Be ruthless!

datlex

PeonySugar wrote: »

Hi everyone,

So I am technically in debt, but in about 2/3 weeks we will be completing on our new house and will be paying off the credit card and furniture loan coming to a total of around £4000.00. However, going forward in our new house, I want to have as little going out as possible, so I can maximise paying off the mortgage.

My pay averages around £1450.00 although I am currently doing overtime this month and next month.

Here are the outgoings:
Phone Bill with Three - £29.00 a month - this is unlimited everything and on a monthly rolling contract so I am not tied in. Ask them how much data you actually use. Add 1GB for safety and then research what it would cost to get theat many GB elsewhere. unlimited is only worth while if it is cheaper than paying for what you would use.
Parking for work - £47 a month
Specsavers contact lenses - £25.00. - I not too long ago had an appointment to see if there are any cheaper ones suitable for my eyes and these are the cheapest. Mine are from Boots £19 a month and I get 10% of their own brand products
Virgin active gym £51.30 - I got this on the corporate monthly rolling contract so I am not tied in. this seems high, how much is the local authority gym? Or Bannatynes or fitnes First etc?
Weight Watchers £19.95 - stupidly took out the 3 month deal and I hate it, think there is only one more payment to go Well there's one saving already!
Lotto - £5 a month, my friend gives me £5 a month , something we do together
Phone £56.45 a month with Apple my one and only luxury, I got the iPhone X
Netflix £5.99
itunes music £9.99 a month - I use this everyday on the way to work on the way back, whilst I'm on my lunch break This seems a bit high. There other free ways to listen to music- YouTube, Vevo, the radio.....
Ancestry £19.99 - researching my family tree. How often do you use this, can you not use the free access weekends?

i currently get through about £120-140 a month in petrol best thingI did was get rid of my car. I get bus to work. Yes it is a bit longer journey but financially it is worth it
I contribute around £80-90 a month in food

I get my hair cut around every 4 months (hate getting it done) £35 every 3 month
I'm terrible at budgeting for presents but would say around £30 a month would cover it.work backwards- say for example £20 per person divided by 12. If that seems too high do £15. Don't forget you can use Boots, Tesco, Nectar, Swagbucks, Top Cashback to get presents.

The following bills are joint with my partner, we pay half each, I currently pay £453 a month towards bills.
Furniture loan - £143.58 this will be paid off with equity from the house
Gas £97.65 really not sure why this is so high, there is only 2 of us in a 2 bed. We are not on a tariff as it ran out and we are moving as I say in the next few weeks. It will be high because of the Hive. You must have the heating on more than you need.
Elec £57.73 ditto That does sound high, make sure you are not leaving things on unncessarily.
British gas - £9 - Hive thermostat You just do not need this, manually set the heating to come on before the first of you is home. You can get portable thermostats that you can set for a number of different scenarios. Gas heating really does not take long to come on.
British Gas £18.60 - Homeserve
CC - £150.00 again this is getting paid off in the next few weeks
mortgage £237.27 - this will be going up to around £650
Council tax - £101
tv license - £12.37
Virgin TV broadband and phone - £35
Water £38.40


Please can you give me advice where I can cut back. I don't want to be living with absolutely no fun in life. At the very minimum I need to keep my gym membership as that is the cheapest for everything I need in my area, and reasonable travel distance, and is where I see my personal trainer which was a gift to me for 3 months. Thanks

unfortunately one of your biggest expenses you don't want to cut. Also is the I Phone X really worth having when the XI or whatever they call it will probably be out soon rendering that one obsolete......

ReadingTim

Cycle to work - this will allow you to cut out parking, gym and weight watchers, all of which come to about a hundred quid a month.