Can I survive?

kuohu

That's true and a good point Mrs Sparkle. Short term contracts are normally just the 6 months and it sounds like you can get by (financially) for the 6 months, Dipsy, with the help from your family. During that time you'll be able to look for another place, if that turns out to be what you want or need to do.

dipsy2006

thanks for your understanding Mrs Sparkle - I have a six month break clause in the contract and so I definitely intend to look around near to that time.

It should hopefully be enough time for me to get my head sorted and other things sorted and feeling better about things.

thanks again
d x

CAFCGirl

Just wanted to add on about the insurance, if you've got insurance at the mo for both car and home, take ur renewal or policy documents to Barclays. If they cant lower your quote they give you £50 cash.

Just make sure you dont tell them what ur paying now, just get a quote, otherwise they'll rack up the quote with useless items so that they drop it down a fraction and give you £50, when the initial quote may have been £100 cheaper, without the deal! Sorry if that doesnt make much sense.Maybe someone can put that into english?!

The rent is high but now ur tied into it theres not much you can do.What length is your tenancy? You may be able to use it as an opportunity to hunt for something cheaper for the long term. Like you say when you split with boyf you just need to get away so dont be too hard on yourself about the rent!

Gas and elec has already been discussed and I think you should defo be looking at about £20 for both per month. Make sure you get readings each month and you can add them to your bills online too.Check the providers for the utilities too, you may be able to switch them and save some money.

Contents insurance- check to see if this includes personal possessions outside the home too, if so cancel insurance on your mobile phone contract, as you'll be paying two forms of insurance on one item and mobile providers are always the more expensive (in my humble experience)

£100 a month on food can defo be cut down for just one person. I'd say do a substantial shop of staple items that wont go off, say about £40 on pasta, tinned toms, cheap cuts of meat you can freeze, larger packs of washing powder etc (usually cheaper in bulk). Meal plan as well so you dont get caught up (like me) in wallowing (because you're suddenly alone) and then getting a take-away.

£100 on going out should also be cut down too, I'm not saying you should be a hermit like me, I dont have a going out budget simply because I don't leave my house lol, but I'm still in debt!Invest it (as such) into one night a fortnight with a few friends, get everyone round to yours, few bottles of plonk etc rather than pubs twice a week or something. Sorry I cant comment too much, I dont what your social life is like!

I cant believe BT are charging you 22.99 for broadband. If you have telewest in your area they do a package deal on phone, tv and broadband for about £20 I think. My BT deal is £14.99 a month and £11 for line rental, just waiting for contract to be up and I'll swap.

I know how easy it is to just sign up to things because you want them sorted out and not have the additional stress. I threw my ex out, but then was left with all the bills and the rent. Although it was £550 a month, I was only taking home £900, so that explains partly how dificult it can be to cope!

£20 on cat food- can this be cut down, as well as the pet insurance?
It might not save you any money but make sure when your council tax is set up you inform them ur a single occupier, you get a discount for that.If it saves ur dad some money, he might have a little more to give you toward other things. My mum pays the tv license for me

Not sure if any of this is any help or understandable for that matter, just thought I'd stick my oar in
Good luck though and remember theres always a support network here for you xx

CLAPTON

look at https://www.call1899.com and/or
https://www.call18185.co.uk

i use both.
i use call1899.com for landline to landland calls ...cost just 3p per call (not per minute)

and i use call18185.co.uk to call mobile...day time is 5p per minute and weekend is 5p per minute

also need to phone southern ireland and new zealand at 1 p per minute

you have to register at their website...then you dial 1899 or 18185 before the number and it works ok...if you dont use it you dont pay...you can use BT at any time by just dialling normally.

there are some broadband cheaper than £15 but i use Tiscali which costs 14.99 per month for 1 mb and unlimited usage but you can get cheaper..try Martin's board Utilities board.

best of luck

Baileys_Babe

How about getting an evening job in a pub, you will be paid socialise and save money on heating and lighting your flat.
Cut down costs on entertainment, dvd free trials, borrow books, cds, psp games from your library.
Invite your friends round to socialise, you supply the venue they supply the food, drink ...
As others have said look at the prices of insurance, fuel, phone & broadband.
It is do able but will take lots of hard work, goodluck.

OberonSH

Just want to add that when my hubby walked out on New Years Eve I was worried about how I was going to cope - you have this big them-shaped hole in your life, the evenings are lonely and you juscan't get used to being in bed on your own.

Now I'm more confident, have more friends and am discovering what I like to do, like to eat and can spend my time with my daughter how we want.

Guess I'm trying to let you know that boyf and you splitting feels like the end of the world, and in a way it is. But don;t let yourself get sucked into the thought that life is terrible and it's all over for you. It's the start of being able to do so much more with your life than you could when you had to take someone else into account. You now have the opportunity to learn how to live cheaply, and how to find the best deals - valuable skills indeed.

You'll be right love, it won't be forever.

MCBIRNIE25

Hey firstly, chin up. You are amongst people in similar situations here, we will help all we can.
I use talktalk phone and broadband, 21.99 a month, this is for broadband, landline and free calls to landlines and international numbers day or night. This service has worked well for now., If interested go to https://www.talktalk.co.uk the food shopping you should be able to defo cut down. Use aldi, lidl, netto, or wholesalers and the likes if possible.Pop along to the old style thread for help here.
Try to ebay and amazon as much as possibler, if ya have nothing to sell, do what i did, i leafletted my local area(30 quid per 1000 leaflets) and offered to sell other peoples items on commission. So many people are technophobes, i did quite well dedicating my sundays to this.
Watching the footy so will have a further think and come back to ya.
Take it easy,

MCBIRNIE25

Prudent

I would keep the pet insurance going. I got £280 of unexpected vet bills for my two cats last summer, and got caught out by not having insurance.

mad-mum_3

Even if your dad is paying your council tax for you this time make sure thta you register with the council as a single person in order to get the discount. At the same time get an application for Housing beneifit ( help with your rent) and council tax benefit. The forms are usually a bit long winded but worth a try. Your local council may have a website with a calculator on it for benefits where you could try out to see if you would , but apply anyway the worst they can say is no you do not qualify.

Also although you get your hair cuts quite cheaply there are some hairdressers who will do it almost for nothing if you go as a model for their trainees. No you do not have to be beautiful etc ( which of course you may be!) it is your hair they are interested in. I have been doing this for years and I have never had any problems as they are properly supervised.

Good luck.

beanielou

dIPSY06
iM SURE IT WILL ALL WORK OUT IN THE END.
Think you have made the best of a difficult situation meantime 7 hopefully things will get easier for you.
As has been said remember to include every last thing in your budget for your DMP.