HELP! Have cut back all I can but am still over-spending!

CH27

OP I personally think having contents insurance is more important than saving for your children.

XXSCOTSLASSXX

ScrimpingandSaving wrote: »

Now I am getting attacked and called a troll. Just how do I defend myself against that and should I even bother?

I am not happy about not having contents insurance but there you go. We don't have it and I haven't asked for opinions on this. Whatever you think, it's frankly none of your business and nothing to do with my original post. Yes something disasterous might happen and you can then hop up and down and say "I told you so!" or, we might go another 15, 20 years without anything happening and save ourselves a few more thousand. And don't bring my children into it as some kind of guilt trip, you have no idea who my children are and I actually resent someone telling me how bad I would feel if my children's toys were all burnt. That is uncalled for and in bad taste. I'm sure some of you make decisions that I would not agree with, but they are none of my business either. I don't agree with making insurance companies rich and having this paranoia about bad things happening - my choice and I stand by that. If the insurance quotes we had were more reasonable, or we got contents cover for free then I'd go for it. As for losing precious mementoes well insurance won't ever bring them back will it?

We do have buildings insurance and included in that is the cost of temporary accommodation, legal costs, etc.

Alcohol - I said quite early on in this thread that we do not drink that much yet people have latched onto this and think drink = alcohol. That's very presumptious. Here is what we drink in a usual week:

Friday evening 2 cans of lager each max.
Sat evening 1 bottle of wine with a meal. One with a DVD when kids are in bed.
Sun aft one pint in the pub.
Sun evening ginger beer (non-alcoholic) or similar fizzy drink of whatever is on offer. The rest of the drink is fruit juice.

Apologies but I can see straight away why some people may feel u are trolling..... again I will say (and this is not being presumptuous) you are prioritising alcohol over your home your children's home!!! yes cut it down to 1 bottle a week, £6 a week £24 a month you would be able to get contents insurance for way less than this tho. You say ur buildings cover covers temp accommodation and legal costs... big deal.. during that time what do you clothe your children in.....once the house has being restored great you have the shell back... where do u all sleep, sit, how do u cook??

to be honest I genuinely hope you are trolling as a parent I find it incomprehensible that your priorities would be so selfish (apologies if harsh but true) you state you will not help make insurance companies rich, what rubbish! you are happier downing a bottle of wine/couple of cans a week....yes that really helps with your children's future, who's pocket is that lining and for who's benefit certainly not ur kids. the comment "don't bring my kids into it" is laughable... if it were you alone living in the home and was your decision then fine.... but you have kids there and correct me if I'm wrong as a parent your priorities should be what is best for those children for now and the future... and yes I am angry... for you to criticise those who have commented on the lack of contents insurance, they are only showing concerns mainly to your children which you seem to extremely blinkered in accepting...post on a public forum you will have responses you do not agree with, however basic common sense in my opinion is a hard one to argue....

flea72

Your plan sounds like a step in the right direction

Do not think that people are having a go. You yourself gave figures for alcohol consumption and drinking out. Ie £150 a month. Most people are just saying this would be the easiest thing to cut back on, and that it is an excessive, unnecessary expense that should be the first to go, whe things get tight

If you stopped drinking, having 'fun spends' and kids savings/pocketmoney, you could easily afford to go and see your dad. You need to rethink your priorities because at the moment your are being so defensive, you arent willing to accept that you have a scewed sense of entitlement.

Yes, we would all like to set our kids up in life, eat and drink what we want, be able to go out and do stuff without a second thought, but the reality is if you dont have the money to do that, you cant.

Mara_uk7

Have sent you a pm, Scrimping, If you need any further info, drop me a note Good Luck x

ScrimpingandSaving

Again, none of your business.

Sorry to be so harsh myself but it really is NOT your business.

If I had asked about contents insurance then I would have to suck up the criticisms. But I did not ask for opinions on that. It has nothing to do with my original post.

You can presume all you like. Imply away that I put drink before the welfare of my children. There are people whose insurance costs have gone up so much because of where they live that they can no longer afford them. They get flooded every year and don't have insurance because the premiums are too high - yet do you know what profits the insurance companies are making year in and year out?

Some companies are now even refusing to insurance people they class as high risk and now that floods are a real issue, that includes a lot of people. Families. Kids. All without insurance because the greedy companies are only interested in insuring low risk homes that they can make a profit out of.

We have ISAs and the children have ISAs. If it comes to it, this money can be used in the event of a catastrophe. We have enough in there to replace most items. I would far rather do that than give a penny of my money to these greedy, immoral and heartless companies.

You have decided to pay out for insurance. Good for you. I have decided not to. I have not asked for your opinion on this so please do not give it.

mullymessiah

Hi S and S. Read this thread intriguingly last night til 1am!!

I have wanted to put some details on here for the last 2 years but the way some people on here have reacted to you has made me realised I have made the right choice despite my debts.

You asked for saving tips and financial tips not how to run your life!!!!!

For me if it keeps your head above water, let's you enjoy what what you can of life, stick to your pub jaunts just don't get all the drinks!!

If it takes a month or two longer to get back on track so be it so long as you do.

If you want a glass of wine have it! Just because a.n.other on here thinks you love alcohol more than your kids (EH??) that's there misjudgement isn't it?

You in the past have made a concious decision not to have contents insurance and so be it.

Regards

MM

suburbanwifey

Mara_uk7 wrote: »

And do come to orkney, its a lovely place & We are a friendly people , even if we are descended from blood thirsty vikings

I holidayed on Orkney for a week a few years ago, had the best time sorry for butting in, just wanted to say that

ScrimpingandSaving

"If you stopped drinking, having 'fun spends' and kids savings/pocketmoney, you could easily afford to go and see your dad. You need to rethink your priorities because at the moment your are being so defensive, you arent willing to accept that you have a scewed sense of entitlement."

I will take some good advice given in one of the last posts. I will take the good advice on board and leave the rest.

Putting money away for my children is an essential. That will not stop.
Pocket money is only £2 a week, what difference will that make?
I have already outlined how I am cutting back on drink, did you not read that? Or are you just too keen to have another dig at me? What is the point for having a go at something I have already taken on board and made a decision on?

Cutting down all of that will not provide the extra £900 or so we will need for a trip to Orkney. It's a non-essential trip. Just like a yearly holiday, you take it if you can afford it and you don't if you can't.
I saw my dad when he was down for Christmas. I ring him every weekend. He'll just have to wait until next year before we can all visit him.

elsien

I have to say that I think anyone who posts their circumstances and opens their lives up on here for public scrutiny is extremely brave.
I couldn't, unless I was completely desperate. Which luckily for me I'm not, as I really wouldn't want to put myself through the wringer in that way.
There's a lot of good advice, but there's also some who take it that step too far. And I understand that some people do need a bit of blunt talking/kick up the bum to see how to make changes to fit their circumstances but when the OP is already doing that, people piling in to go unneccessarily over the same old ground isn't particularly helpful and risks scaring her off at the time when she most needs help.

OP, someone already mentioned survey sites, if that's not something you're doing already. It's time consuming, it can be a PITA, and the rate of pay when compared to minimum wage is truly dismal.
But if you want something constructive to do when watching tv at night, I find that it does eventually add up and a couple of hundred quids worth of amazon vouchers or the equivalent is very handy towards the christmas presents.

And in case you missed it in one of the earlier posts, this is good for looking for offers and comparing online shopping prices.
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/

ScrimpingandSaving

"A screwed sense of entitlement" again I think posters are themselves just having a go in order to make themselves feel big and clever.

I really should not come back onto this thread. I have said how I am making changes and yet people are still coming back to have another go and yet another.

What do you have to do on this board? Bow down and kiss the feet of those who disagree whilst wailing that your whole life is a mistake and begging them for forgiveness? At what point do posters read "I'm making changes" and then decide that it's just not enough and they should attack some more for the hell of it, because upsetting people in real life might just make their day and weekend? Is it because I didn't take your advice about the hayfever Flea? Is that what has got up your nose (no pun intended)?

I am a real person and I do actually have real feelings. I have made those feelings quite clear and stated several times that it's been a difficult journey for me but one that I've learnt from.

You must see some sort of entitled lifestyle in my posts. I wonder if you live in a sackcloth and eat nothing but bread and water? If that is the case then yes, I probably do live quite extravagantly.

That's me done now. Kick me off this thread please. It's not doing me any good and it not a very pleasant start to the weekend.