Trying to gain control and losing it

tigerfeet2006

Also check out https://www.entitledto.com to make sure you are getting all you are intitled to.

MagicJames

Hiya all

FIrstly thank you for all the replies.

We already get Tax credits but we dont qualify for any housing benefit or council tax credits although once i return to college in September we will get a 25% reduction on council tax for me being a student.

The £30 I put for electric is an estimate really as we put money on here and there when we get money.

As for our food shopping again it does go up and down but I do try and stick to this budget I shop around a lot and hubby goes into the supermarkets at the time they are reducing the goods plus I make a lot of home cooked stuff to save money.

We dont have gas as where we lice is rural and not on the gas mains so we are all electric - it is low also at the moment because it is summer so we dont use heating etc.

tigerfeet2006

James just because your electric is low at the moment is irrelevant. You need to try and work out what you spend in a year and divide it by 12 to get your monthly total.

What sort of heating do you have? Is it night storeage heaters.?

LilyBart

Hello Magicjames,
The £60 for your daughter's piano, is this instrument hire or tuition fees? If instrument hire, it may be worth your looking at freecycle, gumtree or even ebay as some people are so desperate to get rid of an unwanted instrument that they're either literally or virtually giving them away. If the £60 is tuition fees, you might want to investigate small charities and/or local provision for free or subsidised lessons*. If she's talented, she may be eligible for some form of financial help with her lessons.
Lily

(edit)* try this for starters: https://www.a-y-m.org.uk

MammaCas

Hiya and welcome

You will get loads of support on here :j

I think a spending diary would help you get realistic figures - the electricity and the food are well under budget.

Hope this helps.

MC x

fiveyearplan

Regarding the tax credits

Child tax credit and working tax credit are 2 separate things - are you claiming both?

MagicJames

Sorry not been on for a couple of days been at parents.

Sorry I put child tax credits when we get working tax credits we dont qualify for child tax credits as my kids are 17 and 15.

My daughter is talented so will definately look into the advice about subsidised tuition she needs the piano lessons for her college the cost is for the tuition fees.

I am speaking to national debtline.

I have started a spending diary this week.

I really couldnt say what type of heating we have as I dont know the difference we have old storage heaters i think they are not central heating radiators.

I spoke to my hubby and he reckons our shopping bill is probably more nearer the £200 a month than what I said which is probably right.

Jaks

I can understand where you are coming from with reguards to the shopping. I have been trying to live on £40 - £50 shopping money a week to feed a family of 6. That included nappies for 2 of the children and food and toiletries and cleaning stuff. I had to do this so I could give some money to the creditors. I am relieved that things are getting sorted and the date to our bankruptcy is getting closer (4th September).

Jaks

MagicJames

Just need a bit of advice with regard to our debt most of the larger debt is in my husbands name obviously this affects me in respect of name association, however if my husband goes bankrupt (the larger debt is in his name) does that mean that I have to as well or is it possible for just him to go bankrupt and how would this affect my credit rating if I was to pay of the debts that I owe?

dalip

Only I went bc because the majority of our debts where in my name. It never(as far as were are aware) affected my OH in any way. We had a joint account(basic) i took my name off it and his account has been fine.D