you are welcome Ebony ;)

keep up with the positive comments - they definately help all the people who are in debt.

Hi George,

Many thanks, enough said about that stupid individual!

Regards

Herobed - its people like you who stop people offering up advice/suggestions. if you cant be constructive dont bother posting.

Ebony take no notice of herobed

G

Firstly I never mentioned £12.50 for a person to live on (are you mixed up with someone elses reply). My reply wasn't a critism but hopefully a way forward for two people struggling.

That's as much response as I will give your offensive and nefarious rant you foolish person.

What do you eat! I have a family of six adults I spend aprox £180 a week - £720 a month thats only £30 per person per head sorry but you are talking rubbish, your not any help what so ever, clothes we all need cloths the best thing to do is CAB go and see them, and yes you can reduce your outgoings, Your seriously expect a person to live on £12.50 a week for food, does that include cleaning products or do you live in filth, washing powder - do you use it or do you find a local stream sorry to sound so flipant, please don't give any advice again,

Hi

Having been in a similar situation to yourselves I sympathise with you. However, you can help yourselves. In regards to your 'disposable' income - if you plan your meals for the week i.e. Mince meat, will do lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise, stew with fresh veg, shepherds/cottage pie or moussaka. Sausage will cover, casserole or bangers & mash. Chicken will cover a multitude of things from casseroles, kormas, currys, chinese,etc. You just need a bit of imagingation and you can drastically reduce your food bill and still create tasty nourishing meals (better for you than pre-packed stuff). I have been a busy working mum of 4 children on a tight budget and have always had to be disciplined and maintain a routine to ensure the requirements of running a home were maintained. Buy your veg and fruit from markets or local produces as they are cheaper than supermarkets. Buy in bulk (veg is plentiful at the moment) and freeze.

I reduced my clothing bill by buying two black suits for work and wear these through the week with a different top each day. This also reduces your washing/ironing and helps to be more organised. We also took on part-time jobs to supplement our full time jobs. You have to remember that whilstever you've got hands, you've got work and can change your situation.

Don't worry - it's wasted, put the energy into finding a solution. Stay positive.

I think there are alot of good points raised for coventryman here. I know im tightening my belt.

why not try a few things such as :

trying to raise some extra cash by looking at selling items on ebay... i am sure that you have some clothes / items that you never use and if your other half is anything like mine there will be masses of shoes/clothes that they can get rid of.

save money by going for a walk with your family… not only is it a good stress buster but also has other hidden benefits such as spending quality time together. if you dont want to go walking with your partner then go on your own and take some "me" time. ;) or go to free attractions such as museums.

also as NUMENUS said above - why not get raw ingredients in and make food yourself. my personal favourite is roasting tomatoes and onions with some bazil, strain it and you have got a great pasta / meat sauce which you can freeze for further use. this is a healthy alternative and doesnt cost much at all (in fact if you grow your own tomato's onions and bazil you will get it cheaper again)

still go on holidays - but change the type of holidays you go on. try camping for instance. you can get away for a weekend and to pitch you tent at some places cost from £3 a night and its great fun.

What you dont want to do is borrow more money - you cant borrow your way out of debt.

"If you haven't already, cut up those cards!" thats really good advice

life is what you make it. but just because you are in debt doesnt mean the glass is half empty - it can be half full if you accept certain things and change your outlook on things.

Good Luck

George

Saw a TV article the other day with people in a similar situation your yourselves. They quite simply began to use a shopping list and rigidly only purchased what was on it. They also bought raw materials (i.e veg, meat etc) and made meals rather than buying ready made stuff. The savings were quite astounding really - they ended up feeding 2 adults and 2 growing kids on just over £30 a week. This wasn't by living off "economy range" gunge either. In fact, they also ended up eating far healthier. Obviously there are time implications in preparing food - but time = money of course....

Of course you also may have saleable assets in the case of disaster with the car/house - I mean you must have spent that 43k on something - is any of it saleable? We dont really "need" the lastest large screen TV or a brand new car every 3 years etc - we just convince ourselves and each other that these are "neccesities" and a mark of success - it's quite possibly the greatest deception ever to succeed (by the people who want us to buy)- it's sucked in 90% + of the Western world! ... Which is why so many are now in debt. Some with nothing to show for it either, which really shows just hown seductive and powerful consumerism is in otherwise sensible people.

If you haven't already, cut up those cards! At least you have stopped in time unlike so many others. I think 99% of us are tightening our belts just now to some degree or other, and I'm sure your not the record holders for unsecured debt (I've heard of over 100k unsecured) - so it could be worse! :-)

Good luck.

I agree, We are going to bite the bullet and get on with it. In 3 years time once the debts are paid we will have £1000 a month spare. Not many people can that these days.

We have a company car with free fuel which is good so we will have to go for walks with the doggy.

My biggest worry is if anything major goes wrong with the house etc.

"This does not take into account buying clothes that we need or any holidays or any leisure activities. We can't afford any luxury whatsoever. "

I'm really sorry to sound harsh when I say this, but the debt that you accrued was of your own doing, therefore it is now your responsibility to repay, to which I know you are not shying away from, but appear to be complaining that your finances are now stretched to the point of just about being able to live. You were responsible enough to take out the debt, therefore now times are hard you pretty much have to bite the bullet and deal with it.

Everyone deserves a break, that’s a fact of life, but when it comes down to keeping a roof over your head or food on the table, then why complain about having to sacrifice a holiday.

You don’t need to buy new clothes each month, I’m sure if you really reviewed you complete financial affairs, there will be areas where you will be able to reduce outgoings. People have to make sacrifices, tough decisions. If it was me, I would rather be happier clearing the debt and cutting out a luxury lifestyle, as to be honest, I couldn’t sleep at night with that sort of commitment.

£300 per month for food for 2, would quite easily be achievable. Me and my partner are on low incomes, we can survive, healthily, on £250 per month, that includes feeding a 2 year old. So how you can struggle with £300, I really don’t know.

I would assume you’ve got a big car, which drinks fuel, if so, change it. Save money on fuel costs. Do you have 2 cars, if so, do you really need 2 cars, 2 cars is a luxury. Do you shop at pricy supermarkets? Why not look at the cheaper supermarkets ie… A*da. Fruit, veg, in today’s costs higher, but still “reasonably” priced.

Heating and electricity, are you really taking all the options available to reduce your electricity and heating costs? Have you got Gym memberships? Do you really need them or can you go for a run in a park? People with no money do these things to survive, so why should you be different as you’ve got a higher income.

Like I said to start, you were responsible enough to take out the debts, now it’s time to really tighten up, make savings and be responsible enough to clear the debt, once it’s cleared, don’t get back into the same situation and manage your money better, then you will be able to have the lifestyle you crave.

Some of the comments on here are very harsh.

I must agree with shiver kitten

I always stick to a tight budget, especially at this time. My only advise is to write a list of what meals you are going to make every day and only buy what you need. I shop for 2 and I roughly spend £20 per week, but going to the likes of farmfoods I can reduce it to £10. If needs must. With regards to social life, why dont you track down some bargains at thesupermarket and invite friends over for a drink or a carry out. This can be just as fun.

I agree with Silverkitten. My partner and I are in the exact same situation. Same amount of income and same level of debt. I thought at one point it would be nicer to 'spread the cost' and take out a secured loan over 10+ years. The only problem with that is that there is no end to when the debt gets payed off. 10 years is a hell of a long time compared to the 4 I had remaining. Now I am working all the overtime they chuck at me and are making overpayments on all my loans. This means after all my bills both my partner and I have £200 left a month. £100 on shopping and £100 on leisure (the odd nice meal out together). My loans will be cleared Jan 2010 instead of 2012.

My advice is just to get it paid off as soon as possible so that you can look forward to nice holidays etc!!

What you mean by? " there's one on every forum!" I can have an opinion if I wish. And as you this person needs every penny why not change current accounts to A&L you get free overdraft for 12 months so that could go towards debt repayment also they give you £100 as an incentive to transer you account to them. Leave old current account open so you can go back to it in 12 months when the benefits have run out on the A&L account.

Ignore Tucker100, there's one on every forum!

Shiverkitten has a very good point about food spending, but I think £40 per week is nearer the mark these days.

You need to make your own food, soups, casseroles, curry, chilli.

These can all be made very cheaply and provide several meals for about a £5. Forget the processed food, ready meals, bought sandwiches etc. Buy supermarket own brands, it doesn't have to be Value or No Frills

How much do you spend on food when you are at work? Take homemade sandwiches, make your own tea/coffee - Don't buy it!

I got into the habit of stopping to buy a coffee and a snack most nights when I was at work (Long distance lorry). I was spending nearly £25 every week on that alone.

Tighten the belts and justify every penny you spend.

Good Luck

If you're not living life on the edge then you're taking up too much room!

I agree. Tucker100's reply was uncalled for.