Monthly budget where to cut back

[stormynight1]

electric 133
council tax 145.12
tv licence 13.25
water 15
waste 27.72
phone 132.03
insurance 34.01
food 330
service charge 120
wifi 34.48
car lease 376
insurance 70
credit card 83
boiler 12
gym 55
sofa 43.16
internet 40
petrol 208
parking 48
Total 2037.91
The cost is for 2 of us but trying to cut back where would you cut the costs?

I've just worked it out (ill and bored!), you spend a huge £1584 per year on your phones. You could save nearly all of that, one you are out of contract, mine costs less than £100 per year.

Trouble is, it sounds like the OP's phone contracts are quite recent. They might not be able to get out of them.

Wow the price you are paying for phones is insane. Bin them off and learn to drive more economally to save fuel.

If you make use of the gym try and retain that. Exercise is really good for mental heath as well as physical health.

Those mobile bills are insane - DH has the brand new 13 pro, pays £35 a month for it, he's just bought an apple watch for £300 outright.

I have a 12 pro, bought from Apple directly, refurbished, and paid £700 for it. My contract is £18 a month.

Neither of us will get another phone now until we have saved to buy them outright as the contract deals are no longer 'deals'

Ditch the phone costs if you can.

Otherwise- good is way too high. We are 4 people and only spend £400 a month. You should be able to get it down to about £250-280 if you meal plan and are careful where you shop.

Phones, food, internet and gym all look high to me.

I pay £10 a month for phone, food for two of us is £200/month, internet is £24 and you don't need a gym. Take up running or cycling instead.

We own are house outwrite which is why it’s not included partner took a career move to be self employed he’s done so well but won’t get paid for atleast 3 months so in 3 months time we will have more money than ever it’s the next 3 months will be tough we have savings but I want to hold onto them.

outright

What is waste?
Is boiler a service plan.
Phones , pay them off and switch to sim only £10 / £12 each
Why internet and wifi?

I would check the addition , unless you have missed off mortgage or rent?

I need to double check using a calculator but I don't think your total is correct , my mental arithmetic isn't great but I would say your total is under £2k.

Ds eats meat but by going vegetarian myself I am now saving £60 a month. Jack Monroe recipes. Feel healthier for it too.

As others have said your phone, wifi, internet are very high - ours comes to £49 and I've just gone onto a new contract. Can you change your contracts?

Do you really need to pay for parking? Only time we ever do it is if we're away and it's easy. Otherwise, we park slightly out and walk.

How many people are in the house. If it's just two, £330 for food is extortionate. Only two here most of the time - I've been keeping an eye on our food costs and we spend £180-240 depending on how extravagant we're being and if we're entertaining.

I appreciate electric is probably more expensive, but again if just two of you, that seems a lot - we are on gas and electric but averaging £68pm, although going up.

Re: the gym, have you checked to see if any of the local schools have their gym and facilities open after school/weekends? Ours charges £14pm (admittedly you pay extra for classes and court hire, but it's reduced)!

Do you both drive a distance for work? If not, petrol seems quite high. Can one of you walk to local shops for food sometimes, can day trips be closer?

plarking petrol food

If you use the gym keep it. I know everyone says just use YouTube but if you use it and enjoy it and get the benefit from it - social side of it, acces to equipment etc totally worth keeping.

Phones are expensive but if you’re on contract not much you can do for now. Keep an eye on when contract is up then look to reduce kt.

Cars, phone, gym and food, We spend £400 a month on groceries and that’s for 7 of us with nappies etc too!

I would get rid of the car lease if you can. I’m not sure if you mean you can choose to end the lease in August or have already renewed.

You mention you have savings but if it were me (no savings) I would use a money transfer offer to my bank from my credit card for cash to buy a (cheap to repair/run) car around 3k. I would then pay the amount I had been paying for my lease off my credit card to pay it off in 8 months or so - and then it’s all yours with no further payments

Yes you will then have to MOT and repair the car but your lease payments are 4.5k a year and the dearest repairs we have ever had in 25 years of driving are around £700 and £900 and it doesn’t usually cost anything like that. Quite often ours just pass the MOT for the £40 fee and on we go for another year. Tyres now and then etc.

As others have said your phones are expensive. We own our phones (buy new but cheaper models around £100 one off expense) and pay £20 odd sim only for unlimited calls/texts/huge data. Ours could be a fraction of the cost but we want loads of data to stream movies/you tube etc away from home. If you can afford your phone/apple watch and value it then fine of course but if not it would be an easy place to cut back.

£330 for food for two people! What are you eating? Definitely cut back there. And switch to giff gaff once these contracts end. You can keep a modern smart phone for five years.

Phone (phones?) are expensive

Could give up the gym (I know )

Use the car less

Find out if you can get cheaper insurance using a comparison site

Bills of over £2000 with no mortgage seems incredibly high. The car(s) are nearly half of that cost. Is there anyway to cut this cost?

Obviously phones and gym are expensive but live does have to have some nice bits - personally I'd be looking at reducing the phone cost significantly.

Fwiw our family of 6 bills/Direct debits are £2300 including food as you've done, and this includes £600 mortgage, £350 gas and electric and £230 council tax.

wifi and internet - more than £75?? You're being ripped off somewhere.

Also a ridiculous amount to spend on phones each month.

You spend the same on food for two, as we do for a family of 4

The gym £55? Learn some exercises for your physio,

Plenty there you can cut back on.

I don’t understand why the boiler and sofa are monthly payments?
Cheaper car
Cheaper phone(s)
Cheaper broadband

@Autumn42 how on earth do you manage £100 a week on food for 7 and a pet?

we have savings but I want to hold onto them

Why? It’s costing you more to be paying monthly for things. Pay off your debts & phones and then start rebuilding your savings.

electric 133 = £1596
council tax 145.12 = £1740 is this over 12 payments or 10?
tv licence13.25 =£159
water 15 =£180
waste 27.72 =£332.64
phone 132.03= £1584
insurance 34.01=£408
food 330 = £ 3960
service charge 120 =£1440
wifi34.48 =£413
car lease376 =£4512
insurance 70 = £840
credit card 83 = £996
boiler 12 =£144
gym55= £660
sofa43.16 =£516
internet 40 =£480
petrol 208 =£2496
parking 48 = £576
Total 2037.91

£7584 a year on your car is more than any other bill, you spend more on your lease hire than on food. There doesn't appear to be any car insurance?

If you want to reduce your monthly budget then look at your biggest outgoing first and adjust that downwards

Your total comes to £1920 a month - you must have missed something off. You are spending over £700 a month on your car, thats 37% of your total bills. What's going on with your crazy wifi & broadband charges - and that mobile cost???