Help managing money

[Bobbins43]

I am totally useless with money. Always have been. I need to be less useless as I don't have a lot coming in. I have a DMP set up and a budget that works on paper.

Can anyone help me out with ways of sticking to a budget when my income comes in dribs and drabs over the month? And how I can keep track of which bills need to be paid and when?

I'm embarrassed to be asking this at my age but I can't live like this any more.

Any and all advice appreciated

I don't work any more which is partly the issue. I'm a carer for my son. I miss having a lump sum come in so I knew I could pay things like the mortgage etc...

(I would also like to say thank you for not having a go )

Can you have a period of extreme frugality to try and get ahead of yourself with money?

Try to spend as little money as possible, following advice such as that posted by specialsubject and GreenTulips. Also try and use up any food you have in your cupboards and freezer, if there is any. If you manage to free up enough money so that there is enough money to pay your bills before they come out.

For non bill spends like food and fuel etc, the 'withdraw a fixed amount once a week and when it's gone, it's gone' method might work too.

I swear by you need a budget - ynab. It's revolutionised my spending.

I also spend a lot of time on the maw forums.

Twice a year (Jan & Aug) I have a minimum spend as little possible month to reset myself.

Also - start to eBay stuff - it's easy and simple on the app - and it works outnpostage

Every penny counts - don't touch this money unless you truest need it

Tesco club card is good but not as good as it used to be - I save the vochers for uniform and Christmas

£34 got 2 shirts x 3 plus underwear and a skirt and PE top 'free'

Look down sofas etc and rummage in draws for pennies - I found £38 when we moved house

Are you crafty can you make stuff to sell at fates - or eBay?

Check cupboard before going shopping and write a list - save some prennies for milk later in the week

Batch cook and freeze eat meals when busy -

Also look out for clubs that the kids can attend for £1 a week like at johns ambulance or scouts

rummahe and organise clothes so you know what you have - you don't need new clothes etc every season

Thanks - I was going to try eBay but don't know what to charge for postage

There's a button on for postage and gives 'suggested' postage usually round £2.80 for a smallish parcel

It's easy!! If you have the app it kerxhings when someone bids!!

When I was getting paid weekly and receiving 4 weekly tax credits and weekly child benefit I had a pad and wrote down the whole 4 weeks in days on separate lines starting on the day I got tax credits, then I wrote down each incoming and outgoing on each date and kept a running total of my bank account, which I used to check everyday i.e

Wednesday 1st + £300 tax credits in (balance 300)
Thursday 2nd - £120 council tax out (balance 180)
Friday 3rd + £200 wages in - £30 water bill out (balance 350)
Saturday 4th - 60 food shop (balance 290)

And so on, having it in black and white in front of me and being able to cross of bills and have a running total really helped me get control of my money.

NICE

Time to dig out all those bags then

Look on the royal mail site for postage costs. It gives dimensions and weight for a small parcel, which costs £2.90 second class. Buyer pays.