Cant afford to live....help

foreign_correspondent

If it was me, I would bung the computer stuff in my bedroom, spring clean the spare room and get a lodger. Yeah, its not ideal, but if its a choice between no computer room and no home I know which I would go for!
Have you got home insurance? That may pay for the cracked toilet, but you would need to check your policy.
Send OH to agency immediately to get some work, he could have made a couple of hundred by this time next week which would help!

misspoppy

Hi

Have you heard of Freecycle you can ask for things you need and people give it to you for free you just have to collect it, you could sort the loo out that way.

www.freecycle.org

Cleosmum

Cracked toilet should come under buildings insurance, had to make a claim a few years ago when the basin got cracked and was told that bathroom fittings is covered by buildings ins.

RAS

I would secondand third the info on freecycle. You can get a second hand fridge and replacement carpets there, as well as clothes, electrical goods and a bed for the spare room.

foreign_correspondent

Also your internet/TV costs look a bit high - I have got virgin broadband for £7.99 a month (it was on a offer, don't know what the best deal is now) and a freeview box cos I cannot stand paying out a fortune to watch carp!
I also got rid of the landline and just use skype and mobile now! Way cheaper!
Could you cut down on the £25 a month pet costs? I dont know what pets you have but my dog costs £6 a month pet insurance (halifax) and £10 every couple of months in food (wagg! its very good too actually - or so the dog sez!)
Wooh - your breakdow cover costs are massive - see if you can cancel that and go cheaper! (some wont let you cancel before the end of the year though!)

continualdiamond

Im well up on freecycle, become a bit addicted to it over the past year. I've got carpet off it, with did my hall and bathroom and got a pine cabinet as well.

Thanks for the info on claiming with insurance on the toilet, i never knew that. Will have to look at my policy as buildings ins is done by my landlord as this is leasehold property.

I would put the computer in the main bedroom, but it wouldn't fit. Our main bedroom has inbuilt wardrobes, double bed and 2 bedside cabinets and nothing else, due to the size of it. Its a flat, not great on bedroom sizes im affraid.

continualdiamond

Phone/Internet/Tv is £40 a mth all with Virgin and thats with discounts. I do have a v+ contract that ends soon, if i got rid of it, it would save £5 a mth. Problem is we'd have to pay money to get a new aerial in the house, thus costing more money that what we pay now for cable. I would love just a freeview box.

£25 for pet costs, is dog ins and feeding the dog + 4 cats.

£15.75 for breakdown cover is like you said, 12 mth contract with RAC, its top cover.

foreign_correspondent

and what about the OH getting some agency work? That is potentially the biggest improvement to your financial situation.

RAS

Think I agree on this.

After all, if yohe only earns £100 per week, it is tax free and he does not pay NI. it would be the same as you getting an £8,000 pay rise.

continualdiamond

Of course it is, but he's going through a 'down in the dumps' thing. He wants a job of course, but is finding it hard to stay positive and have the motivation to get out and about and look.

I know thats hard to understand, i find it very annoying and upsetting at times. I myself look for jobs for him, more than he does himself. I have even been to pick up a application form for a job, he never filled it in. I also found info for a job today online, told him about it, wrote the address down as you had to pick up an application form, its like 5mins from our house anyway, so perfect. He sounded all positive, but has he been to pick one up, no..

I cannot do much more, he needs to do it himself. He's just burrying his head in the sand, hoping it will all go away and a job will just suddenly land in his lap. Every day i get home from work, i ask has he looked for jobs, im either told no not today or yes i have, but not found anything. Not once has he actually filled in an application form, hes applied for some via email and thats it.

He wont get rid of Virgin cos what else can he do during the day he says (its in his name as well, so i cant even cancel it) and spends time on the stupid Xbox. Even had the cheek to say my wage doesn't help that much, which really hurt, because it covers the major things, just about.