Student, pregnant, sinking and in need of help :( *update*

maninthestreet

So where is the father of your soon to be born child in all this??

ABetterLife

maninthestreet wrote: »

So where is the father of your child in all this??

He left me when I was 6 weeks pregnant and has continued to refuse contact with me.

When the baby is born I am going to apply for CSA, but there's nothing else I can do in regards to him as it stands right now. I've tried but you can't force someone to speak to you/be a decent human being.

Blitzwing85

ABetterLife wrote: »

Hello!

TV license - £29.10 p/m
Rent - £103.70 p/w
Phone bill - £57 p/m
Ipad bill - £26 p/m
Travelcard - £98.70 p/m
Debt repayment plan (Lloyd) - £10 p/m
Arrears from temporary accommodation - £40 p/m
Gas/Electric - quarterly billing but roughly £104 p/m for both.
Food bill - I'm really not sure but I would estimate roughly £100.

Total = £879.6 p/m (based on a 4 week month).

Income - £790?!

I'd deff start by getting rid of the TV License. It's very quick and simple to do and cutting back on TV is easy to do too. You still have access to catch-up TV such as thr iplayer, itv player, 4od and you could even get netflix at £5.99 which is still a lot cheaper.

Your Gas/Elec seems rather high. I live with my wife in a 4 bedroom house and I have electric devices running constantly and I only pay £62pm. (and that's been in the winter, although it's been mild so minimal heating).
Maybe you can cut down here in places.

Consider cashback and switching deals for some services you have to give you a bit of cash.

Could look at selling the phone/ipad and using the money to pay off the contract, then getting a new cheaper contract. I just got a decent smartphone FREE with 5000 txts, 500mins, 1GB data for £7.50 per month via Tesco Mobile, and they have a cashback deal too if you do it online.
For the saving, you could get cheap broadband installed and still have cut your bills 5 fold and use wi-fi instead of 3G.

Food bill seems really low already so not sure you could really reduce that as it's important to still eat well!


Check other sections of the forum in here for extra ways to make a bit of cash on the side.
Selling items you no logner need, doing surveys if you have time. It's surprising how much you can save and how much extra you can make. I have made/saved about £2000-£3000 a year since 2009 during breaks/lunches (so about 45-60 mind per day) at work all through posts and advice from these forums - so you're in the right place!!

ABetterLife

Heng_Leng wrote: »

Just some initial thoughts based on your outgoings

• Can you get any benefit to help (primarily housing) or extra money from the University access fund?
• Can you get any financial help with your bills from your energy company?
• Can you freeze / cancel any of Phone bill - £57 p/m Ipad bill - £26 p/m?
• Cancel TV license?
• Change shopping habits? Change to Aldi for example?
• Will you need your travel pass going forward?

Thanks for your reply

• I can't get any benefits at the moment as I am a student and they don't count the baby in until she's born. When she's born, benefits I was previously not eligible for, I will be. The university have been very helpful and will be giving me £500 tomorrow to pay my rent which luckily leaves me the extra to pay off the things I fell behind on they have also told me to re-apply when I have the baby (but I can only do so once I am receipt of all benefits I am eligible for).
• Do British Gas offer this option?
• I can't freeze my iPhone/iPad bill without penalty, although it's an option if things get really really bad. It's a last resort for me as it will affect my credit rating further. I can't cancel them as I am locked in a 24 month contract with both and would have to pay a very high early exit fee - roughly £1254 for the iPhone. £208 left on the iPad though, which isn't bad at all! (just worked it out). Again, if things get really dire, I will consider selling the iPad to get out of the contract
• Definitely an option as I am not really using my television at the moment (living room is still getting done up and can't do it myself at the moment, so just waiting). I have a television app on my iPad but I can always just watch things on catch up. My TV license is paid for this month already but I could cancel it next month. I will have to speak to them though, and check if I could easily start it up again with no penalty/having to start again.
• At the moment, I want to stay with Sainsburys as it's very close to me. I use a trolley to shop as I can't handle all the heavy bags and it's too much of a hassle trying to do big shops on the high road (a bus ride away). I also have a nectar card that I use regularly. However, I do think I can definitely spend less. Buying less name brands, more basic items to cook with etc.
• I need it for this month (already bought it) but next month likely not. I'll be on maternity leave. When I have the baby I can just get a bus pass or pay if I know I'll be taking the bus

I've also spoken to the council and reduced my monthly payments to my old rent account to £10 a month, yay!

ABetterLife

Blitzwing85 wrote: »

I'd deff start by getting rid of the TV License. It's very quick and simple to do and cutting back on TV is easy to do too. You still have access to catch-up TV such as thr iplayer, itv player, 4od and you could even get netflix at £5.99 which is still a lot cheaper.

Your Gas/Elec seems rather high. I live with my wife in a 4 bedroom house and I have electric devices running constantly and I only pay £62pm. (and that's been in the winter, although it's been mild so minimal heating).
Maybe you can cut down here in places.

Consider cashback and switching deals for some services you have to give you a bit of cash.

Could look at selling the phone/ipad and using the money to pay off the contract, then getting a new cheaper contract. I just got a decent smartphone FREE with 5000 txts, 500mins, 1GB data for £7.50 per month via Tesco Mobile, and they have a cashback deal too if you do it online.
For the saving, you could get cheap broadband installed and still have cut your bills 5 fold and use wi-fi instead of 3G.

Food bill seems really low already so not sure you could really reduce that as it's important to still eat well!


Check other sections of the forum in here for extra ways to make a bit of cash on the side.
Selling items you no logner need, doing surveys if you have time. It's surprising how much you can save and how much extra you can make. I have made/saved about £2000-£3000 a year since 2009 during breaks/lunches (so about 45-60 mind per day) at work all through posts and advice from these forums - so you're in the right place!!

Definitely an option! To be honest, I don't watch much TV. The only shows I watch regularly are Eastenders, Casualty, Holby City and One Born Every Minute, all of which I can catch up to online. So maybe I could get rid of the TV license for now. Do you know if this will cancel out everything I've paid so far or if I could restart it again easily if I wanted to?

My gas/electrical is high! I don't know why. I even spoke to them about it but they said my consumption is below average :huh: I am one person at the moment, it's only a 1 bed flat that is naturally quite warm anyway (haven't had my heating on since yesterday afternoon and that was only for an hour or so). I don't yet have a tumble drier (but need to buy one as soon as I can as drying clothes indoors is exacerbating the mould issue this place already has), barely use the TV, don't have the heating on constantly and don't even have a cooker/oven at the moment. I really don't know why it's so high but don't quite know how to reduce it. I was looking around yesterday at switching. Cooperative seems okay. Their daily standing charge is 2p higher than BG but their gas and electric charges for kwph is a little cheaper. Still need a bit of guidance before I jump into things though.

Cashback! Yes, I joined TopCashBack a while ago and still haven't used it. It's staring me in the face now in my bookmarks, haha. So I'm gonna open it and have a nosy around

Selling the iPhone won't really benefit me as I have so much left to pay on it (new contract, and like I said, I was so silly to go for it! Ridiculous price, what was I thinking - other than NEW IPHONE!). However, iPad has 8 months left so £208 to exit. I could potentially sell it for £400, pay off the contract then maybe buy a second hand one from eBay!

I've been looking at the broadband deals. I'm very scared of going over my data with my phone as I use that for tethering. Yesterday I used 1gb just watching EE, OBEM and browsing. The reason why my Tmobile bill is so high is from going over on data also (signal on my phone was down for over a month due to a faulty mast and I was tethering on my iPad, forgetting I only have 2gb data!!). So I definitely am looking into broadband.

I've tried surveys before but they seem very frustrating. Get towards the end only to be told you're not what they're looking for :mad: can you recommend a good one.

Thanks again for your help

ABetterLife

matttye wrote: »

I understand what you're saying about your credit files, but your first post indicates that you've got more going out than you've got coming in, so it's hard to see how you're going to be able to carry on paying everything, especially when maternity pay will be less than what you're getting now.

You would have to default on the mobile phone and iPad contracts and pay them £1 token payments until you're back on your feet, but this would free up nearly £100 a month for your other priority bills.

I should stress I'm only suggesting this as a last resort, eg. If you have to choose between your rent, utilities or phone and iPad, it's a no brainer which ones you need to not pay.

If there's any way you can make cutbacks to bring yourself back into the black each month without having to stop paying your phone and iPad then of course you should do that instead.

Anything you can sell?

Totally agree with you like I said, I've definitely taken it on board as an option if things get impossible. I don't yet know what my income will be when on maternity leave. It's probably going to be more than it is now as, although my mat pay will be slightly lower than what I get now, my bursary is the same and I should get extra benefits to help. But it's definitely an option if things get really dire and I'm pleased to work out that I could exit my iPad contract for £208.

Rent is sorted for this month and will be fine for next month too as I've started working again and will be until 27th March. Of course though, the big worry is the impending gas/electric bill. I've been keeping the heating off and researching ways to reduce it so it doesn't climb much higher. I'm looking to perhaps switch also.

Selling stuff is always an option, but not too sure what I can sell that I don't want. Again, an option to put on the table though.

ABetterLife

dancingfairy wrote: »

Hi, there are obviously cutbacks that can be made. I see what you mean about the credit score but I just don't see how you can pay it all so here's what I would suggest:
1) cut back that phone bill - is it a mobile? If so you should be able to get a much, much cheaper contract. You should be able to get it under 30 a month
2)ipad usage. You're going to have to be really careful with this as you can't afford 100+ a month bills. Monitor your usage. Work out what's caused this really high bill.
3) gas and electricity. A bit on the high side, make sure you keep an eye on them and give regular meter readings. Don't let the gas/electric company keep you in massive credit or do too many estimates. Shop around as well.
4) debt repayments need to be really reduced - Lloyds and the old accomodation bill.
5) do you need a travelcard? When the baby comes will you be travelling so much? Would it be cheaper to get the bus/tube etc to where you want to go on a daily basis? Could you walk more in the summer? Obviously I don't know how partical this is where you are but you travelcard cost is so high on your limited income.

I just want to wish you all the best. Despite obviously going through a rough time you obviously have the right mindset to tackle this.
Best of luck with it all, and I'm sure you will build a new life for you and your little one.
df
Edit: if your local CAB is unsupportive then try someone else like National Debtline or StepChange or Christians Against Povery (CAP). Just make sure it's someone free and impartial.

Hi!

1) Yep, the phone bill is mobile. Unfortunately, I'm locked into this contract for another 22 months and it would cost me over £1000 to exit it. However, I could exit my iPad contract for £208 (but I owe them £100 at the moment, this should be paid by the end of this month) so if I can get the money for that, I could be freeeeeeeeeee

2) Definitely. That's the first, and the last, time I will go over my usage. I actually forgot about the limit with it (too used to unlimited internet lol) and realised too late. I would have been able to pay it but buying the bed/wardrobe/flooring/chest of drawers/mattress/washing machine/fridge and a gas bill completely drained me.

3) I give meter readings regularly. I just still don't know why it's so high! They said that I consume less than average too :S I've been looking at other suppliers, such as Npower, Cooperative and EDF.

4) I can afford the £10 to Lloyds but the £40 old accom. was becoming a real drain. I called them up today and now I will be paying £10 a month which is much better!

5) For now I do but when I go on maternity leave I doubt it. So I won't be buying it next month.

Thank you so much, I appreciate it! It has been really tough and I've been really low, not just because of money but lack of support/housing issues but I'm determined to work my way out of this mess and create a happy, happy life for my daughter and I

RE your edit - thanks do they just give advice or do they give practical help also?

ABetterLife

notanewuser wrote: »

Once baby comes you'll be entitled to child benefit of £20 a week plus I'd have thought some child tax credits. I don't know much about tax credits but thought they were reasonably generous.

Your child's father has a responsibility to his child too.

Will be applying to them as soon as I am able to, so should make a huge difference!

He does, unfortunately, he won't accept it but I intend to pursue him through CSA. I'm not banking too much on getting much/anything at all though, as he might do a runner or 'lose his job' once they get onto him. We'll see.

Blitzwing85

ABetterLife wrote: »

SNIP

TV License is easy enough to start/stop. You can just do it online if you want. Log in to their site using your license number and post code and fill in the form about no longer needing a license.
To start up again, you just do the same online and payments just start again from the time you sign back up.

I haven't had one for a couple of years now but it was simple enough the times I changed it.



Not really sure on the gas/elec front. Is the £100 what you're actually using? Or is that just your DD amount and your account is in credit?
You don't have to really do anything yourself when switching though. Just head over to a site such as 'uswitch' or something and put in what you use/pay and they will recommend the best one. Once you click to switch, the new provider does everything for you.

It takes 4-5 weeks to switch though.

But by what you're saying, I can't see how you can be using more than £40-£50pm of gas/elec!!
Energy companies are useless though. I've had 2 instances recently of people being harassed by 2 different energy companies saying they owe them money only to find out the energy company owes them money. One was £415, the other about £200.
I still can't even access my account as it still logs in to my previous address 4 months after I moved and I've told them twice to change it recently.


Not much you can do with the phone then but you can pick up a refurbished kindle fire for £80 or something from Amazon quite often. My wife got one for £90 6 months ago and it's almost brand new.
So certainly could be worth getting out of that contract and picking up a comparable cheaper device.


TCB doesn't get you much in the way of free money so it's not terribly useful when trying to save by NOT spending.
There are ways though.

I signed up to lovefilm free trial (£15 cahsback) then got my parents to create a TCB account from my referral, then then did an onlone grocery shop with 2 places to earn £10, which netted me another £20. On top of me doing online grocery shops I ended up with about £50 for 15 minutes effort.

Try doing your grocery shopping with various places online as you often get good coupons on first order. Tesco often do £15 off and Sainsburys often do too.
Waitrose offer £5 cashback and vouchers as well. To many they are expensive so it depends on what you buy as to whether the coupons are worth it there.

Broadband is really cheap (as low as about £3 per month for 6 months) but it's the line rental that knocks it up unfortunately.

Surveys are hit and miss for people. Seem to work well for me but others have no luck with them.
I think, unfortunately being a single mum is a criteria they likely have more people to fullfill.

Fro mthe ones I use, the most regular payouts are from:
globaltestmarket
valued opinions
harrispoll
panelbase

Also use:
new vista live
toluna
mindmover
research opinion
gratis points
gfk media

I just sign up to loads mostly to get invited to focus groups or online polls and panels. Those tend to pay out the most but you only get 1 or 2 a year.
Applied for one recently that pays out £500 total but doubt i'll get accepted as don't fit the criteria that well

anotheruser

ABetterLife wrote: »

1) Yep, the phone bill is mobile. Unfortunately, I'm locked into this contract for another 22 months and it would cost me over £1000 to exit it.

If the phone bill is 22 months until finishing, that means you got it out just two months ago, which is 8 weeks.

If the father of the baby left you when you were 6 weeks pregnant, then you got the phone contract when you were already in trouble. Bad decision.

If you do a huge trolley shop, but take the bus anyway, why not switch to another cheaper supermarket and go more often? If you have a travel pass then it should at least get you to another food store. Have you thought about food banks?

Buy a hot water bottle or three.
They are much better for heating, although with a new baby, you will need the heating anyway.

What about family and friends? Local church?
You can't do everything at once. No way will you be able to be a Mother while studying at Uni, but kudos to you for doing what you can now.

Sorry I have nothing more to offer.
I can't understand how people get like this to begin with