struggling to survive

mumzyof2

I also dont buy any new clothes or shoes..all my money goes on food and cigs

bathgatebuyer

Tv,phone and net - £50 (plus phone calls so around £130 a month but im utting down and not using phone as my last bill was £209!)

This is the biggest thing I can see - can you do a combined deal or look for a 'free calls' offer? I pay roughly £25 a month for Talk Talk which covers home phone and web access.

Sassamac

aw dont think of it as failure, so much as a learning curve. Make the targets a bit easier on your challenges if you're struggling. You'll probably spend less having easier targets than none at all.

mumzyof2

Hi, regards to the tv.. Im on the top package on virgin media..for my 3yr old he loves the channel jetix as he like power rangers and yin yan yo lol. I have no friends or family around me, we hgardly go out so my kids get bored. so thats one of the things i can give to my son as he only goes nursery once a week. plays with no other kids. Even tho im not saying he sits and watches tv all day lol... its on the xtra large package as jetix isnt on the large or meduim package.

mumzyof2

bathgatebuyer wrote: »

Tv,phone and net - £50 (plus phone calls so around £130 a month but im utting down and not using phone as my last bill was £209!)

This is the biggest thing I can see - can you do a combined deal or look for a 'free calls' offer? I pay roughly £25 a month for Talk Talk which covers home phone and web access.

Im in a contract with virgin. as ive said before i have no family around me..i ring my gran as landlands are free up to 1hour..and i ring my mum (well use to she rings me now due to last bill) and she is in cyprus. dead excited to get next fone bill...goign to be alot less ...all my bills been over £100

mumzyof2

sorry i dont knwo what the aprs are... all i know is littlewoods is inrest free

Sassamac

downsizing your t.v. package might save you enough to pay for another session at pre-school for your 3 year old. Im assuming hes only just 3 if he only goes once a week so his funding will kick in next term and he will be there 5 sessions.

Do you have a surestart centre in your area. They run all sorts of toddler groups, and specialist groups e.g. special needs, young mums, PND, parenting courses etc. all for a voluntary donation of £1 per session (in other words dont pay if you cant). that would get and your kids some new friends plus these centres have access to oasd of professional help.

bathgatebuyer

If the TV package is an essential, then keep it, but it does seem a large amount so your son can watch a particular TV show? Don't be fooled into thinking that cable is essential - it isn't and it's one of the biggest expenses a lot of people who post on the DFW board have.

If you're feeling a bit isolated then have you tried contacting some of the local support groups - mother toddler and that sort of thing - to allow him to mix a bit more? It may also give you someone else to share your own worries with. You won't be the only parent struggling with cash.

Keeping_Positive

Hello

The obvious area to work on is the phone/tv/broadband, did I read correctly it was £50+130? The £130 needs to be drastically reduced.

The other is food £200-300 isnt bad but can be improved and should be closer to the £200 each month.

I think you should be back in the black if you can cut these bits down. Good luck.

Keeping_Positive

Could you reduce the package and find some cheap Jetix DVDs for him to watch instead?