HELP!!!!!!!! please

cushion

Hi there. One of the bikes is def going to go - don't want to but I know I have to. I actually have 4 children the youngest (aged 24) is autistic. I am looking at spreading Christmas shopping over the course of this year only buying in the sales, hopefully that will reduce the costs? Strangely enough, we have just bought a second hand tent and quite looking forward to giving it a go but had already booked flights to see hubbies' 82 year old father who lives in USA before I sat down and decided to take control of the finances. I agree with beauty stuff - not really working lol !! As for glasses, both hubbie and I wear them although I did not change my old frames this year when my prescription changed where I would have done previously. The £50 for 'kids pockets money' is actually the extra help I give to my youngest (autistic) son. I try to help him budget and always end up 'helping'. Internet bill actually does include home phone AND line rental, which when taken together is quite a good deall from Plusnet - just changed to this from a more expensive deal. I had no idea how expensive my mortgage protection etc was. i thought it was a good deal (or at least that is what the advisor told us when he signed us up for them). Obviously not!! Will take a good long look at that one - thanks. You have given me a lot of food for thought that I will act upon. Really grateful for you major help x

tealady

Hi
As an ex smoker (gave up more than once btw) I went to my local chemist and got 8 weeks of nicotine replacement for 1 weeks prescription. I also went to group squitting smoking classes but watch out as one group I went to had a person who had never smoked leading the group, he was not a good advocate imo. Re the Alan Carr, try your local library they might be able to get you a copy for a small fee (or free!)

corbyboy

What is it about the bikes that costs £200 per month? Are they purchased on finance? If so then what is the Hire Purchase Repayments section in your SOA?

iamana1ias

cushion wrote: »

I actually have 4 children the youngest (aged 24) is autistic. I am looking at spreading Christmas shopping over the course of this year only buying in the sales, hopefully that will reduce the costs? x

you have 4 ADULT children and you still spend £600 a year on Christmas??!

terakris

saltnvinegar wrote: »

Pension Payments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112.82
No point putting money into a pension while you are in debt. Can you reduce payments temporarily? Another potential saving.

Im not sure i'd agree with this - while it might seem a quick fix to ditch pension payments, i did this and i now have a massive shortfall to try and make up, which is costing me even more now. Id concentrate more on cutting back the "nice to have's" rather than risk impacting your retirement.

Ditching the mobile for instance for a PAYG, which you could get for about £5 a month covers the pension payments pretty much.

dancingfairy

I also feel it is vital to maintain the pension payments as well if possible. This is particularly true if your company matches your contributions. Also it works on the snowball effect - the drip , drip drip over time starts to snowball and it all adds up so I would keep this if at all possible.
df

SHELLSHOCK

I would also keep the pension payments up. Obviously the main thing is the 200 on hobbies and I also notice your car maintenance seems very high per month?

Do you do a meal planner every week and a shopping list or do you do what I used to do and just go along every week and buy whatever takes your fancy and then go back during the week for a few more bit and bobs? I've found doing meal planners really helpful and its actually takes some of the stress away when you know exactly what you are having each day.

Keep chipping away!

TheDoolallyDilly

ryan86uk wrote: »

Mortgage Life Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67.00
Mortgage Payment Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.00

^^ I get that for £60 a month and that includes both life assurance and payment protection. Have you tried shopping around for that?

I haven't got mortgage payment protection, but our mortgage life insurance is £60 - we shopped around, it was the cheapest. It depends on how old you are when you take it out and the size of your mortgage - there might not be that much wriggle room for the OP.

cushion

Thanks everyone for the help you have given. I have spent a lot of time phoning around to see what I can get cheaper. The one major good thing that has come out of that - and this experience - is that I have a small endowment due out October next year. I phoned them and I can pull it out now, only losing £2,000 between now and then. I worked out that the payments from now til then would be £1,250 and the interest on my horrendous credit card would be £4,500 making a total of £5,750 just to hang on for another £2k. So..... I am cashing it in now which is enough to pay my credit card and all my other debts. I feel a very lucky girl. I would not have thought of ringing them to find this out if it had not have been for all your help in focusing me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

dancingfairy

Sounds good - hopefully the budget is balancing at the moment though and will prevent a repeat performance.
Best of Luck
df