Hi, thanks nikkie, I have an appt with our MP on Sat morning, I'll let you all know how it goes.
I also had a bit of a result with my phone. Mine broke & couldn't be repared under the warranty because it was 'water' damage (baby dribble damage more like). I bought a cheap PAYG phone to put my sim in, but then that wouldn't charge, sent it back, had to chase them up today. The phine is out of stock, they don't know when it will be back, I asked for a full refund as my proper phone is working again & they agreed, so £60 going back in my bank. Very nice.
OK. DP. This will be long, sorry. He's always been bad with money, so it's always been down to me to get everything paid etc. We had a bit of trouble a cuple of years ago, he got a PIN, I changed jobs - from waitressing with £150 tips per week, to Tesco with no tips - then our tax credis stopped - we'd been getting £95p/w. All this happened in the same month. As soon as I saw the bank statement, had a go at him, he stopped, no probs. Fast forward to June 2005. He had a serious accident at work. He almost died, almost lost his leg, spent weeks in hospital. Visiting him & then taking him to appts once he was home ate up a lot of money. Prescriptions take up a lot of money too (about £60 per month, really should get a 'season ticket'). His work were brill, they were paying him an average earnings, so basic + about 6hrs o/t. When he went back to work, he wasn't getting o/t, so his wages went down by £70 p/w (this is why I was adding it all up the other day for the solicitor.) His ave wages, now are still £40 below his sick pay. So I am being a little unfair in saying that all the debt is down to him. While he was off work he was depressed (understandably so) and over last summer started drinking more. Not a lot, just the regularity worried me. It was becoming too much of a habit. However, as soon as he went back to work that stopped. The big thing, though, is cannabis. That is what he spends all the cash on. He's admitted he's addicted & wants to stop, but won't seek help. When I 1st saw that he was taking lots out of the current account I asked for his debit card which he was happy to give me. Then the credit car bills came, I asked him for those, but instead he went out the back & shredded them. Totally voluntarily. I still kept his cashcard though and just let him have it when he really needed it, but he was doing things like he did the other day, so it got to the point where I had to give him pocket money. I really didn't think giving him a card for the MOT would be a problem, but he managed to prove me wrong there didn't he.
My theory on him not giving up spendng this time (apart from him being a selfish b***d)is that he knows he will be getting a significant amount of compensation from the accident, so he thinks that it doesn;t really matter how much he spends because he can pay it all back when he gets it. (I guess I'm a little guilty of that too. I should get a season ticket for is prescriptions, but know that it'll come back with the compensation.) He just doesn't seem to understand it doesn't work that way. He has finally realised how much it's upsetting me & how angry I get over it. I heard him on the phone to BIL yesterday & he was talking about it, so maybe I have finally got through.
I also think I agree with kaz on the addiction thing. He was getting close to an alcohol addiction, he has a drug addiction, so I guess it's feasible(sp?) to have a spending addiction too. (His mum had/has? a gambling addiction, his dad & one of his brothers an alcohol addiction) Maybe that's something I need to look at. One thing's for certain, he won't be having a card in his hand for a very long time.
Phew, thanks guys, sorry if I've bored you, good to get it off my chest though.