Overspending every month! Help me!

[friggssake]

We are spending between £100-£500 a month more than we earn...Below is what we have spent roughly this month. Please can you tell me where I am going wrong...? We bring in about £4300 monthly.

Item Cost
Housing 1337.00
Food 670.00
Family pocket money 310.00
Pensions 275.00
Council Tax 183.00
House Insurance 13.50
Gas & Electricity 67.00
Water 57.00
Cars maintenance, tax etc 115.00
Petrol 120.00
Mobile phone 55.00
Cleaning & window cleaning 115.00
Holidays / weekends away 250.00
Children's clubs, swimming etc.. 142.00
Childcare 120.00
Broadband & House Phone 90.00
Exercise classes / gym 90.00
BUPA 65.00
Haircuts 57.00
Adult pocket money 100.00
Christmas Fund 75.00
TV Licence 12.50
Life Assurance 41.50
Clothes (mostly kids) 30.00
Babysitting 30.00
Work lunches 25.00
Gifts 75.00
Car Parking 7.00
Contingency / unexpected extras 75.00
4602.50

you are joking yes? i assume this is a joke?

There are endless things on that list that you could cut out or lower.

but firstly: Food 670.00
is there 10 of you? this is a ridiculous amount to spend on food for an average family and very easily lowered.

I pay £45 pm for BT landline, broadband and BT TV. That's a £45 saving right there.

The Gym and the cleaning bills are an easy cost saving as well. £75 a month on gifts?

I could cut those outgoings by £200pm without too much aggravation or change in lifestyle.

I didn't get the £410 pm on family/adult pocket money either.

Do you use the gym? Is there a cheaper one?
What is the family pocket money and adult pocket money?
Who are the gifts for?
90 broadband and phone is very high, can you switch?
Bumps, have you checked that you don't get that through work as a benefit?
Could you save 5-10% off shopping, groceries?
The 75 unexpected, where did that go?

To be honest it looks fine to me apart from the above points, but I would b concerned that you don't have any long term savings and that your pension contributions are low

Sorry, not bumps, BUPA

Are you serious?

If so your problem areas are...

BUPA - is it really essential
halve gym outlay (we pay £55 for three of us),
food could be cut down dramatically,
pocket money £300? What? Ours is £60 for three kids
Cleaning/window cleaning, get rid of that and do it yourself
Broadband and house phone £90, this can be halved
Life Assurance £41.50? I pay £15!!!!

Food 670.00
Lower it to £30 per person per week, lower if possible, we spend £80-£100 for 3 per month
Family pocket money 310.00
Stop this
Cleaning & window cleaning115.00
Stop this
Holidays / weekends away250.00
Stop this
Exercise classes / gym90.00
Stop this
Haircuts 57.00
every month?
Adult pocket money 100.00

Christmas Fund 75.00
lower this
Clothes (mostly kids)30.00
really? £30 every month of clothes for the kids?
Babysitting 30.00 Why is this separate to childcare?
why is babysitting here as well as childcare?
Work lunches 25.00
make sandwiches
Gifts 75.00
LMFAO £75 on gifts every month and you're wondering where your money is going?
Contingency / unexpected extras 75.00

This isn't a joke, nope.

The food is much more than I had thought, its definitely crept up. I guess I should budget less for that, between us we have food allergies so that bit isn't as simple as it first looks.

I'm going to reduce present spending, yes, I like to be generous but it's not working... the gym is about addressing stress so can't really lose that as it's really helpful, but could in the future.

I will look at the TV / broadband costs, yep.

Kids don't get pocket money, no, that's for day trips, books for the kids, etc, charity donations, bits and bobs.

It would help if you told us how many children you have then you can be advised on cooking meals, I cook a big load and eat the leftovers the next night, but then I only have one 15mo.

Always good to get a wake up call :D!

the gym is about addressing stress so can't really lose that as it's really helpful

Agree with this, I need my gym membership to reduce stress. But £90 really is expensive! Mine is £19.99 a month which includes a whole array of great classes - yoga etc. Could you not change gyms? I don't know if there is a Fit4Less in your area but that's where I go.

Why are you spending 115 a month for car maintenance and tax? Tax is a one off surely for the year, again getting your car serviced is only once a year and surely not that expensive.

Gym seems expensive for £90 unless that's a family membership?

Stop the weekends away - you cant afford them on your current income.

Mobile - change provider, that seems expensive.

Is your food bill for shopping or does that include eating out?

Cleaning and Windows - we only pay £10 a month for window cleaner so this seems expsive but if you have a cleaner for 4hrs a week that doesn't seem that expensive.

Cut your Christmas savings to £25.

I'll lose the BUPA and make sandwhiches.
The gym is for 2 of us; expensive where we live...
Adult pocket money - ooh that does sound a bit... seedy!! It's usually spent on jeans or a night out with mates. How dull!
The £75 unexpected went on a new ironing board and cover, pet food...hmmm
Pension contributions and savings, another problem, yes!
2 adults, 3 children.

But pet food and ironing board don't cost £75.
Think you can easily make significant changes, but it doesn't sound like you want to.

2 mobiles, and that's just the food for eating at home...!

What is family pocket money and adult pocket money? What are bits and bobs? Huge amounts there.

My phone and broadband are half that

Why do haircuts cost so much? And food? For how many? Are you buying branded goods, if so, why?

Christmas fund and gift fund, way too high.

Holidays and weekends away fund also too high

Water, are you on a meter?

You bring in loads, you could save loads.

Like anyone I would like to make the easiest of changes! I appreciate your comments.
Pet food - cheaper bought in bulk...

No new jeans every month, haircuts every other month, window cleaner every other month, can you swap babysitting favours?

I get the food shop, we are same size family and spend the same if not more.

My pet food just cost £40 for a bag that lasts 6 weeks. Ironing board and cover would easily cost the rest.

Why is pet food unexpected if you have pets?
Of that £75 I'm wondering how much you spent on the ironing board and cover

All that family pocket money can't be going on jeans or nights out, how much do you spend on a night out?!

Who are the gifts for? Seems like a lot every month.

You could easily spend £75 on a meal out for 2.

We are cutting back massively and they are the things that I would ditch.

Have you thought about using a budgeting tool like ynab?