New to budgeting

[Happygirl21]

Hoping for some inspiration and encouragement for budgeting and how to get started. I suffer terribly with depression and anxiety on and off have done for years but i work full time and have a little one 20 months old and a partner who i also care for he has autism and severe anxiety. We are comfortable with money but not the way i have been spending. I smoke which needs sorted asap but have just had tablets changed and increased again mood has been very bad. No idea were to even start with budgeting for food. I would get a food shop from tescos, then go to shop daily, then maybe 1 or 2 takeaways.

does anyone else with a household of bad mental health find they struggle with this? Our house is absolute chaos and it doesnt end with food even sorting out mail etc is a struggle

If I was you I would do it in easy stages.

Switch from smoking to vaping for now, while you look into stopping altogether, as it is much cheaper. Or roll your own and buy a cheaper tobacco. If you want to stop, try getting Alan Carr's book on how to stop smoking out of the library. I went from 20+ a day to nothing before I even finished reading it.

Also, swap the takeaways and have ready meals instead. Half the price or less. All the main supermarkets do things like bags of Indian or Chinese food for 2 for £10. Or choose individual ready meals. Just keep them in the fridge or freezer until you want them.

Once you have the hang of those things, the best way to food budget is to meal plan. Plan food for a week and buy only that. Look out for special deals (if you eat meat there's often 3 for £10 on mince, chicken pieces etc) that you can base main meals around. Plan to cook with some left overs for lunch next day.

To keep on top of the house, try a simplified Flylady technique. Set a timer for 5 mins and tidy up the most visible mess until it rings. Do this for each room in the house. Only 5 mins a day in each of your main rooms: kitchen, bathroom, living room, bedroom.

Hello @Toooldtoworry If I email you, please may I ask if I can have a copy of the spreadsheet? It sounds really useful. Thank you.

@Whatliesbeneath707 of course. Have PMd you.

I really like The Budget Mom videos. She also uses cash envelopes and is non-judgmental. I find her videos really easy to understand.

@Toooldtoworry thanks again for sharing your Spreadsheet. Really useful. 👍

@Whatliesbeneath707 Welcome