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Overspending please help

158 replies

SunConure · 08/04/2026 14:48

To be losing £500 per month. I am overspending by about £500 every month and I need some help to get it under control.
£1100 mortgage + council tax + electric gas etc
£110 phones for me and dc (in contract! )
£500 food (I am addressing this - joined a larder!)
£360 medical bills
£280 cleaner
£200 utilities on holiday home (no mortgage)

£200 travel to work
£100 pet insurance (high b/c of past claim)
£100 dc pocket money and activities
£200 loan repayments
£100 car
£2-300 on general living

OP posts:
TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 09/04/2026 12:40

VickyEadieofThigh · 09/04/2026 11:11

"What is interesting is that if American's leave the Schengen area [which UK is not part of] for 90 days, then can go back for another 90 before having to leave fully."

Americans are subject to identical conditions as all other 'third country' citizens, including British citizens. The rolling 90 days applies to them in the same way as it applies to us.

Correct. My point being that a tenant could take the house in France for 90 days, come to the OP's place in the UK for 90, and return to France for 90. At that point they'd max out their Schengen visa but conceivably the OP could generate 9 months rent.

Unlikely I grant you especially as the school holidays aren't 3 months long and the French house is not ready for tenants but just trying to illustrate that there is a market for longer term tenants at the moment.

The obvious short term answer is the cleaner has to go, and therapy and food cut back so the OP is living within her means while she looks for a new job. Heading into the summer season employment becomes trickier and bl**dy Trump isn't doing much for the economy so the OP needs to plan for a longer period.

If the French house is habitable at all, it's also an option to rent the UK house and decamp as soon as GCSE's are done but not all homes are easily Airbnb'd and that also comes with other risks of damage etc.

ThatLassFromLeeds · 09/04/2026 12:54

OP, I’m guessing that with the price of your phone contracts you also have expensive handsets? In general do you tend to buy branded items rather than more basic ones? It might well be that you can find savings there. It might sound obvious to anyone who’s used to buying mon-brand things, but I think sometimes you can get yourself into a mindset that “only brands will do”. My DH was like this when we first got married - he would only buy branded things, like cereal etc, because he subconsciously believed that the supermarket own brand stuff wasn’t as good- it was only when I bought some and he tried it that he realised it was fine.

So in addition to changing from Waitrose to Tesco/Lidl, look at what you’re actually buying, and whether there’s a cheaper option - for example, Kellogg’s cereal will always be expensive, but for most things Tesco own brand is just as good. Supermarket clothes are fine (if DS is hung up on labels then suggest he mixes and matches with say cheaper jeans and a branded top, and he has to buy the branded stuff himself).

I’d definitely get the house in France generating income, and cancel the cleaner at least while you’re out of work - you’ll have time on your hands to do it yourself. Keep your phone handset once your contract ends, if you can, or get refurbished ones from somewhere like BackMarket - I’ve used them for tech stuff a few times and always had a great experience.

Getting DS on board is important too - you can tell him that you’ve enough money to live on (so he doesn’t worry), but that there’s not going to be much for luxuries for a while; help him to think about what he can do to help - maybe there’s an activity that he’s been thinking of quitting which would save you some cash, or he’ll think about getting a job (or doing some odd jobs) to bring in some money. Maybe he could even learn some basic decorating skills so that he can help out with that. It might make him feel good to feel that he’s contributing and the two of you are pulling together.

DarmokAndJaladAtTenagra · 09/04/2026 13:00

rustieleestopfan · 09/04/2026 01:24

Someone earning a good wage should have the foresight to understand the importance of savings.

So a sensible person would have a fully funded emergency fund in easy access savings that factored in the cost of their absolutely non-essential self employed home maintenance crew, because we wouldn't want our misfortune at loosing our job to have a knock on effect on other people?

Is a lovely thought, but not very 'real world'

Lifeomars · 09/04/2026 18:11

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 08/04/2026 17:34

I agree - and the work it took to get out of my phone contact that I had before!

Im never having one again

It was like wrestling with Satan ending my contract with Three but I held firm and like you I would never go back. People can't believe how little I spend

Wingingit73 · 10/04/2026 17:03

Do your own cleaning and use nhs

Wingingit73 · 10/04/2026 17:05

In the kindest without are justifying every overspend.

AdjacentPossible · 10/04/2026 17:50

Lots of luck OP, there are definitely places where you can cut back etc.

As others have mentioned, I think you might be missing some categories from your budget - check Money Saving Expert, I think they have a detailed list.

Dinkydash · 11/04/2026 10:11

Is the holiday home earning income? What are "general living expenses"? If you rent put the holiday home, go through an agent and make sure they're strict with tenants and that there's a decent bond on the place with regular property inspections. I wouldnt get rid of the cleaner..your life looks busy and with health problems so you probably need that service to keep everything running. Meal planning, packed lunches and avoiding takeout and impulse spending is my top tip. Taking pleasure in planning. Saving even a small amount and watching it grow.

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