Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

Debt Free 2007?

551 replies

Flamesparrow · 28/11/2006 17:42

Keep thinking about this since yesterday...

Am thinking that my aim for 2007 is to be in a decent(ish) money situation next Christmas BUT I don't wanna take the swing out of the budgie's cage completely...

I need to work out how to save money, pay all the bills, but still be able to have the odd treat here and there.

I thinking:

  • Decent food budgetting/planning
  • uswitch (I think I am on the cheapest anyway)
  • s/o for savings AND a s/o for treats
  • Work out the birthdays that will be coming across the year and make sure I put aside enough each month to cover the hell months.

What else should I be doing?

OP posts:
charliecat · 13/01/2007 21:07

Yes, but hes not worried about that. Its just the chunks they want it in

mamama · 15/01/2007 01:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
flamesparrow · 15/01/2007 07:38

Oh no CC!!!

Well the gas bill came and it was quite a bit in credit, but we owed with the electric so I paid one with the other. Still hoping to reduce repayments.

I'll email the spreadsheet now.

We've had various things crop up this month but we do appear to be ticking along ok... its very unnerving for some reason - I keep getting convinced the maths is out!

OP posts:
Jelley · 15/01/2007 07:57

nikkie - with sick pay that good, I'd definitely cancel the cover

CC I hope you manage to sort something out. It sounds a bit of a nightmare.

Jelley · 15/01/2007 07:57

nikkie - with sick pay that good, I'd definitely cancel the cover

CC I hope you manage to sort something out. It sounds a bit of a nightmare.

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 19/01/2007 11:03

Hows everyone doing? I've just done my week before pay day adding up...

We have £60 left of our budget... with £70 of things still to come out , although DH has used less petrol than normal so we have petrol budget to cover that. I seem to have spent £70 on non-essentials , and the nappy profits have disappeared into the ether slightly (although no, looking at it they disappeared into flowers for my g/dad's funeral, so that's ok).

The food budget is pretty much gone for the month (we have a fully stocked house so don't need any more other than milk occasionally)... but seeing as we only did one decent food shop and the rest of the budget was takeaway, another is called for.

I did set aside funds for fun stuff, but I am trying not to touch that as I need it for London next month - if I can try and get it so it is in the account for the month ahead it might be easier (the spends money only goes in at the end of the month)

Probably all far more detailed than you all needed, but I thought it might make the other overspenders feel better

OP posts:
Jelley · 19/01/2007 11:07

We're doing ok just now, as dp has started working 7 days a week.
I'm frantically trying to pay things off and save a bit in my tin, so when it all goes pear shaped and he has no job, we still manage.

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 19/01/2007 11:38

We find out on the 25th if DH's company have kept one of their jobs, if so then things will be secure, if not then it is probable redundancy

OP posts:
GreedyGecko · 19/01/2007 14:18

Hi, I think I might join you all if that's OK?

I have no hope of being debt free thanks to DP. He's managed to run up £9K of credit card debt between June & September . So I'm desperately trying to pay it off (it's down to £8.5K). Unfortunately the idiot used the cards to get cash ( again), so there's not even anything to take back/sell to recoup some of that. We need to clear lots of it as there is tons of work to be done on our house. 1st job - rewiring.

I've always been pretty good at not spending/making sure we're not in too much debt. I've had a read through some of this thread, and picking up ideas for other money saving/making bits. Just wanted to comment on a couple of things that I noticed.

  1. Money off vouchers in Tesco. They can be used at the normal checkout too. If you have not purchased the item you can use 1 coupon, if you have, then you can use 2. You can use as many different coupons as you wish. Be warned though. Turning up with a huge pile of coupons is likely to get you filthy looks from the previously friendly cashier!
  1. Booking holidays. ALWAYS book a holiday on a credit card. Obviously pay it off in full immediately, but I would never pay for a holiday with cash/cheque etc. With a credit card you are covered for things that insurance doesn't usually cover you for, e.g. airlines going bust. (This may have changed, insurances may have improved, but I personally wouldn't risk it.)
GreedyGecko · 19/01/2007 14:22

Oh, and if anyone has any magic tips for controlling DPs spending, send them this way! He really can't be trusted, so he has to have pocket money.

charliecat · 19/01/2007 14:44

Oh GG If he cant be trusted, then he needs to have pocket money. And not much whilst your clearing the debts. We dont have any money left ofr anything but essentials... SO if your dp has run up thats amount and still has pennys in his pocket he should be grateful IMO.
Update on the 1800...they wanted 180 so we have spent this weeks food/bills/petrol...er whole wages and TC on it...so are raiding the cupboards...emptying freezer. However I did have to spend 15 on food for dp as there was nothing really for him in the freezer/cupboards....oh and one of my rats needed an operation...£35 oh and a sewerage wbill of £77 didnt help either..I used the money set by for the cars MOT for that... Arse...
Your going to wet yourself at this...but I picked up someone tescos reciept and got thier unused 13 clubcard points put on my card...theres a barcode on unclaimed points reciepts...thats the equivilent of 52p when used in clubcard deals..and whilst picking up another reciept I found a till spit for £3 off of £30 which I will use next time in tescos.
£3.52 up today PMSL...

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 19/01/2007 14:56

CC - it comes to something when you are swiping other people's clubcard points!!

I quite liked coupons as a cashier... broke the monotony a bit.

GG - Would cutting his hands off help? I think my DH would be too scared to do that!

OP posts:
charliecat · 19/01/2007 16:25

They were unnused....just laying on the floor saying you should have used your clubcard...ah ok...use mine instead

Kaz33 · 19/01/2007 19:08

GG - Oh how i sympathise - DH is exactly the same. His response is to go and earn more money, which helps but doesn't deal with the problem.

Last time he did it I totally exploded, swore and cursed all night at him. What I should have done 8 years ago when he put a £1000 deposit down on an expensive car without consulting me. Lets hope he got the message, I am not totally convinced it will work.

We want an extension and I have threatened him that I won't action it unless we can budget and spend less than he earns. Gosh it really should't be that difficult, its not like we are on the breadline.

GreedyGecko · 19/01/2007 21:12

CC - You're not alone with the clubcard points. I used to do that when I worked there if someone had left their receipt on my checkout.

I don't think cutting off his hands would work, he'd still find a way. I'm actually really now, crying because of him. I've just been checking our bank statements, to work out his average wages since he went back to work (a story for another day!), and found lots of money was taken out on Weds.

I was thinking we had a bit of a result with our car passing the MOT, but find out not. I have all the cards, he was taking the car into the garage, and somehow I'd misplaced all the cards except one, that only works in Tesco Express. So he had a go at me for losing the cards (in the house), so I shouted at him that if he could be trusted, then I wouldn't have to keep the cards, and so wouldn't lose them (with a few naughty words thrown in!). He said he was going to take out the money for MOT at Tesco adn pay cash. Fine, I'd already had a go at him a few days ago, didn't think he'd take any extra out. Bank statement shows:

17th Jan 12:06 withdrawal £50
17th Jan 12:23 withdrawal £20
17th Jan 13:12 withdrawal £40

I am just so stunned, I'm crying, trying my hardest to sort his mess out. Why don't I just cancel all the DDs, not pay the bills, get the house repossessed and live in a scabby council B&B? That's obviously what he wants.

Sorry for this rant, I'm just so, so angry. Can't believe he's done it. He really does think that the money magically appears, and everything just magically pays itself, and there's magically money left over to do goodness knows what with. I've shown him all the spreadsheets that I've done, he's seen we have more going out than coming in. Grrrr. Sorry, ranting again.

charliecat · 19/01/2007 21:21

Sorry , but he sounds like a wanker
My best friend left her husband after he behaved in the same way, got them into 27 grands worth of debt, spent the months wages by going in and over the overdraft before the wages had gone in the bank....etc etc etc...
he would take out £20-50 a day, everyday.
He couldnt be trusted with a bank card and is now single, paying CSA via his wages being arrested.
He never has any money 3 days after being paid and is skint for the rest of the month.
It needs sorted. Not sure how but it does. Good Luck.

GreedyGecko · 19/01/2007 21:38

He used to do the taking money out each day thing when they first started switching to PIN payment. He didn't have a PIN before becasue we both know what an arse he is when it comes to money. He got better (after I'd sorted it all out), then just before he went back to work it all went pear shaped again. I was an utter fool to think he could be trusted with a card for just an hour. The neighbours had better put some soundproofing up, because he really is going to get it tomorrow. I guess it's a slight consolation that I've managed to catch it before it's got to £27K.

charliecat · 19/01/2007 21:56

Im not sure what you can do to stop him TBH, beyond treating him like a child, removing the cards and not letting him have access to the bank. Which cant be healthy for a relationship in the long run...and when you do feel you can trust him, if he takes extra money when hes said hes took £20, and takes 20 then an extra 30 its going to cause no end of arguements.
Is there help for overspending anyone??
debt free wanna bes board on MSE is inspiring the way people are pulling themselves out of debt...but they WANT to.

Kaz33 · 19/01/2007 22:38

Well I think overspending is an addicton really, you know its shit and is has to stop and that stresses you out and so you go and spend more money to deal with the stress. Years ago we had a conversation about money and budgeting, his response to go out and get a loan to get his teeth done and a bit left over - which he was going to pay back monthly out of the money he got put in his bank account every month. Except he set up the debit out of the joint account.... AAAAAAARGH It is not rational.

Our issues are nothing as bad as yours GG, helped by the fact that DH earns a lot of money and I used to before the kids. Now I can spot the warning signs and stamp them out before they happen;

  • when he is stressed at work
  • when he starts obessing about something

Do you know what he spends the money on? Is it drink, gambling, clothes, drugs, general material things, eating out....

Jbck · 20/01/2007 00:45

No-ones mentioned the Mad about bargains site so far so I will. It re-iterates a lot of the other sites but there's quite good topical stuff & a Q&A section too. For the first time in years we've got an ongoing credit card debt & doing our I&E we should be able to clear it pretty quickly & have money left over to save but like everyone else you wonder where it all goes. I am getting tough on DHs ass this week & we are going to do it.

Jelley · 20/01/2007 07:01

Well it is sad but reassuring to know that I'm not the only one with a dp who causesthe financial problems.

He has never had access to a credit card,(his choice) as he knows he would spend t like it was his money but assumes that if the cash machine gives him money, that is ok He frequently takes money out at a machine that charges 1.50 a timeand until recently did it almost every day. GG, I'm not sure what changed, as I shouted, explained, cried and did everything I could to get him to take responsibility and had almost no effect, but recently he has cut down his spending, increased his working, and is at least trying to work with me to reduce our debt now.

I hope you sort something out.

Jelley · 20/01/2007 07:04

mad about bargains

Original poster
Flamesparrow · 20/01/2007 11:16

Oh GG My DH would be like that were he not with me I think.

I took over all his finances from the time we got together and he just seemed to accept that he couldn't be trusted and got on with enjoying the lack of responsibility! He does get a bit that he has to ask how much he can spend on me for my birthday, but we seem to work that way.

Our screaming matches are about computer addiction!

OP posts:
Jbck · 20/01/2007 17:17

On the Others board someone had posted about using coupons at Tesco self-serve checkouts. Does anyone know if they take any voucher (i.e. from different stores/magazines) for any product. I'd hate to pile up with a big bundle & get a big flashing light going off.

Jelley · 20/01/2007 17:47

They take sainsburys spend and save, and money off when you buy the item, but only one money off if you aren't buying the item (as I found out to my embarrasment last week). They used to take as many as you had, but they've obviously changed their computers now.

Apparently this isn't only self service tills, but at any till, I've just never tried at a normal checkout.