How can i break this cycle?

Question

Hi,
basically i am in a bit of a mess, well i think i am anyways and i would just like peoples views on how i should get out of it

In october, i had an overdraft of £450 put on my bank account, and because i was in debt at the time and trying to pay all my bills i put it on and thought its okay, i can live off it. Well now its caught up with me, my other bills are in arrears because all i bring home each month is enough to pay my overdraft! the rest i get from child tax credit and child benefit goes on bills and looking after my baby.
Basically, i need to get out the overdraft cycle, and i need it paying off and taking off once and for all its causing so many problems.
i dont know if my bank would be able to help me
any advice would be great, i dont want any answers which say stop spending money because when you have a house and a family to look after it isnt that simple!
Thanks in advance for any input

Answer 1

my first step would be to go to a legal centre to get professional advice. like you local Citizens Advice Bureau or similar. they are trained and accustomed to dealing with such problems. Good luck!

Answer 2

Hi, pop into your bank and have the overdraft but onto a reducer. They will reduce the overdraft by £10 or what ever you can afford each month. Its really quick to set up. You can see the amount got down each month and Im sure you will find it very rewarding in the end. Good luck xx

Answer 3

I got in a similar cycle as a single mother some years back. I finally got out but it took 2 months of daily stress. I think you have three options (and bankruptcy isn't one of them). 1: You can sell something that you own to catch up immediately. 2: You can work another job for several months with the assistance of family and friends with the children. 3: You can do away with every little luxury you have (I was without television and internet for 2 years). You'd be suprised how many monthly bills we have are $5-$20 higher than they have to be. Check out all your bills to see where you can cut back.

or, (speaking from the U.S.) go back to college for a degree that will bring in more money, max out your college loanssince they're very low interest rates of 3-5%, and use the refunded amount after your school tuition is paid to pay back your arrears.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Go to citizens advice beareau or check out:

http://moneysavingexpert.com/

it's a web site with some good links and advice.

Buy value groceries instead of premium brands.
Swop your electricity & gas to cheaper companies - it's really easy.
Don't skimp on basics, but ask yourself if you can live without treats such as expensive take-away meals or designer clothes.

Above all, DON'T take out more loans, even if they'll pay it off in the short term, it's just throwing good money after bad. DON'T declare yourself bankrupt or insolvent - you may never get another bank account, mortgage or loan.

You can do it, no matter how bad it seems, good luck!

Answer 5

I have been there myself and getting out of it.
My plan is simple, but takes some time and effort.

I quote my grandfather who was a great businessman: "Don't look for ways to spend less money, look for ways to earn more money"
Each day has 24 hours, I currently sleep 6 and 10 on my day off. I work 15 to 16 hours a day. I just paid off one of my debts which was almost $10,000.00.
I quote my grandfather again, when I used to say I was very tired and working a lot: "You wont remember in 100 years"

After getting the money in your bank account you need to create "prepaid accounts", I learned this in an accounting class.
First write down all your fixed expenses (ie: rent, car loan, insurance, etc etc) and then your variable ones (dining out, food, clothes, phone, etc).
If you get paid every two weeks, automatically sparate money for each "account" (expense).
For example: If you get paid $1,500 every two weeks, and your monthly rent is $1,000 put $500 every two weeks into an imaginary "prepaid rent" account.
YOU WILL BE AMAZED AT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE LEFT OVER to put into a "prepaid debts" imaginary account.

I separate $200 every two weeks and put it into my "prepaid debt" account. That is how I just paid off $10,000 in a lot less than a year.

How to keep track of these prepaid accounts is really simple. You can do it on a piece of paper if you're organized.
You can do it on Excel, open up a tab for each account.
If you like to see the money, you can label shoe boxes or cookie jars, and deposit the money into each box/jar every two weeks.
Or the best way to do it is with a personal finance software, Quicken works great for me.

I now paid off my biggest debt (I have accumulated these debts since I was 18), paid my car loan early, I am 24 and enjoy going out, I buy clothes and looks like I have a lot of money because I own my 2003 car.
My trick is that I set aside money for dining out, clothes and luxuries, before I spend it. It is called budgeting.


I hope my advice helps you out. I've been there and it is all about setting your priorities straight and organizing yourself.
GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

1) Go to citizens advice and see what they say.

2) The way I see it, you can transfer your overdraft to one of the credit cards that give you interest free periods, eg Virgin. This will allow you to reduce your debt. At the end of this period transfer to another interest free card and so on, until you are free of the debt.

But it is so wrong thinking getting into debt is any help! If you cannot live on what you earn without debt, how on earth can you live after debt with interest to pay as well?

Answer 7

if you speak to your bank they will probably be able to help you.
they will probably suggest that they turn your overdraft into a loan, it's up to you if you take them up on this, on an overdraft of 450, you would probably pay around £20 a month, but bare in mind there is interest on top so altogether you will pay around £600. but it will clear your overdraft and all your wages/benifits will be your own so to speak minus the £20 a month.

Answer 8

always plan what your gonna do
everyone be pointin at you like a fool
for not makin the right move
it aint easy payin the rent
even if its lent or spent
dont make a dent you cant mend
the banks will keep a record
you tried to pretend bein a friend
koz in the end it depends how you plan it
my advice is listen close
you dont wanna pay the price
save what you can n pay it off in the bank
keep a base thats double to what you have to pay
earn double the trouble is dont blow up like a bubble !!!!

Answer 9

why don't you simply reduce it each month. Just phone the bank on payday each month and tell them you want your overdraft limit to be reduced by ..... (perhaps about 15 pounds). You should be able to manage on that small anmount less and you will slowly pay it off.

Answer 10

go to www.daveramsey.com and look into his Financial Peace University class. I don't know if you have it in your country. You can also look for a book called Total Money Makeover. It will help you get a plan, a budget and to eat the elephant one bite at a time.

If you keep doing what you've always done...you'll always get what you always got! Live like no-one else and later you'll live like no-one else! Best Wishes!

Answer 11

If you are reliant on benefits and you owe a lot,
I would recommend bankruptcy.
But that's only a good idea if you don't work
But it depends on what you owe,
My debts were written off after 6 months,
I owed 10k

Look at it this way, if you can't pay your debts you will get bad credit anyway,
But like I said it depends how bad it is