Guess whose back!? The Return Diary

lynzpower

Honey Ive just seen your figures and I couldnt not post.

I think the following

1) CTB - try and claim
2) HB try and claim
3) get rid of sky
4) can you get rid of mobile or downshift it
5) it will probably be tough, but bring the food down to 150, grow your own bits in a plant pot if you can- lettuce, spinach etc
6) can you think about selling the car for less than 5k. Second hand cars are everywhere at the mo and their value is obv deterioraitng. I know you will still have debt left, but it will be less debt?

jsut a few more thoughts

Pooky

Hi there,

Congrats on the "bean" situation - I'm very broody!!!

When you put your claim in for HB make sure you send a covering letter explaining about your debts, we did this and got a call asking if we could send some more information, they went through everything with a fine tooth comb and then awarded us a "discretionary housing payment" of an extra £50 per week, for 3 months. We've just applied again and are waiting to see the outcome but it was a life saver.......not sure if all councils do them but they don't shout about them, but hey - if you don't ask, you won't get.

CAFCGirl

lynzpower wrote: »

Honey Ive just seen your figures and I couldnt not post.

I think the following

1) CTB - try and claim
2) HB try and claim
3) get rid of sky
4) can you get rid of mobile or downshift it
5) it will probably be tough, but bring the food down to 150, grow your own bits in a plant pot if you can- lettuce, spinach etc
6) can you think about selling the car for less than 5k. Second hand cars are everywhere at the mo and their value is obv deterioraitng. I know you will still have debt left, but it will be less debt?

jsut a few more thoughts

Hi Hun,

As for the 1st two thats on OH's list for 2moro. Had a big old heart to heart with him earlier about how I felt he could do more, and asnt taking responsibility for the situation. Possibly a little bit of pregnancy hormones worked their way in there, but he's now seen all the numbers and is taking it on board. So he's taking on the numbers now so I dont have to worry so much.
Part of me wants to tell him he needs to cover exactly half, but he cant when not working, which i understand, and him applying for JSA was a step in the right direction. Just feel like theres always more...:rotfl: Easy to say when I've got a job though I guess.
The Sky includes all our calls, the tv and the bband as well, which in itself is not a bad deal, esp as we're now not spending on going out anywhere, like cinema or dvd's etc, so its our only source of entertainment other than Pregnancy for Dummies book :T Excuses I know, but part of me is loathed OH had a job we would'nt be struggling

As for the food is rather elevated this month because ive been naughty whilst struggling with morning sickness and buying things when out to make myself feel better, whereas when I was ok, I could eat whatever I bought in, but it now takes me about 45 mins a day to decide what I can manage each day...:o
Going food shopping tomorrow and I'm giving us a limit of £35 for the nxt week. We've still got a lot of frozen as I havent eaten large evening meals due to The Bean :A

As for the car I've suggested this to OH, and I've just left it as an idea in his head. See where we go when he's had time to consider the options :rotfl:

Feel a bit better now, had some dinner so wasnt feeling as rough, stuck some James Taylor on itunes and chilled out for a bit, chatted to OH so felt a bit more relieved. I can only worry so much about it all I know, and theres only so much I can physically do about it all....

However give it a few days and I'm gonna get whip crackin on OH to get a damn job!:mad: LOL

CAFCGirl

Pooky wrote: »

Hi there,

Congrats on the "bean" situation - I'm very broody!!!

When you put your claim in for HB make sure you send a covering letter explaining about your debts, we did this and got a call asking if we could send some more information, they went through everything with a fine tooth comb and then awarded us a "discretionary housing payment" of an extra £50 per week, for 3 months. We've just applied again and are waiting to see the outcome but it was a life saver.......not sure if all councils do them but they don't shout about them, but hey - if you don't ask, you won't get.

Hi

Thanks for the idea, I'd never really considered that to be honest I'll get one written up so that OH can send it along with claim. I've put him in charge of those things because he's the one claiming JSA, which I thought was fair enough?

Floxxie

Hi CAFCGirl,

Sorry to hear you're having a carp time. I hope your OH gets some things sorted tomorrow. That's the problem with OHs - you get a role of responsibility as soon as you are pregnant and it only truly dawns on them as the baby is being born!Good news about the sickness though - the more symptoms you have the stronger the pregnancy. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest. And as you are already aware your hormones are raging - don't expect them to get any better soon - as long as you have warned OH :rotfl:

Backs to your outgoings - agree that you need to get the food bill down. Decide what you can face eating; just make sure you include fruit and veg, and meal plan.
Mobile phone and telephone - are you under contract for these?
TV Licence - I thought it is higher than £10?

Has OH enrolled on any of the board challenges yet?

Floxxie

CAFCGirl

Hi Flox,

Yes am currently under contract for telephone and mobiles, however my mobile contract runs out in October, but thats 45 for two contracts.

Food wise we spent £28 today and that should last us for at least a week. We've got a lot in the freezer and plenty of sauces/jars etc.

TV license was a ball park of £10. I think its actually £11.50.

feeling a little bit better today. Went to the doctors and am awaiting a midwifes appointment to book in the pregnancy.

CAFCGirl

Hello all,

just a quick update to say OH's fire service thing went really well. He'll find out end of august.

But he has also got an interview on friday for a full time job so thats pretty cool.Hopefully he'll do well on that one. Wud probs only be minimum wage but thats better than nowt and still means everything will be covered.

still feeling a bit queasy but was having a good day at work with morning sickness its only now ive got home that i feel a bit rough...

so doing alright altho spent £8 today, bit annoyed with myself on that as it was all food at work but its done now i guess....

CAFCGirl

OK so been through some numbers again.

I've spent in the past month £101 on nothing... well not nothing, most of it has been lunch whilst at work and not knowing what I can stomach from one day to the next. And a bday present for my sister, and £30 for petrol to get to airport.....oh and £8 for the acupressure bands to help my morning sickness.

Excuses excuses though.... I get paid on friday, 25th. and I should be getting a payrise, which will be back dated till 1st july, so should be an extra payment of about £50, and then £25 extra each month from now on.
Better than nothing.....

We've still got £264 sitting in our debt account to help cover the payments next month and I pay in £350 to the debt account, so the minimum payments on everything should be paid.

Next month will be a bigger issue but will cross that bridge when we come to it....

hypno06

Good luck on the OH job hunt.

and you seem to be keeping on top of the figures too - not easy but at least you are aware of the overspending etc rather than keeping your head in the sand over it. That has to be a positive thing x

CAFCGirl

4got to add, I've also currently got £108 left in my own current account, and will only NEED some top up foodie bits which should only be about £15.....

Just wondering if it's worth withdrawing whats left in the account before my payday on friday and keeping it in an envelope and trying to budget that money for our food shopping next month.. will still need a bit more to come out of next months wages for food, but was hoping to try and keep as much as possible sitting in the account in case i need to top up certain things, like the rent as OH might not have enough to cover all his shares