Learning to Live on Less!

White_Iris

So cross last night - the dog ate our tea! DH laughed his socks off but I felt like crying over a pack of sausages! I'm really struggling with our grocery budget at the moment, I do a big shop at the start of the month online with Tesco but it doesn't seem to last and I end up doing several top ups through the month which usually have to go on the credit card as I've no more money left. So frustrating - I need to up the budget from £150 to £200 I think but I don't know where the extra £50 is going to come from. Actually I don't even have £150 as I use the child benefit money and that's only just over £130 (did use to top it up with money from tax credits but we don't get those anymore) - no wonder things are a struggle.

girlatplay

Hi White Iris :wave:

I just spotted your diary today. Going back to what January20 said last week, don't feel bad for using the child benefit to pay for groceries etc. Every month I tell myself that I am going to save some of it or use it purely for Little Miss Gap but every month I end up using some of it towards groceries or other little things we need. I justify it to myself by saying that Little Miss needs to eat and if I didn't use the CB that would be stupid. There is no point in clothing her if I can't feed her

It's a tough journey but keep going and it will get better. You sound quite positive and you know what you have to do. Just don't expect everything to get better right away. It takes time but it will happen. Don't lose heart

Take care

Gap x

*subscribes*

White_Iris

girlatplay wrote: »

Hi White Iris :wave:
Just don't expect everything to get better right away. It takes time but it will happen.

Hi Gap, I think that this is my problem - I want to see results straight away. At the start of the month I allocate every penny to bills, savings, debts and them I have 30 days where nothing happens! Part of the reason I've started this diary is to help me to rationalise everything and give me something to do to help towards our debt even when there is nothing physical to do.

I've also made an ebay mountain in our spare room which I nibble away at, photographing and writing up on turbo-lister, when I'm feeling really frustrated at our lack of progress. Baby steps but it all helps.

girlatplay

White_Iris wrote: »

Hi Gap, I think that this is my problem - I want to see results straight away. At the start of the month I allocate every penny to bills, savings, debts and them I have 30 days where nothing happens!

Haha yes, I understand that one. I am desperate for payday every month just so that I can get bills paid because nothing productive seems to happen for the rest of the month. I have started the 'A Payment A Day' challenge and even although I can't PAD every day I do it as often as I can, just small amounts, and that means every few days I can update my signature which makes me feel like I am doing something. Have become completely obsessed with the whole money thing! :rotfl:

You are right, baby steps. Seems to be baby steps for me with most things in my life right now

Gap x

lilac_lady

White Iris - You are doing very well with your budgeting. Being a SAHM just means that you have another job and making the money stretch is a big part of it.

If you hadn't taken control of your debt and spending you would be in a much worse situation so please give yourself credit for doing so well.

White_Iris

Awww, thank you Lilac lady

LianneH

Hi WhiteIris

I think you are doing great! I take my hat off to you for being a SAHM and with twins no less!! being a SAHM and tackling your debts - you are superwoman!!
could you maybe join some of the challenges to make you feel like you are being "productive" each day?

Lx

vax2002

Whats the serious health issues the dogs have that require you to pay so much on insurance ?
Why Do you Need SKY TV ?
That,s £50 a month without striking a bat.
can your insurances be cut to the minimum needed for the mortgage
Visit car boots, look for Items you can sell on e.bay, surprisingly profitable and you can run it from home.
Sounds like too much planning for rainy days, yes its peace of mind, but very expensive peace of mind. People on tight budgets manage by taking a few chances in life and if goes badly, well worry about it then.

EssexHebridean

vax2002 wrote: »

Whats the serious health issues the dogs have that require you to pay so much on insurance ?
Why Do you Need SKY TV ?
That,s £50 a month without striking a bat.
can your insurances be cut to the minimum needed for the mortgage
Visit car boots, look for Items you can sell on e.bay, surprisingly profitable and you can run it from home.
Sounds like too much planning for rainy days, yes its peace of mind, but very expensive peace of mind. People on tight budgets manage by taking a few chances in life and if goes badly, well worry about it then.

You're either not a dog owner or you are an irresponsible one. If this was not the case you would know that the amount the OP quoted for insurance for two dogs is pretty much what you would expect. Insurance for dogs covers third party insurance as well in the event of something going wrong and the dog causing damage or injury - anybody owning a dog and failing to insure it should be put up against a wall, so far as I am concerned.

Could I refer you to comments made by someone who responded to you on another thread please - on the motoring and transport boards trolling is seen as entertainment, over here it is not countenanced and you will undoubtedly be reported to the forum team.

White_Iris

Hello Vax2002, thank you for your comments.

The dogs don't have any major health problems - pet insurance seems to have sky rocketed in the last few years. It is an area where we could cut back but our last dog was diagnosed with a heart problem in his later years and insurance saved us having to pay £70 a month for medication.

We could also cut back on Sky and it is something that we've done in the past but we don't go out much or use things like Lovefilm for entertainment, so until we really can't pay the bills it's going to stay.

I do sell quite a bit on ebay but at the moment it's clothes and things we've de-cluttered from around the house. Once I've cleared my current pile of stuff they I may think about finding other sources of goods for ebay.

I understand your comment about planning for a rainy day - DH often asks why we need to save so much each month but we've relied on credit cards for a long time and I think we need to break the cycle. Last month our boiler stopped working but fortunately we had some cash in the savings to pay for the repair. I feel that if we're going to learn to live without credit then we need to make sure we have some money in the bank for rainy days. I suppose when I asked for comments on our SOA I really just wanted someone to double check I hadn't missed any opportunity for painless savings. Although our discretionary spending money is tight we have enough to pay all our bills on-time, every month - our situation isn't dire enough for drastic cutbacks.