Don't know how we'll eat this month

evenmoreconfused.com

Hi,

I'm a newbie, so don't have loads of advice or anything.

Just wanted to mention that LIDL's nappies are a lot cheaper than Pampers and just as good, o are ASDA's little Angels. Might be worth trying.

Our shopping budget for 2 adults and a 2 year old was £200 a month, we have cut that down dramatically and have sometimes made £60 last 3 weeks, we are all meat eaters and cook fresh. I now buy my meat from LIDL's, mainly mince beef, chicken breasts and whole chickens, I bulk buy them then freeze them until we need them. When we want something else we buy it as and when i.e. lamb, pork chops etc.. We don't have meat meals every night, a couple of nights a week we might just have egg and chips, omlette and salad or veggie burgers, but we still have meat meals 3/4 days a week and most weeks we get to treat ourselves to ASDA's CYO Pizza or curry meal.

I find Veg is very often on offer in LIDL's, currently cucumber is 25p, Sprouts 29p for a bag. And the Rabbit gets a gereous helping too.


I shop at different supermarkets (Luckily they are all close by), doing the main at LIDL's, then off to Iceland for the toilet roll, veggie burgers, faggots and fishfingers. Then off to Morisons or Asda to top up on those few things (Decent baked beans) I can't get in LIDL's or Iceland.

I really find that we have saved a lot of money doing this and eat quite well for the moeny we spend, my daughter always has fruit, youghurts and treats available. This also includes toiletries, washing powder, cleaning products. We still buy a few names brands mainly Kenco, Surf and Heinz beans. But mostly we buy supermarket brands, some times they have been nicer than the leading brand, sometimes they are not but we just don't use that product again and go back our original brand.

Hope some of that helps

ampersand

It's still blasty,stormy,blowy here ws - take the weather and the season as metaphor for your new order. There may be bitter moments and chill, but you know that it's the necessary pathway to every following Spring.
Think of the wind as your powerful ally - sweeping all the detritus and purpose-served leaves right away.

So, today - you can start the spending diary, as Mrs Tine advised.

Missbehaving's advice about speaking with both sets of parents is one to keep with you - as she says, you may be very surprised. OH's parents' reaction may explain a lot to you about his current ways; hopefully, it will make an amenable approach to him clear for you. If not, you will be all the better armed for the Tough Love parenting you have already begun for all 3 of you. So long as you keep coming back here, you will never be alone in this.

Make sure you are scouting for Loyalty points on products, keeping in your mind's eye that Quarterly conversion to - for instance - a Family Day out. You and daughter and Daddy can look online to refresh the anticipation of a pleasure to come.

CAP are waiting for your call....I don't knock the others, but I DO know what they've done, how they work from recent and immediate close hand. Why do I feel they're so right for you, ws? Don't know- but I feel it in my water.

Don't trash about with officially ancient ladies and their divining water!

pm in your box. Stay strong - be encouraged, ws.
Hugs.
###########
The wind is doing its bit towards clearing your ground for GARDENING -
This time next year, you'll be posting here :

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=27145661#post27145661

[loved the phrase - 'Preservers' !!!!!!.']

MS_Dolphin

Household Information[/b]
Number of adults in household........... 2
Number of children in household......... 1
Number of cars owned.................... 1
Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1205
Partners monthly income after tax....... 2049
Benefits................................ 91
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 3345
Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 873
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 683
Rent.................................... 0
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 149
Electricity............................. 120
Gas..................................... 73
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 30
Telephone (land line)................... 10
Mobile phone............................ 52
TV Licence.............................. 12
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 10
Internet Services....................... 10
Groceries etc. ......................... 400
Clothing................................ 30
Petrol/diesel........................... 100
Road tax................................ 18
Car Insurance........................... 56
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 20
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 140
Childcare/nursery....................... 95
Other child related expenses............ 66
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 20
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 25
Contents insurance...................... 20
Life assurance ......................... 18
Other insurance......................... 14
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 20
Haircuts................................ 60
Entertainment........................... 30
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 40
Total monthly expenses.................. 3194

Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 250000
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 2000
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 252000

Secured & HP Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Mortgage...................... 235000...(873)......3.04
Secured Debt.................. 21666....(683)......9.66
Total secured & HP debts...... 256666....-.........-
Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly.. .APR
Halifax mastercard.............2250......41........22.95
Barclaycard....................4600......110...... .24.9
Barclaycard....................1000......25....... .27.9
Bank OD........................700.......20........NaN
Bank OD........................2500......30........NaN
Next...........................510.......45....... .26.49
Virgin CC......................3500......25........0
Virgin CC......................3500......25........0
Halifax mastercard.............7700......65........0
Total unsecured debts..........26260.....386.......-

Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 3,345
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 3,194
Available for debt repayments........... 151
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 386
Amount short for making debt repayments. -235


First of all, well done in taking the plunge, I know it is hard, but it is better than carrying on doing nothing.

As others have said, there are some obvious ones:

Car insurance - £672 per year for a £2k car - shop around immediately.

gas/electric already going down £63 next month, but screw it further at both ends - comparison sites for best deal, actively monitor your useage - turn off the TV from standby. Another simple example that sounds extreme is something I do - all my life I turn on the tap to clean my teeth and let the water run until I've finished, I now turn it off whilst I'm cleaning. This sounds crazy, but my metered water bill was 3 times that of my neighbours.

mobile - PAYG is perfectly fine for emergencies and will save slash your bill. If 3 wont release your contract now, will they allow you to lower your tariff level?

Satellite TV - lose it, £10 per month.

Groceries - £400 is way too much in your situation. We have 2 adults, plus my son 2 days a week, plus 2 cats and we survive on £100 per month and yes, I eat meat every day of the week, plus fresh fruit and veg. We just cut out completely the junk, snacking stuff that isn't necessary and also choose the best times to shop for reduced priced foods that are perfectly fine and can go into the freezer.

Home insurance - £45 a month is horrendous, shop around and I'd imagine you could more than half this.

Emergency fund - sorry, but this is an emergency.

Haircuts - been said, but you don't need to spend £60. I bought a cheap set of shears from a Woolies type shop for £10 and my wife cuts mine now, ongoing cost £0. My wife actually does a good job, but as my dad says, "the only difference between a good and a bad haircut is - a week"

Entertainment - entertain yourself, go for walks in the woods, play with the little one in the park.

Credit cards - call all of your CC companies. This is what I did with mine in this situation, tell them you've been offered a balance transfer deal by another company, what will you offer me to stay? I did this when I wasn't in a position to get credit anywhere else, but without exception every card company I had reduced the interest rate, some by only a couple of percent, but most cut the rate significantly. The worst that can happen is they say no.

Secured loan - something doesn't add up here - at 9.66%/£683 per month it suggests a repayment term of just over 3 years which is really short for a £21k secured loan. Even if you revise the term to 6 years, at the same interest rate you'll get a payment of around £310 wiping out your monthly shortfall and still paying off a large loan in a relatively short time period.

Some of the stuff above sounds extreme, maybe even obsessive, and it is, but this is how I live because at the moment I have no choice. The good news from your point of view is that from the figures you've quoted, you do appear to have options and don't have to go as far as I have if you don't choose to, but the harsh question you have to ask yourself is, "how serious are you about getting out of this situation?" If you are serious, then cut back on the haircuts....

Good luck with it all and remember, there are always lots of people on here willing to help.

MS D

ampersand

Thankyou MS Dolphin - another for whom pressing the Thanks button isn't enough.
Superb post.

MrsTinks

And christmas looming and all... make home made pressies I'm investing in a cookie cutter set that you make the cookies and then stack them to make a christmas tree I'm sure that it will work out a lot cheaper than buying everyone family pressies and I have yet to find many who turn down a cookie! OR make large cookies and write a message on there with icing and wrap in celophane. Or make chocolate slabs in the style of Hotel Chocolate - let the children loose! Viola! Personal and tasty present and you can say little un (s) have made it even if they just threw the nuts/marshmellows/stuff on the cooling chocolate

Fire_Fox

Is your husband aware that his meat consumption alone is costing almost £1600 a year? :eek: Speaking as a health professional, I would suggest that amount of meat may be harming your DH's health as well as your bank balance.

Do pop over to the Old Style board and learn about 'rubber chicken' and how to pad mince with porridge oats and red lentils - my ex (a chef!!) didn't notice when I tried! Also get your DH to read Weezl74's thread 'Eat Healthily on 50p per day'. Cheaper forms of protein include eggs, turkey or pork mince, Smartprice or Value turkey drumstick, Basics frozen chicken pieces, tinned pink salmon and fresh mackerel, chicken livers, cottage and cream cheese.

ampersand

Dear ws, the worry worm is working o/t.
Just give us a wave, even if you don't feel you can communicate further.
Have been thinking about you a great deal.

Bless you, with all our caring and concern - B

ampersand

Hello ws - respecting your silence, shall do same myself now and await any news from you.
You know we're here when you need.
Will continue to hope for /think of you...............[dots always being used to represent unifinished business]

ampersand

Never quite know how it's happened, but still haven't gone to bed - had too much to do.
So happy to report GOOD PM from ws. I'm sure she'll let us all knw how things are as soon as she can.
Just want to post for everyone to see - and it's a Well Done to the ws Corporation
[:jws:CEO :Tand ;)OH:Co-Opted Co-Director:T:j]

In her own words before too long, but an encouraging start reinforced.
The support wagon's rolling again.
What great news to find.

redsquirrel80

WS - great to hear that you're still 'with us' on the forum and making progress, hope to see you posting here soon x