Not sure how I'm going to get through this!

ohdearhowdidthathappen

You're doing great and been getting some great advice from these very knowledgeable people  
Have you thought about starting a diary on here, it's good for keeping yourself accountable

monetxchange

I'm really glad to read your update and see the progress you've been making! It's amazing what kind of money you can have in things lying around. Once managed to get £1k together for a friend by encouraging her to sell some clutter after she claimed she had "nothing" to sell!

Bills can be confusing and frankly annoying sometimes. Are you doing monthly meter readings for your energy and inputting them into their website? That way you're paying for what you use and not paying a monthly estimate. You can't afford to be over paying unnecessarily at this stage! 

Glad you've cancelled the Moneyway thing. It's really not hard in this day and age to manage your own direct debits and not have this company (unregulated by the FCA according to their website so could've lost all your money) charging you for the benefit. I think I saw something about £15-£20 monthly fees when I browsed their site. If you've been using them since the 90s, that's several thousands of pounds you've given them. Again, not trying to make you feel bad - just a good putting into perspective moment. I know when I started realising how much money I was trickling away while thinking I was keeping the purse strings tight it really made me keep an eye on things and never let my money go without a fight.

Sea_Shell

How's the grocery spend looking since you first posted?

Have you totted up your receipts for the week?

Have you been able to make savings there too?

darrannah

Well done ABBAfan on generation the cash, it will help give you piece of mind in an emergency fund, I can only reiterate what everyone else has said re: the grocery budget, try just reducing to the next brand down and just on a few things to start with. The only advice I would offer is around the tv, we dont have sky/virgin but instead use freeview, UKTVplay, and NOWTV which are VERY good at offering a discount on the monthly subscription (since march I have been paying £1.80 amonth which will expire in September when I will contact them again)
Try not the be too harsh on the beer front, its a small luxury for your partner for the hard work and overtime he does, but it is good that youve managed to get him down to 1 crate every 2 weeks  
Keep going you can do it and remember, its not forever  

Abbafan1972

Just a quick update:-  Thank you for all of your replies.  Have managed to get some temporary work through an agency working from home, the pay isn't too bad and the work is ok.  I'm not sure how many weeks it will last for but am just taking it week by week at the moment.  But did go for an interview for a permanent job on Monday afternoon, hopefully should hear something from that next week.   Even though I am earning again (weekly, which is a bit strange), we are still tightening our belts, but there are things we do need to get, we desperately need a new shed, the old one is falling apart and leaking!  The mobile bills have come down, 3 of us have now left O2 and with Sky Mobile sim only with no problems,  It's just my daughters to sort out as she's with Tesco. Sky bill is now £44 including the BB (I need this for work now), films and sports cancelled.  Cancelled the extra box in the bedroom, so there's just freeview on that TV. Trouble is when we cancelled the box we lost netflix as part of the package, so I still want to keep that at £8.99 a month. We still have payment holidays on things until October. Hubby is still doing overtime whenever he can as well. 

Grumpelstiltskin

Thanks for getting back to us.
How are you doing on reducing the food bill?
Are you sure you can't repair the shed for now or declutter and find room to store what is left somewhere else?

Danni-R

Thanks for the update. I've just read through all the pages. 

Re the Shed, look on free FB pages and see if anyone has any roofing going spare. Or use a tarpaulin sheet. I'm sure if you asked your daughter to help she'd love being able to do something practical to help out. 
I know you want to keep Netflix but is it really a need right now? Do you have a sibling or friend you can share log in details with? I use my brothers Netflix. No point both of us paying for accounts (and we're both adults and don't live together, there's no shame!).
Please keep us updated. 

Smashingitnow

I think having read all this through and thinking of the mindset of OP most likley the mortgage will get extended. They have that option and everything seems on holiday til October. Well done OP on some steps but no one needs a new shed. No one. I'm not a Christian but Jesus Christ was born in an old shed. I really hope you don't get a new shed, because I think you might regret it. But even if you do, you will I'm sure be welcome by all the posters here and you have undoubtedly done well and super super well done on the new job x

Abbafan1972

Thanks for the replies.  The old shed is rotton and leaking from more than one spot.  We don't have anywhere else to keep the stuff (no garage).   A lot of stuff have been ruined as water has got in.  There are 2 push bikes in there as well. We have yet to find someone that can supply a shed for a reasonable price.  With regards to Netflix, I there aren't any family members or friends I can share an account with, there's only my Mom and Dad and they are in their 70's and only use Freeview. 

kimwp

Echoing @Danni-R, better to patch the shed at this point in time. You could put a request on the local Freecycle for materials maybe? Move the vulnerable things away from the leaks and wrap in plastic bags to protect them. Move some stuff into the house or ask a neighbour /relative if they could store things temporarily.