh as he might use it - it's a maxed out one but low limit so going to target that. He won't know so won't be tempted.

Brill re vouchers - I'm saving all mine up for Xmas. I've also started buying Xmas presents if I see cheap ones!