My updated SOA, ideas please?

Quincifer

The best and easiest way to save money on food (from personal experience anyway) is to shop and cook in bulk. If there are a couple of particular meals that you eat regularly (curry, bolognaise, chili con carne are my usuals) it works out so much better to cook a big batch - just serve your portion and freeze or chill the rest for next time. I find that from an average packet of minced beef and whatever sauce or ingredients I use I can make AT LEAST 3 meals for one person depending on how I serve it.
Fresh meat like minced beef and chicken (or turkey because its cheaper and healthier!) is always on promotion and I always look out for offers on cooking sauces and buy big bags of fruit ang veg because not only does it save money but it encourages me to eat whats there because otherwise it'll get thrown away! Making a weekly Meal Menu is also helpful but can be alot of work having kids to feed too.....you could always have a designated day each week where you have the same meal, that way you can use the bulk cooking idea and its one less thing for you to worry about that day!

Regarding the Sky - Tell them that you can't afford it right now and there is no way you are going to be able to afford it at that price. I know that you are affording it now but you need to be strict and we all know that Sky is a 'want' and not a 'need'. They cannot force you to pay for it if you tell them that you genuinely cannot afford it. The least they can do in that situation is drop you to the basic package which will save you about 30 quid anyway.

Good luck! xxx

carlih1

Quincifier,

Have been shopping this morning bought in bulk and will make meals to last for 1-2 days, tomoto sauce for pasta i normally make last and freeze anyway so i know i'm used to it.

Got a list longer than my arm to do!

Storm

Hiya, a few thoughts on possible extra income...

Is it just you & your kids in the household? Shouldn't their dad be contributing something towards their maintenance?

Do you get business miles from work? If so, depending on the rate you can claim back a tax rebate up to 40p a mile at the end of the year (sorry, badly explained - I get 35p a mile from work, so can claim back an additional 5p per mile in April)

Check your salary is right - have you had inflation rises, and if you've been there a few years a payrise in it's own right (not just inflation). Have a quiet word with other people doing the same/similar job to make sure they're not underpaying you!

Have you signed up for mystery shopping, online market research, quidco, pigsback etc?

Storm

p.s. I noticed you've counted Littlewoods twice as there's £60 in your outgoings & you've listed them under debts

carlih1

Storm wrote:

Hiya, a few thoughts on possible extra income...

Is it just you & your kids in the household? Shouldn't their dad be contributing something towards their maintenance?, CSA are onto it apparently, its only been two years, and they have as much clue about where he is as i do!
Do you get business miles from work? If so, depending on the rate you can claim back a tax rebate up to 40p a mile at the end of the year (sorry, badly explained - I get 35p a mile from work, so can claim back an additional 5p per mile in April) - No business miles i drive to and from my place of work and thts it.
Check your salary is right - have you had inflation rises, and if you've been there a few years a payrise in it's own right (not just inflation). Have a quiet word with other people doing the same/similar job to make sure they're not underpaying you! Just had a pay rise it is inline with the others

Have you signed up for mystery shopping, online market research, quidco, pigsback etc? I do quidco and ebay, tried pigsback and others but didn't get very far
Storm

p.s. I noticed you've counted Littlewoods twice as there's £60 in your outgoings & you've listed them under debts

Sorry my littlewoods goes out as a direct debit thats why i included it under my outgoings as well

Thanks for the advise

Carli

angelavdavis

Might be worth checking https://www.entitledto.com to see if you are receiving all your benefits you are entitled to.

woohoo_postingid

Benefits - £816.00

Sheesh! Think I will give up full-time work, seems a little pointless

carlih1

woohoo_postingid wrote:

Benefits - £816.00

Sheesh! Think I will give up full-time work, seems a little pointless

Seems to me they go down more than you earn the more hours you work. I only work the reqiured minimum hours and have 70% of my childcare paid for also that equates to £200 a month.

sheraz2

carlih1 wrote:

Seems to me they go dopwn more than you earn the more hours you work. I only qork the reqiured minimum hours and have 70% of my childcare paid for also that equates to £200 a month.

Child care aside, what else do you get benefits for.

My brohter has three kids and doesn't get this much, given he works full-time. O.k, take the child care factor out of his benefits, he doesn't still get that much.

If his wife got a job doing the reuired minimum, she would get an additional £816 a week inc: child care?
if that's right, I need to speak to her

carlih1

Hi,

I don't quite know if your trying to have a pop at me because i work and get benefits but no doubt i shall give you a breakdown, i get child and working tax credits the amount is £816 for a month not a week, this breaks down to £204.24 a week £50 of which is for childcare leaving me with £154.24, it's not really that much consideering a friend of mine gets that on income support, i do not feel like i have any incentive for working other than it gets me out of the house and i get to do on the job training.

HTH

woohoo_postingid

I don't think anyone's having a pop at you (not me certainly) as you are only claiming what the government says you are entitled to.

Does make you sick when you work full-time and see people getting a lot of money in benefits. It's understandable why a lot of people don't want to work when you see things like this.