Tips on economising please

[firemonkey]

For a person who is not very practical.

Due PIP assessment on Monday and almost certain I am going to fail which will mean income drop of well over £100 a week. Have worked out I can manage but it will mean major economising.
Need some money saving tips in preparation that the worst happens.

[Armadillo]

If it's not too prying, would you be willing to post a list of your outgoings? I'm sure we can spot some ways to save money in there between us

[firemonkey]

Gas/electric £102 DD
Groceries about £ 220 a month
Clothes-no weekly figure, buy as need.
Takeaways £100 a month(Know these will have to go)
Phone about £6 a month
TV about £13 a month
Internet £12.49 a month
Council £ 125 a month (bedroom tax)
Charities £22 a month
Labour party subscription £1.96 a month
Warranty £182 a year (They keep pestering me to add more items)
Miscellaneous- couldn't say exactly but quite a lot .

[Armadillo]

Originally Posted by firemonkey

Gas/electric £102 DD
Groceries about £ 220 a month
Clothes-no weekly figure, buy as need.
Takeaways £100 a month(Know these will have to go)
Phone about £6 a month
TV about £13 a month
Internet £12.49 a month
Council £ 125 a month (bedroom tax)
Charities £22 a month
Labour party subscription £1.96 a month
Warranty £182 a year (They keep pestering me to add more items)
Miscellaneous- couldn't say exactly but quite a lot .

I would say straight off get rid of the bits I bolded.

Takeaways are something that is nice to have when you can afford it but should not form part of your budget, but come out of your disposable income that you have left after all the essentials are taken care of (which I would consider everything else you listed, personally)

TV: Do you have PS3/4 or another console capable of streaming media? You can get Amazon Prime or Netflix or Now TV for a fraction of the cost (whichever one suits your viewing preferences the most, you wont need all) plus a freeview box which is just an initial payment for the equipment. Let me know if you want more info on this

Chartities: I wont say do away with this completely, but if you are on a tight budget you can atleast reduce it. Also, shopping for clothes in charity shops will turn up some surprising bargains and save you a bit more too.

Groceries, well obviously this is important as you need to eat, but how many of you are there?

[Indigo_]

You can definitely cut the monthly groceries figure.

[purplerose]

I would also say stop getting Takeaway and the money you donate to charity ( you could just donate a couple of quid here and there when you can afford to do so )

Also could you cut down on your grocery bill by opting for some own brand items over high end brands ?

[firemonkey]

Originally Posted by Charlotte Vale 1942

Get back your £634.22 from the conniving energy company

Having checked this may not be real credit. Apparently you build up credit during the spring/summer months but that is used to help cover autumn and winter usage.
They seem to have a funny way of working out how much DD you need to pay ie £804 projected usage = £ 67 a month but my DD is £102. Maybe they charge more DD over autumn/winter period and will reduce for spring/autumn.

[firemonkey]

Originally Posted by biscuits

You could plan some recipes/meals, so you only buy what you need. Would you be entitled to use a food bank?

Take aways - cut that down to one a month.

Have you been on price comparisons websites to look if you can get cheaper gas/electric?

TV - freeview

Have reduced projected gas/elec by £170 a year but that's not really been reflected in reduction of DD.
The tv cost was for tv licence. I have freeview.

[humphrey]

I would wait until your winter bill comes in March, and then see how much over you are eg. £200 - 300. Then you can cut your direct debits by a half and the extra you have remaining will offset the lower payments for the coming year. At the end of next Winter look at how much you are over if any and adjust your payments so that you are only about £50 over at the end of the following year.

Also when your annual summary comes in, use the price comparison websites to see if it would be cheaper with another supplier. My Mum did that and when she told British Gas she was wanting to leave, they asked how much the other company was offering to do it for and matched it so she saved the money without actually changing supplier.

[LittleMissMouse]

Firemonkey, is there any way you can increase your income alongside, possibly even instead of having to make drastic cuts?

Is there scope for something like writing articles online, maybe something like listverse (though I don't know how reputable/reliable this is), or are there any sites that pay for mental health articles (you're clearly very well informed about developments in mental health) or something along those lines? (sorry that's terribly vague, but it's just an idea).

[firemonkey]

Last Gas/Leccy bills

[umm]

When I have struggled for money, one thing I did - and this is a little "off message" but needs must and I make no apology - was to get things like washing machines and TVs from freecycle and sell them on ebay.

[Ronnie_Pickering]

takeaways is the elephants in the room!

[firemonkey]

Originally Posted by umm

When I have struggled for money, one thing I did - and this is a little "off message" but needs must and I make no apology - was to get things like washing machines and TVs from freecycle and sell them on ebay.

It's a good tip for those who can manage to do it.

[Merritt]

Why are you so sure you'll fail the PIP assessment, Firemonkey? Has anything come up, or is it just a feeling? I really hope it'll go okay for you.

That said, even if you pass it's a good idea to keep checks on your spending, it's definitely something I should put more effort into myself. It looks like you could save a fair bit on food shopping and takeaways, and honestly I think charity's something you should only worry about when you feel you have the money to spare. Maybe cancel the direct debit and just donate a few quid when you can?

[firemonkey]

Originally Posted by Merritt

Why are you so sure you'll fail the PIP assessment, Firemonkey? Has anything come up, or is it just a feeling? I really hope it'll go okay for you.

That said, even if you pass it's a good idea to keep checks on your spending, it's definitely something I should put more effort into myself. It looks like you could save a fair bit on food shopping and takeaways, and honestly I think charity's something you should only worry about when you feel you have the money to spare. Maybe cancel the direct debit and just donate a few quid when you can?

It's a feeling I'll fail because I am thinking I am not particularly ill just socially dysfunctional and they too will see I'm not in need. I am very much a glass half empty ,worst case scenario person and always expect the worst to happen.
Although it often doesn't I am still worrying the next time round that it will.
Also I am not very good at expressing myself when stressed which I will be at the assessment and may not get my difficulties across well.

I think my best chance is the Engaging with other people face to face component. I have no friends and hardly see anyone (family members couple of times a year, tesco delivery/takeaway people, shop staff(on the rare occasion I go in a shop) nurses at depot clinic ) . Due to my paranoia and social anxiety I find it very difficult to engage with other people and spend about 98% of the time on my own. The other 2%(not counting superficial interactions with nurses/delivery people etc) is with family when they visit.



Re the charities I think I cancelled several previously by phoning up as I don't do online banking( too nervous about the gadget you have to use. If it was gadget free would probably give it a go) but over time succumbed to pressure from several of the numerous charities that regularly phone up touting for regular donations.

[firemonkey]

^^ Groceries are an issue. I tend to eat when hungry rather than having set meal times. I am never sure what to buy for lunch that is cheap and that will do from one shop to another. I tend to buy sandwiches/pasta and salad bowls/ and pot noodles or similar for secondary meals and occasionally tins/cartons of soup. I also drink a fair amount of those Nescafe flavoured coffee sachets (3-4 boxes a week) and have coffee from a jar/cafetiere less frequently.

[purplerose]

Making your own sandwiches or pasta for lunch rather than buying would save quite a bit of money.

[les]

Don't leave electrical stuff on stand by

When shopping try shopping in the late afternoon and look out for stuff that is priced down, and don't stick to the one shop especially the big supermarkets, smaller shops that don't open very late can give very good bargains on fresh stuff.

Check out your local market.

learn to cook from scratch, If you have a freezer freeze what you don't use

There is never an excuse to waste vegetables, they can always be made into stock or soup.

As I cook for one I always cook using a food steamer and cook as much of a meal together whether it is in the steamer or in the oven

Eat potatoes with their skins or if you are peeling potatoes save the skin for tray baked potato skins with cheese or sour cream

here are the links I use for frugal recipes there are loads out there on the net

http://pennysrecipes.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzH...kgQoiDAQt2FwLw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClT...cSkRjYegrknzxQ
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRK...qU-uK2csT6FOKw

[Dougella]

^ Good advice.

If you do your food shop online then you might need to freeze bread after a few days and then toast it as needed. For lunches you could then have beans on toast, cheese on toast, egg on toast or soup with toast etc or toasted sandwiches.

Instead of takeaways you could get supermarket versions of the things you like, it would probably work out a lot cheaper (eg. frozen pizza instead of takeaway)

[Merritt]

Firemonkey, I've felt the same way before just about every assessment I've had, that I'm not really 'ill', at least in a way that they're looking for. But I have a tendency to downplay my problems, and it sounds like you do too. If your issues are keeping you that isolated, it'd be hard to argue that it isn't a serious problem you deserve support for. Maybe write down beforehand some key points that you want them to be aware of, to refer to if you're struggling to express yourself, or even for them to just read themselves if it's too stressful.

[firemonkey]

^ I told them at the depot clinic I was anxious about the forthcoming assessment and fear of not getting PIP. They were sympathetic but basically clueless. Told me to tell the assessor I need the PIP as my quality of life and therefore mental health will suffer if I don't get it. That is very probably true but the assessor/dwp are not interested in anything like that.

[Chubbykats]

When I moved in to my flat, I replaced all the light bulbs to low energy ones. The landlord had these 70w bulbs everywhere. I got rid of them and put in 15w ones and they are still pretty bright.
If you're at home all day, heating is likely where the bulk of your energy is going to. Only have the living room heated and just enough to take the edge off the cold. Also wear thick layered clothes. If the bedroom is freezing at night, take a hot water bottle to bed.
I also managed to cut back my food bills by looking at how much food I was throwing away due to it going bad. Try and get tinned foods as they last longer. As already mentioned you can get supermarket pizzas pretty cheap. Just had one myself. Was a BBQ Meat Feast from Asda, only £2 was very tasty too!
I usually have about 2 of these a week. I usually eat these when I cant be bothered to cook. But on other days I will cook large amounts of cheap healthy meals that can be refrigerated. I don't tend to buy that much meat either as it's expensive.

[Indigo_]

^ I always take a hot water bottle to bed, otherwise the room is just too cold.

That's a good idea with the heating. I should probably turn the radiators down in all the other rooms when I spend the whole evening in the living room.

[AinWLA]

I would add - although not a huge expenditure - phone bill - is it your mobile phone if so is it on contract if so maybe switch to pay as you go.

[firemonkey]

Originally Posted by HelloSunshine

^ I always take a hot water bottle to bed, otherwise the room is just too cold.

That's a good idea with the heating. I should probably turn the radiators down in all the other rooms when I spend the whole evening in the living room.

I am not even sure how to turn the radiators down in specific rooms. If it requires a radiator key I'm f*cked as I lost mine ages ago.
Heating in this flat is temperamental and has a tendency to switch off it set to below 25 C.

[firemonkey]

Originally Posted by AinWLA

I would add - although not a huge expenditure - phone bill - is it your mobile phone if so is it on contract if so maybe switch to pay as you go.

My phone bill is very small. I have an old mobile(2005 model non smartphone) but have hardly used it since my mum died in 2010. It's PAYG.

[Mole58]

I'm used to 'holding my hand in', so here are some ideas. Similar age to yourself.

I've had to get a replacement radiator key before, can't remember where, but see Wickes, Homebase, B&Q, etc all seem to have them. If the central heating makes a noise, bleeding the radiators always makes the system more efficient, therefore cheaper.

I don't bother much with the central heating. All winter I wear wool rich thermals from M&S, and several layers. Just keep one room warm. Hot water bottle at night, if it's cold enough.

I watch non-live tv on my computer, so don't pay a license.

There is one charity I like to support, but usually, by shopping in charity shops, I feel I'm doing my bit.

A political party would have to pay ME to be a member.

Don't get many takeaways, or eat out. Can't be bothered much making meals from scratch, but food of reasonable quality seems pretty cheap these days, in the scheme of things, IMO.

I have an old PAYG mobile as well. Don't use much, except for texting.

At this point people are probably wondering that I must be a miserable old git, but strangely, I'm quite happy, on the whole.

[firemonkey]

I watch a fair amount of live tv ,I guess .