Overspending please help

Shop around yearly for best insurance deals too , can be a pain changing stuff around but saved several hundred last yr on utilities and insurance.

Restaurants, redecorating and holidays are not essential. They need to stop.

Clothes can be bought relatively cheaply on vinted - if your child is at an age when they outgrow things this is far more sensible than buying full price. You mostly likely don't need new clothes.

Oh and my phone contract is £1.50 a month....Lebara.
Last year I switched bank accounts to First Direct and they paid me I think was £200 or £250 to do so.
Always use Martyn Lewis for tips too

How I did it..by cutting cloth accordingly.

I have a part time , min wage job (but very physical/ stressful) as have health issues I can't work FT. Get no help at all financially
Downsized to a small cottage.. 20 sq m - easy to run, don't often have heating on
Economical car
Social life is the odd pub quiz or seeing friends
No taxis or takeaways
Get out walking with my camera for cheap activities (Used to work in that field)
No children
Only had UK hols - not been anywhere for over three yrs but have some good day trips instead, which is fine as can't leave Dcat anyway (don't have care for him anymore and the fussy neurotic furry only accepted my mum having him)
Luckily I do eat a lot at work which helps (either free or subsidised) but eat cheaply at home. No alcohol.
I still have a rich and fulfilling life with partner and friends.. it can be done! I'm perfectly happy and no longer worrying about overspending every month
And as I say.. cancelled pet insurance but put a little aside for emergency

There's two of you and food is £500 a month? That's insane. As are the phone contracts. You'd find 500 getting rid of the cleaner and sorting our your food spending.

Buy any needed clothes from vinted. Nothing else is essential, so don't do them until you get another job

Pause the cleaner, whilst laid off you'll have time to do the cleaning.

The food shop can definitely reduce if youre getting laid off you'll have more time

Reduce the pocket money - time for DC to learn that outgoings and niceties are the first thing to cut when income stops.

Is the pet old? We cancelled our pet insurance when it got so high, figured we would put the monrhly payments toward any eventuality in the future.

Do an audit if all your payments in the main and holiday home, see if there is anything you can drop, reduce or cancel. Drop/reduce things like Sky, make sure youre on cheapest tariffs.

Mobile phone- switch to SIMO when out of contract.

Cancel the cleaner today

Put the holiday home on all the various Airbnb type sites. Advertise it in your local Facebook group, tell your friends it's available at mates rates. Get it generating any income quickly

Speak to your private therapist, tell them your situation and see if they offer reduced fees, or scale back your appointment frequency by half

What pet are you insuring? Think very carefully if you can afford a pet at all. But if it's not a dog, I wouldn't insure it.

Scale back on your DC pocket money and activities

£500 for two people's food costs is crackers! What on earth are you eating? Where are you shopping? You can get this down to £300 and eat incredibly healthy including meat/cheese/fish if you cook from scratch and don't buy packaged meals/snacks or alcohol

What are you general living costs? Break them down for us

Definitely lose the cleaner or at least cut down how often they come. I get that having someone else clean reduces your stress, but getting in debt will probably increase your stress by a lot more!

And the medical bills, is that for weekly PTSD therapy? Could you again go less often, fortnightly instead of weekly for example?

The grocery shop is also crazy to me. Maybe you're shopping at Waitrose or something? Definitely should be able to make savings there.

How old is your DC, depending on their age £100 could be quite a lot for pocket money

Get rid of the cleaner. I would love a cleaner but I can't afford one.

Sell the holiday home or if not get a tenant so that the bills are paid.

Cut your food bill.

What is included in 'general living'?

Ok well that is obviously a ridiculous amount on food then 😉

That should be really easy to cut down on.

Any way to reduce the medical bills?

Is the treatment actually effective? Or does it just feel 'safer' to be doing it?

Is there an alternative?

Is the PTSD diagnosed? Could the NHS treat it?

The phone bills are insane. What were you thinking?

lose the cleaner, get on the NHS waiting list (I assume you are already) and have a real think about what is realistic for your budget when it comes to phones next time.

Cancel the pet insurance, I did as could no longer afford..but then save a bit each month for emergency pet bill

Is there a reason that you or a family member cannot do your own cleaning?

Is your holiday home an asset? Ie do you rent it out when you aren't using it and does it bring in a net income?

Why are you spending £360 a month on medical bills?

How many people are you feeding for £500 a month?

Drop the cleaner

Do you get income from holiday home to offset the cost?