Not doing well becoming debt free

pheona

I had to pay over £1,000 in rent (had to catch up on 2 months rent). The food we had in the house had to last us a month, ( I had a spare £30.00 to top up our food supply, if needed). This is what I did; Everything I purchased was smart price (Adsa), or shops basic brand. I bought a kilo of pasta £1.60 and made lots of basic meals using canned tomatoes, mushrooms, etc... (use up all your cans in the cupboard). I bought frozen meat in bulk and frozen vergetables in the freezer department, so much cheaper and no wasted food. Bread, potatoes and canned tuna went so far, tuna pasta, baked potatoes with tuna mayonnaise, potato and tuna fish cakes....... I also purchased Generic brand cleaning products, incl. toilet paper..... I sent away for freebies (which did help, washing powder, bounty kitchen roll, butter etc... receiving these items in the post along with my bills lifted my spirits!). Toad in the hole was a favourite using cheap sausages and making batter with flour I had in the cupboard. If I had guests over I would bake using flour, sugar and suplies I had in my cupboard. I would type in Google all the ingredients I had and wonderful, cheap recipes and meals were found. I also went through all cupboards and was amazed with all the cleaning products and canned food I had forgetton about. (Vinegar is a great alternative to shop branded cleaning products.) I used shampoo samples, soap from magazines, hotels and beauty Xmas products that I had received and kept over the years etc... And I also had a clear out and had a car bootsale. Times were tough and we're just recovering but we survived. Hang in there and use your imagination, you will be surprised what you have at home, and who knows you might I have fun, I did!!!!

msmicawber

I understand your reluctance to 'economise' on your children, but if you really crack on with getting your finances straight it shouldn't be for too long, and they're old enough to understand. Last academic year I budgeted for my daughter to go abroad on a school trip and, having committed to it and started to pay for it, my circumstances worsened. I decided to economise in other areas and let her go on the trip still. I worked out a new SOA and budget which necessarily involved no pocket money for the children, no treats, nothing, and sat them down and explained to them that circumstances had changed and that we had to do this to avoid further problems - mine are 13 and 10 - and although the 13 year old fussed and fumed for a little while, they both accepted that it was necessary. We were on a very tight budget for 8 months, but now things are better and I've been able to reinstate pocket money and a couple of treats. I won £10 on the lottery the other day and gave them £5 each and said that I thought they deserved it for the months when things were tight. This time, both put some in their piggy banks and didn't spend it all at once, so I read that as them picking up some ideas about finances. Your children are older and will soon be making their own way in the world, so you need to get them used to thinking about finances so they don't get in a mess themselves.