Thrifty Tuesday

As a single parent I am now really feeling the pinch of a much reduced household income plus having to responsibility for all household outgoings. Unfortunately I've not been able to earn much recently and a lack of maintenance payments means I am coping on state benefits which aren't designed to fund a lavish lifestyle. So I am having to learn how to live a more thrifty life (not always successfully!) here are few ideas about how to make sure income isn't outstripped by expenditure.


Know what is coming in/out and when


I have written on the calendar when my various benefits and credits come in. Some are weekly, some fortnightly and some 4 weekly which makes life more complicated! Alongside these I have put when the bills and direct debits are paid. This way I don't get caught out and always have enough in my account to pay them. As the biggest expense is rent I have to make sure that I keep the Housing Benefit in the eSavings bit of my online account until the night before its due. That way it can't get taken up by anything else.


Planning ahead


With the help of my children we try and menu plan for the week ahead based upon what is on their schedules. This means that I can create an online supermarket order using this plan and what we have in the cupboards/freezer/fridge. If we are going to be out and about taking a snack pack with us saves on expensive emergency food/drink buys.


Planning ahead can also apply to travel and days out. Booking up to 12 weeks in advance can save a fortune in train tickets. Some attractions offer discounts if you book online before the day of your visit. Other places offer cheaper prices on certain days so its worth checking this out well in advance.

Joined up government?

You would think that in this modern computerised world that once one government department clicked the box marked "Income Support" that all the other government departments would automatically update their records? But no that would make life too simple...


HMRC needed 2 telephone calls to change my tax credits. Didn't the first person actually click the right buttons?


To get Free School Meals for my eldest I had to fill out another form and give into the school. This then has to go to county hall and only gets approved a month later when the computerised records do get transferred to their system.


The NHS sent me even more paperwork to fill in to claim Healthy Start Vouchers (£3.20 a week towards fruit, veg & milk for my 3 year old). Then to top that it has to be signed by a health professional i.e. health visitor or GP that has given you advice about your child.I haven't seen any of the current HV's so tried the GP. GP hadn't heard of the scheme so wouldn't sign. Off I go to where I hope I can find an HV.... only 1 in the building and she has never met me so has to give me some advice on potty training just to sign the form!

At least I already had the NHS Exemptions card from getting Tax Credits the first time. This did come through automatically but quite a while after credits approved.


The government wonders why people don't take up all the benefits they are entitled too! I can tell them one thing if it was all done in one place and automatically triggered all the benefits then people will take them.


Rant over now and I guess I am lucky that I get all these benefits from the government but just wish it cost less in time & money to get them!