Rubbish Xmas - Hubby lost job. Need to cut back!

dandm1

Hi All,

Apologies if this is not in the correct place, I'm more of a lurker than a poster, but have chosen this forum as I tend to stick around in here for the most part - so hoping you can all help.

As mentioned in the title, hubby lost his job the day before New Years Eve, and until he gets a new job (going to be difficult at the moment as so many people are out of work!) we really need to cut back and try to reduce our outgoings because as it stands we don't currently have enough money to cover the bills!

So... do any of you have any practical suggestions on how to reduce our outgoings - tips/ deals/ recipes etc? Or get some extra money together? And do any of you know what benefits we may be entitled to until he is sorted?

We got bought a slow cooker for xmas so hoping this will allow me to cook some cheap but healthy meals (again any suggestions - I've never used one before!), and are posting things on ebay to try to raise some cash but any other suggestions would be amazing! I've done my tesco shopping for the month and managed to cut the cost of our food bill by half which I'm really pleased with, but need to get it down further next month if he's still out of work), we're also being really frugal with the heating and whatnot, but this wont make a huge difference, and is certainly not a quick fix!

Sorry there are so many questions and I've rambled on, I'm just a bit lost at the moment...

Many thanks in advance, (please be gentle!)
M xx

Rummer

Welcome DandM1 sorry to hear your husbands news. Over on the it's tough now how are we coping thread there is lots of OS advice and many of us in a similar position and you would be made more than welcome. http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1295539

msgnomey

hugs
you are in the right place to get lots of help

a slow cooker will help with cheaper cuts of meat, I buy stewing steak from Aldi and manage to make a casserole that feeds us for 2 days (which at £2.49 per pack is not bad) I just add loads of what ever veg I have, a srock cube and seasoning then coooook

lilian1977

Hi

So sorry to hear your news, and what an awful time to get it as well

You could try over on the Debt Free Wannabe board, you don't have to be in debt to get some help from them - they will help you stay out of debt! Look out for the daily "What small things have you done today" thread as it's full of little ideas to up your income or reduce/reuse/recycle.

Good luck and I look forward to hearing how you're getting on

xx

GreyhoundAngel

Hi,

I would use this thread for asking for OS tips on things like groceries, meal planning, cleaning etc ... I'm not a regular poster in this section - but I do nip in and pick up lots of great tips from these amazing ladies here.

However, I would also suggest looking at the DFW board and putting a different thread on there which includes your SOA - Once again, there are many amazing and knowledgable people on there that will be able to give you great advice on area's that you can cut back on (bills etc).

Also have a look at the up your income board for ideas to get a little more coming in.

Good luck !!

G:A x

**Edited to say that Lillian hit here submit button quicker than I did** :rotfl::rotfl:

motherhen2234

I was made redudant last year and whilst I quickly found a job I used the following to help:
Slow cooking and cooking from scratch will help with food bills.
Competitions / survey sites etc - Wont make you a fortune but every little helps
See where you can reduce bills etc price comparisons etc
Still plan small treats for each other as a couple (takeaway, a movie at home, favorite meal) redundancy can feel like the end of the world dont make it the end of your life / relationship :-)

dandm1

Ah thanks everyone - was a bit nervous about posting!

Rummer - thanks for that link - what a thread! I'll have a trawl through it over the next few days!

Msgnomey - thanks, thats good to know, and sounds like its really simple too. We have left over meatloaf (cooker extra this evening) for tomorrow, but will definately try it out on Tuesday. Do you have any extra tips on what is good to bulk it out a little? Hubby eats a lot! LOL

Lilian - thanks for the tip, I'll have a look. I just so want to avoid getting to that situation. I really like the sound of the small things you have done today thread. Its so easy to get downhearted in this situation and I'm finding it much easier if I feel like something has been achieved! No matter how small!

I'll keep you all posted

Today's achievement was the Tesco order, got it down to £50 for the both of us for the money. Now only have to buy milk, and fresh fruit/ veg as needed. And hubby has applied for over 30 jobs so fingers crossed he gets some good news tomorrow!

dandm1

Greyhound thanks for your post, sorry this may be a totally stupid question, but what is SOA?

And thanks also to motherhen, I do lots of the competitions but haven't won anything in ages Guess my luck has to turn sometime! And thanks for the tip about treating ourselves occasionally, we only got married in September so this is a bit of a hit for our first few months as a married couple but we'll get through it.

Frugalista

Sorry to hear your news . We are in the same boat as OH was made redundant in October - for the second time in a year :eek: - so I feel your pain!!

Firstly, try not to panic (easier said than done, I know) - you have already made a good start cutting back on shopping, etc, but if you are new to OS you should take baby steps - you can't do it all at once and will only make yourself feel down if you try to do everything at once :rolleyes:.

There are some fantastic threads on here on cutting down and making healthy, nutritious, economical meals - I know we are probably eating better than ever, and I was a fairly good cook to start off with . There is a thread somewhere on starting out on Old Style - sorry not sure exactly what it is called - but I expect someone will put you right.

We try to make every day a No Spend Day and plan our trips out to minimise petrol costs. As we live right out in the sticks we have never been able to just "pop down to the shops" so meal planning, etc is essential to avoid running out of things. Suddenly, this has become an advantage as I can't help buying "bargains" if I venture out :rotfl:.

I have really worked hard to try to stay positive and upbeat for my OH's sake (very difficult some days as I suffer badly with depression ) but this has really knocked his confidence. I try to let him know that he's still my hero - even after nearly 32 years of marriage - and even when he's being a grumpy old git :rotfl:!! We are just trying to see this as another of lifes storms to be weathered - and we will get through it!!

One positive is that he hates to be doing nothing - so all those DIY jobs that he never had the time for are starting to get done :j:j. We had bought most of the materials when we had the money so are spending very little :T and are enjoying the challenge of doing up our home on a shoestring. So, hopefully, by the time he gets a new job our home will be looking brighter as well as our future .

I can't advise about benefits - I only know that (as we have no children and own our own home) we get virtually nothing - OH gets Jobseekers Allowance of £60-odd pounds only! I'm sure someone else will be along soon to give you more advice - or get over to the Benefits Board, etc.

I wish you the best of luck and I know you will find these boards a godsend. There are a lot of people facing the same struggles, yet the support on here is tremendous. We will all get through this. :A

Sorry about the ramble :o:o.

muskoka

Before you go shopping - plan your whole week's meals & write a shopping list of what you need re: ingredients. Go shopping & stick to the list! And don't go shopping when you are hungry as you will be tempted to buy stuff on a whim.

Skintmama

Good luck to both of you in coping with this.......my husband has been made redundant twice so I have my fingers crossed for your OH's job applications!

Regarding bulking up meals; think of the overall nutrition for the meal, we tend to eat more meat/cheese etc than we actually need. By increasing the pulses and vegetable content you can still keep it well balanced especially if you accompany it with whole grains such as brown rice/pasta/bread. Unless you do this already then the meals will be both cheaper and healthier!

The wholegrains and pulses can take a bit of getting used to tastewise if you are not accustomed to them and ahem, digestionwise;)

OS is a great board to pick up tips on and I was surprised to learn that frozen veg are often cheaper than fresh and that dried fruit and veg can also be more economical.

I think you are taking a wise approach as it doesn't hurt to prune spending and if a job appears quickly you will still have got into good habits which can build up a nice little financial cushion for the future.