Getting back in the black

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone, 

I am normally very very careful with money, I haven't had any debt for a while (no car payments or outstanding mortgage etc), but we moved house at the start of 2021 knowing our new home needed work and took out a small mortgage. We weren't quite prepared for how much the prices for things would shoot up over the last year or so and we had some unexpected items that urgently needed attention and sadly now we are living off the credit card so we are about £7k in the red. I am the sole income earner (my husband hasn't worked at all during the pandemic and didn't qualify for furlough).  We do not live extravagantly anyway so there aren't many areas we can cut back; I haven't bought new clothes in over a year, I buy the children second hand toys and clothes, we try to re-use, buy second hand and waste little (I am very sustainably minded) and we don't spend a lot on days out or holidays etc. However where we do spend a lot is food shopping - 3 of the 4 of us have multiple allergies (dairy, egg, gluten, nuts, soya) and although I am happy to go without a lot of items there are some things we can't avoid for the children (such as alternative milks).  

I earn a decent wage and I feel that if we are clever we should be able to clear the credit card by the summer - I have been making small amounts here and there selling old clothes that don't fit us anymore, toys they've grown out of etc on fb marketplace and vinted. That's helping to cover some small expenditures so we can pay off more and my husband will be picking up a few days of work here and there from the springtime. Where i'd really like to reduce our outgoings is the food shop - I'm trying to pull together a meal plan so that we can waste less and be cleverer about what we buy, but I am really struggling for ideas of what to cook. I have a 1 year old and a very fussy 4 year old who will not eat obvious fruit or veg and obviously the meals can't contain the allergens. I've put my very first meal plan together tonight and the ingredients or the 7 evening meals comes to about £25 which i'm super happy with, looking for suggestions for any healthy, cheap recipes that might be worth a go?!

Also, any suggestions for unusual ways to save money that I might not have thought of would be gratefully received! 

TheAble

What sort of money do you make? It sounds like you live pretty frugally other than the groceries so if it's a decent wage and only a small mortgage one would expect some surplus.

Is there any prospect of your husband going back to work anytime soon?

[Deleted User]

TheAble said:

What sort of money do you make? It sounds like you live pretty frugally other than the groceries so if it's a decent wage and only a small mortgage one would expect some surplus.

Is there any prospect of your husband going back to work anytime soon?

he will be going back to work in the spring, his work is seasonal and this is the first time it's been possible since the start of covid. I bring in 3k or thereabouts a month after pension, £800 of that is the mortgage, then there's the usual bills on top. I put 1k into savings (but due to problems with the house we've spent that every month recently so my savings are at 0) 

TheAble

vixabelle said:

TheAble said:

What sort of money do you make? It sounds like you live pretty frugally other than the groceries so if it's a decent wage and only a small mortgage one would expect some surplus.

Is there any prospect of your husband going back to work anytime soon?

he will be going back to work in the spring, his work is seasonal and this is the first time it's been possible since the start of covid. I bring in 3k or thereabouts a month after pension, £800 of that is the mortgage, then there's the usual bills on top. I put 1k into savings (but due to problems with the house we've spent that every month recently so my savings are at 0) 

Fair old mortgage payment then - when you said a small mortgage I was expecting much less but then I guess it does depend on the term.

Could your husband do some other temporary work in the meantime?

Would also suggest drawing up a statement of affairs to give a full financial picture - people will be able to give advice based on this:

https://www.lemonfool.co.uk/financecalculators/soa.php

(Format for MSE)

[Deleted User]

thanks, I'll look into that. 

my husband could do some temp work, but we don't have childcare for our youngest currently (she will be in my office crèche, but the office is still closed due to covid) so the temp work would have to pay more than the childcare costs, he'd also have to take her and drop her off as the local ones won't take children under a certain age. so it's a tricky balancing act 

Brie

I second the vote for a SOA.  Even if you don't post it here the exercise of looking closely at what the money goes on can be an eye opener - even if you think you are frugal.  A spending diary can also help.  

And I know that some "free" foods are very far from actually being free - it seems the more ingredients left out the more things can cost.  But we had a food bank donation campaign at work recently and one of my colleagues (gluten free vegan...) recommended that people get some freebie apps.  He's got lots of stuff at no charge via these.  We were promoting these on the basis that people might need something but could get a second of the same for free which they could then donate.  But there's nothing to say that you can't just use them yourself.  fyi - he confessed that he would pick up multiple items and them pay at the till multiple times when he spotted a particularly good deal.

Apps are:

• Shopmium 
  
• CheckoutSmart
  
• GreenJinn – the all veggie/vegan friendly freebie app
  

Might worth a look....(I haven't used them myself as my phone isn't smart enough for such things)

Brie

Oh and I just spotted this....it might help.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6321992/2022-vegan-storecupboard-challenge#latest

[Deleted User]

thankyou, I've not heard of those. I shall take a look at thrm