Budget-2 adults

Monica18

Hi
New to this , apologies if wrong place 😬- I try to budget £550 per month food/fuel for car . Want to reduce to initially £400?

Ibblackberry

You'd need to give more details, whats the split, is the car element just most fuel, or finance etc etc.

Your question cant really be answered with the details you've given.

Robin9

Someone will give the link to a Statement of Affairs -  everything you spend or earn.


Keep a record of every single penny you spend -  every coffee, newspaper, every bar of chocolate.

Brie

SOA is in this post

Debt-Free Wannabe Sticky - Provit & Statute Barred Letters, Defaults, Help and Guidance, All Here... — MoneySavingExpert Forum

fill it out and either keep it for your own use or post it on the debt free board and you'll get lots of helpful suggestions. 

I suggest on that board as that's where the debt adviser hang out and will more easily spot it.

Lindlou

I think you are saying you currently spend £550 per month food and petrol for 2 people?  I too have a joint budget for food and petrol for 2 which is £500 per month although we generally come in around £400 - £450 (done this way as we both have cards for one account so either can pick up shopping or petrol). However, while you can monitor food costs, petrol depends so much on mileage, one or two cars etc. Hence I have the leeway in the budget.  In my experience,  unless you drive around for fun, it's hard to cut back on the petrol side. Plenty of advice on here about cutting grocery costs if that would help? 

Monica18

Monica18 said:

Hi
New to this , apologies if wrong place 😬- I try to budget £550 per month food/fuel for car . Want to reduce to initially £400?

Thankyou !  £550 is for groceries and diesel only for car, we have 2 accounts one for all utility bills /savings /emergency fund and 2nd one for grocery shopping which we transfer £ over to on payday also get 1% cash back on all spends on grocery account . Do hope to reduce grocery budget , as also work from home so reduced mileage /car use.

Lindlou

So then I'd ask how much (roughly) do you think you spend on groceries and fuel separately.  My budget is £300 food and £200 fuel. Normally come in just under on both. As I said, the fuel budget is what it is. The grocery one I can work a bit more with. 

tacpot12

To save money on shopping, the obvious answers are to plan meals better and shop for ingredients rather than anything pre-prepared. Do you have a freezer? If so, making batches of meals can save a bit. 

To save fuel on the car, plan your journeys, walk more and take public transport when this saves money on fuel and parking, and try to drive more smoothly by anticipating other road users actions. Don't change the car unless there is a viable business case to do so, i.e. you can save a lot more than it will cost you to change. There is always a risk when changing cars; buy a lemon and you might end up losing everything you hoped to save.

PipneyJane

Hello Monica18.  Welcome to the Forum.

May I suggest that you join us on the monthly Grocery Challenge?  I’ve linked to May’s but the most recent is always pinned to the top of the Old Style Board.  Even if you don’t join for a couple of months, it is well worth following along and reading all of the money-saving posts linked at the start.

By the sound of things, you only have one car, yes?  Approximately how much does it cost to fill up?  And how many times a month do you fill up?  Budget that plus an extra tank-fill a month and move all your petrol money to a separate savings account held at the same bank as your 1% account.  Prior to paying for fuel, move the necessary amount over to your payment account.  (If that’s Chase, then it takes seconds to move the money back and their system is never down.  This is what I do.)

I work from home 3 days a week.  My current budget for fuel is £120/month, which is based on 2 tanks of petrol, and I’ve yet to need all the money.  Back when I commuted every working day, it was £240.  (My husband maintains his car separately to mine.  I don’t know his petrol budget.)

On the food/groceries front, there are two of us and, from May, we’re budgeting £290 a month for all “housekeeping”, which includes money set aside for the Christmas goose, the garden, a Bulk Fund and a Booze Fund.  I set out the details - and how we stick to it - in this post last November.

Hope this helps.

- Pip