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Original poster

Have I missed any bills off??

28 replies

SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:12

80 child care
155 rent
18 rates
10 water
10 gas
10 elect
15 phones
10 fuel
10 insurances
15 Catalogue

(these are ball park figures) am trying to work out if I can go back to work (hopefully0 on a good wage and still make things work - will also see the advisors at the job centre but as it stands i'll have £110 p.w to buy food, treats, birthdays etc etc - (will be like a life of luxury!)

must have forgotten something thou.

OP posts:
pucca · 09/09/2008 16:14

TV licence

Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:16

that's what £35 a qtr so say £2.50 a week?

i'm sure i'm missing something as it stands that will be in effect £100 floating once the bills etc are paid??!!

(and that doesn't incl the additional £40 p.w the job centre will give me for being in work - this isn't going to be 'my money' as I need to repay my parents so it will all be going to them each week)

OP posts:
Nagapie · 09/09/2008 16:17

Transport/car tax

Millarkie · 09/09/2008 16:18

Is 'fuel' for a car - if so, road tax and something towards car repairs.

pucca · 09/09/2008 16:19

I can't think of anything else, the only extras we pay...

Sky
loan

Good luck with the job btw, hope it all works out for you.

Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:19

transport is included in my £10 fuel, as it's a local job, car tax is currently £5 per week I do on a stamp but looking at entitled to I think I got my HB wrong so possibly more)

OP posts:
bozza · 09/09/2008 16:19

£10/week seems a lot for water compared with your gas and electricity.

pucca · 09/09/2008 16:19

Broadband is another.

BlingLovin · 09/09/2008 16:19

have you taken greater heating bills in winter into account?

Clothing? Or is that from 110 pw?
Ditto Cleaning?
Is fuel travel costs to get to new job (if relevant)?

pucca · 09/09/2008 16:20

What about kids bits and bobs, like school dinners etc.

bozza · 09/09/2008 16:20

A very cheap car that you can run on £10 week all in.

Miaou · 09/09/2008 16:22

is rates council tax?
We were doing our bills last night - haven't got them to hand but can't think of anything else myself.
Are you going to work out an allowance for food?

Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:23

ah entiteld to first of said £46 in HB, then £71 and now saying nothing all wiht the same figures written in it!! arghh!

there's absolutely no way I can get by with no HB at all - i'm assuming when you calculate HB you put in your full tax credits award (as in the working tax credits incl the child care bit which for me would be £116) and the lone parent bit which is 50. so the total being £166, or do I only add the 50?

OP posts:
Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:25

bozzo - that's only for fuel.

I have a mechanic for a cousin so that's cheap as chips for me - the tax as I say is £5 - tbh I don't use the car unless I really have to - I can do 80 miles on 1/4 of a tank (about 10) so try to use it as economically as poss.

food - tbh i'm going to try to keep as low as poss - at the mo can be down to £15 if really diar but don't need much - other weeks can be £40, so I think to say £35 would be fair - if I don't use it all can save it up for if I have a short week.

no sky - phones is for my aol & bt. (£55 for the 2)

OP posts:
dilbertina · 09/09/2008 16:27

Your local job centre plus should have a loan parent advisor - maybe get an appointment and run through it all with them?

Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:27

my water i've not paid since being here so this year i'm paying 16 months worth in 7 months iycwim (should be £24 or something a month usually - it's about £200 a year) plus the cheaper sewerage one of about £70)

the gas/elec I've just gone over to a card payment on - and am doing £10 until i've had a proper winter quarter hopefully to build up (last qtr which was in mid aug was £22 for gas - literally hot water only) and £68 for electric - those are actual readings as well - but am paying back some from when I first moved in, & am trying to get ahead of them.

OP posts:
RambleOn · 09/09/2008 16:31

mobile phone?
opticians/dentist/prescriptions?
insurance?
clothes/shoes?
christmas?
haircuts?

Am currently doing a rough budget myself.

My car costs are running at £150 per month

Miaou · 09/09/2008 16:33

Be wary of your electric. We have storage heaters and spend £30 a week in winter (we have no gas though so use electric for cooking).

Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:35

pucca - ds is 2.5 so no need for any of that just yet.

mob is PNG so I add when I need it (tbh it's £10 per month and I have 300 texts to use so happy with that)

the money which is left will literally be for food, holidays (we don't ahve any now so not fussed! lol) er, treats with the boy, clothing etc - but we hardly buy clothing thou tbh - just as and when we need it - but it's prob once every 6 months or so.

out of the £40 extra per week I ahve from the job centre for the first year i'll be giving my folks 3 weeks of it and 1 week will be left in the pot for xmas/birthdays so no need to worry about that initally.

OP posts:
Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 16:36

I have GCH (hence why my bill was stupidly low for the summer. but will prob be about £100 easy for the winter so trying to get enough stocked away)

OP posts:
newforold · 09/09/2008 16:54

go to www.moneysavingexpert.com and download the budget planner. You can put in weekly as well as monthly values. It lists everything so you would be able to budget for all bills.

entitled to isn't all that accurate really, the amount of housing benefit depends on the area you live in for example.
You're better off having your back to work interview at the job centre as they can tell you there and then what all your benefits etc would be.

hanaflower · 09/09/2008 16:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StealthPolarBear · 09/09/2008 16:58

pension?
is insurance contents?
general emergency fund?

Original poster
SpandexIsMyEnemy · 09/09/2008 17:04

ins is my insurances (both car and house - both are £20 per month each) cars quite old and I have full no claims/a clean licence.

no pension as of yet - but I would like to try and put £25 per week into a seperate savings account for DS & I to have access to when we want to/need to - I think (hopefully) a diff council place will come up at some point next year so hoping to move - so will need money aside for a van & other bits n bobs etc.

one way or another am determined to be able to work again thou. it's only 18-20 hours a week but at £9 p.h it's quite a lot really!

think i'd still be covered for the perscriptions & opticians but not 100% I wear glasses and at the mo the lenses need changing every year - blind as a bat! but I think i'd still fall as a low income family so will get them possibly - but will lose my healthy eating vouchers which is OK.

OP posts:
notcitrus · 09/09/2008 19:14

Mobile phone and land line?
Union subscriptions?
Does the insurance include contents, buildings, and car?
Pension contributions?
Any other debts you're paying off?
Any magazine or similar subscriptions?