Urgh just doing my budget and it's crappy crap crap

[nutcracker]

I am trying to organise myself and my finances so that I do not keep running out of money or food all of the time and have to go borrowing off my mum.

Ok, monthly incomings are £831.48

Monthly outgoings are £821.48 and I didn't include clothes in the outgoings, so thats £10 a month to keep 1 adult and 3 kids in clothes and shoes.

Have budgeted for £20 a week for a driving lesson (haven't started yet), but at this rate i'm gonna have to forget that.

Have budgetted £60 a week for food, if I could get it down to £40 that would be great, but is highly doubtful I think.

I do have quite a bit of debt but at the mo I cannot reduce any of the payments.

I need a job.

brilliant news about nursery nutty and the home visit to recheck your entitlements really pleased that youve had a happy day today for once.

still pay provident man till youve been to CAB. i cant wait for you to post to say theyve significantly reduced your debts, it will be such a weight off your mind.

by the way even though i oly do 8hours and get £230 a month, i still have full rent paid and £25 a week IS so im actually nearon £200 a month better off. my income now covers rent,bills,£60 a week food for 3of us which includes petrol money and eldest ones pocket money. running my car is a lot easier unless it needs repairs.

hope you find a little job soon

nutty a little thought - how about ebing a childminder? would that be something you'd look into at all - esp if you still ahve one child at home might save on some costs for his child care, althou not sure where/how to start wiht it.

good news thou on his nursery.

I did think about that Munz, but my house and garden especially would never pass an inspection as there are too many things wrong with it.
I'd need complete new fencing on both sides of the garden etc.

Message withdrawn

Nutty - doing a budget is a cool and responsible thing that a lot of folk are too scared to do regardless of their income levels - give yourself a lot of credit for this. It sounds as though you have already made a lot of progress and already need to do a new budget! I agree with the idea of a holiday/leisure fund ...it isn't sensible to plough 100% of any spare income into repayment of debts. You need to have some money to spend on the extras/fun and you can balance the 2 which your approach very sensibly recognises - ie the presents fund - exactly how you spend this money and whether this is even enough is for you to choose. Driving lessons seem to be part of a "moving forward" component and this is a good component to have in your budget. It doesn't neccessarily need to be about driving, that is up to you, but if not driving then it is still a good idea to spend money on moving forwards.

Your phone, mobile and internet costs are the ones that sound high to me and I also think that cheese on toast for tea is 100% fine at least once a week - and homemade vegetable soup and bread would be fine another couple of nights, and baked potatoes another night. These might save you a bit of time in preparation too! Earning up to the allowable limit would make a difference and you may well find a cleaning job to fit the bill if you would be happy to do this kind of work - putting a card up is a great idea if this would work for you.

Definitely worth seeing if you are claiming everything you can. Wishing you a very Happy New Year and you have inspired me to take my life in hand too! Love, mm xxx

ooh how about as an ironing lady? might that fit in (am thinking savings on C/C as well.)

• about the CM thing thou. eould it take much to get things up together, esp if you freecycled?

Thanks MM, I do feel slightly better sort of knowing where I stand with my money now.

Munz - Honestly there is just too much to do in the house. Stairs and landing have no carpet and won't have any unless I win the lotto, fencing needs doing both sides, garden is basically a mud pit as it needs re turfing etc etc.

Right, have been food shopping this morning. I mad a list of meals for the week and then a list of what I needed and I spent £44.56 and that was with a few bits I hadn't put on the list too.
I then spent another £2.00 ish on washing powder and softner in Wilkos but all in all I was very pleased.

Have just rung the Child Benefit people too and asked to be paid wekly from now on instead of 4 weekly, which although it won't make me any better off, it will help me manage my money better.

Nutty, had another add up of your finances...I got it to be less than your incomings if you spend 50 on food a week....was i miscalculating?

The original list was budgeting for £60 for food CC, and I had missed travel off too and something else LOL, am not very good at it.

I am going to do another later anyhow as some outgoings have since changed.

Oh and have found a job to apply for

well done on your shopping, you did really well with that.

good about the child benefit paid weekly, i get mine weekly, much easier like you say to budget.

exciting about the job nutty, good luck with that

When you are looking at jobs, put in your details at entitledto.com and fiddle with hours etc to see what hours and pay you would be better off with
My friend works 16 hours at the moment, she considered upping her hours to 30 but would only be £11 better off per week for another 14 hours work So look into it first.

Get the debt written off there is no way you can afford to pay them off at all

Very positive nutty. You must be feeling rather good tonight.

I do feel alot better yep, thanks.

Have just checked about the 3 for £30 thing with telewest and so am ringing them tommorow. That will save me £18 a month and I will have the starter package tv, whereas now I just have freeview.

CC, entitled to site is in my faves, I always check out any job on there. The one I am applying for works out quite well. I would be better off even now, never mind when I have paid some debts off so am definatly applying. Ikwym though as I have put in jobs with more hours and it's worked out i'd be less better off, so your right it is always worth checking.

the jobcentre advertise on line too.

google jobcentre plus.

good luck!

I check the job centre site every single day, but thanks anyway Scorpio .

No advice Nutty, I'm utterly shite at budgeting I'm afraid...just ask my DH!!

Just wanted to say I think you're doing a brilliant job with what you have moneywise.

Aww thanks LTH

Rang Telewest today and am going onto their 3 for £30 package on 22nd. Can't believe I will be saving £18 a month and getting the tv the kids are thrilled.

Oh and sent off a job application last night so fingers crossed for that.