Money, money, money, money... MONEY

sarahp86
sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
edited December 26 in Chit-Chat
So I had a complete nightmare today. I went to see a show with my mam, I bought her the tickets for her birthday months ago, had to save for ages.
We had to get the bus in because I had no tax on my car. Can't afford it right now so I'm cycling everywhere. She tried to give me money but I know her and dad are struggling too. We ended up having a massive argument over that.

We've cancelled our gym membership, phone bill, cut our food bill completely, we don't really go out much anymore. What else do you guys do to save cash because I am literally living on pennies. I stupidly took out a load of little loans when I was younger, which add up, so the majority of my wages goes to them (I know I'm lucky to have a job).

We're paying rent and the mortgage on my bf's house because we can't get anyone to rent that (it's 120 miles away so we can't live there)

Also we're going to Thailand for Xmas whether we like it or not because his mam is loaded and is buying us tickets so we've to save for accommodation and spending money too.

I know I'm lucky for everything I have but I got our electricity bill today and freaked out! Anyone have any other saving tips please??

Fingers crossed for a lotto win!!!
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Replies

  • Fatal1ty2k5
    Fatal1ty2k5 Posts: 333 Member
    Have you looked into getting your loans consolodated so you only have 1 payment? Hopefully lower intrest also.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debt_consolidation

    I went this route when I was younger and racked up some credit debt. Cut my intrest rates and monthly payments in 1/2 and the were able to talk the banks down about 30% on the amount owed. This was back in 2004 though. I did reccomend this to one of my soldiers back in 2010 and it worked out good for him also.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    Thanks I'll look into that :)My loans will be paid off by June 2014 but I'm paying back over €1200 a month
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
    Look at this site http://www.simplesavings.com.au - based in Australia but has members from all over the world - you can get free newsletters and look at some stuff for free. People often comment that this site has changed their lives. A great site - has hints, ideas, ways of re-thinking your whole life. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • ScottyNoHotty
    ScottyNoHotty Posts: 1,957 Member
    First, i would ask where you live at? i save money by growing a HUGE garden, raising some chickens, hogs, and cattle. I also hunt and save money by butchering an canning myself. its a lot of work, but it saves a ton of money.'

    Buy in bulk, make a shopping list and stick to it. Eat before you shop, that way you're not impulse buying.
    Try farmers markets, get rid of that high dollar cell phone, if you have internet, there's really no reason to have cable or Dish.

    Otherwise, look into debt consolidation or relief. Pay off the smallest bills first.
  • reesa722
    reesa722 Posts: 76
    Is a second part-time job out of the question for you or your bf? That's what I had to do... I pinched from so many places I was skipping one bill to pay another, and then reversing that the next month... The only thing that saved me was my second job.
  • leslielt
    leslielt Posts: 113 Member
    Where's the house located? Have you asked prospects why they choose not to rent? Also have you talked to your bank or lenders?
  • Fatal1ty2k5
    Fatal1ty2k5 Posts: 333 Member
    First, i would ask where you live at? i save money by growing a HUGE garden, raising some chickens, hogs, and cattle. I also hunt and save money by butchering an canning myself. its a lot of work, but it saves a ton of money.'

    Buy in bulk, make a shopping list and stick to it. Eat before you shop, that way you're not impulse buying.
    Try farmers markets, get rid of that high dollar cell phone, if you have internet, there's really no reason to have cable or Dish.

    Otherwise, look into debt consolidation or relief. Pay off the smallest bills first.

    She said she uses euros so hunting/livestock are most likley out of the question. Also I don't think europeans buy in bulk. They don't have giant kitchens and fridges like us Americans. Don't think I ever even saw a wally world when I lived in Germany.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    Is a second part-time job out of the question for you or your bf? That's what I had to do... I pinched from so many places I was skipping one bill to pay another, and then reversing that the next month... The only thing that saved me was my second job.

    I'm in a state job in Ireland. I work shifts and we're not really allowed have a second job plus I have no skills whatsoever.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    First, i would ask where you live at? i save money by growing a HUGE garden, raising some chickens, hogs, and cattle. I also hunt and save money by butchering an canning myself. its a lot of work, but it saves a ton of money.'

    Buy in bulk, make a shopping list and stick to it. Eat before you shop, that way you're not impulse buying.
    Try farmers markets, get rid of that high dollar cell phone, if you have internet, there's really no reason to have cable or Dish.

    Otherwise, look into debt consolidation or relief. Pay off the smallest bills first.

    She said she uses euros so hunting/livestock are most likley out of the question. Also I don't think europeans buy in bulk. They don't have giant kitchens and fridges like us Americans. Don't think I ever even saw a wally world when I lived in Germany.

    I live in a housing estate in Dublin, Ireland. Unfortunately chickens are out of the question. Food is very expensive in most supermarkets so I always search for deals or cheaper foods. I've used pretty much everything in. Y freezer and try my best not to spend. I've never had a credit card. I just wish I could travel back in time and slap the younger me hard and tell her to cop on
  • JuneBPrice
    JuneBPrice Posts: 294 Member
    Make heavy use of ramen noodles and goodwill. If you have a washer or dryer, sell it--you can do that stuff yourself. If you have kids, put them to work...sorry, I don't really have any great solutions, just personal experience growing up without much.
  • Savemyshannon
    Savemyshannon Posts: 334 Member
    Do you have any skills you can sell? You'd be surprised the services you can offer for cash. :) Can you sew, fix things, cook decent meals, set up wifi in a home, or fix computers or any mundane tasks? There are a ton of things that some people can do really well that others can't and would be willing to spend money on. When I was in college I charged people to help set their computers up and get a wifi connection going. And I'm not even 'that' computer literate! Some people just cannot figure out how to get their wifi password protected, and they're willing to spend 15 bucks to get someone else to do it for them.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    Make heavy use of ramen noodles and goodwill. If you have a washer or dryer, sell it--you can do that stuff yourself. If you have kids, put them to work...sorry, I don't really have any great solutions, just personal experience growing up without much.

    No kids, can't afford them or the fertility treatment and the dryer isn't ours to sell. We've sold anything of value. Xbox, wii, clothes, DVDs etc. but everyone is in the same boat and some people can't afford to feed themselves so I know I'm lucky that sense.
  • Il_DaniD_lI
    Il_DaniD_lI Posts: 1,593 Member
    I have a savings bond that comes directly off my paycheck. It's great because I don't miss the money since I never had it and I forget about it often.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    Do you have any skills you can sell? You'd be surprised the services you can offer for cash. :) Can you sew, fix things, cook decent meals, set up wifi in a home, or fix computers or any mundane tasks? There are a ton of things that some people can do really well that others can't and would be willing to spend money on. When I was in college I charged people to help set their computers up and get a wifi connection going. And I'm not even 'that' computer literate! Some people just cannot figure out how to get their wifi password protected, and they're willing to spend 15 bucks to get someone else to do it for them.

    Absolutely no skills whatsoever
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    Ummm., check out Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace University. His methods will help you get out of this!
  • bennieangel
    bennieangel Posts: 11
    I know people who have had success with Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover - check it out from the library, it's a no nonsense way to get out of your situation...but it will take a lot of hard work. Good luck!
  • JuneBPrice
    JuneBPrice Posts: 294 Member
    Do you have any skills you can sell? You'd be surprised the services you can offer for cash. :) Can you sew, fix things, cook decent meals, set up wifi in a home, or fix computers or any mundane tasks? There are a ton of things that some people can do really well that others can't and would be willing to spend money on. When I was in college I charged people to help set their computers up and get a wifi connection going. And I'm not even 'that' computer literate! Some people just cannot figure out how to get their wifi password protected, and they're willing to spend 15 bucks to get someone else to do it for them.

    Absolutely no skills whatsoever
    There are plenty of jobs that don't require skills, otherwise I'd be out of a job, lol. I know you're probably sick of the "get another job" response seeing as you've gotten it a lot, just saying...
  • Fatal1ty2k5
    Fatal1ty2k5 Posts: 333 Member
    I don't think allot of yall realize that Ireland is going thru a major financial crisis with 14.8% unemployment
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–2012_Irish_financial_crisis

    Allot of people are hurting over there.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    What about babysitting at weekends/evenings?
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member

    We're paying rent and the mortgage on my bf's house because we can't get anyone to rent that (it's 120 miles away so we can't live there)

    Also we're going to Thailand for Xmas whether we like it or not because his mam is loaded and is buying us tickets so we've to save for accommodation and spending money too.


    I would try to rent it out at a lower rate eg 50-75% of standard rate (any money is better than no money; it will help service the debt) but short term let for, say, 3-6 months - which means if things pick up, you can renew the contract at a better market rate. If the tenant is saving money, they're less likely to benefit from a short let ie bail leaving you without a tenant because they've found a cheaper place!

    As for the holiday, I wouldn't go. It sounds like you cannot afford accommodation or the spending money, or at least could put that to good use elsewhere. I don't consider it a saving if I have to end up spending extra money that I can't afford. Ultimately, even if the tickets cost £2000 and the accommodation only £500, you're still spending £500.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member

    We're paying rent and the mortgage on my bf's house because we can't get anyone to rent that (it's 120 miles away so we can't live there)

    Also we're going to Thailand for Xmas whether we like it or not because his mam is loaded and is buying us tickets so we've to save for accommodation and spending money too.


    I would try to rent it out at a lower rate eg 75% of standard rate but short term let for, say, 3-6 months - which means if things pick up, you can renew the contract at a better market rate. If the tenant is saving money, they're less likely to benefit from a short let.

    As for the holiday, I wouldn't go. It sounds like you cannot afford accommodation or the spending money, or at least could put that to good use elsewhere. I don't consider it a saving if I have to end up spending extra money that I can't afford. Ultimately, even if the tickets cost £2000 and the accommodation only £500, you're still spending £500.

    She bought the tickets for us as a surprise so we can't give them back. And we're only charging €550 a month for a four bed detached house which was at €700 when we're paying €1200 a month in a much smaller place. Unfortunately no one is looking to rent where he bought his house years ago
  • Lesley2901
    Lesley2901 Posts: 372 Member
    Have you considered dropping the rent on your bf house as this might attract a tenant? Even if a lower rental income was less than the mortgage payment it would be better to have a tenant paying something than the house lying empty and costing you the full mortgage each month.
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    I appreciate all your responses and I know it looks like I'm making excuses but There's a restricted list of jobs that I'm allowed work as a second job. It's in my contract. I work shifts and most weekends and even have to work on my days off some days so even if I got a second job they'd be pissed off if I told them I couldn't come in last minute because my first job takes precedence.
  • Hannah_Banana
    Hannah_Banana Posts: 1,242 Member
    You don't need skills to be a virtual assistant. I hire them to make scripted phone calls for real estate investment, or write articles (information provided, all they have to do is string sentences together), ANY basic mundane task that you can do, people will hire for that have more money than time.

    Perks are you can do it from your home, the only equipment required is your computer, and you can do it any time, so the shift requirements would not be a problem.

    Just an option, there are many websites that provide a secure transaction so you're not taken advantage of (or vice versa if you're doing the hiring). Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • sarahp86
    sarahp86 Posts: 692 Member
    You don't need skills to be a virtual assistant. I hire them to make scripted phone calls for real estate investment, or write articles (information provided, all they have to do is string sentences together), ANY basic mundane task that you can do, people will hire for that have more money than time.

    Perks are you can do it from your home, the only equipment required is your computer, and you can do it any time, so the shift requirements would not be a problem.

    Just an option, there are many websites that provide a secure transaction so you're not taken advantage of (or vice versa if you're doing the hiring). Good luck to you! :flowerforyou:

    Thanks, I'll look into this too
  • andiechick
    andiechick Posts: 916 Member
    Hi Sarah, I'd definitely look at consolidating your loans, €1200 is a lot to pay out each month. You may end up paying it over a longer period but the monthly payment will make life easier in the meantime til you manage to sort out your bf house. Think that's probably your biggest problem at the moment tho but I know what is like trying to sell in the current financial climate.

    I've started shopping about to save money and find if I buy fruit n veg at the local market, it's not only cheaper but lasts longer too.

    another thing worth thinking about is looking to see if you've paid ppi on any of those loans. I recently claimed off a loan I had n got £5000 back which paid off the rest of my loan n bought a new bathroom which we were desperate for. Currently waiting to hear if we can claim off hubby's credit card which will help us pay off our debts. Martin Lewis has the template you need at moneysaving expert.com.

    In box me if you need to talk hun cos believe me, I know exactly how you feel {{{hugs}}} xx
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
    See if any of these might help:

    http://christianpf.com/legitimate-work-from-home-jobs/

    you do the jobs as you can....no set times or days~
  • Ceffy
    Ceffy Posts: 235
    How about starting up Avon or Betterware / Kleeneze etc between yourself & partner (so as to work around shifts)?
    Limit presents etc to a small amount, making something for a friend of family member can be much cheaper and more meaningful.

    Do you use a letting agency for your OH's house? if not, might be worth contacting one, or if yes maybe try another?
    Is it in a location that you could market it for local events or a holiday home, or link it to something near by for hen's / stags?
  • jennytree
    jennytree Posts: 195 Member
    Hello!

    Just to offer a bit of Irish perspective - have you spoken to you your bank about the loans? There must be a way you can extend the term and lower the monthly outgoings? You can get advice from MABS for free regarding mortgage payments: http://www.mabs.ie/

    Have you looked into trying a different service provider for your utilities? Airtricity instead of Bord Gais for example? They might be able to save you a few pennies. Have a look at http://www.bonkers.ie/ for more info.

    Regarding food, is there an Aldi near you? Honestly, it's been such a money-saver for me. I used to shop in Dunnes all the time, but an Aldi opened beside me and I've been going in there ever since. They have a Super 6 where they discount the price of 6 fruit/veg for the 2 weeks. Their meats are also Irish, top notch and cheap as too (they also have weekly special buys). As they don't pack their shelves with pre-processed meals, it encourages you to cook all your meals from scratch for feck all (also much healthier too).

    Are you claiming all your tax credits? Have you claimed for any medical expenses, bin charges etc that you could be due? Sign up for PAYE Anytime if you haven't done that at http://www.revenue.ie/en/index.html

    Lastly, I can recommend you have a look at www.boards.ie - there's loads of fora on there that can really help you out if you're stuck.
  • sho3girl
    sho3girl Posts: 10,799 Member
    First, i would ask where you live at? i save money by growing a HUGE garden, raising some chickens, hogs, and cattle. I also hunt and save money by butchering an canning myself. its a lot of work, but it saves a ton of money.'

    Buy in bulk, make a shopping list and stick to it. Eat before you shop, that way you're not impulse buying.
    Try farmers markets, get rid of that high dollar cell phone, if you have internet, there's really no reason to have cable or Dish.

    Otherwise, look into debt consolidation or relief. Pay off the smallest bills first.

    She said she uses euros so hunting/livestock are most likley out of the question. Also I don't think europeans buy in bulk. They don't have giant kitchens and fridges like us Americans. Don't think I ever even saw a wally world when I lived in Germany.

    I live in a housing estate in Dublin, Ireland. Unfortunately chickens are out of the question. Food is very expensive in most supermarkets so I always search for deals or cheaper foods. I've used pretty much everything in. Y freezer and try my best not to spend. I've never had a credit card. I just wish I could travel back in time and slap the younger me hard and tell her to cop on


    mysupermarket.com lets you check which of the big 4 have the better deals and always user price comparrsion afterwards I've been up to £25 better off per month.

    good luck to you :flowerforyou:
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