Debt mutual support thread number 7 ....... Spring is coming - let the sun shine into your finances and your life

[TalkinPeace]

This thread follows on from the last six threads in the series, the most recent of which is here.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/2258202-Debt-mutual-support-thread-number-6-start-the-new-year-with-a-clear-purpose-and-keep-moving-forwards-even-by-tiny-steps?

We live in a society that makes it horribly easy to get into debt but makes it incredibly hard to admit you have a problem and even harder to get out of debt.
The posters on threads, new and experienced, are here to help people get to where they want to be.

I am not in debt, any more.
Here is a link to some spreadsheets that might help
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/legal_money_matters/1987219-SPREADSHEETS-for-Debt-Control-Budgeting-Mortgages-etc

and lots of people use this
YouNeedABudget

The important things to remember are

• yesterday is as past as the Crimean War

( we will not judge how you got into debt, but we will support you on the way out )

• this is an anonymous forum

( we will not tell your employer, family or friends of the reality of your numbers and we are here day and night )

• this thread is about supporting people through the huge mindset changes needed to come out of debt

( feel free to offload all of the feelings that drive you to want to spend, that make it hard to save and that generally make life crap at times, including getting those closest to you to recognise the changes needed )

Join in, bare your soul and come out the other end.
Its worth it.
You are worth it
The long term results for you, your partner, your children, and your friends and family are worth it.

Am I totally reading that wrong? It says one of you has to be born before 1935

pixie
no, the tory rules : which will be consolidated in the upcoming budget- are aimed at promoting marriage
tick the boxes

Aha, figured it out! It's not the Married Couples Allowance but the Marriage Allowance. Great stuff. Will register now!

And how many people born before 1935 earn enough to transfer allowances

Lots. You'd be surprised.

checking in.

I clicked on this thread by accident, meant to go to a different one. But have read a few posts on the last couple of pages out of interest and feel very sad that people struggling financially like this in the UK, whether working on an income too low to support a family or not working for whatever reason, are barely scraping by to survive. Especially when, as someone said, they have worked for 30 odd years and contributed to taxes etc...it doesn't seem fair or right at all.

For anyone who hasn't heard of her before, I really recommend reading Frugal Queens blog-she lived very frugally when trying to pay off a big debt very quickly, and has continued to live frugally even after she did that. She cooks lovely meals on very little and posts the recipes, shows how families can be fed on £40 a week.

Hope I don't sound patronising. I'm fortunate enough to be in a comfortable position financially at the moment, but take a 'there but for the grace of God' attitude about it. Hope things improve soon for everyone on here.

I love Froogs Summer - she is excellent. I like her quilting videos too.

Summergarden
FrugalQueen has not been mentioned lately but she certainly came up on the earlier threads
because the lessons she has learned need to be spread more widely.

It is really hard for the folks on this thread trapped in the ultra low wage economy - most have gone quiet but I have my fingers crossed that they are still lurking and at least not adding to their debt.

Those who got into debt despite having large incomes you know who you are on here are the ones who will most benefit from the Frugal attitude.

But it requires a total mindset change (just like the weight loss issues) and that is really hard when all of the media and politician signals are conspiring against us.

Hello!
Still lurking!
More bereavements, more funerals, more expense....
Gah.
Ongoing dental work nightmare....£££££ back on Monday :(
£150 for trip to Ireland for a funeral :(
I am going to try 16:8 diet again. It's worked for me before. But things have been so difficult, my diet has been the last thing on my mind tbh.
Hope everyone else is ok x

Oh Baddz that sounds ultra stressful.
16:8 might actually be useful as it will be something you can control.

Yeah its been a bit rubbish
I known that it sounds like excuses (and if curse to extent it is :)) but lately we have been spending money but on stuff thats really necessary
I almost feel.like it wouldn't be so bad if we had used the money enjoying ourselves/being reckless iyswim?
Sigh

Evening all!
Will post properly later but I have a tax credits question and hoped one of you might have an answer.....
Although TC now have all our correct info for this tax year we're in, they have already paid us £900 odd since 6th April. However, our income now that DH is employed again is over the cut off to get TCs so they've stopped paying us as we earn too much to qualify.
In the letter it says they will intend to collect the overpayment from future awards by reducing our payments....
BUT, we won't get any future awards so they won't be able to collect from those payments!
Does this mean they will leave it until next years award and then want it back then? Or are they going to want it back now? In which case I would have expected them to say this was the case.
What do you think?

and to those who need them, by the way x

Jickchick
After the 31 July cutoff when they reset all the numbers they will realise that they want it back.
Wait till they ask - but store it safely earning interest or paying off flexi debt ready to pay when they do.

Thanks TiP I'll stash it for now then and sit tight.

So, second month of paid employment for DH and they have taken the car into account and his pay is right! Phew. So we have more than we need to live on coming in for the first time in nearly two years!!

He's tried to apply for a 0% CC to shift a load of high interest debt on tonight and it's been rejected at the first hurdle. Hmm. We have one 0% card with £2k ish left on it which runs out in July so I'm making him ring them to ask what they can do which will help. Trouble is, we have about £6k on two 20% plus cards which mean high min repayments every month with little gain as it's mostly interest.

But, with careful budgeting, I'm determined to sort it by the end of 2016. That's the goal, be debt free and ready to remortgage. DD starts secondary that year too which would mean two in secondary and one in primary so at that point I'd only have to pay one lot of childcare if I go back to teaching so its financially viable then.

Ah well, there's always DHs kidney to sell.

So no joy on the CC, they didn't want to know. Ah well, we'll have to tread water a little longer.

Credit card rules are being REALLY tightened up.
Its a PITA
At least if you have both the high int ones on standing orders you'll whump them pretty quick.

Hello all, long time no update.
Our little boy arrived 8th May and is gorgeous, if a bit colicky.
Got some really good news yesterday about some extra money work are paying me that I didn't realise I'd get, which is fantastic, and savings for maternity leave are largely on track. The extra money means both DH and I can clear a credit card each (then he'll be left with debt on one, and I'll have none) plus I can clear both my small overdrafts (£450 in total) and put some emergency money by.
Household budgeting is a bit upended with all the extra bits we need for baby, but getting nappies and wipes from aldi, so that's saving a fortune (can't understand why pampers are still in business at the prices they charge!)
Baddz good luck on the 16:8, I started my weight loss/get fit plan on Monday and have managed to lose 3lb so far. I'm doing a mix of calorie counting (with MyFitnessPal) and low carbing, plus plenty of exercise, which is how I lost a stone and a half for my wedding last year, so I know it works for me.

Oh wow, congrats jonty!!!
I am in awe of you sweetheart....a coliky baby (I vividly remember those days) and you are on with health kick and still being frugal!!
Just remember to look after you x

Lovely news Jonty congrats!!! New babies make me go all gooey!

Aw, Jonty Lovely news! Congratulations to all of you. Be gentle with yourself - don't overdo it.

Yay, I like happy news.
Congrats to Jonty and well done to be going into this new stage with your eyes wide open about how you will afford it with the minimum of stress.

Hi Baddz I saw your post on the over 50 thread about the huge family stresses you've had in the last year.
THe fact that you are still aware of trying to manage spending and debt is a massive achievement in amongst that.
Be proud of yourself, and your DH.

Thank you x

Thank you all! Financially, we've still got a ways to go to where I want to be (not just debt free, but with savings, emergency money available and another property bought), but it feels like we're in good shape for the next twelve months of the plan at any rate