What can I cut out?

Emmia

pusb said:

Ms_Chocaholic said:

Get a water meter (presume only 2 adults in the property) - I currently pay £14 pcm tho amount will depend on water company as prices vary across the UK.  When does your mobile contract(s) end - can you get a SIM only deal - you can get them for £6 pcm.

Holiday - £166 pcm and emergency fund £70 pcm - can these be reduced (or the holiday one incorporated back into income) to pay off the debts.

Prescription/dentist - currently £50.  Depending on how this is split could you get a pre payment certificate for the prescriptions, they are around £11 pcm.

Is the other adult in the home able to work at all - even part-time?

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'll look at a water meter but I've always been wary of them.
Phone contract is up next April (2025)
I do sometimes use the holiday fund to make one off payments to the debt
Most of the £50 under Prescription/dentist is for my contact lenses, so I can't really get any help with that.

Other adult in the house is my friend that is stopping with me for a while. What he pays me is the Other Income amount. He pays half the gas, electric, water, tv licence, and internet

Could you switch to wearing glasses rather than contacts? 

I realise the amount isn't huge, but it would probably add up to £500 a year saved

EssexHebridean

With the contact lenses, opting for a PAYG approach and then wearing the lenses every second day is a take that can save some money. (It's better for your eyes, as well, in most cases!) 

You mention using the holiday money for one off payments to debt - so do you actually have a holiday booked that you are saving for at the moment? If so you need to urgently make sure that the savings will cover the expenses that you are committed to, or probably even better at the moment, to work out if you have an option to cancel at this stage and get back anything that has already been paid. 

Make a diary note for when the 0% rates on cards expire so you can start applying for new ones in good time, and read the MSE main site guide on how to go about that process for the best chance of acceptance. 

Stateofart

pusb said:

Ms_Chocaholic said:

Get a water meter (presume only 2 adults in the property) - I currently pay £14 pcm tho amount will depend on water company as prices vary across the UK.  When does your mobile contract(s) end - can you get a SIM only deal - you can get them for £6 pcm.

Holiday - £166 pcm and emergency fund £70 pcm - can these be reduced (or the holiday one incorporated back into income) to pay off the debts.

Prescription/dentist - currently £50.  Depending on how this is split could you get a pre payment certificate for the prescriptions, they are around £11 pcm.

Is the other adult in the home able to work at all - even part-time?

Most of the £50 under Prescription/dentist is for my contact lenses, so I can't really get any help with that.

It's £14 with Specsavers - I've been with them for 20 years and it's gone up £1 since then. 

Gas and Elec is quite high for a couple.  Should be more like £100 these days.

£50 for water?  Assuming you are on rates.  Should be around half this on a meter.  Equal or more bedrooms than people?  Better off on a meter.

EssexHebridean

On the water meter thing, check whether your local water board lets you change back within 2 years if you decide a meter isn't for you - some do. (But you'll enjoy the savings it gets you I suspect - we've just gone from a £36 per month assessed billing to originally an estimated bill of £34 monthly metered, and now that has been revised after a few months use down to £20 per month going forwards.) 

tealady

Second (or is it third? ) about charging your lodger more.
As a minimum their rent should cover 50% council tax and utilities plus a contribution to insurances plus a bit for you.
My lodger was paying more than this years ago!