Facing a tight budget

Irenadler

To Calley, Robbie, RobM & Poppy too

I hold up my hands as a complete idiot, and sorry for the confusion I have caused. I said I was busy this morning and it was because I went onto my water supplier, and discovered that my monthly payments were spread over 8 months, not 12! Doh! What an eejit!
Thanks to all of you for prompting me, I have managed to a) Register on-line with them to manage my account remotely for the first time in my life b) Spread my payments over more months (double doh!) c) Reduced my monthly payments!

Thanks for all your discussion and concern, instead of scary £58.72, it's a lot less intimidating £41.96 a month! I'd like to shake you all by the (virtual) hand and pat you on the back for noticing that it should be lower. Here is a dodgy kiss instead 

I have also forced myself to get back to my local council (on-line) and waded through lots of crap information about the council tax, and asked if I can spread the cost of paying it over 12 months rather than the usual 10 months. If they do that, it means that I will be paying closer to £90 per month instead of £109 a month. I will also be waiting to see if they can help reduce/rebate it even more. Many thanks for the multiple kicks up the backside from you all. I am sure I wouldn't have done this without going on here and baring all (figuratively speaking), and getting your advice.

To recap:
MONTHLY Outgoings yesterday were:                                                                                                  Now:
Dual fuel Gas and Electric 12mth fixed direct debit £72.50 (British Gas)            72.50 (not changed as just switched via MSE)
Water        (over 8 months!)                                     £58.72                                 41.96/10mths (saving = £16.76 per month)
Council Tax (over 10 months)                                £109.00 (25% discount)      90.83?/12mths  (saving = £18.17 per month)
Vet pay plan (12 months)                                         £15.00                                 0.00 (cancelled saving = £15.00 pm, see below)
Pet costs (over 12mths), medical basic                      £0.00                                   10.15 (to save aside, estimate £131.82 fees)
Charity (12 months)                                                   £7.00                                     0.00 (cancelled saving = £7.00, for now)
Mobile PAYG tesco no internet                                 £10.00                                 10.00 (to review!)
TV licence, freeview                                                  £13.20                                 13.20 (to review!)
H&C insurance                                                          £30.78                                  30.78 (to review!)
Sky B/B with landline                                                 £38.00 (varies)                      38.00 (to review!)
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Totals                                                                      £354.20                                   £316.92     Savings to date = £37.28! 

Without breaking a sweat, all of you have saved me potentially nearly £40 within 24 hours, which I know doesn't sound a lot, but it makes a massive difference to my grocery budget. Instead of £14 a week, or, £55.69 a month, I now have a potential £92.97 a month (£23.28 a week!). I was dreading going shopping and trying to figure out how to stretch £14 to feed me and the dog. I think it was doable, but, I was thinking along the lines of rice and dried kidney beans, with porridge breakfast, for a long time... The dog, however, I buy special senior food to make sure her allergy is kept at bay, and that costs £7 for 2kg (IAMS senior from the nearest supermarket I walk to - T*sco). That lasts her about a week and a half, with wet meat for her breakfast (Lily's kitchen when it's on offer, usual price £2.25 a tin!). Crikey. If I buy her a tin a week and a bag that's £9.25 of my budget gone.... I think I have to stop burying my head in the sand and get all ninja on the grocery budget too.

Thank you doesn't seem adequate somehow. You are now all money saving ninja's in my eyes, whereas I am only at the 'grasshopper' stage (showing my age there - Kung Fu quote). 

I have paddled around the water boards web-site and found they do have something to help people on low incomes, so, I have also applied to that. They can only say no, can't they? 

Sorry for the long post but, I am amazed and delighted at what everyone's gathered wisdom has found. I will update if I push on with more findings to let you all know. NB. Please don't worry if I am not on here all the time, I do have good and bad times when it's difficult to even drag myself out of bed, but I do it for the dog's sake if not my own. 

Robbie64

Fingers crossed that you do get some help with your council tax. Any help you do get may also be boosted for this financial year as  the Government gave all councils emergency funding (due to the impact of COVID-19) to help reduce council tax bills further for people on the lowest incomes who get some council tax support. Without raising your hopes too high it is possible that your council tax bill could be reduced to £0 (zero) while you are in receipt of UC with no other income. It partly depends on the council tax support scheme your local council runs. Most councils make people of working age pay something towards their council tax even if if the person is on a means tested benefit with no other income. Mine sets the rate at a minimum of 8.5% of the council tax bill. In addition the impact of the emergency Government funding has led to the rebate being further boosted (to a maximum of £150) which for council tax payers in my council area has meant that most people of working age and who are wholly reliant on means tested benefits have had their council tax bill reduced to £0. Hopefully this may happen for you.

Irenadler

pallyman said:

Hi Irenadler,If you are out of contract with your Broadband you could make a big saving there.

Hello Pallyman
It's on my huge rambling post list to be reviewed. Just have to see where I put the paperwork to figure out when it ends... thank you 

Irenadler

Robbie64 said:

Fingers crossed that you do get some help with your council tax. Any help you do get may also be boosted for this financial year as  the Government gave all councils emergency funding (due to the impact of COVID-19) to help reduce council tax bills further for people on the lowest incomes who get some council tax support. Without raising your hopes too high it is possible that your council tax bill could be reduced to £0 (zero) while you are in receipt of UC with no other income. It partly depends on the council tax support scheme your local council runs. Most councils make people of working age pay something towards their council tax even if if the person is on a means tested benefit with no other income. Mine sets the rate at a minimum of 8.5% of the council tax bill. In addition the impact of the emergency Government funding has led to the rebate being further boosted (to a maximum of £150) which for council tax payers in my council area has meant that most people of working age and who are wholly reliant on means tested benefits have had their council tax bill reduced to £0. Hopefully this may happen for you.

Hello Robbie64
Yes, I am crossing everything at the moment, to be honest I would be grateful if they could just spread the cost so I only have to pay £90 a month. I feel somehow that I shouldn't be a priority, it should be people with children to worry about who get that much help. Saying that, if they offer 50% discount instead of 25% it would be a huge relief as it's my biggest bill. I wasn't aware that the councils are putting the funding towards helping people with their CT.  Even if it's only for this year, it would hopefully be enough time for me to get properly back on my feet...I had put off applying for anything because I just felt something would turn up and I would be ok, or I wouldn't need it, or others needed it more. Truth is, I also wasn't in the right frame of mind to help myself do anything, but I really feel that's changing now for the better. Thank you, and I will update on here if I do manage to qualify for help. 

KxMx

You've done great work on your SOA.
I would recommend now starting a spending diary. Every penny that gets spent gets recorded. 
Sometimes SOAs can be more aspirational than real and seeing exactly where everything is actually going can be helpful. 

sheramber

Irenadler said:

sheramber said:

What would your dog's annuaL vacs cost?
I do not routinely treat my dogs for fleas. I have only had to  treat them twice in 40 years of dog ownership. Once when they picked them up from a visit to  friend's house and once when they picked them up in a holiday home.
So I only treat them when needed.
Worming tablets can be bought cheaper online than from a ver, unless you need a prescription one.
An annual consultation is given as part of th vacs appointment

So, is £15  worth it?

Hello Sheramber
Thank you that's a very good point. I have mulled it over as follows:

My vet charged £46 for the vaccination booster in 2018; they then suggested a monthly plan which could work out cheaper and include flea and worm treatment drops which I apply monthly (collecting 4 months supply at a time, 3 times a year) and also pays for one consultation fee if she has any problems per year. This started at £13 per month from 2018, and then £14 in 2019, and now just increased to £15 per month. I thought it might be a more cost effective way of keeping her healthy. In the past she has had itchy skin problems which I used to get medication for (at over £50 per month).

The vet felt that she had a dust mite allergy, which is why my water and fuel bills are high, I make sure all bedding and throws are washed frequently at a high temperature, and this unfortunately includes using condenser drier to make sure any survivors are killed off if they survive the washing machine. I also hoover the furniture, bed, soft furnishings as well as the floors and carpets. Starting to sound a bit obsessive there....?

The allergy meds were funded by pet insurance, after I paid £50 excess, each year. One year I over-ordered her medication somehow, and under-ordered the next lot and the insurers refused to fund her medication. I had inadvertently gone under the set amount that she qualified for, for medication costs. So I was still paying insurance for her, still paying her meds, and her vaccination, flea and worm treatments. So the pay plan seemed the better option! I don't pay pet insurance now as her age bars her from getting any - I was so fed up that her existing insurers' wouldn't pay for her medication any more that I stopped using them. I thought I could just do the pay plan at the vet's instead, and pay for any additional costs by saving up for her. That has not panned out....

I had to stop paying her meds when I had no income. Worried myself to death over it and laundried & cleaned up a storm. Strangely though, around the same time I stopped using animal products, including dairy, her allergy symptoms stopped. I used to give her a treat of a little bit of milk which she loved (I know, spoiling her), cheese, especially to persuade her to take her tablets, and when I no longer gave her dairy, she stopped itching and scratching!

I still keep on top of the laundering just in case it comes back, which doesn't help my bills, but I think I am a bit phobic now about keeping the dust down for her... I think about the irony of feeding her dairy (cheese) to encourage her to take her allergy tablets!!
I honestly think it was the dairy rather than the dust that was giving her the itchies. I do also get the room treatment flea killer from the vet too (Indorex I think it's called) as I hate the idea of any of them in the place. Gives me the itches just thinking about it.
Sorry for the long post but I am really mulling it over. To answer your question:

So £15 x 12 months = £180 a year. If her vaccination is say £50 now (not sure but I could ask them), that's £130 for the rest. It's about £30 for one consult e.g. checking her teeth and overall health. So the remaining £100 is flea and worm drops, plus one Indorex treatment of the home per year (it is supposed to last a year) - or £8.33 a month. I just did a quick google and the cheapest I saw was £8.99, or £11.99 from one of the larger pet chain stores. So if I go for the £12 one, that's £88 for just her drops. Hang on in there, nearly done, she gets Privinox spot on drops, and another google £19.94 for 4 months large dog (4 pipettes), or just under a £5 a month. £19.94 on a vet on-line site = 3 x 19.94 for a year's treatment = £59.82. To add it all up: £50 approx vaccination, £59.82 flea/worm drops, £30 consult fee/check up when she's vaccinated, £11.99 Indorex flea spray for the house = £151.81!

Leaving aside whether she should have monthly treatment of flea/worm drops that means I could actually save £28.19 every year. I think I would be a bit phobic about stopping her flea/worm drops altogether (that is my own issues again), but maybe if I just did her treatment almost bi-monthly, 6-8 treatments instead of 12, starting in spring each year instead, that would make sure she's ok and my anxiety wouldn't be too bad about it. That would add at least another £20 saving on top, or £131.82 costs a year.

Total savings = £48.18
Thank you Sheramber you have really made me use my brain properly and weigh it up carefully. I think I will cancel the plan and only buy her drops for 8 treatments a year, pay the vaccination at whatever price it is, and the consult, but shop around to get best price on her drops and the Indorex...
That's given me an immediate saving of £15 per month!

Remember you get a  health  check included at the booster appointment.
Meds can be bought online cheaper than from the vet. You can ask the vet for a prescription to order online. There will be a charge for the prescription. Each vet sets their own charge so you could ask your surgery what they charge and chck if it would be cheaper to get any meds that way.
Vets are a business and they do not have schemes to benefit the client. Your vet will b making a profit from that scheme. 

Irenadler

KxMx said:

You've done great work on your SOA.
I would recommend now starting a spending diary. Every penny that gets spent gets recorded. 
Sometimes SOAs can be more aspirational than real and seeing exactly where everything is actually going can be helpful. 

Hello KxMx
Thank you, it's all the people on here that have helped to make it a better one!
That is a scary thought. Spending diary....

Having done the most frightening bit already, talking on here about my situation, I will take your advice on that.

I get what you mean, I definitely aspire to have £92 odd left for groceries out of the UC, and not waste it, after the bills come out. And I aspire to pay family back & save something. The reality of life is I could go on a stupid spree and mess up. I have in the past got so depressed and then spent mindlessly and been so upset with myself because I can't afford it. 

MF's point about mastering a low cost lifestyle to me means learning a lot of self-discipline and carrying on even if I make mistakes. Not giving up if I do. I think I will start a diary  properly on the 'What have you saved' thread, as that was where I first felt inspired to try to save. But, I think I will keep everyone here updated with any progress on the SOA if I achieve anything more there. I feel they deserve to know that their advice is a tremendous help to push me along the right financial path. I hope they keep up the good work helping everyone, it is incredible, the huge wealth of knowledge that they have....  So, in case any of you missed it, thank you, THANK YOU, and thank you....

Irenadler

sheramber said:

Total savings = £48.18
Thank you Sheramber you have really made me use my brain properly and weigh it up carefully. I think I will cancel the plan and only buy her drops for 8 treatments a year, pay the vaccination at whatever price it is, and the consult, but shop around to get best price on her drops and the Indorex...
That's given me an immediate saving of £15 per month!

Remember you get a  health  check included at the booster appointment.
Meds can be bought online cheaper than from the vet. You can ask the vet for a prescription to order online. There will be a charge for the prescription. Each vet sets their own charge so you could ask your surgery what they charge and chck if it would be cheaper to get any meds that way.
Vets are a business and they do not have schemes to benefit the client. Your vet will b making a profit from that scheme. 

Hi sheramber
Yes, I think I remember that, so that means I am paying for a consult visit on top that I am not using... It is just confirming that the payment plan isn't saving money. Face palm moment. I really thought they did it to help customers and their pets. I am so annoyed with myself right now. I feel like an absolute novice at this, but, that I should know better.... 

suki1964

One other saving is perhaps the yearly boosters

Most vets and insurance companies don't insist on them now. IIRC once they have had the full set as pups they are actually covered for life although some people choose to do three yearly vacs

It might be worth doing your homework on that yourself as its been a while since my last boy died and it was back in 2004 he had his first injections

I also didn't use flea treatments, only the one tin of indorex a year and worming if Im truthful was when I remembered , probably 4 times a year max

suki1964

Oh and try this site for your water usage


watermetercalculator