A thread for people trying to pay off debt?

[moneyworries8]

Would there be any interest in this?

I'll start us off. I'm 30, a SAHM with 2DC.
Our debts are:

£4,000 loan that we've been paying off for 6 months.
£2,300 on a credit card

The debt is manageable but I've had the realisation that if something doesn't change, these figures are going to get bigger and bigger. I know it's a hard time of year to start but I don't believe in "waiting until the new year!"

We could post on here for advice/support as well as sharing our successes (and failures, but hopefully there won't be many of those) with each other. I feel like I need some people to help keep me on track.

So, is anyone interested?

@pansydansy you are spending £3,120 per year on gas and electricity. I'm spending only £720. (And we're probably under the £700 mark actually) That's insane. Insane! I'm really surprised at the difference.

Plus I live in Scotland where it's stereotypically cold and wet with so theoretically should have bigger energy needs! Your family size is twice mine. Your energy bill should/could/might be only double my bill?

Every wash you do - try and do a day later (easy for towels, bedding) after 7 weeks you'll have dropped a few loads and might have found it wasn't that difficult. Could you stretch doing bedding to 10 days?

Your time, think of your time that you spend on this. I'd grudge that so much.

I do towels and bed linen every fortnight as it's the best balance between my need for cleanliness and a planet friendly/wallet friendly approach. I realise this is right for me, at my present stage in life - it might change.

@TalkinPaece believe me I'm not washing for the sake of it! Who does that anyway. And why would you not wash the pet beds? I'm not sure what planet your living on with washing towels every 3-4 weeks 😬

@SciFiScream pre payment metres with debt on them. They cost a fortune. I like to wash the bedding often because we have cats and a dog that lay on the beds. Towels I wash every other day.

My husband and i have never managed money well. I worry so much and I have had to go.through so much to get where I am today. I have now got a job with better money but we are still struggling. I have severe anxiety but I have pushed myself and over come it so that the kids dont starve etc. I am right to br angry with dh as hes had the same low paid rubbish job for 11 years no offer of a better position etc. I have tried to encourage him to ask for a rise or a better position as after all he is a damn hard worker never has time off unless absolutely neccesary etc but he wont. He just likes to sit through life coasting. Hes got 0 confidence and although i try to encourage him he wont even try. All he ever says is well i work so what more can i do? We are not managing our bills at all and use credit card every month for petrol and food. Im now at my wits end as im nearly full time now as well as juggling 2 kids and house work etc. He gets annoyed if im not home in time to make his work sandwiches or tea before he goes on night shift. And hes always buying beer even when ive told him we have £36 to last us nearly 2 weeks! I feel like we are drowning in debt and all he does is say well im working i cant do anymore. Its so frustrating! Im working. But i dont drink smoke go out on rare occasions and i walk about in charity shop clothes. In the past i spent more than we earned i know that but most of it was essentials kid clothes etc. Im in despair of my husband as he just likes am easy life and no matter how hard i try to encourage him to either pursue a new career or ask for a change of position or rise he just wont even acknoelege me. Hes so stuck in his ways its unreal! .. sorry for long post

@pansydansy a new "no pets in bedrooms rule" would save you money and time! That's an easy fix.

Do you have a water bill? How much is that? (No water bills in Scotland - bundled up with our council tax)

The pets beds that you wash weekly - a hoover and an airing outside (sunlight is a great cleaner) would buy you an extra week or two between washes. They could easily be done monthly.

It does seem like you are making work for yourself and in doing so costing yourself money.

I wonder if you applied the same "cut back" approach in other areas of life if this would save you money.

You could pitch it to the family as a frugal, planet saving adventure and ask for their ideas too.

Sorry to keep posting about this but I'm shocked about 25 loads of washing per week! Can you imagine how much time that would have taken you pre-washing machines? Ouch!

@SciFiScream I wash the pets beds weekly because they need it. And because of fleas. We had a flea infestation last year and it was a nightmare. So the beds are washed on a hot wash once a week to prevent that happening again.

Water is £30 a month.

Yep 25 sounds a lot. But it's pretty normal for a family of seven with pets.

I've just washed all 7 coats and 3 single quilts. I have two washing machines so my time doing it all is much shorter now. Believe me I do not creat work for myself. I do what needs doing it's just how it is.

@TalkinPaece

I really can't think what else it could be other than those two debts which have gone to the debt collection agency.

Why else could I not get a bank account ?
Low income? I'm a stay at home mum, single, 3 kids could that be why?

I don't have any other debts I don't have a credit card just the one basic bank account and no ccjs

Could you request a copy of your credit file midnight or register for one of those sites that you can check your credit scores

Midnight
Ah OK, so you have a debt collection agency chasing you.
presumably after a CCJ
You need to get those bills cleared ASAP

pansy
I have two washing machines so my time doing it all is much shorter now. Believe me I do not creat work for myself. I do what needs doing
Two washing machines is a total waste of money.
Towels are not dirty after two days.
Fleas are treated with spot on, not wasting water to wash beds
Coats barely need washing.

Your water use and electricity use and detergent use are costing you a fortune.
If you refuse to see how you can massively economise by changing your habits, it is hard for us to help you.

@TalkinPaece having 2 washing machines help me.

The spot on didn't work that's why there was flea 🙄

Towels do need washing after 2 days in this house. Believe me!

Pet beds do need washing.

I'm not really sure why your focusing so much on my washing. It is what it is. 5 adults and 2 small children in this house with 3 pets.
Oh I also wash my sofa covers once a month and washable rugs every 2 weeks FYI

And I'm thinking of getting a 2nd tumble dryer for the winter 🙊

@TalkinPaece oh and coats do need washing regular. 2 teenage girls with make up round the collars and two toddlers with mucky fingers 👍🏼

pansydandy
And I'm thinking of getting a 2nd tumble dryer for the winter
Then you will always be in debt.
Your choice.

Yep 25 sounds a lot. But it's pretty normal for a family of seven with pets. That's more than 3 loads a day, every single day thought.

We have 2 cats, their beds get washed once a month (if I remember) Bedding is fornightly. Towels once a week (how can they get dirtier in that time?) I wear a coat and makeup every day, My 3 year old has his coat on most days too. Can't remember the last time either coat was washed. His clothes are't washed after every wear, only if they're dirty.
His Pjs are but only because he's just toilet trained and dribbles a bit, otherwise they'll be worn a few nights at a time too.

Sofas don't need washing monthly - by washing them you actually reduce the fire retardant coating on them too.

You're spending a week on utilities for what We spend in a month, it it madness and really could be cut down - even aim for £10 a week reduction.

@QforCucumber yep but I don't do washing everyday. Some days I get bored with it so miss a day or two and then catch up on it. Today I've done 10 loads (5 in each machine) I'Ve caught up on it now, but dd has her room to clean tomorrow and 6 loads will come off her bedroom floor 🙄 plus her bedding and blankets.
All 5 of us girls wear clean pjs every day. Dd 4 dribbles and the youngest is in nappies so her pjs stink plus they eat their breakfast in them and after that they are a mess. Me and the teenagers change ours everyday because we don't wear underwear underneath so need washing.

My girls are mucky so coats are washed every Friday.

Pets bedding stinks and puppy's dog pisses all over them so they are washed weekly. Cat lay all over the beds so bedding is washed every Saturday.

All the girls in this house change their clothes Daily. 3 out of 7 of us go to the gym everyday so gym clothes get washed. The boys do football 3 tones a week that's more washing. The sofas need washing once a month Cos of the cats and dog plus the kids are messy and get food everywhere. Or drink spilt on them. Tried throws but the kids just rip them off.

If you ask most people in a big family Id bet my life they do as much washing as me. I'm not doing it for the sake of my health it is what it is 🙄 I don't enjoy doing it I don't get no kick out of it but that's what I do because it needs doing.

6 Loads from her bedroom floor? 6 full loads? That's more clothes than DH and I own put together! (10kg drum machine)

My Sil is a big family like yours (well 4 kids, 2 adults, a dog and a cat) I know she does 1-2 loads a day, then Towels and bedding on the last day. She allocates a day to a person and chucks in a colour catcher with each wash - I though it was a great idea and means the kids know when their stuff is getting washed, if they want anything between time they put their own in (expect the 5 year old)

QforCucumber
Getting out of debt involves making lifestyle changes.
I have infinite patience for those who realise this and struggle.
I have no patience at all for those who refuse to realise that they have to change to achieve results.

Posters with £50k coming into the house who will not change are not worth my effort I'm afraid.

@QforCucumber yeah I was being sarcastic. It's about 4 loads (we have 2x 10 drums)

We're down to about 7 towels in this house it's a free for all and if you can find a clean one than you've literally one the lottery. There normally on someone's bedroom floor 🙄 that's why I'm constantly washing them. Makeup all over them and the cats have normally laid on them.

@TalkinPaece there's making lifestyle choices and then there's complete utter bollox for advice. I'm not sure I'd take advice from someone who washes their towels every 4 weeks anywayy🙈🤢🤮

@pansydansy I checked in with a very close friend with a big family. Comparable with yours. Only 2 dogs, no cats. They do 15 loads of washing a week. So you could cut down by a third.
This seems to match the other big family mentioned above. Looks like about 14 per week?

The 3 adult children living at home should do their own washing. It's certainly not your job! I hope they are paying you digs.

I don't wear make up myself so don't know, but if it gets onto the collars of their coats surely they are wearing too much? That's really icky. No wonder the coats need washed often.

I wonder if the adult children will do as much laundry as you do when they move out? I'd be encouraging that to help save you money!!!!

You've done TEN LOADS today? Wow. What a boring day. What a lot of work (two machines or not!)

Please don't get a second tumble dryer. Try and save a little bit of the planet.

Also @pansydansy saving money needs changes in lifestyle.

Two of big loves are tech and reading/data/info.

In the past ten years for green and frugal reasons I've bought all my tech second hand and started using the library much more. MUCH more.

I reckon using the library saves me around £1,000 pa

@SciFiScream the children are 14,16,17 of course they aren't paying me 🧐

I wish people would stop going on about me washing!! Jesus Christ I'm not empty drawers and wardrobes of clean washing and sticking it in the machine for the fun of it. I'm washing dirty washing. And it's dirty for a reason 🙄

Jesus you lot pick one thing from a post and focus solely on that! Move on fgs or just don't bother commenting. Unless you want to come do my washing? So boring now keep repeating myself!

@SciFiScream and yes I will be buying a new dryer. Not that it's any of your concern

You said they were adult! You meant adult sized. I see. Ah shame about the digs then. I paid digs to my Dad as soon as I started earning (part-time at 14). I also had to pay for all my phone calls. (Grim)

That's a future way to boost the family pot at least. It creates good budgeting habits for them too. My DH never contributed to household pot when earning. I did. Guess who is better with money? Me. Though I've taught him well!

You want to save money. We've all identified a way you could save money. You could save literally thousands by making changes to the household laundry habit.

Plus I bet clothes don't last as long with all that washing and tumble drying? My bed linen is 15 years old at the end of May (wedding present) and many of my clothes have been on the go for around 8 years (obvs won't be the same with the teenagers) but that's an associated cost of all that laundry.

We'd focus on one issue if it was wasting you money if it was something else. I dunno, like an obsession with buying jigsaw puzzles.

It's such an easy win for you. If only you'd see it.

@TalkinPaece (why do you keep changing your username slightly? Makes it hard to tag you!)

I'm thinking about taking a one month payment holiday from our mortgage to clear a credit card. Credit card is on 0% will need DH to agree though as we make all financial decisions together.

Crazy or sensible?

We've been overpaying small amounts for years, are out of the negative equity that the 2008 crash created and due for renewal in October.

We've got loads of headroom in our two credit cards (scary amounts) and a small amount of savings (which I like to keep) as our emergency fund.

Our debt isn't daft, it's manageable but I want it gone by Brexit. Then we'd only have our mortgage left.

CC1 £1214
CC2 £2100
Car loan £412 - 2 payments to go, over in June.

My barclaycard 0% is due to expire in the next few months, I have the available credit on a virgin card but no 0% transfer offers available - does anyone know if I call them would they give me an offer do you think? I really dont want to be paying £50 a month interest!