Tuesday 11 September 2012

Financial updates and possible solutions

Ok, so I have had a somewhat financial overhaul this week

I have been through my bills, most of which I can't not pay as I only really have basics!
So
Rent - £360 - my partner pays this
Council tax - £107
Water - £40
Gas - £49 (direct debit)
Electric - £40
NTL - £55 for tv, Internet, phone (Internet is needed as I have a child in middle school and a child in comp for their homeworks)
Debt - £40
Dentist - £32 (this is myself, partner and kids and they have taken on my step son too, there are only two NHS dentists in our area now and we are in a benefit claiming main town do I pay for te dentist as we are guaranteed  to be seen quickly and our dentist is lovely)
Food Shopping - £200

The last few months I have also had to find money for school uniform and catch up on my debt bills so I have neglected to pay my Tv license which I know is now at £97 and passed to a collection agency, as well as owing £49.50 on our old flat which again I haven't paid

My income is £300 wages from my work ( I do 2 nights a week at 12hrs a week so I'm
Home to care for my daughter in the day and whilst my son is in school, I have no family around me - and all the lcal childminders are full because we are in a small village, so I can't work any extra hours)
I get child benefit of £130 but this is for my children and divided between their bank accounts incase they need anything.
Tax Credits, I and my partner get £300 to top up our income.

Our outgoings are £563 so from the £600 I am left with £37.

I am so fed up of this situation I can't begin to tell you. There is no work local to me and I don't drive so getting anywhere is really very hard. I'm even wondering if I can start to do something from home as I have textile A levels etc so maybe I could make something to sell.

I've also sold off most of my possessions to make ends meet.

So I've been looking at some solutions.

I've managed to haggle my NtL down to the £55 - it was originally on £65 so at least that's a £10 saving.
Also my food shopping - thanks to some of Froogs meal plans and ideas - I'm pretty sure I can get that down too. Each year my wok gives us shares of the profits and we got £150 last year so I brought a chest freezer with it when we moved home as we are in an inaccessible area now when the weather is bad, so it was multipurpose but I'm hoping I can fill it with Tesco Value vegetables and meat as well as discounted or reduced products and that it will help me stretch our shopping budget.

Im on the cheapest I can get our as and electric but I will be researching ways to heat proof the house this winter so we don't have to rely on the central Heating and gas so much. We only have an electric shower (no bath) so the only gas we use is for heating water so if I can minimise that then it will be good. I think that may be my next plan of action with a room by room list of what I can improve.

Right I'm off to put the kids to bed and ponder just that.

Night all
Xxxxx





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