Am so down at the moment and this must change!

Abbafan1972

Upsidedown_Bear wrote: »

SOA template is here

http://www.stoozing.com/msoc/soacalc.php

Thanks for posting the link. I have had a quick look at it and can I ask, where there is an expenditure which isn't monthly, (say vets bills & car tax), how do you note this down?

Thanks in advance.

Upsidedown_Bear

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

Thanks for posting the link. I have had a quick look at it and can I ask, where there is an expenditure which isn't monthly, (say vets bills & car tax), how do you note this down?

Thanks in advance.

Add up what you spend in a year and then divide by 12 to enter the monthly cost in the SOA.
If you want to add something that isn't listed then there is a button for "add another".

Abbafan1972

Thanks for your help. I did start the SOA, but some little person in the house closed the page and I lost it all! I will do it again when I get chance. To start with we've called Sky and cancelled the premium channels, so the next bill will be about £68 ( that includes the phone and the BB) instead of £107. Also hubby bought a laptop 2 years ago which was on finance. I thought that it was over 3 years, the last payment went out in January and when a payment didn't go out in February, I found the paperwork and it was actually over 2 years. So that's another £26 a month gone.

[Deleted User]

Abbafan1972 wrote: »

Sky is the main one, our last bill was £107.

HOW MUCH? :eek:

Not meaning to be nasty, but you really can't afford to be spending close to £1.5k a year on TV stuff, when you can't pay your DDs.

You really do need to cancel Sky, and go Freeview/Freesat.

ETA: Even with your reduced package, your TV stuff is still close to a grand a year.

abundant1972

First thing... Group hug!!! :grouphug:

Money can be such a worry sometimes - but just take a step back and look at what you do have... food, shelter, electricity and gas, running water... often when I *really* think about that I feel very rich even when I don't have much money.

Once your SOA is up we can advise a bit better...

Is there any way of negotiating reduced payments on your overdraught and/or credit cards? If you are unable to meet basic costs of living then I would speak to Step Change, or another debt charity, who can help you look at your income vs expenditure and work out a realistic amount you can afford to pay toward debts. It may mean going on a DMP (debt management plan) for a while or something, but if it eases the stress and pressure it's worth it...

Also - as well as looking at ways to reduce expenditure - is there any way you can increase your income...? Overtime? Sell toys/clothes no longer needed on E-Bay...

If you need help with keeping in Budget each month, there are a few excellent threads... There is the NSD monthly thread... or NinjaSavingKat does an excellent (but challenging!) thread each month... All of these things can help you stay focused and motivated...

Don't despair - you *will* get through this!!! Get the hubby and kids on board if they are old enough and it can actually become... dare I say it... fun!!!

Big hugs again!!!