I am finding it difficult to budget.....

Fiddlestick

bhoy1976 wrote: »

The £190 I have quoted is the maximum CCCS would permit me in my DMP for groceries.

I like to call it my 'living budget' - its what I live off after bills.

Clothes, birthdays, Christmas, going out, dental bills and food ALL come out of that.

How much of that do you actually spend on groceries and how much is leftover for general lifestyle spending?

Also, you spend £40 a month on a laundrette. What are you getting laundered and is this an expense you can do without?

I'm also sure there is a money laundering joke in there if you try hard enough

It certainly hasn't helped since I had to move into my own place. Everything becomes more expensive.

Can you share?

Maybe move in with parents again for a year or two?

I know it's hard, but I've been there and done it myself and it's a good way to cut down your outgoings.

**confuzzled**

bhoy1976 wrote: »

Okay, here it is. Please note that on this statement I have not budgeted for clothing, birthdays, christmas, holidays, cinema, theatre, going out in general or even SAVING any money.

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet

Household Information
Number of adults in household........... 1
Number of children in household......... 0
Number of cars owned.................... 0

Monthly Income Details
Monthly income after tax................ 1200
Partners monthly income after tax....... 0
Benefits................................ 0
Other income............................ 0
Total monthly income.................... 1200

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 450
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 80 is this including the single persons discount??
Electricity............................. 25
Gas..................................... 20
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 15
Telephone (land line)................... 15
Mobile phone............................ 25 do you need both landline & mobile?
TV Licence.............................. 13
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 10 can you not get a bundle with phone line?
Groceries etc. ......................... 190 we spend this for 2 and a cat! is it alot of takeaways?? try doing a big meal in the evening like spag bol and freeze what you don't eat
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 53
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 20
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 10 whats this?
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Laundrette.............................. 40 :eek: do you live close to parents who could help with this once a month while you save the £40 for a washing machine?? or have you asked on your local freecycle, assuming you do have the space for one:) even paying someone £20 to collect it for you is cheaper than what you're currently spending! oh and possibly hand wash what you can??
Simply Health Insurance................. 10 is this needed?
Bosch appliance insurance............... 10 whats this cover? can you get it elsewhere for cheaper? and go through a cashback site;)
Total monthly expenses.................. 986


Assets
Cash.................................... 0
House value (Gross)..................... 0
Shares and bonds........................ 0
Car(s).................................. 0
Other assets............................ 0
Total Assets............................ 0

No Secured nor Hire Purchase Debts

Unsecured Debts
Description....................Debt......Monthly...APR
CCCS...........................14000.....210.......0
Total unsecured debts..........14000.....210.......-


Monthly Budget Summary
Total monthly income.................... 1,200
Expenses (including HP & secured debts). 986
Available for debt repayments........... 214
Monthly UNsecured debt repayments....... 210
Amount left after debt repayments....... 4

Personal Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets (things you own)........... 0
Total HP & Secured debt................. -0
Total Unsecured debt.................... -14,000
Net Assets.............................. -14,000

Crikey you really don't have much leeway!!!! and i'm surprised tbh, CCCS have been generous with us and our allowances! Might be worth giving them a ring and speaking to someone about how you're struggling as they do recommend having a decent work/life balance! they even expected us to reduce our payment at our 6month review but we've been managing so well that we kept it the same for now:) for perspective we pay them £400 p/m for what was originally a £40k debt:o you're paying over half what we are for less than half the debt?!?! which imo is mental!
we do the same with our food budget, we're allocated around £240 p/m for food:eek: and from this we spend approx £150 on groceries and save a little and have the rest for 'fun'

eyeopener2

Hi

Just a quickie really but the following jump out at me.

Mobile phone £25 - cut this to £10 till your debt free
Health Insurance £10 - can you not drop tis till your debt free?
Laundrette £40 - this may sound trite (its not meant to), could you handwash anything yourself or not go quite as often? I realsie that is easier said than done but i'm just trying to throw ideas around.

I am on a DMP, just started, and i'm finding it tough in some respects eg I cant do the things that I used to but that was part of the reason I am where I am. Its not easy but I don't think its meant to be.

Ring CCCS and ask them to revisit your budget and see what they say.

tbourner

What's the 'other insurance' at £10? you have health and appliance as well, and isn't £20 contents only a bit expensive?

//edit: confuzzled beat me to it, this forum moves faster than it takes to read the thread!!

bhoy1976

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 450
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 80
Electricity............................. 25
Gas..................................... 20
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 15
Telephone (land line)................... 15 - I need this for my internet
Mobile phone............................ 25 - Contract runs out October can't do anything until then
TV Licence.............................. 13
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 10
Groceries etc. ......................... 190
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 53
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 20
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 10 - I think this may be for one of the below
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Laundrette.............................. 40 - two washes a week + detergent
Simply Health Insurance................. 10 - will review this in December but cannot cancel until then
Bosch appliance insurance............... 10 - this runs until December
Total monthly expenses.................. 986

**confuzzled**

bhoy1976 wrote: »

Monthly Expense Details
Mortgage................................ 0
Secured/HP loan repayments.............. 0
Rent.................................... 450
Management charge (leasehold property).. 0
Council tax............................. 80
Electricity............................. 25
Gas..................................... 20
Oil..................................... 0
Water rates............................. 15
Telephone (land line)................... 15 - I need this for my internet
Mobile phone............................ 25 - Contract runs out October can't do anything until then
TV Licence.............................. 13
Satellite/Cable TV...................... 0
Internet Services....................... 10
Groceries etc. ......................... 190
Clothing................................ 0
Petrol/diesel........................... 0
Road tax................................ 0
Car Insurance........................... 0
Car maintenance (including MOT)......... 0
Car parking............................. 0
Other travel............................ 53
Childcare/nursery....................... 0
Other child related expenses............ 0
Medical (prescriptions, dentist etc).... 0
Pet insurance/vet bills................. 0
Buildings insurance..................... 0
Contents insurance...................... 20
Life assurance ......................... 0
Other insurance......................... 10 - I think this may be for one of the below
Presents (birthday, christmas etc)...... 0
Haircuts................................ 0
Entertainment........................... 0
Holiday................................. 0
Emergency fund.......................... 0
Laundrette.............................. 40 - two washes a week + detergent
Simply Health Insurance................. 10 - will review this in December but cannot cancel until then
Bosch appliance insurance............... 10 - this runs until December
Total monthly expenses.................. 986

so is the internet combined with the phoneline or do you still pay out the £10 listed under internet on top of the £15 for landline??

Is your mobile on the lowest tariff they'll let you drop to? if the 'other insurance' is the bosch insurance then you're already £10 up:cool::D
2 washes a week for one of you?? get that colourfast sheet that you can put in the washing maching and mix in your whites & colours..trust me it does work:D, will cut your costs and have you going the the laundrette just once a week;):)
health and bosch insurance, have a look & see if their lowest cover will be adequate for what you need and tell them you're in financial difficulty and can you lower it for the rest of the term......its hard at first but when that 1st person agrees then you will be bouncing off the walls and then the arguing with them becomes addictive:o:p:D

ETA: have you declared the laudrette charges to CCCS??? I only ask as I'm looking through my budget sheet from them and there's a section for laundry/dry cleaning! and also for hairdressing, they should have gone down this sheet with you over the phone asking for your best estimate per month on each section!!!
Sounds like you really do need to give them a call back and go over it again. How long have you been on the DMP???

sorry for the million & one questions:o I'm just a little surprised as my experience with CCCS has been loads better than what yours seem to have been so far:(

tbourner

**confuzzled** wrote: »

tell them you're in financial difficulty and can you lower it for the rest of the term......its hard at first but when that 1st person agrees then you will be bouncing off the walls and then the arguing with them becomes addictive:o:p:D

Ooh I'll have to try that, sounds like fun!

**confuzzled**

tbourner wrote: »

Ooh I'll have to try that, sounds like fun!

It is fun:D Although was disappointed with the last one I did:(...I phoned up all geared up for an argument and ready to spout certain MSE phrases;) and they agreed straight away:eek: Left me feeling slightly deflated as my chance to argue with someone other than my hubby had gone:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
and the bouncing off the walls thing....I wouldn't recommend it...it hurts:p:D

beanielou

How long have you to pay this?
I wonder if CCCS have a minimum amount you have to pay to your debts?