can a famly of 6 live off 400 per month (after bills)?

[pinkdolly]

Quick background info..

dh leaves the navy on 13th july, for a lower paid job. We have to find somewhere else to live. We've just looked at a property (the cheapest we could get really). By the time everything is paid for we will have roughly around 400 quid to spend on food, nappies, toltries etc...for dh and myself, a 7 year old, 6 year old and 3 year old.

With careful budgeting and pre-planning (food wise) can it be done?

dh wouldnt use his car so much so would rob be looking at £50 per month, so £350 for everthing else. Please be honest.

thank you

sorry forgot to mention my 2 month old and our cat.

Do you rent/mortgage? Does that include CTCs?

I think that £350 is a bit tight, tbh.

Are you pg or someone else living with you? I count 5 ppl in your family?

Ah! x post!

It's probably do-able with self discipline, meal planning and careful shopping, but what if the car breaks down and needs money spent? What if the boiler/washing machine/fridge dies? What if all the DCs need shoes at the same time? Where's the birthday/Christmas money? You need to build all this into your budgeting.

Are you sure you're taking into account all benefits you could be entitled to?

It is just about do-able. it's what we live on give or take. have you checked what you'll get tax credits wise?

Also given your circs, it might be helpful to see if you're entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit.

See this is the thing. We dont know really, dh has been n the navy for 9 years (so pre-kids). This is the first time we have to really fend for ourselves.

yes this is incl ctc and cb too.

Our biggest problem is that we have a car that we are paying £187 per month on (hp) and a bank loan at £249 per month. If we could get at least one of those down things wouldnt be so tight for us.

Ready4anothercoffee- hassled has a good point-how do you cope with these things?

tho i must say that we would be renting so any house repairs would be covered.

It would be ok short-term but longterm would get wearing.

But some ideas:

1. plan meals and only buy what you need
2. set up clothes swaps with friends (for kids and yourselves)
3. Buy discounted food and freeze.
4. Get kid's pressies from charity shops and remember that they don't need nearly as much as they get.

5.freecycle when you need stuff. 6.Go through your bills and check through comparision websites if you can save on anything

1. if you have any loans etc see if you can reduce repayment without increasing overall costs.

8.remember that kids have as much fun at the park with a picinic and a football and your attention as they do at a day out place. 9.Ebay anything you don't need -it's amazing how much things add up 10. agree with friends/family not to get pressies for each other any more and make all your own cards.

good luck!

pinkdolly you may be able to get housing benefit in that case, which would help.

It might be doable in the short-term but tbh in the long-term it would be very hard.

I would easily spend double that in a "normal" month on food, petrol, any clothes that were needed (and I buy very little for my dcs as they get lots of hand-me-downs so mainly uniform, shoes, undies), birthday presents, toiletries, after school activities, etc. And I am not all frivolous in my spending.

Can you get rid of the car altogether? £187 a month is a lot to be spending on it (plus the running costs) if your budget is so tight.

We have approx £400 over 5 of us. it's wearing, it's tight, it wouldn't be as bad if dh stopped smoking and drinking.

However we do just about everything noonki suggested. I buy presents throughout the year, and mine are used to not getting a lot, but being pleased with what they get.

Also check if you're entitles to the milk vouchers, I forget what they're called. Since dh was laid off (again) I've become rather good at filling out forms.

I live in terror of something breaking down. we'd manage, just, but might not be able to afford the next tax disc or something. I pay, by standing order, a small amout each week into a separate account so I have an emergency fund. we also rent, so repairs are not a prob in that aspect.

It's worth looking at the interest on the car loan and the bank loan. it might be worth increasing the bank loan to pay off the car loan, as overall you'd be paying less interest.

I think you need to be checking on the AIBU threads. According to most people, it's a total nightmare darlings to expect to exist on less than £35K a year - but... to be serious, we have been managing on less than £300 a month recently for four of us, and it was very tight but you can do it. Luckily I've now got a really good job so those days are gone, but yes, it's possible and to be honest I'm glad we did, as will know what it's like if it ever happens again.

my hubby and i have £400 to spend a month aswell from his second job his first covers all the bills,mtge we only have 2 dc aged 6&7yrs and I have to all the time sometimes dip into the £120 of the child benefit.

it will be hard but meal planning is the key I havent mastered this for the full month so some weeks im really good and the next its eating and stoping at the cash machine for the cb...some great advise here so good luck..

Changing to cloth nappies would save you some money. You can buy them second hand. And sell them on when you don't need them anymore.

oh those milk vouchers are now known as a sure start healthy something...and they are not just milk vouchers but have a value of about £3 a week each child under 5 yrs old and can be used for fruit and veg aswell( my sister uses hers at asda and sometimes uses it on the whoops veggies and fruit)