I'm useless with money.

[OnlyGodKnowsWhy]

As the title states. Since last Christmas I've basically lived pay check to pay check, with a monthly payday loan of £200 that I pay £240 to clear then reborrow each month. Christmas this year is terrifying me.

Long story short, I have four children aged between 7 and 12. I've been a lone parent for 7 years though I have reconciled with DH (not kids dad) 2 months ago. He is currently job hunting.

I work as a manager of a shop, 4 week days, one day and weekends off. Monthly wage is roughly a grand. However we receive £300 of our wage half way through the month, the rest is given on pay day so £700.

Universal credit varies as my hours can vary slightly depending on holiday cover, staff sick etc, so I'd average it out at £900 monthly.

I also receive 61.00 child benefit weekly and £81 child maintenance weekly.

Summary monthly income:

Wage: 1000
UC: 900
CB: 244
CM: 324
Payday loan: 200
Total: 2668

Outgoings:

Rent: 360
Council tax: 75
Payday loan: 240
Mobile (three contracts) 66
Internet: 40
Debt: 50
School dinners: 160
Electric: 120
Gas: 20 a month (will increase to same as electric in winter due to gas heating, single glazing and highlands of Scotland!)
TV licence: 24
Spotify family: 14.99
Netflix: 7.99
Pet insurance: 25
Pocket money: 80
Ejuice/coils: 50
Xbox live: 5.99
Gardener: 40 (big gardens)
Window cleaner: 8.00
Food: I don't know. I'd say 450 a month?
Argos card: 100-150

Total: 1980.

I know this doesn't take into account haircuts, clothes, childcare when needed. Basically I don't really know my income and outgoings because it varies each month.

I need a budgeting for dummies guide, how to work out what's being spent where each month and any other advice. Please!

I recommend a dehumidifier and hanging rack. Ours runs full time and clothes dry overnight.

Pay day loan is gone, paid off and will not need to borrow again, delighted about this! We have racks but not a dehumidifier, will look into that. I am more and more certain the ancient tumble dryer is the problem.

Now we are half way through the month I’m able to estimate the total spend on electricity this month. It’s £128. Next month we are switching to using gas for heating and hot water, see the difference.

We can’t get a smart meter yet sadly as the gas meter is sunk into the ground and they don’t do it when the meter is like that so I’m on a waiting list for when they do start doing them.

Meal planning is going well, some great recipes have been tried and tested that the kids love, pizza pockets, chicken sweet corn and egg fried rice, fried cod burgers and tartare sauce, marmite and pancetta spaghetti to name a few!

DH now has a job, started last weekend, he will be earning more than me. Universal credit will change to reflect this or possibly stop altogether, I don’t mind as the less reliant you are on the government the better 😊

So not so useless with money after all

Don't rule out a faulty electric meter either!

It would be worth saving up for a new tumble drier an A rated one with a built in sensor mine is a white knight one. Had only a quick look and there B rating 6kg one is £170 so not that unaffordable in a few months.

Try burgers in pitta pockets.

Excellent news about the job.

Re the ancient dryer, You can get a fantastic A+!rated which Best Buy for 6-700 quid, which sounds like it would pay for itself within the year.
Since you are on prepay, you could avoid using it for one day and see the difference? (I know this will probably cause a laundry tailback...)

Well done getting the pay day loan paid off. Also well done the DH getting a job 👍

Ps- can't believe what a turnaround- you are making it look easy!!

We had horrendous electricity usage once, and everyone was baffled by it. Turned out our supply was being tapped into by a traveller encampment down the road. It took usnearly two years to sort it out, but eventually we received a refund for the stolen excess from the power company. Turn everything off in your house and if the dial is still turning or the numbers still changing, then something is still running. If it's not yours, then...

Ive been gutting out my house the last few days as I’m on holiday from work. All the kids clothes have been sorted and cut right back, they pretty much have seven trousers, seven tshirts, four jumpers, two pairs of shoes (one winter boots other casual) and winter jackets. A onesie each and a spare fleece pyjama set. DH and I have done the same with our clothes. This amounted to 8 black bags for charity shop and 8 more for recycling.

Without so much clothes the laundry should cut right back. Also got rid of all the excess bedding in the house, kids now each have a duvet set and a spare, we have a duvet set and a spare.

Excess cups, cutlery, utensils etc have all been cut back too. Kids all now have their own cup, DH and I have one each too and two spares for guests have been hidden. No more finding 15 odd cups lying around the house.

The aim is much less clutter and excess for an easier job of keeping things tidy, laundry less and washing up less.

ONLY you are doing so well. You have inspired me. I have just read the whole thread and nicked loads of ideas, inc contacting someone about a second hand spin dryer!

I am just about to start a new job and dont want my salary to disappear without a trace (frittered away on crap).

Def going to copy your idea of reducing clothes, I do too much washing and tumble drying.

Good luck keep up the good work

Thank you, but it was actually people on this thread that made me feel quite ashamed of myself. Not by being mean I should add but just pointing out that lots of people would be glad to be in my financial position. I’ve spent a long time believing myself to be ‘hard done by’ financially yet all along it was my terrible money management and squandering a lot of it on luxuries. I mean, who doesn’t know they were paying for two separate Netflix accounts?!

I’m super grateful for all the help and advice off everyone and I do believe that for the first year ever, I’m actually going to be able to get through Christmas without getting into debt and being miserable. I’m looking forward to next month when all the cut backs I’ve made on regular bills (not paying £260 back to pay day loan ever again, £18 less on my mobile phone bill from the cancelled contract, £40 from not having a gardener, 8.99 from cancelling extra Netflix account, 3.99 from downgrading Netflix to one screen, at least 30 pound from not using the local shop card charges...the list goes on) and seeing the reward for the effort.

What I won’t be doing anymore, is believing I’m in hardship when I am so clearly not. Running the spreadsheet for this month has given me a very accurate idea of where money has been going and I’m going to work on cutting areas even further back next month now I know what ones to focus on.

Wow only that's incredible! The decluttering, the financial audit, all of it!
You've effectively given yourself a pay raise of several hundred quid. Wow!!!

I’ve made a rather scary decision today. There are three xboxes in my house. An Xbox one in the lounge and an Xbox 360 in both kids rooms.

They don’t use the Xbox in their room for gaming, it’s used for Netflix and YouTube.

I’ve been a lazy parent. My youngest is SN, autism and he loves gaming so I’ve let him game away. His older brother loves it too and their days in the holiday mostly consist of asking whose turn it is and fighting over it. Even when it is their turn the other whines and tries to wind up the one playing. I’m so tired of it.

In School term, I have screen time set so they get an hour a day each and it cuts off at the end of the hour.

I think I’d rather get two fire sticks for their room tv’s and just get rid of the xboxes. They are going to be heartbroken but I am just worn out with all the bickering and constant who’s turn is it. I can then also get rid of the Xbox live subscription too.

Can you trade the X boxes in at Cex? Or flog on eBay/Facebook?.

I bet fire sticks come up in amazons Black Friday sale.

I think you've done brilliantly although I can't believe you have THREE X=boxes in the house. :)

I don’t have an aerial in the house and when the kids had sleep overs I got fed up of being kicked out of my lounge! Xbox 360 are super cheap now so it seemed like the easiest way for them to have Netflix and YouTube in their own rooms. Excuses! Anyways they are all going, I’m near ready to jump off a bridge today with their constant fighting.

Oh yes sorry, name change as well, some folk thought it was a religious thing, actually just a name of one of my fave songs.

Xbox 360 are super cheap now

I've just checked how much they are on Gumtree, you're not wrong .

According to an article I read, you must hold the item in your hand and ask...do I need it? And walk away. Then come back in 3 days if you still need it.

I’m sure a gumtree seller wouldn’t mind!

I cant believe all you have done, Weemad,
Absolutely inspiring.

That’s the Xbox one gone, surprisingly, my boys have been okay and it’s not been the poor traumatised child act that would make me feel shit. The money has been tucked away, either for Christmas or towards a better tumble dryer.

The washing has dropped to one load a day!

Woo hoo!! Loving the washing victory!!

How are things going?

Well done!
I stopped using my tumble dryer and bought a lakeland heated airer. I put my washing on it overnight and by the morning it is all dry and my tiny living room is warm. Think it costs something like 5p per hour.

Well done