SOA...it's worse than I thought :(

Prudent

Re: school dinners. Check very carefully what you are getting for your money. I have taught in a lot of schools and am often shocked at that they are so poor. I bought my daughter up alone and on an almost identical budget to you. I involved her a lot in lunch box choices and batch baked and froze stuff for lunch boxes. It was much cheaper. I let her have school lunches on very cold days when I felt a hot meal before going out to the playground was a good idea. I now live with my partner and we can eat very well, buy all cleaning stuff and invite friends for meals for less than £200 per month.

DMPhereIcome

thanks everyone for your responses. I keep going over my SOA to see where changes can be made and realise that the only way I can really see what's going on is to track every single penny with a spending diary and see if I can construct a spreadsheet...I have got to stay within my overdraft as the charges are a whopping £93 this month and I've had to put £150 onto the barclaycard to bring it back into the limit because they took away my 0% interest rate and whacked a load of interest on which took it over

The £250 budget for food etc simply isn't there this month

time to get very creative...and ebay like I've never ebayed before!

girlatplay

If you are struggling a bit this month for the food budget have a look at this thread:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4148389

You probably have enough cleaning and laundry products to last so really, your focus this month will be on meals and feeding DS and yourself. Obviously you can tweak it to suit your needs.

[Deleted User]

DMPhereIcome wrote: »

Haircuts are for the two of us, I am not to be let loose with scissors!

Buy a pair of clippers and wear your hair short.

That's the fashion nowadays.

[Deleted User]

DMPhereIcome wrote: »

I haven't even included his swimming lessons which are only for this term

Any chance you could teach him yourself?

[Deleted User]

DMPhereIcome wrote: »

I have a lodger

Is that what the £350 extra income is?

[Deleted User]

DMPhereIcome wrote: »

especially as the greys are coming through and I certainly can't afford a colour too :eek:

A number 2 (better yet, a number 0) all over makes the grey much less noticeable.

An added bonus is, once you have bought the clippers, the haircuts are free.

thehappybutterfly

my tuppence worth:

mobile phone - Tesco mobile or GiffGaff. We're £21 a month for 3 mobiles - 2 on Tesco and 1 Blackberry on GiffGaff.

school lunches - have you discounted the 12 weeks of holidays? My 15YO daughter gets £10 a week but this would only calculate as £33.33 a month.

chevalier

I take it you don't qualify for free school meals? good luck with your debt busting.

asparagus1968

hi there,

my suggestions:

meal plan
utilise leftovers
batch cook
change/reduce mobile package
get rid of satellite, go freeview
use comparison sites for all insurances
use top cash back and/or quidco- furthur reduction in insurance costs!
buy some hot water bottles! cut down heating costs at night

are you sure you have written down your benefits correctly? i bring home £850 a month as a part time nurse and receive £82 child benefit and less about £270 child tax credit ?
this could be where you are struggling,if you think you have more coming in than you actually have?
good luck to you,am sure you'll get there!

ps.on the subject of wine,don't know if you like the pink stuff,but FIRST CAPE do a low alcohol pink for £2.99 a bottle,it's gorgeous,and no hanover :)