Advice needed re expenditure - possibility of BR

silvercar

With the cost of dog walker and transport to work and dry cleaning ( and buying) work clothes etc, how much better off are you by working?

gettingready

silvercar wrote: »

With the cost of dog walker and transport to work and dry cleaning ( and buying) work clothes etc, how much better off are you by working?

Honestly? Not better off at all.

So really I should just stay on JSA and "sod all" but I do not want to.

silvercar

gettingready wrote: »

Honestly? Not better off at all.

So really I should just stay on JSA and "sod all" but I do not want to.

I understand, its just that the bankruptcy fees may be cheaper if you have no income and if you got an IPA it would be for 3 years, whereas with no job you would be completely free after discharge.

gettingready

Silvercar - Thanks, I am aware of that. I was unable to get the BR fee together while I was on JSA though.

Even if I have no IPA at the point of Bancrupcy, there is always a big chance of my circumstances changing before the year is up and an IPA starting in the meantime anyway. I would have to got BR while unemployed AND do not work for a full year (or however long would it take to be discharged) to avoid an IPA as such. I can not do this really. I need to get back into work ASAP so despite not being better off really - still need to take this job.

Thanks for all the replies.

Forgetting the pets for the moment (please), can someone help me with the other expenses I can put down on SOA for BR? Do the ones below look ok? Too low? Too high? Anything I have forgotten/may be able to add?


[FONT=&quot]Rent[/FONT][FONT=&quot] £ 386.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Council Tax[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 125.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Internet[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 14.50 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Water[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 26.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]BT[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 50.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gas[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 40.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Electric[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 20.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]TV License[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 12.50 [/FONT]
Hairdresser £10
Optician £10
Prescriptions £22
Holidays £10
Birthdays etc £10
[FONT=&quot]Travelcard[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 124.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Groceries[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 200.00 [/FONT]

Total - £860

Thanks a lot

EDIT - I do not go out, I do not drink,not at all.
I do not buy clothes unless I absolutely NEED those and even then those are cheap.

Ineedaname

Going back to an earlier comment, you would not be allowed anything for lunch at work so you couldn't 'hide' anything there.

As per your previous thread a while back, I really do think you need to focus on priorities here and rehome your cats. That would cut down considerably on pet costs and mean you could potentially afford Zara's medical expenses. Also, if you are in receipt of Housing Benefit, you can get help from the pet charities; PDSA, Blue Cross, RSPCA for vet costs. I use the local PDSA and donate a tenner per visit and more if I can if it's an expensive visit, but I'm not expected to pay the full costs. On a low income you may still get some HB so it's an option worth looking into.

As has been said earlier in the thread, many people have to make huge sacrifices to go BR and I think yours needs to be the cats.

Just to put things in perspective, I live alone with two small terriers which I can afford quite cheaply. No insurance for them as I use the PDSA. BUT, if I'd had more when I went BR and needed to cut expenses, I would have looked to rehome the additional dogs, tough as it would have been. You have to be realistic about what you can afford.

Ineedaname

gettingready wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]Rent[/FONT][FONT=&quot] £ 386.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Council Tax[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 125.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Internet[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 14.50 [/FONT]Plusnet do a good phone & broadband deal
[FONT=&quot]Water[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 26.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]BT[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 50.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gas[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 40.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Electric[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 20.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]TV License[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 12.50 [/FONT]13
Hairdresser £10
Optician £10 5
Prescriptions £22 look at pre-paid cert for this, much cheaper
Holidays £10
Birthdays etc £10 not allowed
[FONT=&quot]Travelcard[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 124.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Groceries[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 200.00 [/FONT]

Total - £860

Thanks a lot

That's about all I can see on there, except something for dentist. Have reduced Optician to a fiver a month which is £60 per year, estimating eye test and a pair of glasses once every two years. You can get two pairs for the price of one quite cheap nowadays if you shop around and you can have the eye test one place and take the prescription elsewhere for the glasses.

gettingready

MY salary, although much lower than before - will not be classed as low income to qualify for any benefits.

I will nto be paid for any time that I do not work either - no holiday pay (that is included in the rate per hour) so will not be able to take time off for daytime vet or other appointments if needed as that will mean losing money.

Can we please really forget the pets for the moment?

Ineedaname

OK, as far as I remember, agencies are no longer allowed to pay holiday within the hourly rate. The law has changed and they have to provide you with holiday pay now. You need to look into that sharpish. I'll go look it up and pop back in a minute.

gettingready

It is within my contract "the rate per hour includes holiday pay"...

JCS1

gettingready wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]Rent[/FONT][FONT=&quot] £ 386.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Council Tax[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 125.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Internet[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 14.50 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Water[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 26.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]BT[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 50.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Gas[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 40.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Electric[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 20.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]TV License[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 12.50 [/FONT]
Hairdresser £10
Optician £10
Prescriptions £22
Holidays £10 Increase to £20
Birthdays etc £10 Not allowed
[FONT=&quot]Travelcard[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 124.00 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Groceries[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]£ 200.00 [/FONT]

Total - £860

Thanks a lot

Clothing - £30-40, dry cleaning? Professional memberships?