Hi, so I've just moved into a place of my own (been there since October 7th), I'm not liking it at all but that's a different matter. I've just received the first lot of bills..
Anyway I'm absolutely rubbish at budgeting & I don't have a support worker despite living in a housing association property (I didn't want a support worker for personal reasons) & hoping somebody here could help!
I have just over £500 coming in, from DLA & ESA. I claim housing benefit too but that goes straight to my landlord.
At the moment I'm having to pay this:
MONTHLY
£129 for car insurance which includes breakdown & personal injury cover (just passed my test this year that's why it is currently so high)
£100 a month for car payment
£30 a month for petrol
£30 a month for broadband & phone line)
£100 a month for food (budget, it's usually about £10 UNDER though)
£30 for my mobile phone contract
£70 a month for council tax
£80 a month for gas & electricity
£10 a month for water
£20 a month for toiletries, cleaning supplies
YEARLY
£125 road tax for 12 months
£40 MOT
My mum pays my TV license so I have no need to include that here.
I'm living in my overdraft at the moment but I know it's not a good thing. I have no other money coming in at all - my mum & dad refuse to help me because they want me to learn what it means to be independent. I can't claim any other benefits either, I checked.
I never go out to the cinema or buy DVDs or even go out to drink at a pub or out to eat because I simply cannot afford it. I know getting rid of my car would help a lot but I don't live in the centre of a town, I live in a village with no bus service & my parents live 10 miles away & I can't rely on them for transport. I'm not eligible for a bus pass but even that wouldn't be any good... no buses, or even train stations. If I got rid of my car I'd be stuck... literally, until my mum or dad came & picked me up!
I'm really down about the whole 'moving out' thing as well, this really isn't helping. I feel so pathetic that I can't even deal with this on my own. Anyone give me some advice, can I cut back on anything??
£20 a month on cleaning/toiletries sounds a lot, try looking places like poundland as they have brand name stuff for not very much money.
Have a look at your broadband and see if you can get a cheaper deal as well.
Also if youre phone contract is nearly up for renewal I would suggest getting off a contract and getting a pay as you go sim if you dont use your mobile very much, you can still get a number of free texts/internet/minutes.
I do think the car is costing you a lot of money but I understand that you cant do without that.
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
If your car is costing you about £273 a month, I'd consider not having a car and using taxis to the nearest bus stop or train station as this could free up a lot of money, but like griddlebone says, I can understand if you really don't want to do that. It just seems it could give you more money.
Some of those things you simply can't cut back on - £10 a month for water is good.
if I had £500 a month coming in I'd try to move to a town centre or somewhere everywhere's within walking distance because I just think it's so much of a stretch for you at the moment with transport costs and it's hardly leaving you anything after that
£90-£100 a month on food also seems a lot when its just for one. It can work out a heck of a lot cheaper to batch cook and freeze meals (if you freeze them in individual portions you don't have to eat the same thing for several days in a row). Also might be worth finding out the delivery days/ times they reduce food in your local supermarket. You can get loaves of bread really cheap and discounted meat and things.
Hope things become a little easier for you soon <3
I'd look for better deals on your phone/broadband as for both mine is less then £20 a month or if need be get rid off it and again look for a better deal with your gas/elec i've just switch mine and its now £75 a month and i live in a two bed bungalow.
Also agree with chinahorse on batch cooking and freezing meals.
Your main cost is your car tho, especially as on top of insurance you're paying a car payment too, without it you'd save a lot of money, but understand why you need it.
It's so easy to get lost in constantly having to present
whatever face you believe a person wants to see rather than your own
Is there a way you can get on someone else's insurance? Or get someone else listed as the driver of your car and you're the second person kind of thing? My friend did it and her insurance dropped MASSIVELY!
I spend £200 a month on food for me and my partner and that's eating out and not planning ahead. If I plan and make meals/freeze them/stock up on reduced meat I spend a lot less. Google a blog called "a girl called jack" she has loads of fantastic recipes for food on a budget (£5 a week for food).
You could probably save money with your gas and electric. I just switched and got it from £97 a month to £70 for both. It's easy to do, no hassle really after meter readings and an easy save.
It's not easy, and it is harder with no support, but it's a learning curve so don't be hard in yourself.
I love £ shops and places like that, so have a rummage. If you're having to drive to town/cities make sure you're doing simple things like parking for free somewhere!
"Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it."
Okay, your car is clearly important for you, so lets look at other ways of budgeting.
Energy bills - try getting quotes from other energy companies, ask your current one if they do a discount for disabled people and if they do discounts for the winter. Do your research on it.
Food - Batches is such a good way of saving money. Surf the net for recipes. Stock up on mixed beans, tinned tomatoes, spices etc, so you can make chillis. Asda is good for discount prices and their value range is good. Make batches and put in the freezer. If you do your shopping at the end of the day you can get very cheap bread near it's sell by date. You can then put it in the freezer to make it last much longer.
Toiletries - again, asda is good for this. Go for supermarket basic range. No fancy packaging, but it does the job.
Council tax - check that you are receiving the correct discount for single person and being on benefits. If you are living alone you may be entitled to single person discount (I'm going by Glasgow council tax though), ask about that, because in my experience they have assumed I wasn't living alone and I had to ask them to change it. Again, it may be different where you live.
Broadband - again, do your research, maybe you can get a better deal. In fact, you might find you can get an internet and mobile deal in one. My mobile has unlimited internet that I can connect with my laptop and free calls and texts. So many offer this, so keep looking for the best deal.
Good luck and let us know how you get on. You aren't alone in this and there are so many of us that can relate and give you tips.
Gas and electric costs seem very high, though I'm aware they've gone up again recently. I just have electricity at home (electrical appliances and heating) and it comes to about £35 a month, but I don't use the heating as am perfectly warm with hot water bottles, lots of layers etc. Obviously don't go cold in the depths of winter, though - not saying you should stop using your heating if you're freezing!
Also, do you need broadband and phone at home? You could maybe just use your mobile (I just use mobile internet data at home, my contract is £22.50 a month for 500mins, 5000 texts and 1GB data) and then go to the library when I need to use the internet more in-depth, or go to my parents'!
Your food prices also seem a lot but do you spend or just budget 100 a month
I think your gas and electric are high - mine is about 40-50 in the winter much less in the winter. If you apply quickly you may be eligible for the warm home discount scheme just google that and your provider.
What rate of Dla do you get and which group are you in on esa
When we lose twenty pounds... we may be losing the twenty best pounds we have! We may be losing the pounds that contain our genius, our humanity, our love and honesty. ~Woody Allen
Is a chocolate muffin loving glitter ball
My grandad loaned me the money for my car so I've been talking to him & he's agreed to let me pay half the amount a month so that helps. My car insurance will go down in January, hugely, which will also help.
I have turned my heating off entirely & now only use my boiler for hot water. I'm freezing sometimes but cover up using blankets & two jumpers & I seem to be okay for now. My mum says I will make myself ill but I disagree.
I have to drive about 8 miles to the nearest town. They do have an Asda so I will look at doing my shopping at the end of the day & see if I can get some good bargains. They have an Aldi as well but I don't know if it will be cheaper. My food budget is so high because of personal issues (eating disorder, please don't judge me...) but I am working through those issues so hopefully that can go down eventually.
My council tax is £70 a month even with the single person discount! I can't do anything about that, I rang them & it's correct! I'll also have a look at that warm home scheme & check my rates this weekend.
I need broadband & phone at home as I am a heavy internet user. I love online gaming & streaming movies & lots of other stuff. I will check to see if I can get a cheaper deal though.
Personally I don't think £100 a month is a lot on food - £20-£25 a week. When I was a student I would go on £5 a week sometimes but that was a long time ago. I spend maybe £30-£40 per week now, that's just for me and my four year old, although I'm not budgeting quite as tightly.
£70 seems standard with single person discount council tax. Although, have you applied for council tax benefit? As no one in your property is working, I don't believe you should be paying any council tax.
Of course you can save by shopping around on utility bills but in my experience the amount saved can be minimal. I would also fathom that as you have just moved in, you have just taken out a 12 or 24 month contract with the household bills. Check that they are using your gas & electric usage to work out the amount as with a new account they sometimes just use a random figure or base it on the previous tenants usage.
Obviously getting rid of your transport wouldn't be a good option as you are in a secluded area and may feel trapped without it.
The main things that you can do involve big change:
1) Move into town so as you can walk to shops, culture, nightlife etc. And get rid of the car. As you have £500 per month coming in a saving of £270 would be very substantial!
2) Get a housemate, if you don't have a spare room, move into a two bed or such forth. Obviously you would have to get along with said person. This would save £95 based on your figures above. They would also be expected to contribute half of the rent, which isn't listed.
I do however see that neither of these could be an option, if you've just moved in as you would have to pay to get out of your contract. If it's a council property, there's waiting lists and all that s**t.
