Stuck in my overdraft :(

clairelg88

camuk81 wrote: »

can you cut back on the kids clothing for a while or sell the old clothes on ebay?

I do sell bits on ebay but its such a hassle for a few pounds here and there. I do need to sort out the cupboards and give it a good go.
With my daughters I tend to buy on my Next account and then pay it off in chunks, which I know isnt very good but at least I can get her everything she needs in one go. I probably do this 2/3 times a year so I'm not constantly buying her clothes

clairelg88

LittleMissGiggles123 wrote: »

First thing, is there any way to increase your income? A second job? Babysitting for friends/family?

Mobile phone is high, try cutting your package down or go on PAYG.

Water is really high. Is this arrears? We're a family of 4 & on a water meter and we only pay £24 per month, always in credit too.

You say you spend about £200 on groceries, but your partner also spend about £80-£120 per week when you don't do the shop, so is about £400 right for you? This is really high & could easily be cut down by meal planning, batch cooking etc. Try cutting to £300 for now & then maybe join in some of the challenges to cut back a bit more.

Shopping for fun £100 - you can't afford this!
Clothes shopping - I can understand the kids clothes shopping as I know how quickly they grow, but you could ebay old stuff & use that money to buy new for your child. For yourself though, make do with what you have for now. Sell stuff you don't wear. You can't afford to spend this money every month while you're trying to clear debts.

Eating out - £50 - you also can't afford this at the moment. If it's for special occasions why not have everyone round & offer to cook a meal. Ask everyone to bring along a drink & some dessert, just try to cut down on the spending.

Birthdays, Holidays & Christmas - these all need to be cut back while you're paying off debts. How many people do you need to buy for Christmas & Birthdays? Can you have a chat with them, explain you're a bit skint at the moment, see what other ideas people can come up with. Instead of buying a present, offer to babysit their kids for a few hours/mow their lawn/bake a cake. I love receiving gifts, but my favourite Mothers Day present yesterday was not having to do ANYTHING all day, just being able to sit on the sofa all day while my husband cooked, cleaned & looked after the kids.

By cutting back on the things I mentioned above, you should get closer to closing that gap between income & expenses.

Sorry I'm not sure how to quote just a small part of the text! About the water, I'm on a payment plan, I was in arrears but now I'm not. I'm not sure how much I should be paying. Would it be better for me to go on a meter?

camuk81

clairelg88 wrote: »

With my daughters I tend to buy on my Next account and then pay it off in chunks, which I know isnt very good but at least I can get her everything she needs in one go. I probably do this 2/3 times a year so I'm not constantly buying her clothes

I did this too! Try some of the supermarkets line they can be just a good without the cost. Plus it real time forcing you to budget more.