Anyone else like me? Always skint and shouldn't be!!

[jpop]

Just that really. DH earns good money and we have enough on paper. I know how much our outgoings are and they are all as cheap as they can be. We have to run two cars as we live in the country but I really do consider journeys before taking them. I have to take my DS to nursery every day and try to kill one, two or three birds with one stone!! Every month the money comes in and by week three of the month the funds are almost gone. It seems that by the end of each month we have run out of so much that a huge shop needs done at the beginning. It is getting ridiculous. My bras have holes in them and I have only two pairs of trousers/jeans that are wearable. We should have enough money!! Anyone else like this? I am determined not to be like this in September. I will make a grocery budget and stick to it, meal plan properly and buy myself a new bra fgs DH mentioned he needed his suit dry cleaned for Friday and I was scrabbling around trying to find £10 from somewhere. It has to stop! Anyone else?!

all of us on this thread!
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/credit_crunch/2148297-Lets-make-merrily-with-August-austerity

come join us!

Me too! I need to join the credit crunch thread and stay there!

Ooooh I'll take a look thanks!

absolutely we have a silly amount "spare" but it just goes same as you.
then I think we went to London and spent a far bit on food, then petrol to Devon was over 150...nothing on me or hubby

Are you budgeting properly...know exactly what comes in,when, and where it all goes?

Snap...I also have holes in bras. I was just thinking today that I must buy new underwear for myself instead of buying kids clothes they don't need. I am going underwear shopping once they are back at school.
I have joined the budget thread recently. I hope to start cutting down my spending!!!

I know exactly what comes in and our total of direct debits every month. I set myself a figure for the weekly shop and weekly diesel and even go round aldi with my phone calculating how much my shopping is costing. But then unexpected things come up like DS needing shoes or DD needing nappies and suddenly we are short. Tomorrow when it is pay day I'm not going to rush out and spend £200 on stuff. I'm going to see us through the weekend then meal plan and shop on Monday. Just put £10 diesel in the car which will last us until Monday and nothing expensive planned for the weekend. I'm making my own blinds which will save £1500 so that's good. Fabric was bought at wholesale price and is already paid for so the sewing will keep me busy. DH away next week so no hungry man to feed. Hoping to get to next Saturday with less than £80 spent!

Perhaps you need to update your budget...set aside money for nappies as part of your weekly shop? Start building an emergency fund for shoes,put aside what you can each month to it. I put away 500 as an emergency fund.Never needed to use it but I'm happy knowing it's there...

Same with DH dry cleaning...put a line in your budget for it and squirrel something into an account to use when you need it...

Yes I really need to do that. I'm going to start today! £100 is going away to another account to be forgotten about and I'm going to sit down with DH tonight to work out our finances together instead of me always doing it myself. Ironically he is an accountant

Lol always the way...maybe try keeping a spending diary for a couple of months and make sure you have a budget line for everything...don't forget any annual expenses too,car tax etc.

I worked out today that we spent over £700 in supermarkets last month. I can definitely do something about that! Feeling positive. Thanks for your help fergus!

Appreciate it may not fit with your circumstances but we've an excellent debt support thread on Money Matters (most current is thread 4)...debt element may not apply but there's always plenty of support and advice on all things money

After your direct debits/bills etc
Start using cash...make a realistic budget for the week, take that out in cash and don't take anymore out or use your card - just don't take it with you.
With a card and a budget of £50 you can easily spend £51 - its only a quid...but it mounts up - with cash you just can't. You are more likely to spend £49 just in case...
Also it makes it more real - if you are on your last £10 it is a lot harder to hand over a £5 note - it is no longer 'only a £5' it is half what you have...
Just be careful you don't lose it - maybe don't take it all with you.
I used to do this when money was tight...and if I had any left at the end of the week I would save it up - not put it into the next weeks budget keep some for emergencies but some for a treat for me!
Only problem with this is finding funds for a bargain - so eg buying double or triple the amount if on a 2 for 1 offer that you can genuinely use (eg loo roll). I also tend to buy in bulk (if it is actually cheaper - it isn't always) - So if you can trust yourself you can take money out of the following weeks budget -but only the exact amount for something you would have bought anyway.

Posted last night but it all seems to have disappeared! So, today I started a spreadsheet to see what u had spent since Friday and what an eye opener! £200 in three days! Weekly shop was £90 from aldi and also £30 of diesel in the car. BUT three separate visits to the co-op for wine and £12 each time! Yikes! And the wine was never more than £6 so £18 spent on 'stuff'. And another £16 on some jewellery which my friend makes as she had a wee stall on Saturday and I wanted to support her. However, I don't plan on spending anything else until Sunday and have plenty of food in too. I'm also not taking my purse when I go to pick up DS from nursery so there is no chance of nipping to the shop. I am determined to have something left at the end of the month to have a meal out with DH. We haven't been out together for 3 years.

I got over dry cleaning by getting DH washable / tumble dry suits?
If that helps :) saved us a fortune!!

Spending only with cash seems to help op.

Also if you need underwear Asda would do as an interim option they aren't the best you will ever wear but it is better than an old saggy illfitting bra after all!

I know what you mean OP. Although I am not too bad right now, I am usually skint right before payday. However, even though in about 8 weeks I will have a £7k per year pay rise, I have estimated I will be £110 PCM worse off as I will lose HB and CTC. I am dreading it as things will get worse

jpop, your grocery spending sounds exactly like ours! We spend an absolute bomb on food and enjoy not having to scrimp and enjoy convenience of some prepared fresh items. We are shopping at aldi and morrisons and have cut food by £20 each week.

Im starting to take out cash for the week.