Please help - need some advice

greenpixey

Hi,

My husband and I are in debt and have trouble paying our bills. Our outgoings are more than our income and it is a real struggle to make ends meet.
(I have also run out of stuff to sell on eBay to help paying our bills)
Only my husband is working at the moment. I have trouble finding a part time job and a childminder/nursery for my two toddlers at the moment.

I have tried to put a SOA together as suggested

Income;
My partners salary - 658.31 (this month, it varies)
My income - None (home with kids)
Benefits - 393.62

Total: 1,051.93


Monthly outgoings;
Mortgage - 379.11
Household ins. - 29.62
Gas/Electr. - 62.00
Water - 23.32
TV - 10.99
Council Tax - 76.83
House phone - 56.61
Broadband - 14.99
AA car ins - 68.05
Specsavers - 10.00
Car ins (end Sept) - 50.00
Bank loan - 88.71/month (3,000 7.3% APR)
Loan 2 - 166.51/month (12,000 10.71% interest rate)

Total: 1.036.74
Overdraft -4,750 (limit 5,000 14.4% APR)

This doesn't leave us any money for food so we have been using our overdraft and that is more or less maxed to the limit now.

I also got a loan from Sweden when I studied at the university chasing me, they are asking for 270.00/month from me. At the moment I'm not paying anything, we are trying to come to term with an amount that I can afford to pay. I have offered them 20.00/month but they declined it being to low.

I don't really know where to start sorting this mess out....
hope you guys can give me some advice please.

southernscouser

Are you definately getting all the benefits you are entitled to?

http://www.entitledto.co.uk/

Also what does your OH do for a living as his income isn't very high but you say it varies?

piratess

Hope you dont mind me posting .. Im new here also but have noticed that your partner gets a low amount of income and your benifits dont add up to much may i ask if you have any children? ... and do you rent own or is it council housing? ..

sorry if being to nosey just that the amount of benefits doesnt seem right ..

lynzpower

Hi there

I think that you should definately be entitled to more. Cna you break down what those benefits are or look at the other website suggested?

Now for the figures!

Monthly outgoings;
Mortgage - 379.11
Household ins. - 29.62 ( contents? Have you checked this is the cheapest?)
Gas/Electr. - 62.00
Water - 23.32
TV - 10.99
Council Tax - 76.83
House phone - 56.61 ( this is SO high, you should use prediallers or something like Primus 2 ( all your evening & weekend calls up to 11/2 hours to landlines- FREE)
Broadband - 14.99
AA car ins - 68.05 (:eek: have you checked this is the lowest? is this breakdown insurance?? )
Specsavers - 10.00 ( again have you checked this is the cheapest)
Car ins (end Sept) - 50.00 ( 2 sets of car insurance? Why?)
Bank loan - 88.71/month (3,000 7.3% APR)
Loan 2 - 166.51/month (12,000 10.71% interest rate)

Just a few thoughts from me, but it certainly doesnt look like you have enough income. Any chance you could train as a childminder yourself, and bring in extra money by looking after other peoples nippers? or get an evening job like supermarket or bar work???

greenpixey

My husband used to be a self employed taxi driver until end of April. There wasn't enough work out there so he quit. Now he works as a carer for elderly and earns around 6 pound/hour (more on the weekends).His income depends on how many hours they can offer him.

We got working tax credit and child tax credit (that's the benefit I mentioned)

We also get 116 pound child benefit but I didn't include that (That is what I buy our food, nappies and childrens clothes for)
Child benefit goes in to a seperate account from me and my husband so I can guarantee that the children get what they need, if any is left at the end of the month I use it for bills and that doesnt happen often.

Our house is ours not council house, we pay mortgage on it.

lady_fuschia

Your phone is really high- could you look at TalkTalk's combined phone/ internet package?

piratess

Thanks for that ... I know the system varies a hell of a lot especially where the TC people are concerned .. have you tried ringing them and asking them to do another calculation? just incase the amount is wrong,
cant think of anything else at the moment But keep trying.

PONDSAVER_2

Have you had a go on the website southernscouser mentioned above - you might be suprised what else you are entitled to....

greenpixey

I could try looking for evening job when my husband is home from work. Only problem is we live in the middle of nowhere. I don't hold a driving licence. have to rely on buses/trains to get any where.
I used to work for norwich union travel insurance dep. but they made us all redundant two years ago. So I cant go back to my old job.

Our benefit is based on my husband earning 12,500/year as a taxi driver. However his income got less and less since January he had to find something a bit more secure. Also he has not paid tax on that income so I know we will have to find 3,000 by the end of January to pay that as well.

Since he has been self employed it is hard to show our income. I am scared to contact the Revenue & Customs to say that he earns even less now and we need to claim more from them.

greenpixey

PONDSAVER wrote:

Have you had a go on the website southernscouser mentioned above - you might be suprised what else you are entitled to....

I am having a quick look now. But it is hard to concentrate when the kids are buzzing around me Will have to sit down tonight when it's more quiet and go through it all.

southernscouser

greenpixey wrote:

I don't hold a driving licence. have to rely on buses/trains to get any where.

Sorry I assumed you did drive because you stated AA car ins - £68.05 and car ins - £50!