It's worse than I thought!

beccam

totally off topic but something that has put half a smile on my face........I've now got my third star here!!! :rotfl:

Maybe thats an inspirational sign??

Danni-R

Hey,

If Hubby is so attached to sky sports cant the money come out of his 'entertainment' money?

I second savingmummy- PAYG is so much cheaper, I cant find as good a deal on contract as I'm currently on. £10 a month unlimited text etc.

If your ever unsure of where your money goes a spending diary might be a good idea?

If you know what kind of bump your having it might be worth buying things of e-bay or free cycle? I know most people want new things for babies but when they are so young and grow so quickly....

With the grocery bit. If you head over to money saving old style you might be able to pick up some hints and tips to save a bit more?

(I dont have a husband so it might be a scary thought asking him to choose between beer, fags or football! sorry!)

Ex-Spendaholic

I'm in NI too and have a few suggestions:

For the house and car insurance try Direct Line. www.directline.com. They don't appear on price comparison websites. I currently pay about £12 per month for building and contents (and my house is worth 2.5 times what yours is) and about £14-£15 per month for car insurance. We have life insurance with them too. We each have a separate policy with a pay out of £130K (I think) and it costs about £12 per month each. Yours may be higher though due to the smoking, health problems etc.

With regard to the mobile phone when your contract is up then phone 02 Retentions and tell them you are leaving. You should get a much better deal. I have 600 minutes, 1000 texts and all my 02 to 02 calls free for £18 per month. If you don't want a new handset you could probably get the same deal for about £10 or alternatively if you are going for a new handset go for the one which is worth the most and sell it on ebay/gumtree. You could make enough money to clear one or two of your smaller debts eg: Etam and Next.

Are you getting all the tax credits you are entitled to? Check this out. When your income goes down after the baby you should hopefully get more tax credits.

Good luck with everything.

beccam

Danni-R wrote: »

Hey,

If Hubby is so attached to sky sports cant the money come out of his 'entertainment' money?

I second savingmummy- PAYG is so much cheaper, I cant find as good a deal on contract as I'm currently on. £10 a month unlimited text etc.

If your ever unsure of where your money goes a spending diary might be a good idea?

If you know what kind of bump your having it might be worth buying things of e-bay or free cycle? I know most people want new things for babies but when they are so young and grow so quickly....

With the grocery bit. If you head over to money saving old style you might be able to pick up some hints and tips to save a bit more?

(I dont have a husband so it might be a scary thought asking him to choose between beer, fags or football! sorry!)

Well I've just brought up to hubby about "entertainment" and general situation as it is.....not exactly a great response he says he will try and cut down on fags and beer and I'm to ring Sky tomorrow about our package and see what we can do, don't think he's quite prepared to give up everything just yet but I'll give him time to let it all sink in.

He's just had to clean up my vomit though so didn't feel up to having a full argument over it right now (blasted pregnancy sickness doesn't react well to stress!)

Tomorrow I will ring O2 and also look at payg deals and see what they can do, if I upgrade I will be tied in for another 18mths/2yrs but may be able to sell handset like Ex spendaholic suggests though will have to work out the figures and see what is best.

I don't know what bump is and our hospital doesn't tell as a rule, however we do have most things from DD though need a new pram/carseat or travel system which I'm keeping an eye out for on ebay/gumtree and nearly new boards plus there should be an NCT nearly new sale in Spring time. All other big things we've got and should have enough neutral stuff to do the first while.

Will revisit old style, I used alot of their tips when hubby was made redundant before and I know it def saved us a fortune just being organised, I started again this month on my own and so far for Jan have done one big shop which came to around £65 and have probably spent another £40 on milk/bread and fresh fruit/veg so quite pleased with myself about that as still have a few things left in freezer for this week.

I know hubby is not all to blame, I too have spent on rubbish like coffee/lunch with friends/soft play places with DD and general tat so spending diary is a must I think!! Not to mention that up until this bump happened I was smoking too.:o

beccam

Ex-Spendaholic wrote: »

I'm in NI too and have a few suggestions:

For the house and car insurance try Direct Line. www.directline.com. They don't appear on price comparison websites. I currently pay about £12 per month for building and contents (and my house is worth 2.5 times what yours is) and about £14-£15 per month for car insurance. We have life insurance with them too. We each have a separate policy with a pay out of £130K (I think) and it costs about £12 per month each. Yours may be higher though due to the smoking, health problems etc.

With regard to the mobile phone when your contract is up then phone 02 Retentions and tell them you are leaving. You should get a much better deal. I have 600 minutes, 1000 texts and all my 02 to 02 calls free for £18 per month. If you don't want a new handset you could probably get the same deal for about £10 or alternatively if you are going for a new handset go for the one which is worth the most and sell it on ebay/gumtree. You could make enough money to clear one or two of your smaller debts eg: Etam and Next.

Are you getting all the tax credits you are entitled to? Check this out. When your income goes down after the baby you should hopefully get more tax credits.

Good luck with everything.

Those are great quotes for insurances! Will definately check out directline, car insurance went up this year (was renewed in Oct past) as I had a claim against me so hopefully it will drop a bit this year (if I can avoid accidents!)

Thanks for O2 advice, and tax credits. We fall right at the bottom of the tax credits cut off bracket so are only entitled to the minimum amounts and don't get help with childcare as it's not enough to qualify but yes we will get slightly more when baby comes along.

Ames

I don't want to preach but it's great that you've stopped smoking for the bump! Do you think you'll be able to carry on after the birth?

For presents, I only have mum dad and sister to buy for, this past xmas I spent less than a tenner on each and I'm hoping this year to drop it even more. Keep an eye on the grabbit board on here for good deals, and check out charity shops and car boots when you get chance. I got a great blue decanter for my sister for 30p, she's no idea it was so cheap! My mum is very much of the idea that it's how much you spend that counts, not the idea, but I've managed to drop her present spend by loads without her realising. Also, if you look all year round you're more likely to find something 'special' that looks as though you've put loads of thought into it, than if you're grabbing something off the shelves in Boots in a mad panic on xmas eve.

beccam

Ames wrote: »

I don't want to preach but it's great that you've stopped smoking for the bump! Do you think you'll be able to carry on after the birth?

For presents, I only have mum dad and sister to buy for, this past xmas I spent less than a tenner on each and I'm hoping this year to drop it even more. Keep an eye on the grabbit board on here for good deals, and check out charity shops and car boots when you get chance. I got a great blue decanter for my sister for 30p, she's no idea it was so cheap! My mum is very much of the idea that it's how much you spend that counts, not the idea, but I've managed to drop her present spend by loads without her realising. Also, if you look all year round you're more likely to find something 'special' that looks as though you've put loads of thought into it, than if you're grabbing something off the shelves in Boots in a mad panic on xmas eve.

Ames, believe me after having that convo with hubby and doing all this tonight I wanted nothing more than to go have a nice long draw on a dirty fag! BUT I won't and I'm determined to stay off them this time as I have one massive regret in life which was going back on them after having DD, worst was I had stayed off them no problem until she was nearly 5mths old and then the first night hubs and I got a night out on our own I took one of his and that was me back on them again.:mad:
Looking at the figures now as regards how much they cost, just makes me more determined to stay clear and be all saintly against hubs and his bad habits!;)

I have a few things stashed away for presents......mainly about 4 really nice toiletry sets I have been given and never used (washed the dust off one and gave to friend as birthday present last week )
I'm in two minds though as I'm hoping to do a big house clear out soon for car boot sale......when I think of the stuff we have just given away to friends/charity or the dump it's ridiculous!

savingmummy

With the presents just set a budget £10 per person.
It is only until you are back on the straight and will stop you feeling about not giving!!
I made towel cakes for my mum and mother in law using the threads on christmas moneysaving. I don`t buy for siblings this stopped when i had my children, they dont buy for me either.

Me and my hubby were smokers right up until a few weeks ago! We had sky and had mobiles ALL 3 went and we will be debtfree on 23rd feb this year!!
I gave up magazines, newspapers, days out, hair dressers, nails and all little things that add up!
If we continued to `waste` money it would of just carried on paying min payments each month and we would of still be paying it off into early next yr.
You need to show your OH the SOA. It is not nice to point out but the issue with your lack of money is your OH.
Even if he halves this it will help to pay off the debts, for eg, cut from 20 to 10 a day. 2 beers instead of 4 etc etc.
Our GP was very helpful and put my hubby on medication to stop the smoking and they work - patches and gum failed previously.

You can`t do it on your own you have to work together x

beccam

:T good for you savingmummy.......must be a great feeling to know you will be debt free, I'm hoping we can do this as I turned 31 at the beginning of Jan and I never thought I would be in such a bad place in my 30's, I really don't want to be here in my 40's either!


Anyone reading I just editied my SOA to put in about my MBNA interest rates as I can't understand them at all!:o Thought it looked a bit misleading with nothing beside it.

MrsTinks

£350 cash/savings... pay off the 3 highest apr cards

Tell hubby to cut down the fags - gradual if need be! So a pack less a week - it's what? £4 extra a week? next month another pack less a week

Oil - look at buying over 800l at a time - the price often comes down... or see if any neighbours need oil too and buy as a group - can bring the price down a LOT