To IVA or not to IVA, that is the question...

skintandscared_2

Well if you add back in the £360 you already lose that monthly deficit. Your elec is really high for a one bed flat. We have a two bed place and our combined gas and elec are £10 a month lower than yours - and we don't have economy 7! Do you leave appliances on standby? That can use 40% of the power of having appliances on! Think about every light or appliance you switch on. Unplug all non-essentials.

Our contents insurance is about £14 a month with Direct Line and it covers absolutely everything in a 2 bed flat.

Having a niece and two nephews I honestly do know how hard it is to say NO! But honestly, at his age, it really doesn't do him any favours for him to have EVERYTHING he wants. That's probably what's got a lot of us in this credit mess... thinking I want it and I want it NOW so I'm going to have it! Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. And I bet he'd value an hour of playtime with mummy or daddy a whole lot more than a few quid spent on a toy that lasts 5 minutes... I have a friend who regularly makes tents out of sheets and chairs in the kitchen and crawls in there with her 14 month old and she absolutely LOVES it.

Do meal plans before you shop and only buy what you need to cook those meals - taking into account what you already have in your cupboards and freezer - you will HALVE your shopping bill and you won't have to spend any time trying to work out what to cook of an evening!

I'm sure with some careful budgeting you can find a surplus at the end of the month and start getting straight. I know it sounds strange, but you actually start to ENJOY seeing how little you can spend after a while. It's quite addictive! :rotfl:

Deep_In_Debt

Gosh! That reminds me of my child hood when my poor dad came home from work unable to find a chair to sit in because me and my bro had turned all the chairs round with dust sheets covering them, made a massive tent and we and mum were eating our tea in there!! Costs nothing but massive fun!

Seriously though, your electricity is seriously high for economy 7 even with arrears. I had arrears a couple of years ago and even then paid my monthly amount plus extra so about £45pm. I'm sure you can reduce this and I don't have gas either!

I included my house and contents insurance within my mortage. So I pay an extra £12pm for h&c within my mortgage repayments. Maybe worth looking into?

skintandscared_2

One other thought on the shopping thing. Have you tried shopping online? The delivery charge would more than pay for itself because you wouldn't be tempted to impulse buy (it's much easier sticking to a list when you shop online!), your little 'un wouldn't be tempted by the sweets and toys and you would save the petrol/hassle/time of getting everyone in the car for a Big Shop.

jakesballs

I think my castles were made from all the sofa cushions, mum loved that!

Wow, something's gone seriously wrong with our electric bills! We have the TV on a fair bit and use our tumble dryer a lot as there's nowhere to hang anything around here, it takes forever to dry too. I'm going to get in touch with our supplier and get to the bottom of it.
It's an eye opener seeing what you guys are paying for insurance too, I better get searching again!

skintandscared_2

Grrrrrr, just type a long reply and my internet connection died... :mad:

We are a first floor flat so have nowhere to dry clothes either - well we didn't while we had my OH's son living with us. Ages ago I bought a dehumidifier from B&Q when I lived in a flat that was quite damp. I remember it apparently cost 1 or 2p an hour to run. I put all the wet clothes (after doing a fast spin to get as dry as poss!) on a rack in the hallway and shut all the doors. Put the dehumidifier on and they dry in half the time - often in just one day for 2 loads of washing. It's MILES cheaper than a tumble drier. In fact, our washing machine is a combi washer/drier and I've never used the drier (we rent, and it was here already - I would never have bought a combi washer/drier!)

Deep_In_Debt

I don't have a tumble drier, perhaps it's that that takes all the electricity? In the winter I just dry my stuff where ever I can. Also, I just have one heater on low in the living room and the house is still warm, probably because the walls are as thin as lettuce leaves and I get next doors' heat as well!

skintandscared_2

One other shopping tip - especially with a young child. I never pay more than half price for any toiletries or cleaning products. Only ever buy when they are BOGOF! I have a recycling container in my linen cupboard which I use to put in all the extra toiletries products. There is always at least one of everything I need in there. For things like wet wipes and talc it would save a fortune over time.

jakesballs

It's nice to know that there's other people who have or have had the same problems we've got... It's even better to know there's a solution to everything.
Thanks for the tips guys, especially the online shopping, OH actually seems excited about NOT going to the shops for a change! Has anyone given mysupermarket a go?

Deep_In_Debt

Hey!
I've just recently started on-line shopping and I do save a bit. No temptations! Just buy what I need and buy supermarket "own" brands where I can.

Also, do you have a Lidl, Aldi or Netto near you? If so, give it a whirl! I also shop in Lidl when I can and almost halve my weekly shop and the food's not bad (the chocolate is really nice!)