In a big mess and need help!

What_a_Mess_3

The pets are rabbits and a cat. Only the rabbits are insured currently and to be honest it would make more sense for the cat to be insured because he's out and about where as the rabbits don't go far.

Soubrette

What_a_Mess wrote: »

I'm not cutting the eldests pocket money by much more. He has a hobby he does that costs at least £10 a week that he pays for himself and it's the only thing he does. He'll be taking packed lunches every day from now on.

The dinner money really is for my own sake. I hate making packed lunches and I work so many hours it's just another chore I have to try and fit in.

Could you kill two birds with one stone and tell your eldest that one of his chores for earning pocket money is to make the packed lunches?

A friend who used to work did all her packed lunches for the week on one day and froze them - ham/cheese/marmite/jam sandwiches all worked and then the children just hoiked a packet out of the freezer in the morning. They helped themselves to a packet of crisps, a piece of fruit and some kind of cake (I think she used to buy the big trays of cake from Tesco and cut them up and freeze those too), yoghurt etc were all available so she made the sandwiches and they assembled exactly what they would take in the morning.

What_a_Mess_3

That's great idea re the packed lunches. I can make a batch of cakes on the weekend.

Something I've come to realise is I'm trying to do so much all by myself that I'm near breaking point and nothing is getting done to it's best. So, the kids are going to do a lot more around here from now on. If I need more time to save money then they can help too. I have had them sort the odd sock basket this morning, Ds2 has cleared the table and Ds1 has made lunch for him and his brother and is now doing the washing up.

What_a_Mess_3

I went to the shop earlier to buy milk, I only took £2 so I couldn't buy anything else. It was £1.35.

I've borrowed some more money from the business to do an online shop. This will stop me having to spend a fortune on packed lunch stuff in the little shop. I did a meal plan for a week including packed lunches. It came to £54.94 and I found a £5 off code on the discount vouchers board. So I spent £49.94 including delivery. I shouldn't need to pop to the little shop once. I will need to go to the market for fruit and veg but that will cost about £10. That's what i'll need to keep it to a week to stay within my monthly target of £250.

I need to update my SOA again later and get crossing some more off my list.

uk_american

Further to the point of the other comment, of having your eldest to make the packed lunches...when I was his age, I was charged with getting dinner started as well. Nothing fancy, just doing a little chicken preparation and putting it into the oven, chopping some veg or starting jacket potatoes, that sort of thing, setting the table, etc. as my parents both worked late. It was probably 90% of the meal prep, sometimes 100%.

At the same time, they gave me responsibility to help decide what we had for dinner, and took me along shopping, to help explain how to choose the best chicken, fish, etc. and to understand the costs of things. As well, I think they gave me a lot more of a vote in what we had, because I was preparing it. As long as it wasn't more than three times a week and affordable, it was allowed. :rotfl:

Just mentioning as it might positively influence how receptive your boys are, if they are understanding why you need to make changes, and as well letting them be a part instead of them seeing it only as 'something is being taken away'. In my case, by participating in dinner preparation, it enabled my parents to work longer hours which in turn paid for my school activities, which I would not have been able to do otherwise. So that understanding of why I was doing something was a helpful lesson at the time.

What_a_Mess_3

My eldest does cook once a week. He makes a great spag bol. I'm trying to get him to cook other things but he likes doing that.

I need to go and see what else I need to do. Work is quiet tonight so I can hopefully get stuck into sorting stuff out.

What_a_Mess_3

Double check i'm not paying for the old contents insurance, if I am change address, if not get some asap
Cancel xbox live
Cancel pet insurance
Cancel Experian (check credit rating 1st)
Spending diary
[STRIKE]Meal plan with what food is already in the house
Online shop once a week
(after meal plan)
Stay away from little shop
Cook from scratch more[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]Phone sky and reduce to bare minimum[/STRIKE]
Start selling the house full of stuff waiting to be listed on Ebay
[STRIKE]No buying anything that isn't necessary[/STRIKE]

[Deleted User]

What_a_Mess wrote: »

Pocket money. . 60.00 Eldest reduced by £10, youngest stays the same saving £10.00

More like reduce to £10, saving £40.

[Deleted User]

What_a_Mess wrote: »

I've started using the tumble dryer again too for convenience sake.

Put the laundry on the radiators, and dry it for free, as you heat your home.

That's what I do.

What_a_Mess_3

What_a_Mess wrote: »

Statement of Affairs and Personal Balance Sheet
Monthly Income Details
Benefits (Inc. Child Benefit/Tax Credits & Income Support). 1,493.49
Maintenence .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.00
Monthly Expense Details
In Your Home
Mobile phones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.75
TV licence. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12.12
Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 66.50 Reduced package saving £5.20 March & £8.00 a month from thereon
Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 59.00
Gas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.00
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.49
Overdraft cost. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.00
Home insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32.89
Mortgage/Rent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .600.00
Food and household shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 400.00 If I cut this to £250 I'll save £150
Drinks for home . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5.00 get rid saving £5.00
Motoring & Public Transport
Petrol/Diesel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 50.00
Parking . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5.00
Car tax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.25
Car insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 32.89
Car maintenance . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10.00
Breakdown cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5.00 Get rid and use Tesco clubcard vouchers to renew saving £5
Debt Repayments
Credit card rpayments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.00
Savings & Investments
Family
Pet food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 20.00
School trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10.00
School meals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78.00 Youngest 2 days a week & eldest all week to take packed lunches saving £52.50 extra 1 day a week packed lunch for youngest saving another £6.40
Pocket money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60.00 Eldest reduced by £10, youngest stays the same saving £10.00
Pet insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00 Get rid saving £20
Entertainment
Family days ot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00
Cinema/Theatr trips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 20.00 Get rid saving £20
Books/Music/Films/Computers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10.00 Get rid saving £10
Big days out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.00
Shopping for fun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40.00 reduce to £10 saving £30 get rid completely saving another 10.00
Hobbies . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.99 Get rid saving £4.99
Drinking out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.00 Get rid saving 10.00
Eating out. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 20.00
Clothes, Health & Beauty
Haircuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.83
New children's clothes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25.00 reduce to £20 saving £5
New clothes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10.00 reduce to £5.00 saving £5
Education & Courses
Birthdays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.00
Christmas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50.00 reduce to £40 saving £10
Odds & Sods
Newspapers and magazines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.00 Get rid saving £13.00
Smokes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106.17 Switch to electronic saving £46.17 with a view to quitting completely
Coffees/Sandwiches/Snacks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 10.00 Get rid saving £10

Total monthly income. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,593.49

Total monthly expenses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,982.88

I've made some further changes and am £1.13 short still.