CS's Brand Spanking New SOA!

compulsivespender79

Hello one and all,

Following my LMB and the start of my DMP, I have a new shiny SOA. All I want to know is, how am I doing now?

INCOME
Salary £1154.00
Ch Benefit £78.00
Ch Support £180.00
Ch Tax Credit £438.00
BF Contribution £70.00 (We don't live together, but he does eat with us every night, and I do his washing for him!)
Total £1920

OUTGOINGS
Rent £350.00
Water £12.00
C Tax £86.00 (Inc 25% single person discount, paid 12 monthly)
Gas £60.00 (Was in arrears due to a B Gas !!!!-up, but am just switching to a new provider)
Contents Ins £8.00
Landline £10.50
Internet £11.75
Mobile £35.00 (Did reduce to a lower tariff for two months, but ended up paying much more than £35!!)
TV Licence £12.00
Childcare £542.00
Car Spares/Service £20.00
Car Tax £10.00
Car Ins £42.00 (Only my third year of driving, renewal date in May, so should come down!)
Fuel/Parking £50.00
Food/Toiletries/Cleaning £240.00
Meals at work £31.00
Tobacco £65.00
Clothing £30.00
Hair £13.00
Prescriptions £7.00
Contingency £20.00
Maternity pay back £50.00
DMP £147.00

Total £1822.25

Looks ok on paper doesn't it, but here I am three weeks into the month with no money? Any tips on how I can actually stick to this budget, because it seems to be pretty reasonable to me!?

Sassamac

it doesnt look too bad, theoretically you have an extra hundred quid every month.

The obvious luxury is tobacco, but I assume form the phrasing of this you already smoke rollies in which case you have made a step in the right direction. Might be worth trying to reduce by even one cig per day every week.

groceries I think could be halved for 3 of you (assuming one child by the CB payment). We're a family of four and spend £125 and gradually reducing.

Clothes / hair - is this important for work? I havent spent money on clothes or haircuts since well before my real LBM (knew we were strapped for cash before then), but arguabley as a SAHM it doesnt matter if I wear charity shop clothes and trim my own hair.

Sassamac

just noticed the absence of electricity?!!

compulsivespender79

Sassamac wrote: »

just noticed the absence of electricity?!!

For some bizarre reason my landlord pays it - I'm not arguing!!!!

As for the smoking - I'm this far away

---

from giving up. I've nearly finished Neil Casey's book, and it appears to be working!!

Your shopping, does that include cleaning products, toiletries, washing powder etc?
£240 a month is the absolute maximum it will ever be. Most weeks it's about forty quid, depending on whether we need cleaning stuff, shampoo etc.

Thankyou!