S O A I am so in trouble

Running_man

HI
Why are you paying student loan?If son at uni this does not need paying until he is working.

oojeyboojey

facingthefuture wrote: »

:(Please tell me what you think......................................

Ok ave been working on it.It's terrible, I am ashamed.OH doesn't and can't know (health reasons) so I have to sort it out within 6 months as much as possible. GASP!!!
Situation: OH self employed, works many hours.
Me: 2 small kids 5 &7 one big expensive one at uni.I mystery shop in between school runs

Income
OH...1500 pm after tax
Me.....200 pm after tax
Benefits 205pm

Expenditure
Rent: 520 per month
electric...£65 per month
oil heating.........£83 per month
household insurance 25pm
student loan £25pm
food: 300pm (including lunches)
clothes/shoes (mainly for growing children) 40pm
socialising /fun 80pm!!!!
Haircuts 10 pm
Christmas/birthday £400
prescriptons £10pm

car
tax & mainten £41pm
insurance 30.62
fuel...86pm
phones
mobile £30pm until April
bt........£50pm
bt hub ..£30om
dentist £16pm (no NHS available)

bank charges 30pm

loan...£94*
overdraft 1 2500
overdraft 2 500
sainsburys credit card @18.9%...6k ...min payment £148
bank credit card @14.1%......3100...min payment £79
co op........................4k.....mon payment £90
n&P@14.9%........2750...min payment £55
mbna@18.9%..........4,622 min payment £44
oh's mbna @ 0%.....1900 min payment £50

£300 per month on food - I think this is definitely an area you could save on. If you go to the supermarket (assuming there's one near you) between 7.30 and 8.30 in the evening, you'll find food that's been drastically reduced because it's sell by date is coming up - bags of potatoes for 10p, baguettes for 5p, 6 eggs for 5p - these are just some of the bargains that I have found.

My husband and I aren't on a particularly tight budget; we still buy luxury food items like sundried tomatoes, alcohol and tahini and treats like that, but I worked out how much of our food budget goes on staples, and that comes to £100 per month. If you scale that up to your family, you should hope to cut your budget by at the bare minimum £100 per month.

here is a page that you can get some food shopping tips from:

http://www.frugal.org.uk/foodtips.html

exessexmum

You spend £400 a MONTH on Christmas/Birthdays?!! You can't afford that, I'm sorry but either buy stuff cheaply in sales and put it away, or your family and friends will have to accept much smaller gifts, at least until you are out of debt.

facingthefuture

Running_man wrote: »

HI
Why are you paying student loan?If son at uni this does not need paying until he is working.

Student loan is for oh's debt (I forgot to mention that one . He owes them £900.
Christmas/birthdays should have read 400 per year - sorry I was tired.
In Northern Ireland no other electricity provider.
Also I pay 33 per quarter for a prepayment cert for my inhalers and a one of prescription charge for OH of nearly £7 plus nicorette for OH. Thats were I get the 10 a month from.
I live in Northern Ireland and there is only one electric provider here.
Food is a biggie, I have to do better. You are right - there really is no excuse. Thanks will consult the old moneysaving part.
I do feel a bit sick.

facingthefuture

Nooo, just realised I spilled mystery shop coffee in car thingy and left phone in the puddle..Phone knackered. Its not under insurance, just the sim is in contract till april (t mobile) !!!!!!! bananas. Its all getting a bit much.

mummytofour

Both your kids are in full-time school? Could you get a school hrs job? Try all the care homes round you they will normally have some hrs going and love us mums, money may be ok maybe rubbish but still better than nothing. Good luck I dont think this situation is as bad a s you think.

facingthefuture

wendy24g wrote: »

What about council tax? When this starts again get it spread over 12 months not the usual 10.

Good luck

Thanks wendy, no council tax here (thank goodness) we have rates but thats part of rent.

facingthefuture

mummytofour wrote: »

Both your kids are in full-time school? Could you get a school hrs job? Try all the care homes round you they will normally have some hrs going and love us mums, money may be ok maybe rubbish but still better than nothing. Good luck I dont think this situation is as bad a s you think.

Thanks, I hope it isn't. :eek:OH told me last night reckons he may be getting an extra big job:D....I hope he does.I ill try the job centre tomorrow, I look knackered today (haven't slept more that 2 hr a night) just too worried. I also don't have any experience in nursing type care.
I don't know maybe 9 am till1.30pm,I have no-one to help look after them. (three times in the last week the school asked me to come collect them mid morning!Falls and feeling sick)The youngest is now in till 2 (was 12.30 then 1pm in November)
How do other people manage to collect children - could I do that somehow....or do you have to be registered?

facingthefuture

bump for any other comments/suggestions
I am actually getting excited now, the ebay sale gave me a real boost...I can do it!
Each week I have to set myself a target to earn.
This week coming will be £300
Yay!!!!!!

(Going now to Tesco to use coupons on self service machine and to get bubble wrap from the apple section to post my ebay stuff tomorrow - some of which will be posted using post office mystery shops)

taxi73

You will get there small steps will do it you have been given some good advice on what to cut back on and these will all help.A job will certainly help as upping income you can up payments...you have took the hardest step and started facing up to it.