# One wage in, not covering all monthly bills



## worriedwife (29 Jun 2010)

Age: 30
Spouse’s/Partner's age: 36

Annual gross income from employment or profession: € 40,000 approx
Annual gross income of spouse: unemployed

Type of employment: e.g. Civil Servant, self-employed  - employee

In general are you:
(a) spending more than you earn, or   - Spending more
(b) saving?

Rough estimate of value of home - € 260,000
Amount outstanding on your mortgage: € 300,000
What interest rate are you paying? -

Other borrowings – car loans/personal loans etc
€10000 loan - pay €210 per month will be cleared June 2012
car finance - €7000 left, in arrears by €800. pay €400 per month
MBNA 1 - €2000
MBNA 2 - €9000

Do you pay off your full credit card balance each month? No
If not, what is the balance on your credit card? 

Savings and investments: no

Do you have a pension scheme? yes

Do you own any investment or other property? No

Ages of children: N/A

Life insurance - €86 per month

General outgoings
esb (50 a week), 
phones 100 a month
Bin charges - €25 a minth
Sky - €30 a month
House insurance €25
Two car insurances - €90 a month
Petrol - approx €60 a week
Food - approx €70 a week
Animal insurance (needed) - €40 per month

Query
Basically I take home €610 a week, my husband is unemployed and has been refused jsa etc due to my wages so mine is the only wage coming in.  We are paying €1200 a month for mortgage €200 of which is towards arrears €5000. Car payment and other outgoings are just getting too much - We are already in minus figures each month and I am constantly missing payments etc as we don't have the money.  Basically I am losing control here, we are in debt on credit cards etc due to house renovations 3 yrs ago so paying minimum payments there.  Husband has been out of work for a year and I just can't seem to get on top of everything.  I have cut out gym memberships/vhi - all additional items but still cannot seem to get on top of the situation and have just missed a mortgage payment.   I need suggestions on how to improve our situation?


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## legallady (29 Jun 2010)

Sorry to hear of your situation. Can you rent out a room in your house? Can your husband get a job delvering takeaways etc until something comes up? Maybe you can babysit on a Saturday night for some extra cash. Have a good clear out and sell unwanted items on eBay. I know it's not going to change things dramatically but it will give you a few extra quid. Maybe sell one of the cars and cancel sky. Are you shopping in Aldi? Are you plugging out all the electrics every night? That esb bill seems high


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## Nige (29 Jun 2010)

sell one of the cars and cancel that car insurance.
why do you "need" pet insurance?
Your phone bills could probably be cut a little too.
get rid of sky.
look over your taxes for the last few years to see if you are due anything back (did you fully claim for medical expenses, bin charges, etc?).
did you take out mortgage protection - if so can you claim now that your spouse is unemployed?
If you can get on top of your arrears, you should try to get a loan to pay off the credit cards - the interest on those is crippling. However, lenders may not be overly keen to lend to you.
Try to get an appointment with MABS.


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## worriedwife (29 Jun 2010)

Hi thanks for replies

We need pet insurance as both of our dogs have ongoing illnesses so constantly need to be at vet, may need operations in future. Husband has tried everything, sent off hundreds of job applications.  Selling car is not an option, husband spends most mornings driving around dropping off cvs etc, his car is not worth what is owed on it so we wouldn't be any better off - the other vehicle is not worth €1000.  Have debated getting rid of sky but realistically we don't go out, we live in a very rural area so it's not an option to get rid of tv. I have not claimed for bins etc but am doing so now. shopping in Lidl every week - the figure for shopping also includes animal food etc .


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## legallady (29 Jun 2010)

Can you go interest only on the mortgage until you get on top of things?


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## legallady (29 Jun 2010)

Are you claiming your husbands tax credits? To me it doesn't seem like you are based on your net salary but I'm no tax expert. Can your husband do a FAS course to increase his chances of getting a job?


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## worriedwife (29 Jun 2010)

Hi Legal Lady - yes i am claiming his credits each week.  He has already done two courses and is waiting for another course to come up.  He has also done a private course in computers.  Trust me he is trying absolutely everything - he has applied for any and all jobs that he can.  Will have to speak to mortgage company and see what can be done.


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## aristotle (29 Jun 2010)

ESB at 50 per week looks high?


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## worriedwife (29 Jun 2010)

sorry esb bill is approx €160 - we had arrears so I paid €50 a week, that will go down now as we have cleared arrears


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## aristotle (29 Jun 2010)

For phones you could look at O2 Clear Plans from o2.ie. Its 25 per month and you get unlimited O2 mobile and unlimited irish landline calls. So, unless you spend a lot of text messages you could save another 50 euro.


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## worriedwife (29 Jun 2010)

Thanks Aristotle will look into that today


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## niceoneted (29 Jun 2010)

ESB @ 160 every bill is very high for the two of you. Should try and cut it to 80/90.
70 for food is also high, you could get away with 50 on this eating well
the basic sky package is 22 so cut to that. 
Phone is high also so you need to look into that. 
Can you cut bin charges, see if any of the local companies has a system where you buy the bin outright and then just a tag every time it's full and you put it out. 
Try move cc's to one with introductory 0% on transfers. Cut them up. 
Any sort of way to bring in extra would do you'll just have to be inventive. 

Good luck


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## NorfBank (29 Jun 2010)

Life insurance €86 per month? Unless there are health issues this seems very high.

Downgrade life cover to basic mortgage protection of 300k - should be about €35pm.


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## eirefinq (3 Jul 2010)

Switch to Bord Gais or Airtricity instead of ESB - they are at least 10% cheaper.
Cut up the credit cards - only use for internet purchases if really needed.
Car insurance at €90 per month seems very expensive given your description of the cars being insured - SHOP AROUND! Try insure.ie to get a better deal.
Keep your SKY, allow yourselves some luxury.
Are either of ye good at baking/making things? You mention you live in a rural area - could you go to farmers markets and sell home baked produce?
Is your husband any use at selling? If he is get him to offer to work for nothing except the commission he gets for selling in a local car garage/company?
Give yourselves a break, dont worry too much about these things, if ye are both healthy ye are both rich - head out for dinner and a couple of drinks to "de-stress" once every so often!!
Hope this helps & best of luck.


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## fizzelina (5 Jul 2010)

eirefinq said:


> head out for dinner and a couple of drinks to "de-stress" once every so often!!


 
The OP literally can't make ends meet and can't cover the monthly expenses with her salary so I think dinner and drinks out every so often isn't the sort of advice she needs. The idea to de stress is good, I would suggest pack a cheap picnic, sambos and a flask, and head to one of the gorgeous scenic areas to do a long walk in the fresh air (bring the pets too) Cheap and great to get outdoors and forget the worries. Last weekend we went to Carlingford with the picnic and dog and another nice location is Wicklow. Even Phoenix Park makes a lovely location for a walk and a picnic.


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## Pope John 11 (5 Jul 2010)

aristotle said:


> For phones you could look at O2 Clear Plans from o2.ie. Its 25 per month and you get unlimited O2 mobile and unlimited irish landline calls. So, unless you spend a lot of text messages you could save another 50 euro.


 
If you have internet use the O2 online free texting service, also use SKYPE for free SKYPE to SKYPE calls. (Actually I don't see it on your list, so ignore this if you do not have broadband). Bin charges at €25/month is expensive. Are you recycling & composting where necessary. Can you put the bins out every two months.


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## Pope John 11 (5 Jul 2010)

worriedwife said:


> the figure for shopping also includes animal food etc .


 I lived in rural Ireland for a good part of my life, raised in a family with dogs & cats, & to this day I have never seen a tin of cat/dog food at my mums house. Quit buying food for the animals & feed them the waste food from the house, it might also cut down on your bin charges.


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## eirefinq (5 Jul 2010)

fizzelina said:


> The OP literally can't make ends meet and can't cover the monthly expenses with her salary so I think dinner and drinks out every so often isn't the sort of advice she needs.


 
Early bird special including a bottle of wine costs no more than €35 for 2. In the grand scheme of things its not a big deal (in my view). Each to their own!


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## Steve D (7 Jul 2010)

You seem to be spending a lot of money on animals. Do you really need to do this? It seems to me that if you get these animals put down you could save a lot of money.


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## niceoneted (7 Jul 2010)

Sanparom - you have the wrong thread - it's not yours.


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## Wonderwoman (8 Jul 2010)

Apply for a medical card. I was recently granted one and looking at the financial assessment sheet that I was given and slotting in the figures you have provided above it looks like you could qualify. That means you would receive a rebate of all income levy paid this year so far as well as a prsi rebate. It would also mean your take home pay would increase as you would no longer be paying the levy and your prsi would reduce. If I am wrong, you should at least get a GP visit card. None of the advantages above but at least doctor fees wouldnt be a burden.


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## asmccart (19 Jul 2010)

I volunteer with SVP and you are an ideal candidate to ask for our help, call their hotline and someone will call out to you. The will probably help with with bills and grocery vouchers. MABS are great however there is a long wait for an appointment, call them and get on the list (may take 8-12 weeks). Not a long tem fix i know, but might help over the coming months.


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## wingnut (25 Jul 2010)

Do get rid of sky - get a freesat receiver for about €50, hundreds of channels no monthly bills. You loose sky but get all the others (BBC, ITV Ch4 etc).


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## steph1 (26 Jul 2010)

Steve D said:


> You seem to be spending a lot of money on animals. Do you really need to do this? It seems to me that if you get these animals put down you could save a lot of money.



My God I just cannot believe this post.  The OP is stressed enough with the situation.  I am sure the pets are a big part of the family.  Pets get sick just like humans do.    I think that post was in very bad taste.


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## MandaC (30 Jul 2010)

Steve D said:


> You seem to be spending a lot of money on animals. Do you really need to do this? It seems to me that if you get these animals put down you could save a lot of money.



 I have just seen this.  Absolutely disgraceful. And so unhelpful to the OP.

The quote "The more I see of man, the more I like dogs", springs to mind


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## Steve D (2 Aug 2010)

I cannot really understand why some people are annoyed at my advice. I was just being pragmatic...if you have to save money you have to look at all options. Pets would not be considered a necessity and in this case they are costing money which the OP cannot really afford. If you think that putting them down is not an option, then perhaps you could consider giving them away.


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## truthseeker (3 Aug 2010)

Steve D said:


> I cannot really understand why some people are annoyed at my advice. I was just being pragmatic...if you have to save money you have to look at all options. Pets would not be considered a necessity and in this case they are costing money which the OP cannot really afford. If you think that putting them down is not an option, then perhaps you could consider giving them away.


 
I dont think this advice is helpful to the OP. No decent human who loves their pet would consider getting it put down just to suit their finances. Rehomed maybe, but not put down.

I think your suggestion is cruel and in extremely bad taste - and unhelpful to the OP.


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## pinkyBear (3 Aug 2010)

truthseeker, I second your post.


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## number7 (3 Aug 2010)

If you are serious about rectifying your financial situation then the costs associated with the pets are legitimate items for consideration however unpalatable the idea may seem.

I am not a pet owner so I probably dont appreciate the emotional attachment involved but I also dont think that the poster who suggested this cost be considered should be attacked for the suggestion.

I would also consider the quality of life the pets have with their ongoing illnesses.


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## MandaC (3 Aug 2010)

number7;1067377
I am not a pet owner so I probably dont appreciate the emotional attachment involved but I also dont think that the poster who suggested this cost be considered should be attacked for the suggestion.[/QUOTE said:
			
		

> If you are not a pet owner then you would not understand why people were shocked at the suggestion to get someones pet "put down" because they were ill.  A dog can more than "just a dog" to some people.
> 
> Any person is lucky enough to own a dog will know all about their therapeutic qualities and their ability to give unconditional love.   My mam who was off sick for 4 years following an accident says her 2 little dogs kept her sane.
> 
> ...


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## SteveW9 (24 Aug 2010)

that is a lot of money for animals what is it for?


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## Joe Nonety (1 Sep 2010)

B-I-L was in same situation. Had two kids who adored their two dogs but they had to prioritise costs and so the pets were offloaded to his cousins and at least that way his kids could still visit them. It saved over €1000 a year which was a fortune to someone is his financial posistion.
I would certainly consider medical insurance as more important than pets.
Without medical insurance a member of your family might one day have medical needs that you can't afford, and I'm sure the pets will seem trivial in comparison then.
For ESB, savings can surely be made, turn off lights in rooms not needed, switch to energy saving lightbulbs esp. for spotlights (saw lots of cheap bulbs in lidl catalogue), don't leave chargers plugged in - even when the device isn't attached as they still draw a current. Don't boil a full kettle of water for just one cup of tea. Don't leave any devices on standby such as sky box, tv, and cooker.
Not sure how often you have internet access, but use it to send free text messages when you've the opportunity.


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## alaskaonline (1 Sep 2010)

> Life insurance - €86 per month
> 
> General outgoings
> esb (50 a week),
> ...


 
I find Life Insurance way too much, too. See if you can cut it down by at least half. The company might not be happy but if it's only done for a year or two until your husband finds a job, it won't make a huge difference in 20 or 30 years time.

ESB - seems quite high to me, too - especially now in summer times. You didn't quote Gas so I presume you heat with ESB? How to save: A lot of people posted ideas here, I can only agree with them.

Phones - is that for two phones? Two mobile and a landline? Either way, a lot of phone providers have good offers these days where you can call certain numbers for free and/ or including texts. I pay around 50 Euro a month and I am texting an aweful lot (got free text with Meteor).

Bin Charges - quite high too. My last bill was 56 Euro for the Quarter. It used to be higher but since I recycle everything, I only need to put out the bin once a month.

Sky - also here, there a better offers out there at the moment. I pay 25 with UPC and got lots of channels, too.

Car Insurances - are two cars really neccessary i.e. do you both require each a car to get from A to B? Not sure if you stated if you live in a city or country side....

Food - I am shopping in Aldi (as it's closer than Lidl) and I pay about 50 Euro a week. I know that both, Aldi & Lidl have good prices but even here it's worth to compare. Some things are cheaper in Lidl than in Aldi and vice versa. I even found certain items cheaper in Dunnes and Superquinn (since they changed their price regime)

Animal insurance - it's quite a lot but for two dogs understandable. I get where one poster here comes from regarding "too much money" although he could have phrased himself better. One of the reason I gave my cat away was because I couldn't afford him any longer. My friend who lives on a farm gave him a happy new home - so I was lucky that way. It's not an easy thing to do but getting loans increased won't help you in a long run either....it's a hard one...


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## cazmayo (3 Sep 2010)

Hi there,

Mortgage Ins
I was paying 103 for mortgage ins, when I queried it I was told it was a level insurance, so it didnt reduce with the mortgage and thats why it was so expensive.  So I priced around, I am now changing, its 314 if I pay upfront for the year!!!!! and then 65 per month thereafter.  This is a huge saving!!!

ESB
I changed over to Bord Gais online saving 10%, really easy but no harm looking to see whats putting up your bill and becoming more aware (Im doing the same believe me) emersion being left on!! cut out tumble drier etc.  

Phone
We got 2 mobiles no landline.  20 euros each, when the credit runs out we have unlimited calls and texts to anyone on our network.  Very good deal.

you have animals, I have kids!!!!  Not going there!

Ask your bank to go interest only for awhile.

Best of luck!!
Cazmayo


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## shweeney (6 Sep 2010)

cancel sky altogether - you'll still get all the BBC, ITV and Channel 4 channels as they are free-to-air, and you can get RTE via an aerial or the internet.

I'd echo other people's advice about ditching one of the cars - I suppose it depends on where you live, but if only one of you is working and you have no kids, I think most people should be able to get by with one car.


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