Cost of living

[FeelingSad4]

Hey all,

So I have been looking at my budget and trying to make cuts where possible, but cannot seem to bring the figures down. I don't know whether I am being unreasonable and my outgoings are normal as I have nothing to compare to / don't feel comfortable asking people in real life, or I am missing the wood for the trees and am massively overspending / cost of living isn'tthat bad.

This is just utilities (house costs are separate) and car insurance / house insurance are annual and from a different pot. So it is just utilities I want to decrease or cut down.

1 adult, 1 dc, 2 cats.

Gas and elec together £140pcm
Water 40.50pcm (meter)
Council tax 177pcm
Tv licence 12.95pcm
Broadband £29.00pcm
Mobile 10.00pcm
Fuel £60pcm
Food £220pcm

It just feels a bit tight at the moment, we aren't eligible for support, and utilities are the only area I can cut

Thank you in advance

Looks like you are doing a great job for you and LO.

My suggestions would be:-

I f you live somewhere with a decent mobile signal, consider paying a bit more for your mobile, hotspotting your mobile data and losing the broadband. DS has a ridiculous amount of data with a payg bundle for £15 a month.

Look on MSE for ways maximise cashback/reward points and use these for treats - life can feel like a depressing grind otherwise.

Work your way through the bank switch bonuses and put the bonuses aside. Use this pot for emergencies or investing in things that will save you money. Like an efficient freezer for bargains and seasonal fruit. Or paying insurance up front for a year for a discount (then pay your monthly amount back into the pot for next year).

Make sure you are getting single person discount on your council tax and check you are in the correct band. Again, MSE is a great resource on this.