Need help - things getting on top of me!

[Deleted User]

Hi Sosad,

Are you on a meter for water? Would one be cheaper? (probably not if you go down the lodger route).

Do you use all the minutes and texts that you get as part of your mobile contract? - there are some good SIM onlt and PAYG deals at the moment £10 pm (check tesco mobile and vodaphone)

Consider Freesat/freeview for TV - or consider id combining with internet/homephone would be cheaper.

As others have mentioned you can probably shave a little from your food budget (perhapse reduce by £5/£10 this month and then £5/£10 next month and see how you get on? - buy own brand, use lidle aldi, batch cook and meal plan.

You also probabbly need something in clothing, I don't think that £0 is realistic.

Pet insurance definately shop around (or is there some kind of pre-existing condition to consider? - how many pets?)

Agree with keeping a spending diary.

Also, how much is your overdraft for? And how much of it do you use monthly? Is that what the £7 bank charges covers?

Where are your emergency savings if your current cash pot shown covers yearly bills/expenses.

Would it be possible to give up the car? This would save you a fair bit.

D9

Shoe_Gal

Just wanted to say 'hi' and wish you luck I too am a single girl so I feel your pain Here's my diary if you want to see how I manage (badly ) most of the time!:o

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2941620

SOSAD_2

barbiedoll wrote: »

I've lived on my own with a mortgage and it's very hard to manage sometimes. I lived on packet pasta and pot noodles for the first few months until my brother took pity on me and took me out for a big food shop!

Your SOA looks pretty tight but could you shop around for the pet insurance and maybe get rid of the cable tv for the moment? A spending diary is a good idea, those trips to the shops for a pint of milk soon add up if you're picking up a magazine, choc bar etc etc at the same time!

Do you have access to a cash and carry outlet near to where you live? I used to share pet food costs with a friend who did, we would buy in bulk and save quite a bit of money that way. Also, try "dropping a brand" when you shop, especially for cleaning materials, toilet rolls, shampoo and stuff like that.

Could you up your income at all? I used to work a couple of shifts in the local pub just to tide me over when I was paying off the costs of moving. If that doesn't appeal, what about something like answering the phone at a local minicab office? Or even a couple of shifts at weekends in the local supermarket?

Looking at your debts, you need to pay off the Next catalogue first, the interest rate is horrendous. Is there any way that you can transfer it to a 0% balance card? And don't use your current cards for any other spending, once the 0% deal is up, you'll be paying a fortune.

What is your mobile deal like, do you get lots of free minutes/texts? If so, it may be worth dropping your landline if you can. (Make any important calls when you're at work if possible! )Or have a look at some of the deals where the phone, broadband and cable is bundled together, it may save a bit at least.

You're doing a grand job so far, your debts aren't too bad and living alone is expensive but it's worth it for the sense of achievement. If you're going through a break-up, you've obviously resisted the urge to spend your way back to happiness, you know that you're stronger than that. Congratulate yourself for coping so well, and good luck for the future!

Thanks for the reply.

I don't have pet insurance, the money is for essential medicines for my dog (I have 2 dogs and a cat).

I will try dropping a brand when I go shopping, I have also decided only to go shopping once a week, instead of every few days. If I plan ahead I should save some money.

I will concentrate on the Next card first, when my interest rate is up on my cards, I will hopefully transfer to another interest free card. I've done this a couple of times before. I had nearly cleared my Virgin card, then my boiler broke and I had no other option but to put the repair on my credit card, this always seems to happen to me. I make a good dent on my balance, then an emergency happens and I have to use my credit card. So far this year I've had my washing machine break, an expensive car repair and then my boiler. Its like a catch 22 situation.

My mortgage fixed rate is up (fixed for 2 years) in August, I'm already looking at new deals and hope I can fix at a cheaper rate and bring my monthly costs down.

Getting another job is an option, I'm keeping my eyes open, there isn't much about at the moment and I live in a small village.

I don't use my landline much, but I need it for the internet. I use to have a wireless dongle but the signal was hopeless.

SOSAD_2

Domino9 wrote: »

Hi Sosad,

Are you on a meter for water? Would one be cheaper? (probably not if you go down the lodger route). I am on a water meter already, this has reduced my monthly direct debit.

Do you use all the minutes and texts that you get as part of your mobile contract? - there are some good SIM onlt and PAYG deals at the moment £10 pm (check tesco mobile and vodaphone) I will switch onto PAYG, but I'm tied in with Orange until August.

Consider Freesat/freeview for TV - or consider id combining with internet/homephone would be cheaper. I need to look into Sky for my internet, phone etc. I'm not very savvy with things like this and I'm not sure I will be able to go with Sky as I don't have a BT line at the moment.

As others have mentioned you can probably shave a little from your food budget (perhapse reduce by £5/£10 this month and then £5/£10 next month and see how you get on? - buy own brand, use lidle aldi, batch cook and meal plan.

You also probabbly need something in clothing, I don't think that £0 is realistic. I haven't bought any clothes since last summer, I have a very full warbrobe and don't actually need anything.

Pet insurance definately shop around (or is there some kind of pre-existing condition to consider? - how many pets?)

Agree with keeping a spending diary.

Also, how much is your overdraft for? And how much of it do you use monthly? Is that what the £7 bank charges covers? I'm normally around £250.00 per month into my overdraft - I'm with Halifax so pay £1.00 per day I'm overdrawn.

Where are your emergency savings if your current cash pot shown covers yearly bills/expenses. I've just renewed my car insurance, so my savings have gone on that, I shopped around for days, but my premium had still increased.

Would it be possible to give up the car? This would save you a fair bit. I would love to give up my car, but need it for work (not many buses, live in the countryside) and I also need it for trips to the vets. I don't use it for anything else and don't make any other trips.

D9

Thanks for the message.

Pollycat

SOSAD wrote: »

I will try dropping a brand when I go shopping, I have also decided only to go shopping once a week, instead of every few days. If I plan ahead I should save some money.

Check out the MS Old-Style board for great tips on menu planning and bulk cooking.

For example, I will buy red & green peppers and use some for a pasta dish and then some in a tuna risotto.

I NEVER ever throw food away.

I often buy bags of potatoes when they are reduced and boil & mash them, then freeze them.

I've just cooked up some left over savoy cabbage and mixed it into some mashed potato and will use it as a topping for a shepherd's pie for dinner tonight.

I do big batches of chilli and bolognaise sauce and freeze it.
I also cook up 2 shepherd's pie bases at the same time, it doesn't take much more time to chop extra onion & carrot.

If I see any reduced root veg I'll buy it and chuck it into the slow cooker and make soup.

I do appreciate that it's harder cooking & planning for 1 though.

If you can free up a bit of spare cash, you can then take advantage of BOGOF & half price offers (only as long as you'll use them though).

It's very rare that I pay full price for anything and if I have to I get incredibly annoyed with myself.

barbiedoll

It's hard to start meal-planning and shopping weekly rather than every couple of days but once you get into the habit, you'll kick yourself for not doing it sooner.

Pollycat's ideas are great, if you have a freezer, do make use of it. Spend a Saturday or Sunday every month to have a "big cook" day and make large shepherd's pies, tuna bakes, spag bol sauces and so on. And as she says, try not to throw anything away, bits of left-over cheese can be grated and frozen, veg can be cooked, pureed and frozen to use in soups, fruit can be cooked, frozen and made into smoothies or ice-lollies.

Just out of interest, what medicines do your dogs have to take? Sometimes, there are ways to get things cheaper, getting a larger prescription for two months at a time perhaps? (Try the pets board, they know loads on there!) Also, even things like painkillers for dogs can be bought over the counter, as long as you know exactly what they need, ibuprofen for instance, is horrendously expensive on a vet's prescription, yet it is the same as the stuff that you can buy in the chemists.

I know what it's like with the savings, as soon as the money starts to pile up, so do the emergency bills! :mad:
And do check out contents insurance, I pay around £23 per month for buildings and contents and I'm living in a house so you may be able to get both for what you're paying for just the buildings cover. Have a look at sites such as Quidco, for cashback when you buy anything online, including insurance.

Hopefully, we can get you some savings and you can think about changing that username! (Caught up with your other thread, hope you're ok )

curlytop12

hi there,and welcome
just a couple of bits-i have buildings and contents for £16 for both with swinton and got £30 cashback from them(when i mentioned i could go through top cash back)my house is a modern two bed terraced,contents is for £20,ooo.
might orange drop a tariff for you until contract ends or offer a loyalty tariff-3mobile just did this,i dropped from £15 to £6,my contract doesn't finish until july-got to be worth asking?
i didn't even question how much i paid for things until i found this site,it's so fab!mind you,i get teased for my "bargains" and vouchers and new attitude now,but being single,we've only got ourselves to answer to really.
good luck,am sure you will do it!keep posting,i totally love the posters on here for all the help i've had:)

chrissie52

Hi there

Feel for you, have been where you are. You will come out the other side smiling, honest!:)
Have you tried looking on the internet for the medication for your dog, you may find it much cheaper even with the payment to your vet for the script. I buy syringes and specialist food for my cat (who is diabetic) on the net, not his insulin though, it's too fragile to post. I find I save between 15 and 30%. Well worth it!
Good luck and take care.

SOSAD_2

Hi All,

Thanks for the messages and advice, it really is appreciated!

I've had a positive day today and feel a little more in control.

I was back in work after the Easter hols and received my wage slip today. The good news is I am now £50.00 per month better off, due to the tax changes and moving up a point on my scale at work!!

I have taken this £50.00 and paid it off my Next account, I've never had it so won't miss it! I will also pay my normal £20.00 towards Next, so thats £70.00 cleared off this month!!

I've also called Sky and cancelled, they tried there hardest to keep me, but I stuck to my guns!

This evening I will be putting some things on EBAY, I have a couple of DVD Boxsets that I know will sell and some handbags and clothes. I hope to make around £70.00, so that's more towards Next.

I'm very determined to get myself out of this mess and make my life better.! :T

CH27

SOSAD wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks for the messages and advice, it really is appreciated!

I've had a positive day today and feel a little more in control.

I was back in work after the Easter hols and received my wage slip today. The good news is I am now £50.00 per month better off, due to the tax changes and moving up a point on my scale at work!!

I have taken this £50.00 and paid it off my Next account, I've never had it so won't miss it! I will also pay my normal £20.00 towards Next, so thats £70.00 cleared off this month!!

I've also called Sky and cancelled, they tried there hardest to keep me, but I stuck to my guns!

This evening I will be putting some things on EBAY, I have a couple of DVD Boxsets that I know will sell and some handbags and clothes. I hope to make around £70.00, so that's more towards Next.

I'm very determined to get myself out of this mess and make my life better.! :T

Well done :T