Lightbulb Moment AGAIN!!!

methekidsandthecat

Hi everyone

Well I had yet another lightbulb moment last night...... I have been worried that still not sticking to the budget given by the CCCS. I have cut right back and have many no spend days and have reduced the food bill but still not sticking to the budget and nothing saved for one off bills liek dentist etc.

I think it has been not really accepting that things are that bad. But now they are and looked at a budget and found a £500 shortfall a month......how shocked was I!!

So anyway following the advise on here I intend to stop Sky - hope to be able to but not yet been recieving for a year. If not able to stop it will stop the multi room if poss.

Have several insurance policies that are duplicates - may take out another small life policy to cover the short fall and stop the others.

Contents and buildings insurance seem high but don't think it is worth changing until due for renewal in September.

But huge cut backs have reduced the deficit to around £150 per month. Better but not good enough. Will not be able to post again until tonight as have to work now but would appreciate any help please?

Thanks
Me:o

poppyg_2

Have you tried the old style boards for things like cheap recipes and other grocery tips? There's some good tips for cleaning etc on there as well as food, might be worth having a look to save some money. I've been buying a lot more budget brands rather than branded products and that's saving me a fair bit but like you I do still struggle a bit with regards budget. Are you doing obvious things like taking lunch to work to save buying sandwiches.

One thing that's been recommended to me which I haven't started yet but do intend to asap is to start a 'spending diary' just so you can see where money is being spent.

If you could cancel sky am sure that would be a great help, we have freeview and that's pretty good

Anything lurking you can sell on ebay? I've managed to shift some old uni books, DVDs, even some clothes I was going to give to charity shops

angeldiva

poppyg wrote: »

One thing that's been recommended to me which I haven't started yet but do intend to asap is to start a 'spending diary' just so you can see where money is being spent.

Great Advice Poppyg

I started mine a few weeks ago and its one of the best things I have done.
Here is a really nice online one you can use. Belive me it really helps you can actually see what you have been spending

http://www.spendingdiary.com/

methekidsandthecat

hi

Thnakyou Poppyg - yes I am going to look at ebay but it feels a daunting task as I shoudl really be trying to sell loads each month to break even.

And I will be looking for cheap meal ideas - not that the kids will be happy with this -oh well......

Thanks for the one line version of a sending diary, Angels - I have started one tonight.

so much for no spending days - had to go to the chemist and buy thrush medication - I could not believe it - £14.00......!

poppyg_2

Things like that always happen to me on no spending days but we try our best don't we!!!!

I'm definitely going to try a spending diary because I still seem to have some money that just vanishes into thin air!

My OH isn't impressed with the cheaper stuff I've been getting in recently for meals but I've told him he's going to have to get used to it because we can't afford the expensive stuff anymore, I think a lot of it's in the mind anyway, I'm quite enjoying the challenge of making cheap meals actually. I got myself a slow cooker (£13 instead of £20 in Argos) as a lot of the cheaper meals on the old style thread seem to be things that involve slow cooking so thought it'd save a lot of money in the long run even though I didn't want to pay the initial money to actually buy it.

I know what you mean about ebay, I feel the same, but am just trying to build a little collection of things that I know I can sell and then am just putting on one or two items a week, mainly because I find it very boring actually getting the stuff on there. A boot sale could be another option I guess but then that's also a one off rather than regular income

Are you a member of any of the survey sites? Best one I've found is www.valuedopinions.co.uk, been getting a few surveys from them per week all paying £1 or £2, basically once you have £10 in your account they pay out in voucher form (can choose between a good choice of stores) and they do genuinely pay out, I've had 2 £10 Tesco vouchers and 1 £10 M & S voucher from them, great for contributing towards the weekly shop or for using as presents for people's Birthdays etc