I can't quite believe it's got this bad

sarahs999

Hi -I know it's a drop in the ocean, but can you swap Sky for freeview? You get film four now, and there are kids channels too. Would save you £180 a year...

Good luck,

S

Careful_girl

Your house insurance is sky high. I have just insured my new house with Direct Line. I didn't search for the cheapest:eek: (calm everyone) I was recommended to go with them because a very caring friend wanted to suggest that I had a emergency responce bit. I was shocked because that costs @£8 per month. Not sure now if it is worth it. HOWEVER, he was worried that if the boiler packed up then I couldn't afford to fix it etc. The best thing was though that I got loads of discount because OH has his car insurance with them. So it might be something to consider. Check you can't demand extra discount from other insurance you already have. You can but ask. Also the emergency response thing might be worth considering. As ever wear out all of Martin's links and articles. Make the site work for you.
I haven't had probs with MBNA have a chat with them and see if you can charm some help.
I have 2 bank accounts. One for all my fixed costs (ddsand sos) and one for the variable. The fixed costs amount goes off the variable and what is left in the variable is there to spend on the rest. If there is nothing left in the variable then it is value shopping in Tescos or a trip to LIDL. Just somethng Lloyds bank set up with me years ago.
Oh I have sent you a pm.
All the best,
CG:beer:

trickypockets

If your water is metered, couldn't you do a bit less washing ? I know it's the norm these days for people to throw everything in the machine every day, but it really isn't necessary. I wash light colours when they look grubby (usually after at least 2 wearings); I wash darks when I remember ! My clothes don't smell, I promise you.
If you didn't do as much washing, you'd save on powder and also wouldn't have so much ironing, so would save electricty as well.

BestFootForward_2

Talheedin wrote:

I’ve taken out an allowance for the month in cash this morning so that I know what I’ve got and can see how it is dwindling.

An allowance is a good idea. I do the same thing except I work out a daily allowance. For example: August has 31 days, so I divide my monthly allowance by the number of days: E.g. £100 / 31 is £3.22. Would this work for you?

soulsearcher_2

hi
wow what a thread its had me in tears and made me realise how lucky i am not to be in this sad situation but hey its also shown what fantastic peeps there are about......
one more ditty....https://www.moneysupermarket.com might be a site to visit

Katyj_2

There is a danger that you are beginning to become depressed about your debts and I don't know about you, but for me when I am down is when I reach for the retail therapy! You MUST hang on in there and pat yourself on the back for really facing this problem and starting to tackle it - feel good that things will not get worse if you face the situation now! as the saying goes, every journey starts with a first step and the first step is the hardest step - which you have taken. Remember also, that by tightening your belt where you can you are setting a positive example to your children. I am one of 6 children and my parents had little money when we were growing up, but they were careful and budgeting is one of the many lessons they taught me that has stayed with me. If you find yourself feeling tempted, just think of them and the good example you are setting. Making your own lunch is the classic example of this as it teaches children to plan, to be imaginative with food and save at the same time. It is also good for their confidence!
Best of luck and stop beating yourself up - its a waste of energy which is better spent on action!

paulfoel

KatrinaC wrote:

Gas/Electricity £100/Month Again, is there a reason why these are so high, especially in the summer? As a guideline, we can heat a very large, very old, very damp house in midwinter for less than £50 per month for both gas and electric. Check that everything you aren't using is turned off, not just put on standby and look for energy saving options for the things you can't turn off. Food £400/MonthHow many people is this for? Does it include packed lunches, coffees etc?
Clothes £60/Month This is a lot of clothing - I realise that you have a large family, but this needs to be reduced, say by half

Just out of interest, we spend about £100 a month on gas/elec since its gone up in price !!!

Also, our food/clothes bill is about £600 a month for two adults and 1 toddler !!!!

spud30

paulfoel wrote:

Also, our food/clothes bill is about £600 a month for two adults and 1 toddler !!!!

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

That would last us at least 4 months.

silverbirch_3

Reading this thread has finally made something click about my own debts which i have been ignoring for far too long, i wake in the night with that panicky feeling, sick to my stomach, unable to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I've now been inspired and have taken the time to list all my incomings and have made a list of outgoings. I don't think its complete yet though as incomings is greater than outgoings and this can't be right or i wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

I hope you are feeling more positive about your own debts now, good luck with the cccs.

WeirdoMagnet

Adrift wrote:

Hi, you should be able to cut the cost of insuring your dog. I insure mine with Marks and Spencers which gives me a LOT of insurance for the money. They have an option which means you can choose how much excess you have to pay before the insurance kicks in. I pay just over £8 a month and the excess is around £70 or possibly £80. Taking the higher excess reduces the amount of premium you pay.

BWs Adrift

Just what I was going to say Adrift. The M&S cover is excellent, and they offer life cover too, which many insurers don't. Even if you're only saving £5 a month, it's better than nothing. Here's the link.

The other thing to check is whether you have third party liability on your house insurance, so that if your dog bit anyone, you'd be covered by that.

Fortunatley, we've never been in debt, but we are massive bargain hunters - I almost never buy anything full price, and feel robbed if I do!

We get lots of our food from the 'reduced' areas - massive savings to be had, but make sure you go on the right day/time. I find Tues/Weds early evening the best.

I guess it's all about planning - for instance, I haven't bought any clothes this summer, but saved myself (and my money) for the recent sales, especially Next(!), and thought about the kind of thing I needed and occassions such as weddings where I needed things.

Good luck.

George