Debt support thread #2

[Nerfmother]

Here we are! Can't be bothered to think of an exciting title, sorry

Funny you should say that MissAnnersleyismyhero I have just printed my CV off to apply for a full time position that's just come up....so fingers x'd.

As MissAnne asks-is there any scope to increase your hours? Some other ideas I've read to increase your income...

• sell anything and everything you can that you no longer need ('need' is the key word here!), you might still want that 2nd/3rd TV for example, but do you 'need' it?). Have a look at Gumtree or your local FB buynsell page, carboots even-get the kids involved too! You can use your circumstances to teach them a valuable lesson they can take with them into adulthood.

-have you a spare room you could rent out? Or garden/garage space?

If nothing more can come in then a harsh look at what's going out is maybe way forward for you...

This weeks shopping done 33.39, will just need fresh milk/bread through til next Mon.

Priced up a load of herbs/spices that I bought when Tesco were changing their layout...Id estimate I have over 30pounds worth that I picked up for around 5!! Having them all to hand has really helped me experiment with more recipes and make my meal plans a bit more exciting and I don't know where Id be without my slow cooker! Makes the cheapest cuts of meat a real feast.

Just popping in to say all your tips for meal plans from two weeks ago worked. I stuck to miss a's meal plan (yummy) and now have a plan for this week based on cupboards, freezer so only milk bread fruit top up required. Hurrah.

The bad bit is my provisional tax filing has not stopped the fines - they have sent me an enormous bill - and I have too much going on to deal. Might try to call them again but no luck all last week.

Will try and sort out ynab on ancient PC tonight for new month.

Support that breakfast for dcs is essential. If it is just a yoghurt.

Welcome to Club MealPlan puffer. This thread fell off my active convos so will read and catch up when the DC aren't being whirlwinds.

Once again, my freelance pay hasn't gone through, but good old DH got a bonus, meaning the OD of Doom has been paid off . We have also settled the 'living expenses' credit card, and will be living out of our bank account from now on. We always paid it off in full, but it made budgeting tricky. We have also made lots of imaginary envelopes on ynab for recurrent expenses/savings (household appliance replacement, clothes, car, presents/Christmas). We also paid double the minimum CC payment.
So aims for this month: live within our budget! Any excess at the end of the month will go to the credit card (current debt total of £6150 is on that).

I'm trying to update ynab, but it just keeps adjusting March instead of April - is there any way I can override this?

woo, puffer glad it's working! We're saving even more money this month by NOT meal planning as I am off on a school trip for a week, DH will now live on nothing but pasta and toast for a week

Need to do a really good one from 9th April onwards though including lots of things which can be frozen as home-made "ready meals" for my first weeks back at work.

Puffer
The fines may well not reflect the filing - the buggers are WEEKS behind on their correspondence.

Can I join please? I know a few from the frugal thread [waves]. Our situation is that we have a good combined income but have overspent over the last few years amounting to about £13k at the end of last year. We also took out a loan to buy a car last year £8.5k. The debt is split between an interest free CC (until spring 2016), and a 3 yr loan. I've always been good at finding the best deals for borrowing but until last year we hadn't addressed our spending.

On January 1st our total debt exc mortgage was £21375
March 31st it stands at £17853!

We've done this so far through being frugal but also I've had a steady stream of extra hours at work which has been a massive help.

Hi Northender...welcome! You've made a great start on reducing your debt already this year...well done you!!

Wow, loads to catch up on, apologies to anyone I miss, not deliberate at all, have read all the posts.
Puffer- getting through to the tax office is really hard - it was hard when I worked in tax. Sorry you have that hurdle, but glad the plans worked.
Mummy, good luck with the cv.
Miss annersley - well done on cc2
And mum2fergus, your updates are really inspiring and I am, as a result, not buying dinner tonight but relying on existing things, in an every penny counts way.
Latest newbie - hello!

Northender. Hi!

Hi Nerf. Well I dropped my CV off this afternoon which resulted in a phonecall to arrange an interview on Thursday

Mum2Fergus have done some sorting out and dh is ebaying some stuff. The local car boots start up shortly so we will definitely be partaking in those. Just to get our heads round ynab now...I get paid tomorrow and dh gets paid on 15th so may try to set it up for then.

I'd just like to say that I have found these threads very supportive and encouraging...thank you x

You're on a roll already MummyBeans...go you!!!

A cupboard in my kitchen has been annoying me for weeks so emptied it tonight and had a clear out. Found lunch bag and flask and 6 cookery books I can easily do without...put all in FB selling page...bang 30quid thank you very much...woohoo!

Hello all, welcome to newbies!!
My budget has gone totally to pot this week, I've overspent by about £50.

Am feeling quite flat today.

On the plus side, £35 of that was on compost, seeds and other gardening stuff for the veggie patch. I just hope it pays for itself!

These will be a good investment for you Puffy...can you claw any of the overspend back over rest of the week? Or reduce next weeks food budget to cover some of it?

MissA and Mum - inspiring end of month summaries!

I am still all over the place. I finished March about £750 over budget All behind with the bill payments and in a muddle. 1st April tomorrow so I'm going to make a concerted effort to sort it all out again. New month, blank slate etc. The new baby is decidedly nocturnal which is not helping to give me a clear head. She is cute though!

At the end of March I have £44 left in the bank account Despite some extra expense due to buying presents for dd's birthday. Pay day tomorrow

April Fool's Day!

Start of month summary for me:

• Pre-ynab overdraft - gone!
• Pre-ynab on budget CC - gone!
• Holiday savings £230 (more moderating money on the way)
• Xmas savings £100
• Road tax / MOT / school uniform - all have money in the pot from last month and added to in April
• £50 squirrelled away towards hen weekend spends next month

And the one which makes me happy - BIG debt reduced to just under £27k. Another £1k gone That is 38% paid off and I am going to go over 40% next month

You're all doing so well!

Hi all.
So...both overdrafts gone!
£300 in the holiday fund - not enough but it's a start.
£3.8k in the isa - but some of this will have to be used this month for kitchen fitting :(
Have sold a few things on FB and e bay which will pay for Easter gifts and b day gifts in April.
Got a hairdressers appt on Friday it am going to cancel - don't need it really.
Both dc off school ill for probably most of the week :( so that will mean I will spend more on food and have had to buy meds for myself as I am feeling pretty dodgy too :(

Can I join pls. Have approx £30k in credit card debt. Most of this was whilst in maternity leave with my 2 youngest and husband spending it all. Lone parent since November, unfortunately the cards were all in my name. Have cut food shopping from £130 a week to £60 a week by shopping at aldi and not having to keep buying beer!! Now there's me, ds 15, dd 15, ds 3 & ds 2. I have managed to not use the credit cards since January and now I'm back at work (following ling term sickness) I'm hoping to start paying off the debt.

Your all doing so well.

Im having a hard time with money at the moment, stupid easter holidays mean I dont get paid. So April is going to be a struggle.

Im going to do a freezer shop in the next couple of days, that should last at least a month. I've recently been doing a £40 freezer shop and then £60 per month top ups/fresh stuff for me, DP and DS (DSD at weekends) so £100 per month I think is good. Its getting me down though, no treats, no money to buy DS new shoes and slippers for nursery. Im going to need Maternity clothes or bigger clothes soon so god knows where that money will come from.

Having a woe is me day. I'll be fine tomoro... I hope

Onmyown1

Can ex husband not contribute? Is there no way to claim, or any way to prove the spending isn't all yours?

Onmyown - that is rubbish

All the joint CC debt was in my name when I divorced too, but luckily we sold a house and cleared them with equity. Then I ran them up again on my own - stupid me!