Can I improve my slight debts?

Butterfliesarepretty

Hi, I earn around £1020 a month and live alone. I have a daughter who I pay for through Csa and the payment is based on the number of nights I have her and is the cheapest.

This is my statement of affairs:-

Smile current account (wage is paid in here then total amount of bills is transferred to my alliance and leicester account) balance is -900.70 and my overdraft is £900.

Smile credit card balance -170.01 limit £2,300
Smile savings account £559.78 (for my holiday this year approx cost £250)
Cash isa £0.20p

Alliance & Leicester premier current account (for all my bills) balance is -143.25 overdraft limit £450.

Bills that get paid out are below monthly.:cool:

Bt line rental £10
Life Assurance £7.70
Car Insurance £22.94
Fridge Loan (ends Dec) £16.99 from Comet
Gym £26.00 (use all the time)
Home Insurance £14.94
Mortgage £367.32 (40,000 over 22 years)
Gas & elec £46.00 (in credit now)
tesco phone calls £6.66
Tv Licence £11.37
water £11.85
Council Tax - 25% £64.00
Child Support Agency £131.85
Daughters savings £6.50

I have all the cheapest bills and run a car which costs £35 a week in petrol to manchester but also have to use more petrol every other weekend to pick and drop off my daughter in Lancaster. Food varies from £25-£40 a week and I have a cat which costs around £4.00 every two weeks for food. No pet insurance or silly things like that.:T

My mortgage is with Nationwide (been very good) added £18,000 on it in last two years just to clear my debts.:mad:
Going to go for fixed rate with them in September when my terms are ending.

Can I do better???

floss2

Bump.....

I can't see any quick cuts...maybe someone else can?

benbenandme

Could I just ask why the fed up face after the CSA payment?? Surely you want to provide for your child as best you can??

mae

I can't see anywhere you can cut back you seem to be doing very well and keeping everything in order. I can only suggest if you want more money is to earn more, which I know is not easy and as simple as that. Is it possible to change your job with better pay?? Or maybe a second job.

rayday2

With overdrafts like that you may be better putting your savings in you would probably save more interest than you earn on your savings if that makes sense!

And less of the fed up face for paying CSA children cost a fortune for the parent living with them, £35 shoes for school, uniform, food, it all adds up you have a cheap child there!

climbgirl

Nothing really obvious apart from cutting the gym totally - but it is cheap and if you're using it a lot then it's up to you whether to keep it or not.

Seems like you hunt around for the best deals you can find on your outgoings. Which is good!

So the only other option really is to think about finding ways to up your income....

RAS

Hi

The SOA looks good but comes to less than £800.

Where is the other £200 going?

Car tax, MOT, repairs, clothes, entertainment?

It would be a good idea to start a spending diary in which you list evevy last penny, so you can see where stuff is going.

Butterfliesarepretty

Hi thanks for your advice I will start to write everything down.

As for the csa payment - it was not meant to be a fed up face - just 'nothing I can do about this' sort of face.
I absolutely agree that I should pay for my child. I was the one who applied to pay through them because my ex was charging me left right and centre for everything even halving the cost of a pair of socks £2. He was also charging me for his childminding. Now bearing in mind five years ago he moved from Bury to Lancaster and I have an awful lot of travelling to do which is not deducted from the total but I went to court to get more access as I wanted to see her more.

The csa are fantastic with me and I would be very upset if they closed down. If you pay your way they respect you for it. My daughter is nine.

anyway thanks for the advice. But I am not a moaner, I love my daughter very much and she is precious.

mae

Isn't it funny, I don't know about the others but coz CSA were mentioned I assumed you were a man. Sorry should remember not to jump to conclusions.

Butterfliesarepretty

Hi Mae, thats ok, there are a lot of women out there who for some reason or another have not got residency of custody of there children.
My ex was a control freak and still to this day has done some awful things. I also buy my daughter clothes sometimes when she is with me for a weekend and take her on holiday also. I suppose in the past I have been spending too much on her. I had depression and could not fight for my daughter five years ago.
Anyway more advice please?

opalfruits_2

Is it possible for you to take the tramlink into Manchester instead of running your car?