Fed up of worrying about money.

i am on a very limited income.
So, I keep a list, which I update as necessary. This shows ALL of my monthly outgoings, including such things as insurances, petrol (averaged), supermarket shopping, water and energy costs, and also includes an amount for pressies for children & g.children for birthdays and christmas. As long as this amount remains slightly less than my monthly incomings then I am okay.
I do all shopping on credit card, and this is paid in full by DD every month. Whenever I use it, I keep a running total for that month, so I can see exactly what is needing to be paid and is also useful for checking against the computer invoice for that month.
I only have a small amount of savings, but these are used if the need to replace any items in the home become apparent. I allow a maximum total of £50 each year per g.child for their birthdays and xmas and also the same amount for each of my adult children -which they get at xmas.
I do not like holidays, so do not bother with those, although do like the occasional day coach trip. At present I am still able to run my small car. Fortunately I have no housing costs.
Do think it is important to know exactly what is being spent all the time. Need to be very careful of running up credit card costs, which is a very expensive way of purchasing anything.

Are you a person who worries about most things including money.
If you are with debt problems which are seriously large you need professional advice if you think you cannot sort this out with your debtors.
You need to prepare a budget showing your income and expenditure to see how you are placed.
If credit card expenditure is your downfall cut the cards up and don't buy anything you cannot afford.
I am sure your family would not want you to get into debt to purchase presents for your grandchildren.

Surely OP's children should realise what is happening.
It must be blindingly obvious. Why have they not already discussed this issue with their parents, from the parents point of view and discovering ways of alleviating their parent's problems.

Or they are just monumentally selfish and as long as they get the childcare, do not bother to think beyond that.

BoPeep, it does strike me that you should be paid for that amount of childcare, in your circumstances? It is a full time+ job!

Skweek1, Bopeep14 , maggie57 , tillybelle

Horrible sad tales from you all., I wish I could win the lottery and help you all, because you all sound completely desperate.

Park (and the like) hampers are not an economical way of saving for Christmas. Just as catalogue shopping is invariably more expensive with less choice.
Plus there is a risk factor - a company can go bust and then you are left with nothing.
Surely a savings account -post office or building society perhaps, then you could go shopping for what you want and take advantage of the special offers?

I make it you are overspent by £147 a month Moggie ??

I have very little money,not had heating on for years and meals are rather sparse but I do save a few pounds each week with Park to get a nice hamper for Christmas, I know I couldn’t save it each week because I would be putting it elsewhere but it is nice in November when my hamper comes and I can eat well, probably does cost extra but worth it

moggie57
Your figures don't add up.

Threads like this just serve to illustrate how important it is for all of us to start preparing for retirement in plenty of time.

It's becoming increasingly clear that we shouldn't expect to rely on the state pension to be our only source of income. It is only intended to be a top up, so it's essential for everyone to start planning for retirement decades before.

This is our time to do what we want and to have a decent standard of living.

After all, if we can't treat ourselves in retirement then when can we?

Bopeep14 I know what you mean about the Xmas tree. But yesterday while in Morrisons we got a 3ft tree for £1.80. It might not be brilliant but we got the Dgc to decorate it and it looks lovely.

MawBroom no nobody has actually worked out how much i have saved them, i offered when my first grandchild was born and what you do for one child you have to do for the others. Luckily my other grandchildren go to nursery and are looked after by there other grandma. Jobey 68 they do appreciate what i do. I have told them i am retiring in two years so no more grandchildren please?

They should still be recompensing you for all the hours you put in.
You really should tell them you struggle with not having enough money to live comfortably and they should help out.
You are saving them a fortune.

Monica, why are you beginnig to feeling uneasy about this thread? No my children dont work shifts although why i have to explain myself to you i dont know but i will. One grandchild i look after 4 days a week and also his older brother on a saturday as his mum works in retail and works Saturdays his dad also works full time, which includes saturdays. I also look after a 1 year old monday to friday as both his parents work. I also look after school age grandchildren in the holidays, Some days during the holidays i can have up to 5 children in a day. Thankfully all the cousins get on great. Nursery fees are so expensive, and one fantastic thing about looking after them is i get to know them. Its very tiring but its worth it.

Childcare 6 days a week!? What on earth do your children do for a job? That sounds to me as if they work shifts. In which case. I assume that you are doing childcare when one is at home. You should stop doing that.

I am beginning to feel uneasy about this thread.

Bo Peep You are a treasure looking after your GC all week every week,I'm sure you family fully appreciate all you do and won't be expecting any lavish gifts, your time is the most precious gift you could give them.❤️

Money is a worry no matter how much you do or don't have, I'm currently sat here with a coffee and a calculator working out how much I don't have left to spend between now and Christmas! ?

Bopeep, you are a star.
Re. Christmas decorations, not sure how old your grandchildren are but could they help you make decorations? We have made lots this year. Not only save money but save the world. Win win.

Bopeep if you are doing 6 days a week childcare you are giving your children the equivalent of many thousands of pounds every year!
Do you get anything back for that?
Has anybody worked out what nursery fees or child minding costs would be?
I just hope they are grateful! You deserve an enormous present for that!

Loopy loo no unfortunately I can’t get a job I look after grandchildren 6 days a week, while there parents are at work. The only day I get free is Sunday. I can’t remember the last time I bought any new Christmas ornaments the tree I have is at least 10 years old, still debating if I am going to put it up this year. I am in control of the money that’s why it worries me so much, I know exactly how much we don’t have at the end of the month. I like the idea of buying gift cards throughout the year. Glad to know I am not alone.

Why dont you tell people you are not in a position to buy gifts, they will understand? You say you are not poor so on what do you spend your money? I live on a very modest pension and budget for Christmas. for instance buy one second class stamp from lst week in January for Christmas cards and put away a fixed sum every week without fail, works very well for me.

meant to say £50 a month for holiday.

always worrying about money. lets see theres me with roughly £79 a week .paying rent and bedroom tax (£60)(that £102 a month. then theres gas and eletricity£25 a month(i dont put heating on ,just a convector heating in the evenings and hot water 2 hours on a sunday evening) you think i'm joking i'm not) then theres broadband and phone £28, mobile £10.life insurance.£12 oh and food about £50 a week.so that leaves £53 a month for a trip to my brother at the south coast and not much else.food i always get sell by date oh and i forgot cat food .for unwanted black cat.so maybe £10 a week for cat..fussy cat..and renal disfunction.leaves me with £33 for other groceries/luxouries(spelt wrong). why dont i move to smaller flat. em i cant afford to and theres not any around this area anyway........oh and am paying back my brother £50 for a holiday .1st holiday i had in 20 yrs.so i have - about £15 each month.so i have to make do with less food.(smiles)

Quite Greta8

Skweek1 - your 'spirit in the sky' is also known as the British taxpayer

For those of us asking about the spending app:

www.google.co.uk/search?q=spending+tracker+ios&oq=spending+tracker+ios&aqs=chrome..69i57.9704j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8