How do other mums survive on a budget?? I feel like were constantly behind on everything each fortnight i put money on all bills loans ect pay rent and am left with $200 for the fortnights food amd petrol family of 5 and its becoming impossible!
And helpfull budgeting tips?
I feel like im drowning
Help budgeting
Help budgeting
Posted in:
Money
6 Replies
It sounds like it's time to decrease some expenses. Get rid of anything that you absolutely don't need. $200 a fortnight for a family of 5 sounds impossible to me.
Go through everything with a fine tooth comb. Wether that's moving to a cheaper/smaller house. Getting rid of cars and getting cheap older cars. Cutting back on extra curricular activities. Look at phone costs, internet costs, foxtel, haircuts, nails, and makeup, clothes everything. Shop second hand, OP shops.. Get back to basics. There has to be something your spending income on that can be reduced. Live simply like your grand parents and great parents did.
We dont have foxtell or internet i cut mine and the familys hair i buy nothing for myself make as much as i can from scratch we have 1 car which we are paying off slowly have already refinanced to lower rate
We never eat out do anything thats not free activitys eg parks bike rides ect our house is tiny and cheapest i could find
I dont think i could cut anything else out
We dont have any luxurys left in our house at all
We joined My Budget which helps you build up savings!! There are fees attached but they are minimal in comparison to what you pay on late fees etc!! It has taken the pressure off us and helped us to really look at what we were spending!! Hard initially to let go of finances but you still have control over what gets paid how much living expenses you want etc. I find I just spend money on crap like coffees, lunches, wine!! Not saying you do but if you really scale it back you can live comfortably even as a family!
if you have family or friends who are willing to put in to buy bulk meat from abatoirs - such a cheaper way to eat and as fresh as it comes, and then the cheap fruit n veg shop or farmers market. Get into the habit of turning everything off at the power point, washing machine, microwave, kettle, toaster, tv everything!! And if you can walk places do it as much as possible. Shop for the bargains even if it does take a bit longer to do the food shop. Try and rearrange phone, internet, electricity and gas to cheaper options, and get rid of luxury items that arent absolutley necessary.. Live simply ;) Good luck
Sometimes all the best budgeting in the world won't work if your income is just not enough. Which it sounds like it is. People tell you about food budgeting, meal plans, thrift shopping, living simply, etc but it's not that, I'm sure you're already way beyond doing that! I know, I've been there!
If you' re only left with 200 it's not your budgeting or spending with that that's the issue , you've got no room to move. Ita time to realise the numbers just don't work and you need to make some big changes. You need tO Overhaul the big expenses, rent bills and loan repayments so you have more. Refinance so youre paying minimum onto your debts. Or look at increasing your income. Change jobs, get another job until your debts paid. Can you save on or do without any of your bills? If you can cut down debts bills and rent you'll have more (which is what I did, I used my super to pay off debts and moved to cheaper rent area and I'm now living on the same income, still budgeting, but much more easily) or find a way to increase income.
I struggled for a long time trying to make it work, but sometimes it's just won't add up and work for you until you make the big changes.
I have no advice since this is my exact predicament. Except sometimes a little less then $200.
But we literally have enough for bills and necessities and that's it. Times are hard but I'm hoping they get better.