Never ending problems

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Never ending problems
7
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 2:20pm
Ok Mial was depressing this afternoon. I received a notice in the mail stating that on way over due oil bill has been turned over to their lawyer. Now what? I am scared and can not even think. And to top it all off I spent ALL morning putting together a new budget plan and was actually feeling pretty good. ARG!!!!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2004
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 2:51pm
The lawyer will try to settle with you first. Call the lawyer and ask them what they are proposing you pay to resolve the debt. Then tell them you will sit down with your budget and see if you can find a way to afford it and you will call them back. What it means is it is going to cost you more to get the debt paid, because there is no an attorney fee/collection fee involved. But it is okay. You will find a way to fit it in and call it a lesson learned. The key is remembering that your new budget plan will keep you from getting into this situation again!

Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-30-2003
Thu, 11-04-2004 - 10:12pm
It's all good...defintely be pro-active about it. If you call them before they start calling you, it shows that you're willing to work with them, and aren't trying to not pay.

You may want to try and get your hands on Jerrold Mundis' book, "How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt,and live Prosperously"-in it, he details the correct ways to go about contacting and dealing with your creditors. If you've gone to the Dave Ramsey site, or gotten his book, "Financial Peace Revisited", you'll know that he strongly advocates taking care of what he calls the "Four Walls" first: Housing (utilites included here), Food, clothing, transportation. Get current on all your back bills first, but when you are current, make sure that you pay the Four Walls first so that you and your family is taken care of. Yes, everyone else will scream, but you know what? If you can't afford to pay them right now, you just can't. Make sure that your budget reflects that-and offer to send it to them. They may try to make you promise to send them a whole bunch-don't, unless it does fit into your planned budget. It's not that you're trying to get out of paying, it's that you're trying to make it to another day.


BTW, Dave Ramsey has a name for all this stuff that's been hitting you lately-"Murphy", as in "Murphy's law". Sometimes, along with the doors and windows opening that I referred to in my other post to you, Murphy comes to visit to test you to see just how committed you are to this whole debt repayment thing. hang tough, though, and here pretty quick you'll be able to kick Murphy to the curb.

Good luck-

Lisa

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 6:29am
Well, I haven't gotten the letter from the Lawyer yet just a fore warning from the oil company. I would love to have Dave ramsey's book but I don't have the money to buy it so i will have to make what I do have work for me. I do have Mundis' book and I will continue with Ramsey's web site as well as this wonderful board. Thanks!
Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 7:58am
Check your local library!

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Fri, 11-05-2004 - 8:03am
Thanks I went on Tuesday and they had slim pickings. I did get the tightwad gazette again but nothing that I really wanted. I will check ILL and see if any of the other libraries have it? Thanks again!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2004
Sun, 11-14-2004 - 10:09pm
I just bought a Ramsey book (never heard of the guy til I came here!!) on E-bay. 3.99!!!

Not bad.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2004
Mon, 11-15-2004 - 7:39am
Ha your kidding me? I went to ebay on Friday looking for one and nadda nothing! Good for you! I did get his book for my Birthday...it should be coming within 2 weeks..so good thing I didn't find the one on e-bay! Now I am having issues waiting for the book!!!