to be irrationally worried that we only have £140 left to last to next Tuesday.........

[WheresTheMoneyGone]

and have 4 DCs? 2 x DCs need new school shoes before Monday (I threw their last ones out when they finished school because they were wrecked - they only last a term - bloody boys). We have enough food until Monday - online shop will be delivered today with enough food for 4 days and I have taken that off bank total. I always feel irrationally insecure if we have less than £100 in account!

We will need to put £15 on electric meter and £25 on gas meter today (meters installed before we moved in and bloody costing £5 a day just for gas!!).

Big car bill this month for MOT repairs and tax credits reduced by £60 last week and every week until end of June due to DH earning slightly higher than expected - £1000 - which I informed them of immediately we got his final payslip for the last tax year so they reduce our payments by £240 month!

I fucking well hate this obssessing about money all the time . We don't smoke/drink/go out/have holidays/do anything really. Before anyone says we should not have had 4 DCs, we were better off until last year when I got made redundant and can't now find another job earning enough to cover childcare.

£5 a day for gas sounds crazy. You should definitely have that investigated.

me please strandedbear!

As others have said you need to look into your gas usage. Are you paying off a large bill or something?

Also, shoes should last more than a term unless you are buying them very cheap. I know that children can play rough but they can also be taught to respect their school shoes (and coats or whatever). What are they doing to them to wear them out in a couple of months?

I'll have a gander at that too, if you would be so kind, Stranded

Would love a copy of your meal plan please Stranded

£140 is loads. I doubt we spend that in any normal 4 day span.

If it makes you feel any better we have £28 for 6 of us until Wednesday - I'm not particularly worried, we have food, petrol, nappies etc - water will be paid a week late but that's life (had a huge, unexpected & essential repair bill which will mean we're utterly skinny for the next three months ... But again that's life).

Mine have grown out of well fitted shoes in a term. But she doesn't have food to last until next Thursday. The OP has food to last until Sunday, for four days and will need to buy more for Monday through to Thursday morning. Have just re-read the OP and had forgotten she has four dc. I have been overoptimistic with my budget. I can't imagine having anything left by next Thursday on that basis.

I can get through £150.00 a week without buying any food. Coffee here, stamps there, lunch every day, couple of pairs of tights, tenner here for the window cleaner, tenner there for the dc (teenagers), parking and fares, bottle of clearasil, bit of dry cleaning, something for collection at church .....and so it goes on.

Ha! iphonism skinny = skint (though skinny would be good)!

Honestly I don't understand why you've so worried - we budget to the last £5 every month & never have money unaccounted for - it's fine.

You have enough money to live on and you won't starve to death.

Get a grip.

Yes please strandedbear.

marrie OP said shoes were wrecked, not out-grown.

looks in purse counts £8 to last me till monday now thats skint

Meal plan for me please Stranded. OP as others have said - check the gas thing, that sounds like a bloody rip off! Try not to worry but I do understand - if you're used to having a bigger income and not having to worry then it is a bit .

I have £60 to last til next Thurs. Yes, it's not that much fun, but it's perfectly doable. Would definitely agree with supermarket/Shoezone shoes for the DC, they last the same as more expensive ones ime. You have food on the way, so no probs there. Calm down and breathe.

I've just checked, and we've got £61 to last til the 21st. We'll be fine though, I am queen of the rank lentil curry. It'll cost me £20 for train fares to work next week, but am planning on making a metric buttload of bread/pitta from scratch this weekend & living off that and peanut butter.

£5 of gas a day can be normal. I am that in a four bed house, loft insulation but no cavity wall insulation ( very old house) andmy tariff is right. In fact a fiver a day sounds fab i

I have literally 1pence until next Monday, I hate worrying about money too it's the worst feeling ever, try not to drive any where that you don't have to.

If you can I would really get rid of your meters if you are on pre-pay. When we moved in to our current flat it had pre-pay and it just ate money, until we could get a fitter out to change it (which was free to do). We went from £115/month to £69/month by swapping to a normal meter.

£140.00 until next Tuesday!! .....is that all

I'd love to have that left to last the week when I have enough food

Sorry - Tuesday. OP - you aren't in dire straits but I do get where you are coming from. I learnt very early on never to throw out dc's last pair of school shoes (providing they could still get their feet in them without too much of a squeeze) and to keep them as a spare for those days when shoes are left at school or for when the shops didn't have their H fitting sizes in stock!

Stranded, could I have afoot of your meal plan please? X