Suggestions Please!

bargainbetty

I can gather that you are doing something IT related (server, software etc) but you really need to look into your internet, phone and mobile packages. You are spending an absolute fortune here, and must be able to reduce it somehow. Your mobile phone packages can be reduced or moved to cheaper ones, and if your kids have them, it's time part-time jobs abd paper rounds strted helping towards the cost. Cheap phones too.

Your internet could be reviewed or reduced. I was surprised to find very little reduction in service when I reduced the package - most home PCs don't need half of what comes in.

Call your provider and tell them you are thinking about leaving. You will be put through to a retention centre who have all the best deals, and will get a more cost-effective arrangement.

If this is a regular thing for your flatmate, I would have to suggest that he set aside some money in an account to maintain his household bills for a while should be be short of cash - this isn't an acceptable situation, nice as you are being.

You can save money on food, petrol, school meals etc. Have the kids try to be more cost-effective about using electricity (don't all sit in different rooms when it's not necessary etc, shorter showers etc). You're £287 ish off every month, and you're the only one who can cut it back.

I'd also be very tempted to tell the flatmate to get his !!!! down the job centre, or start applying for bar work etc!

Good luck.

catandy

mobiles includes for 3 people - me and the kids

internet connection is a business line - i work on a crm so need guaranteed upload speed to be able to do my job

gym is going as soon as able

kids money im working on same for shopping etc

credit cards ive messed up with ive got 3 interest free that i did balance transfers onto then i racked up the 3 high interest cards which were empty again - short months needed money etc etc... short of paying off the highest interest one as a priority and working my way thru them i cant see anthing else i can do there.

training course fees means that i forfeit what ive done so far this year and would have to do it over - year starts in jan and ends in nov so that will free up another couple of £100 - i was going to put it on hold for a year if things havent improved by then

thanks for all the suggestions - im getting down to doing some serious thinking about all this and finding ways to cut back. ive just counted up the small change jar and found over £150 in small change in that so thats going to be cashed up at the post office and used as well - every bit helps uh?

FireWyrm

catandy wrote: »

internet connection is a business line - i work on a crm so need guaranteed upload speed to be able to do my job

Would that be Microsoft Dynamics? Why arnt you working for a Gold Partner? Just questions at the moment, if you're doing what I think you're doing, I may have some more useful advice.

catandy

similar to dynamics but not it - and im a self employed telemarketer so i need a crm to track all the databases/ companies i work for - I jump between contracts all the time and have to be able to access their crm systems and they need to be able to see what im up to. I tried virgin home connection, bt home connection and both weren't up to the job - both limit your bandwidth and at times in the day the speed just slows to a crawl... so had to go with a business line with guaranteed speeds and no limits on data transfer - and a hefty price tag...

was worth it when i was earning £££ - ive lost contracts due to working too many at a time and all badly so it may now be false economy - i just dont know anymore!

Heffi1

I know you are probably thinking of this anyway, but you are spending £10 per child per week for packed lunches and also giving each child £10 per week as pocket money.

Think about it, what are they doing to deserve the money.

I have been there with the not cool answers and believe me when I say that the first day home from school/college without lunch certainly concentrated the minds on what was cool!! My kids were told what was happening and they learned to accept it, the alternatives were, go out and earn the money to fund the nice things in life, my job is to make sure you are well fed and clothed and that does not include looking cool in front of your mates...

It is a hard conversation to have the first time, but if you are a pushover, then the next thing will be driving lessons, then I need a car, can you lend me a tenner so I can go to the pub with my mates...and on and on

Sorry to be the bearer of awful news, but it is time your kids learned the value of money and what it feels like to go without occasionally.

irrationalactor

Hele_an wrote: »

How old are you teenage sons? If they are any older then 14 then they should be encouraged to go out and earn the money for School lunches f they want them to be 'cool'. If they are not willing to work then they should be sent with a packed lunch or go hungry.

Sorry I haven't read all the replies because this jumped out at me.

I think it's totally reasonable to ask teenagers to go out and earn spending money, but making their school lunches and exercise conditional on what they earn for themselves is not the way to go, in my opinion.

Of course if the family can't afford it then the gym memberships have to go, but proper nutrition is vital for health and kids and teenagers need proper cooked meals every day.

Maybe I'm overreacting because my parents were awful cooks and my vision of a packed lunch is two soggy sandwiches and a kitkat! From what you hear school lunches these days are no better anyway...

catandy

Ok ive been adding up all day to see exactly where I'm at and...

currently £20,365 in debt which is growing at the rate of just short of £300 per month. :eek:

time to put a plan of action into place and get everyone onside with me on this project. looking at it like that it seems an insurmountable obstacle.

FireWyrm

catandy wrote: »

similar to dynamics but not it - and im a self employed telemarketer so i need a crm to track all the databases/ companies i work for - I jump between contracts all the time and have to be able to access their crm systems and they need to be able to see what im up to. I tried virgin home connection, bt home connection and both weren't up to the job - both limit your bandwidth and at times in the day the speed just slows to a crawl... so had to go with a business line with guaranteed speeds and no limits on data transfer - and a hefty price tag...

was worth it when i was earning £££ - ive lost contracts due to working too many at a time and all badly so it may now be false economy - i just dont know anymore!

Why dont you work for a Gold Partner as an indoor sales person selling Dynamics? You must obviously know something about relational databases. Gold Partners need to increase their customer base by at least 10% per year every year in order to maintain their partnership status. That means they are absolutely desperate for people who are capable of initiating contact with a prospective customer, discuss some technical aspects and to bring in the appointments for the Consultants who take it from there. I also happen to know that most offer competative cuts of the profits from every sale you initiate and with the market projected to increase by around 300% this year alone, you could be in there with a very nice job. PM me if you want some names of partners who might be interested in your skills if this is something you think you might be interested in.

katy_ann

irrationalactor wrote: »

Sorry I haven't read all the replies because this jumped out at me.

I think it's totally reasonable to ask teenagers to go out and earn spending money, but making their school lunches and exercise conditional on what they earn for themselves is not the way to go, in my opinion.

Of course if the family can't afford it then the gym memberships have to go, but proper nutrition is vital for health and kids and teenagers need proper cooked meals every day.

Maybe I'm overreacting because my parents were awful cooks and my vision of a packed lunch is two soggy sandwiches and a kitkat! From what you hear school lunches these days are no better anyway...

I disagree. I take a "packed lunch" to work everyday, which is no different in my eyes from a school "packed lunch". Its not just a couple of cheese sarnies and a chocolate bar. I make pasta salads, filled pitta breads, i mix fruit salads and take smoothies. If all you can be bothered to make is crap sandwiches then thats all you will get. If you spend 20 minutes making something then you will get a good nutritional lunch. And if the kids want "cool" lunches then they can earn some spends themselves. Money doesnt grow on trees...

catandy

ok guys decisions made thus far - and with considering how deep I am in as well - I actually sat down last night to work out that debts stand currently at £20365 and are going up just short of £300 per month.... so definately time for action.

1. Track every single penny I spend - I've downloaded a spreadsheet and tracking every single transaction so I can see where the 'leaks' are.
2. change mobile fone providers for me and S1 - contracts are up for review in 6 and 8 weeks respectively. Ive spoken with current provider and tried to downgrade package when the time comes to be told that I cant go onto a cheaper calling tarrif but I can stay with the same bill and get a better fone. Well I'm changing fone provider then - bill should be cut in half from November onwards so £30 saved there.
3. Re-organised bank accounts - moved all the tiny bits of savings to cancel out some of my overdraft - didnt really touch it but it all helps.
4. Put together all the spare change around the flat including cashing up the 'penny jar' - another £100+
5. I'm looking at what we have to sell - old mobiles, books, cd's, software etc to start with then a total clear out of wardrobes, cupboards and a car boot is in order
6. I went thru the assessment thingy on here last night to work out when my debts will be cleared working at my current rate - 42 months!!! OMG. So I need to speed things up a bit and cut some corners. my training course is going to be put on hold when i finish this year - thats another 330 each month off debts so that will make a difference.
7. Do a shopping list and stick with it - that is when we've cleared the freezer and cupboards. food bill has to come down considerably.
8. get tough with flat mate - my life/ my kids life should not be impacted by his inability to be paid. he either sorts out some sort of income or he needs to find somewhere else to live. I cant be responsible for keeping him buck shee until he sorts himself out.

I'm also looking at ways to up my income - taking on part time work, another contract, weekend work, I signed up as a mystery shopper yesterday and have my first assignement tomorrow - Ok £3 is hardly going to make much of a difference but add it all together and it will.

I will get this cleared and I wont get into this mess again.