so fed up of being skint.

[darlingbud]

we are trying so hard to cut back on spending. we buy cheap tinned food, I make a lot of fresh food and freeze it to try and cut back on weekly shops, I haven't bouight clothes in months, we don't go out and never seem to have any money. I have also stopped some unnecessary direct debits for things such as Sky TV etc but nothing seems to work.
I have tried selling some books on ebay but no-one wants them and I have trid selling my daughters baby clothes on ebay and mumsnet but because I don't have pictures noone seems to want them as they don't seem to beleive that they are in excellent condition.

Any ideas anyone?

sorry no! Just keep trying is all I can say. Wish I could help.

HAve you tried a carboot for the clothes? If they are ironed and inside plastic bags (possibly hanging from a rail) you are more likely to get more money for them.

We use 18866 for telephone calls( www.18866.co.uk) you still need a BT line but all the calls within UK are free (and ridiculously cheap to other countries).

If you have a mortgage, try find one that offer a a cheaper payment per month. Requesting to extend the pay out terms a few years may reduce the payments now until you feel is time to get for a better option that considers total payout amount and has a higher monthly payment fee.

Turn all the lights off if not in use. The electric bill can be reduced considerably if you iron all your clothes in a single day than if you iron just what is needed for a day (So I have been told, however I have found a way to avoid ironing so I can't know for sure ).

If you go out set a budget for the day, and don't go over it, leaving the debit cards at home certainly helps.

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Have a look at this site , you might get some tips.

Lots of people on other threads like this have suggested menu planning and only buying the food you need for the menus. Great idea that I have yet to put into practice.

Have you applied for all the tax credits/benefits you might be entitled to?

Yes, the menu planning certainly saves a lot of money, and as a bonus you end up eating more healthy.

I didn't realise you could do that with the council tax aimsmum.

Db write down all your outgoings and analyse them . We are really skint as well, and I have found myself saving money off coupons that you can use at asda (without buying the products I have been told)
Also we have changed our utility bills to telecom plus and that has helped.The car boot sounds like a good idea too.Also use energy saving light bulbs- cheapest ones I have found are at ikea.

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tell me to bog off if you want - but - Is your income higher than your outgoings? Have you done a budget sheet?

I found amazon better for selling books. Have you tried a car boot sale? Do you work?

x

Search out the best utility companies for price deals and then pay bills on a monthly basis. Outgoings are easier to handle if spread across 12 even months instead of big quarterly bills - often get discounts too.

Do grocery shopping on the internet, using money off codes to cover delivery (find them everywhere including here) - you spend less, honestly. If you must shop 'in store' then coupon clip and save that way.

Re council tax - I did this for years but council are now insisting on 10 payments only, apparently it takes them those extra 2 months to balance the budget.

Suggest you build in some treats for yourself along the way...have you seen moneysavingexpert.com?

A carboot sale is a great idea too. Do you have a budget that you stick to, and is your income more than your budgeted expenditure?

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I really feel for you darlingbud, know exactly how you feel, try not to let it bother you so much, and try to be positive about things, if you let them stress you out than it's not good for you. Sorry not much help really, but think the boot sale is a good idea.

not tried car boot sale so thanks - next step is finding one near me and spending the £5 or whtever it is to take my car there.

Might try energy saving lightbulbs but need the money to buy them with in the first place.

No outgoings are not more than incomings I just don't know where the money goes.

Thanks for all your help everyone.

We are skint all the time as well. I've gotten creative and proactive about it. I research 'freebies' constantly. I also got a second job.

We do a lot of stuff with our church - mostly just hanging out with other families. It makes us feel we've 'gone out'.

One treat might be to join one of those DVD rental clubs - where you never have late fees and can rent as many as you want in a month.

We have a popcorn popper and love to experiment with toppings - like butter and melted parmesan, or butter with a pinch of Five Spice for kick, etc.

Sorry can't offer more advice, but can offer empathy. Wish I could make it all better for some folks.

If you don't know where the money goes you should log every penny you spend for a while in a notebook! That way you will see it all clearly & it should really help!

We were in this position when the kids were smaller... hang in there it does get better and it won't be like this forever.
Are you entitled to any working families tax credit?
Rum mum