budget app [shock]

[MissyRain]

Hello

Its soon a new year and a new budget so i downloaded an app and put the figures in.

Im shocked that our mortage is 29.4% of our income/out goings and food is 30%.

So family of 4 including baby and house stuff, food, cleaning everything i have budgeted £70 per week.

Does this sound right to you?

[MissyRain]

Food is more expensive than our mortage?

[UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea]

I don't know, you might have a v small mortgage or are counting non food items in your supermarket shopping.

Can you tell me what app you are using?

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

£70 sounds really low. Are you saying that is your current spend which equals 30% of your income, or is that what you are going to aim for to try and cut costs.

We are a family of 4, one in nappies, one in pull-ups at night and we spend about £150 a week on food and household items - and that is with a reasonable amount of meal planning and budgeting.

[Mum2Fergus]

We are 2 adults and DS who is 3...I budget £100pw for everything except household bills and car expenses. Have been budgeting hard recently and can get every other week to around £65.

[nextphase]

2 adults, 2 kids, one in nappies.
Without really budgeting, we get through about £100/week on food, cleaning etc, but very, very little alcohol, and only 7 packed lunches a week. The other 13 lunches are at nursery/work (so subsidised I can't compete - £1.30 for a full 2 course meal!).

£70 sounds doable.

Mortgage sounds cheap, or your currently spending a lot on food! In which case cutting to £70 might be harder.

[MissyRain]

the app is called pocket budget. I have put all costs in and the report has said food is 30% and mortage is 29.4%. we have a low mortage.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Yes but is that £70 the 30%? In which case your food and household is £315 a month, your mortgage is roughly the same and you have about £400 spare for all other bills and expenses.
It doesn't sound much - is that really all you have including tax credits and child benefit? £1000 a month?

I don't really know what you mean by 'is that right?'. If that is what you are spending then that is what you are spending.

[MissyRain]

I want to know if £70 for everything food and houshold per week for two adults and one preschooler and a one yo is relistic? Do you spend this much and how do you do it?

Also is everyones food bill higher than the mortage?

What should the mortage be in % of total income?

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Our mortgage is about 10%. Our food spend is higher than our mortgage.

[MissyRain]

Yes £1000 per month income mortage is £280 per month and £70 per week is what is left after bills to live on. Is it doable?

[nextphase]

Hang on, has that £70 got to cover kids shoes, birthday presents etc as well? That will be very tight.

Our biggest costs are childcare, then mortgage, then bills, then food.

[wheredidiputchristmas]

Yes £70 per week for shopping is doable.

We are a family of 5 dc are 9,5 and 3 I spend between £70 and £100.

I menu plan and check whats on offer in Asda.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Yep seems ok, shop in aldi or lidl and meal plan.

We spend £35 on our food and £5 for the cat.

Cleaning materials are astonish products in the pound shop or home bargains applied using e cloths bought in tk maxx. Laundry gloop washes most things and alur wool wash for delicates from home bargains.

[MissyRain]

£70 includes shoes school clothes and everything.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

I think that sounds incredibly tight. Surely you are entitled to some benefits?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Oh, clothes too.

Hmm.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Would that also have to cover replacing or fixing broken household items?

[MissyRain]

Everything is insured so no as i would claim on that.

It would only be untill November till i could get a job or dh work hours are increased.

Its complicated. In the £1000 is wtc ctc dla and cb and a few pennies from working. I dont work but my dh is disabled. We cant afford childcare cost but when baby is 2 can get 15 hours paid for. Dh cant look after children on his own and im bf and dh work has cut his hours due to time off sick :(

[MissyRain]

Tax crdits work on the end of year tax so will not go up till april. If we call them now they will stop the money untill they sort out the new payment upto 14 weeks.

So i have not told them yet about the change but we will as soon as they open tomoro or Thursday.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Is there an excess on your insurance policy? Would it cover things like your oven or kettle?

If his hours have been cut do you get any increase to your benefits?

[MissyRain]

Im not sure what else i can do to save money. We dont smoke brink go out or do anything.

I meal plan and there is no waste.

The dd are all the cheapest i can get

we have fixed mortage at low rate

We have no credit cards or debt.

I will look into selling things on ebay in Jan.

I will buy kids clothes off ebay

Then im lost :(

[MissyRain]

I will call tax cridets to find out about increase or not.

oven is covered but i would not bother with kettle and just boil water on hob.

[MissyRain]

Its only for 11 months so i think i can do it. We have family that can help if we need it.