How to live on £400 a month

lili4242564

Hello just wondering if anyone had any tips on living on £400 a month (before bills)
I only pay the basic bills and don't really have takeaway only about once a month I dont smoke or drink and I'm finding that after bills I only have about £120 left for food shopping and travel ( I live in a village so if I need shopping I have to travel) for me and a child anyone else in the same boat and have any tips

luiza8

Cut unnecessary costs. There isn’t a magic formula to reduce costs.

Money at the end of the month = (money at the start of month - money spent during month) + money gained during the month

[Deleted User]

Cut back on costs.
Work more.
Find a better paid job.
Etc.

melanzana

Have you 400 left after housing costs?

You may need to post up a SOA (statement of affairs) so folk can help you out. I think there is a template somewhere on the site, but sorry, I don't know where it is.

Hopefully someone will pop along to point you in the right direction.

Maisie78

Shop in Aldi. Only buy what’s on the list. Try and walk or cycle to work or places to save petrol.
Have a sim only mobile phone (I only pay £8 a month with I.D mobile).
Pay for large costs such as car insurance using an interest free credit card and pay it back monthly BEFORE the interest period runs out. This will save you he interest rates insurance company’s add if you pay your car insurance monthly.
Always search for voucher codes before buying things online.
Make your own lunch for work.

Neil_Jones

This seems apt:

Charles_Dickens wrote:

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds] nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery." David Copperfield

deadendwaterfall

Maisie78 wrote: »

Shop in Aldi. Only buy what’s on the list. Try and walk or cycle to work or places to save petrol.
Have a sim only mobile phone (I only pay £8 a month with I.D mobile).
Pay for large costs such as car insurance using an interest free credit card and pay it back monthly BEFORE the interest period runs out. This will save you he interest rates insurance company’s add if you pay your car insurance monthly.
Always search for voucher codes before buying things online.
Make your own lunch for work.

Or visit Tesco or Sainsbury's in the evening and look out for their 'reduced to clear' offers. :T

18cc

Grow your own food

Disconnect your landline and use your mobile phone for internet and phone calls

Only watch terrestrial Freeview TV don't pay for Sky or anything else

Don't buy expensive stuff at the supermarket cook yourself and eat lots of vegetables and very little meat

Buy a second-hand bicycle and walk or cycle everywhere as far as you can

Don't use social media - ever

[Deleted User]

I am a fairly frugal lady and can manage pretty well on around £60.00 per month for food. I cook from scratch and bake most of my own cakes and biscuits. I forage for blackberries and my neighbours are always happy to have a cake or biscuits in exchange for their surplus veg.I by mainly Y/S stuff when I see something I fancy and cook more veg based food curries,lasagnes etc lus I make my own soups rather than buying tinned stuff I always say I can make at least twice as much for half the price of ready meals I don't buy or eat takeaways anyway.With the advent of the internet and you tube there is very little information you cannot find about how to live well for less and by careful shopping and eating stuff in season its quite possible to have a decent healthy lifestyle that won't break the bank.I shop for what I need ,not buy impulse as its very easy to buy impulsively. I eat at my DDs for Sunday dinner and one night a week I go to the local pub where for £2.00 we have a quiz night with a plate of food included ,it was bangers and chips last Tuesday.

A chicken slow cooked will give you enough for at least three to four dinners for two I even curry the left over scraps with veg to extend it a bit I am not keen on a great deal of pasta but enjoy spicy well flavoured food and most of my food is seasoned quite a bit as I hate 'beige' food Every scrap of anything edible is used up in my house, and nothing goes to waste at all. As you have a child getting them involved (if old enough ) in cooking and 'helping Mum' to find recipes will give you both a shared interest
I do wish you well as many of us on here have been in tough situations and have survived .
regards JackieO xx