To think there’s not much else I can do with this budget.

[Itgetsharder]

My main income is approximately 2600
child benefits 280

So that’s 2860

Rent 1400
Life insurance 84 (which I will be reducing in the new year, I just can’t do it yet)
Internet and phone 52 (again contract is up in Feb, though most deals are similar)
Netflix 15
Disney 11
Bins 23
Apple 20
DS football 25
Electricity 120

Total 1750
Leftover 1110
Amount leftover is to cover food, petrol, other clubs for dc every so often (they are not monthly costs) more like termly and their dad pays half of them too.
I have my DC 50:50 custody but it doesn’t make a huge difference to food costs.
Im not saving a lot and would like to be saving more although I’m getting there.

Theres not much I can cut is there? The dc watch both Disney and Netflix, I watch Netflix and I use Apple Music etc A LOT.

I'd just apply and see what happens. I just checked and you can apply online, try it and if you aren't entitled to it you won't get it but all you will have lost is 10mins of you time.

Edited to add do it soon because there is a €400 cost of living payment due in the first week of November as far as I know if you are approved it will be backdated and the extra will be given too.

As above apply and see what they say , as my dm does say "all they can say is no " , there must be something to help you

I think you need to break it down more, for example where is water?

We have pots for everything, all the bills ones but then also things like cars, christmas, annual bills (like Prime, annual subscription things). Separate out food, petrol and also spending money. Try and save a little in various pots and then the unexpected costs are more manageable. We have one for garden, one for household, one for fixing stuff. For example we want to do our annual bulb planting/autumn spruce up! Instead of taking say a 60 quid hit from our everyday spends, there's a pot already there with the money in. It can be scaled down, so even if there's no enough to fill all the pots to cover these expenses, there is always something towards them. We use Starling for this. It takes a while to build up the pots but we have found it a huge stress help!

We have no water charges in Ireland. The breaking it down into pots is great though.

@GhostCicada i have just applied☺️ like you say it’s no harm. Thank you so much.

I saw a tip that said to rotate Netflix/ Disney which I thought was clever

So £275 a week isn't enough to live on? Is that what you're saying?

OP is in ROI. Euros don't go as far.

Well if food is 100 of that and petrol is about 50…it’s 125 which is isn’t great no.

There's no way I'd cover a weeks food shop with €100. It's €150 at an absolute minimum. And I shop in Lidl mostly.

Yeah I was being generous there 😂

Your problem isn't the costs you have listed in your opening post, it's all the costs you HAVEN'T listed:

Car insurance
Home/contents insurance
Car tax if you have to pay it
Whatever the Irish equivalent of an MOT is
Car service/new tyres
Clothing for you
Kids clothes and shoes
Haircuts
Dentists
Healthcare/prescriptions
Christmas
Birthday Presents for your kids
Other people's birthday presents
Annualised cost of heating oil
Food
Toiletries
Cleaning products
Eating out
Weekend entertainment
Petrol

You can't possibly work out a functional budget unless you work out what you're actually spending on all of the above. Because if you're overspending on any of these then that may be what means you're struggling, or it may be that it's just hard to manage where you are on that income.

There's a Money Saving Expert concept called a "statement of affairs". Fill that in based on what you actually spend, not what you wish you spent, and you'll have a much better idea of where your money is going.

Yep totally forgot my prescription…that’s 32 per month.

all the other costs are totally a problem too yeah 😅 I try to keep everything as low as possible to be honest.

the last time I had my haircut was last June!
birthdays I just pay for as they come. I only buy for my parents and dc. My ex will pay for half of dc gifts.

car insurance and NCT (MOT Equivalent) I pay as they come up.
car insurance I use savings for. (Thank god for them!) I have savings I’m just not adding to them at all.

Thanks you.

Sort out your subscriptions. Find someone to join forces with to share. Eg we share Spotify family with another household (you get 6 slots). Try to only have one tv sub at a time - watch it all, then cancel and move on. For music look at Spotify/Amazon/YouTube - the offering is much of a muchness, but the price varies and sometimes there’s a free trial or welcome back deal.

Try not to be taken by surprise by annual costs. Look over the last 18 months of bank statements and see what crops up. Add in a budget for Christmas/birthdays - actually add up number of people and spend per person (perhaps take the opportunity to agree not to buy for adults or friends). Divide these annual costs by 12 and set the money aside every month. It will be hard for the first six months as you probably won’t have a sinking fund, but thing will get easier and it feels so peaceful to just pay the bill from the pot of money you have set aside.

Not sure how it works in Ireland, but can you split the bin fee with a neighbour? We share our garden waste bin with a neighbour and split the cost.

@MrsBobtonTrent not possible to share unfortunately.

Thanks you.

@Itgetsharder That’s a shame. But the principle remains - share as many costs as possible with other households. Unite to undermine the system, power to the people etc etc.

I cancelled Disney and then resubscribed with their £1.99 for three months. I get the cheapest Netflix which is like £4.99 it has ads but not bad at all!

Have you looked into a MC,

It's outgoings that get most people over the line. Rent, childcare, travel to work etc

You need to apply at very least you may get a DVC.

HAP I am nearly sure is based on net income, can't find it now though.

Sorry @DublinFemale What is an MC and DVC?

I just realised what these are now @DublinFemale 😂 I haven’t got a medical card now but my application is being processed. I do however have GP visit card for myself and the children. Thank you

I have reduced my Monthly outgoings by another 26 per month, I have decided to go the “dodgy box” route 🤣 I have paid 75 for it and it has everything! Even new movies in the cinema (so that’s a saving too!) 3 months and it’ll will have equalled out 🙌🙌

And I have applied for the working family payment which will give me 42 per week so that’s great too!!

£42 per week is excellent! I hope that makes you feel more comfortable x

@MoreCardassianThanKardashian it is great it will be a great help. That’s my petrol bill each week

The WFP is going up in new year and there is a one off payment announced in budget, €400 I think (don't quote me) that along with double CB next month will give you a bonus, help towards Christmas. At Christmas the WFP will be paid for 2 weeks the week before Christmas, so nothing Christmas week, be alert to that.

For next year Not sure where you do shopping but if it is Aldi, Dunnes or Tesco, they all do a Christmas saving scheme for food shopping.

€2 a week I save and I cannot tell you how much it relieves the pressure. in Dunnes & Tesco you can use them for anything, clothes, gifts, alcohol.

Aldi can used in middle aisle also

WFP should also have been back dated to date you applied at least that was how they used to do it.