My SOA

emsywoo123

malkyh wrote: »

I don't actually use the car for work, I have an annual season ticket for the train (paid for me). The car is used for running back and forwards to the stables, my wife using it for school, shops etc and for when we visit family etc at weekends.

In this case your petrol bill seems really high? £70 pw and that is not including commuting?

DCFC79

Maybe try shopping at lidl/aldi to bring the shopping bill down more, thats if you have 1 nearby.

firesidemaid

hi there.

a few more thoughts to add to the pot.......;)

even though you may be in contract with virgin and the mobiles, it cannot harm to phone up and say 'we cannot afford this, please can i downgrade the service and the payment' - others on here have done this and been successful.

once you are out of contract it is time for a £10 or less contract each plus a deal/cashback on the tv/phone/bb package.

re. the petrol costs - £300 a month is a LOT to NOT include commuting. can you look at the journeys you make and try and put them together eg. if you wife has to go to the stables then run a lot of errands incl. shopping etc at the same time. sometimes decide not to use the car and go for a walk instead.

£80+ a month for your weekly treat is a lot when you don't have the money - you are currently going into debt for it. get a couple of supermarket pizzas on offer (or make them eg. pitta pizzas), hm garlic bread and value coleslaw. you could do all that and a few beers/wine on offer for well under a tenner instead. go back to the chinese WHEN you have the money again.

re. where does the money go? what we do is write EVERYTHING down. a running total, so that we both know how much is left and where it has gone - have a box for all the receipts. i can't imagine how anyone knows what they have if they don't do this!

and finally.....good luck:)