OK Pixie's SOA :D

PixiePie

Right, go ahead and tear this to bits please - be brutal as I have no idea what the real world is like anymore (eg, we only eat one meal a day at the moment, so how much do two very large appetite people eat a month? :S ). I've done some searches for car insurance home insurance etc for average costs for me, and picked through other peoples on here, so hope this is a good start :
Background info - I've done it for both me and OH, but I'm the only one going BR. On the online form, do I put these outgoing costs down, or half it all? (apart from where noted it's high because of me(eg dentist). Havent included him in clothes, glasses (he wears them 24/7 too - our poor children :P), hairdressing, medicine, he can't drive, so if he wants to visit family I take us both, don't know if that has impact? (No public transport to where his mother lives).

Income
Me- £400
OH - £750
(this is only until Sept as I start job then. OH's is from tax return as he is self employed. This should go up soon as things are picking up for the business, but wont know until he does his tax return at the end of the year what it actually was, the tax office apparently calculate it a year in advance for you)
Outgoings
Rent £1400
Gas/Elec/Water - inc in rent
Housekeeping 300
Telephone £30 (with BT, has been average £30 a month since Nov last year, last bill was £112 for 3 months for eg)
Travel - £60 - (includes having to go to visit brother a couple of times a month (there and back is a tank of petrol) as he has cancer and cannot do a lot for himself at the moment due to Chemo and just being ill. Also £5 a month in there for public transport for general things (going to supermarket) Work at home at the moment - Only use the car for brother at the moment, but need it for when job starts in Sept as no public transport to job (haven't included the cost of petrol for this in the £60) and need to carry lots of folders and paperwork) Car is worth £220 according to Parkers btw
Clothing £40 (I need to get some smart suits and 1 pair of shoes for work as all my work clothing got lost/ruined when I was homeless)
car tax - £11
car Insurance - £25
Council tax - £88
Pets - £12
Car MOT/Servicing/repairs £30
TV License £10
Petrol (in travel)
Breakdown cover £6
Contents Insurance £13
Hairdressing £15
Dentist/Medicines £25 (I have to visit my dentist (private) due to a massive phobia caused by negligent dentist some years back. My dentist would be happy to provide a letter saying he doesn't think I could go elsewhere. I tried to go elsewhere and literally had to be carried in then held down, and then I passed out so they couldn't do anything. HUGE phobia)
Glasses £15 This is for 12 months contacts, yearly sight test and spare pair of glasses. Will they say I have to dump the contacts? Its hard to have glasses as they fall off when I'm bending over the kids at work (I'm a teacher) (what a pants reason eh?)
Holidays/Emergencies £50 (for both of us)

If you can think of anything else I'm allowed or tell me off or whatever, I would be very grateful. Thank you in advance

PixiePie

addo79 wrote: »

eyetests £4 per month!!!!!!!!!

Don't understand - £4 a month is all I am allowed for glasses?? But, it's £20 for a sight test and the most basic pair I could find anywhere was £30, so thats all I'm allowed?? I'm not allowed contacts?!!!! But I'm vain - I need them, my glasses fall off and look horrid and I will cry! See.....and I need another pair anyway, the optician said you need two pairs incase you break one especially if you are driving at the time, so thats another 50p a month, hurrah!

I don't know about gas etc - it's in the rent, so do I do the separate costs and take it off the overall £1400 a month rent? Anyone got any idea how much a falling down Victorian factory convert costs in those things a month? No idea what things are in the real world!

owetoomuch

You put down your share of the bills and there is a section on other contributions to the household expenses and you put the total your OH contributes. BUt someone with more expertiese (sp) will be along to help I am sure.

betterlatethannever

look fairly tight to me Pixie, but i'm no expert (yet)
One meal a day..good god:eek: i hope its a plate of fig rolls;)

fermi

If your expenses for optical treatment (whether tests/glasses/contacts) are reasonable and not excessively expensive, then put them down at the value they really cost you.

For most things the watchword with the OR is reasonable, and they do not expect you to live like a pauper.

If the gas etc is included in the rent, then you can leave it there, but state it somewhere on the forms. If you list them separately make sure that it is very clear it is included in the rent.

If there is anything that you can't find a space for on the forms, there will be sheets at the end to add extra info.

PixiePie

Its horribly tight at the moment, hence the BR lol - it will get better, we will pull ourselves up and if you can do that in GB today, you can do it anywhere No not fig rolls, generally pasta and tomatos, perhaps spag bol if Waitrose are nice enough to reduce their mince down to 39p for me (I am a top bargain hunter now lol, the reduced basket is my best friend - the joy of a packet of bread rolls at 10p, minced pork at 39p, turkey chunks at 45p - my little pleasure in life lol)

OK on the rent etc, are the other costs ok do you think? I have no idea how much things cost in the real world anymore stopped caring a long time ago (went through my bank statements for glasses/dentists costs etc).

fermi

Dry Cleaning?

You're allowed an allowance for that, especially if they are work clothes.

PixiePie

oh...how posh!!! How much is that when it's at home then? Haven't had anything dry cleaned for years (take my chances with the sink)..and whats reasonable? One lot a month, or one suit a week? :S Dry cleaning people, help me out

fermi

PixiePie wrote: »

oh...how posh!!! How much is that when it's at home then? Haven't had anything dry cleaned for years (take my chances with the sink)..and whats reasonable? One lot a month, or one suit a week? :S Dry cleaning people, help me out

That's impossible to tell. Depends upon what you wear, how often, under what circumstances.

I would put down what you think is reasonable, then if the OR questions it you can haggle with him/her.

fermi

PixiePie,

This is a list of possible expense compiled by Richard_S. Obviously it's not exhaustive, and lots of them you have already included. Others would definitely not be allowed. It's designed to jog the memory more than anything else.

Home
Bank Charges
Bank Interest
Mortgage (1)
Mortgage (2)
Rent
Household Maintenance
Building Insurance
Contents Insurance
Council Tax
Water Rates
Gas
Electricity
Phone
Internet
Mobile Phone
Cleaner
Garden Maintenance
Window Cleaner
Computer & I.T Costs

Insurance
Mortgage Payment Insurance
Mortgage Term Assurance
Level Term Assurance
Private Medical Insurance
Pet Insurance
Travel Insurance
Gas & Plumbing Cover
Other Insurance

Food & Drink
Food & Household Shopping
Cleaning Items
Toiletries
Eating Out
Coffee, Tea / Sandwiches Out
Pet Food
Drinks for Home
Drinks Out
Cigarettes / Tobacco
Meals at Work

Transport & Travel
Breakdown Cover
Rail / Bus / Coach / Taxi
Car Maintenance
Car Insurance
Car Tax
Car MOT
Petrol / Diesel
Other Transport

Family
Laundry / Dry Cleaning
Pocket Money
School Meals
School Trips
Other Family Expenses

Recreation
DVD Video Rental
Hobbies
Pet Costs
Fitness / Sports / Gym
Big Days Out
Books / Music / Films / Games
Cinema / Theatre
Family Days Out
TV Licence
Other Recreation

Big One Offs
Christmas
Holiday(s)
Birthdays
New Sofa / White Goods / Electrical Goods
Other Big One Offs

Clothes
New Clothes
New Children's Clothes
Work Clothes
Footwear

Education
Your Courses
School Expenditure
Tuition Fees
Other Education

Sundry
Beauty Treatments
Newspapers / Magazines
Dentistry Costs
Opticians Costs
Haircuts
Lottery

PixiePie

Thanks for that Fermi -will have to go into a dry cleaners and ask how much a suit is then and I reckon once a week isn't too bad, as a clean suit every week isn't too extravagant is it? LOL, sure I will find out soon enough and the OR can take it away if he wants I guess.