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dudleyboy

Hey (a-hey-hey) ,

Ok, others are better at this but here's my attempt...

theunknownstuntman wrote: »

Manweb: £60 - what's this?
TV licence: £12
Sky tv: £38 - could you downgrade the package or replace with Freeview?
Mobile: £35 (O2 Simplicity, i recommend if you're not bothered about getting a new mobile and hate being tied into a long contract. I do!) - you'll probably find that PAYG is cheaper if you don't like contracts. Do you use all your call and text allowances? A definite saving of £15-20 pcm can be made here - that's £240 a year!
Water rates: £20
M&S loan: £116 (36 months to go. NO PPI on it.)
LTSB loan: £150 (60 months to go, no PPI although they really tried to bully me!)
BT (broadband and home phone): £20
Bus pass: £50
Credit card: (LTSB VISA, M/C paid off yay!) £150 (£5500 left to go)
Food: £120 (I'm a big fella and need my food.... ) - we spend that much on two of us and I'm a big eater too. Is it a huge quantity of food that you buy or is it all brand names? This could be halved, I'm sure, by shopping at say Aldi, Lidl, or by buying supermarket own brands.
Sudaries: £200 (Clothes going out and presents etc. Although Xmas is sorted already) - you'll need to break this down further. how much do you spend on clothes and going out each month? how much do you budget for birthdays and Christmas?

What about gas and electricity? I take it you don't have a car (a HUGE saving right there! ). Do you budget for holidays or trips to the dentist?

Once you've noticed where savings can be made, you'll be able to pump that extra money into paying off your debts each month. You've made a great start! Keep it going. :beer:

Penny-Pincher!!

gas and electric?
house insurance?
life insurance?

PP
xx

theunknownstuntman

Hi Dudleyboy, sorry Manweb is the Electricity direct debit (I don't have gas in my flat, so its just the one bill)

The mobile I have cut down, this is on its 2nd month now, and if I don't use all my allowance as its only a 30 day contract I can downgrade it as needed. I do use the mobile a lot instead of the home phone as I work outdoors etc.

I'll try an cut my food bill down, and see where I can go, maybe try and get it reduced £50 initiaslly and then cut back further?

Sorry, the sundaries include £15 p/m dental insurance, contents insurance £15 p/m and the rest goes on budgeting for Xmas/B day presents, clothes and budgeting for hols., I go out say twice a month, so i guess i can cut that back.

I do watch alot of Sky, so no freeview, but i'll ring and take off the sports package (sigh)

How's that? lol

Stunty

[Deleted User]

Hiya,

Just to say hello and Good Luck on your quest.

Tea
x

pania

theunknownstuntman wrote: »

Incomings: (all per month)
Wage: £1450 after deductions
Mystery shopping: £50 after deductions (I recommend mystery shopping its great i get to act like a spy... :rolleyes:)cracking, welldone on discovering this, and ebay, keep going with these they'll see you right. Also if single why not work on a fri/sat night in a bar? I used to do this, got the social atmosphere without spending money, got me out of the house and i met the OH to!:T

Outgoings: (again all per month)
Rent and council tax: £500 (was sharing but my OH left and I'm looking for somewhere smaller and cheaper) Good! that'll save you some money
Manweb: £60 whassis??
TV licence: £12
Sky tv: £38 Ouch!!! are you like my OH and watch sky sports all day? if not a cheaper package will do you if you can't do without!:rolleyes: give them a call and see what else they can do for you. I know suggesting to the OH he cancels sky would be like taking candy from a baby, but if you can do without freeview if good.
Mobile: £35 (O2 Simplicity, i recommend if you're not bothered about getting a new mobile and hate being tied into a long contract. I do!)
Water rates: £20
M&S loan: £116 (36 months to go. NO PPI on it.)
LTSB loan: £150 (60 months to go, no PPI although they really tried to bully me!)
BT (broadband and home phone): £20 not too bad, but how about trying sky see if they will do you an all in one package, or check uswitch to see if there is a cheaper provider.
Bus pass: £50 better than a car anyway!! I know peeps will be able to suggest ways to save money on this through deals etc, not sure myself though
Credit card: (LTSB VISA, M/C paid off yay!) £150 (£5500 left to go) Interest rate? credit limit? Is this only one one card?
Food: £120 (I'm a big fella and need my food.... ) jeez, we spend this for 2 and my OH eats like a gannet!! seriously he is the biggest eater I know!! and we shop in tesco:o most definately savings to be made here if you are savvy.
Sudaries: £200 (Clothes going out and presents etc. Although Xmas is sorted already) This is alot per month hon, any chance this can be cut down a tad? what exactly does this include? Go through your wardrobe and see just how many clothes you have to last you! do you have birthdays every month or could you just out £20 per montha way to cover when they do come up? I feel you could trim this back by £100 easily. thats another £100 off the debt and you can then enjoy the money without worrying about your debt once its gone.

I've got £50 of stamps for Tescos for Xmas food and also £20 of clubcard vouchers saved too, so i think all Xmas stuff is sorted.
ebay your clubcard vouchers, you'd prob get double the value.
Now, I realise that I'm COPING on this, but I want to be debt free. I currently have reclaiming going on thats worth a possible £2500 to me. I was going to use this on paying off the card first.

I also have some overtime coming up in my works, so hopefully will be able to add approx £250 a month extra till April, again off the credit card.
:j :T

I have to say that you are approcahing your situation with fantastic humour and a brilliant attitude. This debt will be gone in no time at all. Good for you!
Stick with us hon, I'll give the longhaulers thread a bump in a mo so watch out for it and come join us. I'm here for the next 2 years minimum!!:o

Big hugs
P
xx

pania

Hi Stunty, sorry hon we cross posted. lots of the questions already answered!! apologies ;-)

firesidemaid

hi there

just 2 things i noticed from your soa.

your sky and home phone/bb cost £58 in total - this can be reduced to £26 for all (i know, no sports - but u do get sky sports news;) ). this is a saving of £32 per month or nearly £400 per year!

if you're really up for it, threaten to cancel - we rang to get rid of sky sports (already got rid of movies) and they offered it to us for £25 a month (just the sky at the time). but we decided to save all the money.

there is even a thread on here as to which day of the week is the best to ring to cancel and get offered a good deal (tues/weds).

also re: bus travel - is this an annual bus pass to save money? there is also a tax-free incentive that employers can offer (in the guardian money twice recently) where they pay the cost of the annual pass, you pay them back monthly out of your wages (saving the 22% tax as well) and they save the NI contribution too. smiles all round!:D

Karmacat

Hi Stuntsman

Welcome to mse! You've had some great advice so far. One thing that occurred to me, tho, is when you say that you use your mobile not your landline cos you're outside a lot - do you mean literally outside, like in the garden or something? Cos if you do, you could get a cheap cordless on the landline so you can take calls that come in. And what's your deal on the landline? Do you use Martin's cheap call checkers, e.g. 1899 and so on?

ginormousflares

Hi mate. Welcome. LIke the username BTW. GF

Crabman

Hello and welcome, all the best for your journey to debt freedom

One little point about sky - when phoning up if you make it seem like you're cancelling you may be offered free Sky+ to stay. Read the sky insider notes for details, good luck with that too if you decide to give it a try, looks like wed/thurs is the best time to call for this offer. Check SayNoTo0870 for a non rip-off number to phone them :T

Crabman :beer: