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Money matters

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Worried about money this month

57 replies

Magzchester · 08/03/2023 22:20

Hi,

feeling stressed about our money this month. We’ve had to pay a big unexpected bill ands it’s really hit our spare cash. It’s 8th march today so there’s 20 days until
we are paid. All of bills and debt payments have been made and we have £729 to last until payday. Out of this we need to buy food and fuel. I have a real fear of running out of money!!

OP posts:
Coffeellama · 10/03/2023 07:45

namchangeanxious · 10/03/2023 06:25

A lot of very unfair posts here. If this is all her money, including savings, then her fears are just as valid as someone who only has something like £1.50 left for the month. If you're used to having a bit more back-up cash, then the thought of these savings running out can be pretty scary.

Totally shitty behaviour to report her.

It’s not shitty at all, that poster thinks OP is a troll winding people up with her fake problem, they are following the talk guidelines reporting it.

namchangeanxious · 10/03/2023 18:48

@carriedout Well done misrepresenting what I said.

Blondeshavemorefun · 10/03/2023 23:22

Wow. This is money section

For some that a lot of money

But as always depends what costs @Magzchester has petrol and how large her family is

£729/20 days so 3 w is £243 a week

I can easily spend £100 a week on petrol if working 5 days /nights and travelling 40m each way so 400 miles a week

Her partner (if one) may spend £50 on travel costs

Leaving less than £100 a week for food

Obv We don't know what usual weeks shopping is

But yes can be done cheaply if needed with

Porridge /toast

Soup/Sarnie

Pasta bake /jackets /stew etc

Mammma91 · 12/03/2023 14:29

I paid the last of my bills today and I have about £272 to last until the 3rd of April, for food and petrol. Just watch what your spending, only use the car for necessary journeys and don’t buy unnecessary things in your food shop. You’ll manage for now

defi · 12/03/2023 14:33

Well it's all relative. How much is your fuel and food normally?

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 12/03/2023 16:39

If you live really rurally, fuel can be a massive issue, but you can reduce fuel costs, especially for a month.

I'm assuming you have multiple cars- can you manage with just one at least some days? Whichever one has better fuel economy, try to use that one and lift share e.g. to work etc. If you work in different directions, investigate whether being dropped at a train or bus stop would be cheaper than driving.

Try to only do maximum of 2 journeys each day, so if you have to e.g. go to the shops, do it on the way home from work, rather than a Saturday morning etc. Or it may be cheaper to get groceries delivered (also helps in terms of sticking to a budget).

Work out if it's cheaper to shop at just one place, or whether you're better off doing e.g. a bulk shop at a lidl then driving to tesco for top up.

If you need to drive to an expensive corner shop to e.g. pick up a pint of milk, don't! Just do without until you're next in town!

In terms of groceries- use what's in your cupboards/freezer up, and you can stock back up next month. And meal plan, and if you can limit yourself to one shopping trip per week, or one delivery per week, that will reduce your spending. Once it's run out for the week, it's gone!

Do you have any reward points etc for anywhere that you could use?

Okunevo · 12/03/2023 17:44

Blondeshavemorefun · 10/03/2023 23:22

Wow. This is money section

For some that a lot of money

But as always depends what costs @Magzchester has petrol and how large her family is

£729/20 days so 3 w is £243 a week

I can easily spend £100 a week on petrol if working 5 days /nights and travelling 40m each way so 400 miles a week

Her partner (if one) may spend £50 on travel costs

Leaving less than £100 a week for food

Obv We don't know what usual weeks shopping is

But yes can be done cheaply if needed with

Porridge /toast

Soup/Sarnie

Pasta bake /jackets /stew etc

If it's an average sized family then £100 is enough for food. That food looks like normal food to me though!

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