Is anyone managing to save on JSB?

sunflower27

I'm wondering if anyone has been able to budget and save on JSB?

I am entitled to 12 months mortgage protection but when that runs out I am going to have to start paying my mortgage again.

Obviously I have the electricity to pay as well as internet etc and management fees where I own my place (2,400k per year!!!!)

I am quitting the smokes (reading allen carr book today) and dont really go out that much anymore (odd drink here and there but never to restaurants) but I have found that food itself is cheap in the supermarkets.

My flatmate is moving out soon so that is going to hit me hard.

Is anyone else managing to save. Any tips to help me?

tenchi-fan

The expression is "make hay when the sun shines" - which means when you had the extra income of a housemate, mortgage protection receipts and the option of quitting cigs, you should have been doing some serious saving.

When your mortgage protection runs out ask your bank to put you on interest only payments for a year.

You'll be able to save little or nothing on JSA. Also, if youre smoking 10 cigs a day that's basically your savings up in smoke (€1500 a year) and if you're smoking 20 a day that's 1/3 of your jobseekers gone (€3000 a year). So it's a good decision to quit smoking.

I really doubt you'll be able to pay your mortgage on JSA without getting a new housemate - for every week that room is empty you're losing out on cash.

Of course food is very cheap, especially raw ingredients. You could buy a bag of rice in a chinese shop for a fraction of uncle ben's boil in the bag. Tesco also do good price reductions on products that are nearly out of date in a lot of stores.

sunflower27

Just to clarify: I havent started my mortgage protection at all. I have had to pay the first three months and the protection won't kick in till March.

I advertised for a room-mate when I lost my job in December and got someone in. Unfortunately they are not from Ireland and have lost their jos so will be heading back overseas (no means of support here). I will be advertising for a new roommater as soon as I know when current person is leaving.

They have paid me 2 months rent and I have saved both of these in a credit union account that I opened specifically for this.

I havent been p!ssing money I have got up against the wall. I am not that stupid.

ntlbell

Can you sell the apartment?

as you're doing quit smoking.

get rid of all non essentials, NTL/Sky/Internet/Bill phones/Magazines/News papers/etc it tends to be a lot of smaller stuff that takes up a lot of wastage. Having a coffee out, picking up a magazine etc.

If you live near a local librabry they have free internet you can use and most have daily news papers you can read like the indo etc.

Most local butchers now are doing very good deals, generally enough meat to last a single person a month or more for 20e. If plan your meals and freeze you can eat very healthy for little or nothing.

make sure you don't leave lights on where there not needed switch to the energy saving bulbs etc it all adds up.

With a bit of effort and creativity you live on very little.

mvt

Think it would be hard to save on the JSB,I can't anyway.
You are probably in a better position then you feel,right now.
You will get a new room-mate and then your mortgage insurance will kick in.
I'm sure your employment prospects will pick up over the course of the next year.
Keep the head up

tenchi-fan

sunflower27 wrote: »

I havent been p!ssing money I have got up against the wall. I am not that stupid.

lol, okay then.
I don't know anything about you, but I know an awful lot of people who kept up their old lifestyles to the point of squandering their savings and getting into debt while still on welfare.

If you live on welfare, quit cigs and manage to save rent and income protection until you get a new job you'll be flying.

I live very cheap at the best of times, drink was always a problem for me saving and now I've decided to quit it (2 weeks so far!) There's no secret really, just look after the pennies..

Keep yourself sane by doing a few evening courses. They usually give pretty good discounts for unemployed people and it will stave off the boredom.

sunflower27

I wouldnt get what I owe for the place I bought and I really dont want to sell.

I know i am in a better position than most. I get 188/week and am saving 100 of that. I don't get takeaway coffees and I stopped with the magazines when I lost my job. I borrow friends'

The library is a good idea, thanks for that.

I bought a laptop with my redundancy so I can easily look for jobs. The broadband is only 20e per month and my NTL comes to about 30 a month.

I have a savings account with left over redundancy money of about 1k and I am keeping that for my direct debits.

I have private health insurance and will haev to cancel that as it is 80/month and I just cant afford it.

Great idea re the butchers and freezing meals. I'll get on to that.

Thanks for the tips, guys, plenty of food for thought there.

Believe me, my lifestyle has totally changed. I stay in most of the time, which can be a bit depressing but at least I am not spending. And hopefully I will get a new room-mate in quickly. I was lucky to get someone so quick the last time.

ntlbell

sunflower27 wrote: »

The library is a good idea, thanks for that.

I bought a laptop with my redundancy so I can easily look for jobs. The broadband is only 20e per month and my NTL comes to about 30 a month.

That's 600e a year before tv license, so nearly a months jsa for something that's handy to have, but not really needed. and you can get for free.

It's handy for applying for job, but if you go to the library to do it, it gets you out of the house for a few hours during the day too. 600e a year when on the JSA is not to be sniffed at

I'm very weary now of replying to threads like this because and I'm not saying you're but people seem to want some miracle cure without making any real sacrafices.

I think everyone knows in their own heart where the money can be saved and what they don't need, but very few have the conviction. It's not something one has to do for ever, it's just untill they find themselves in a more comfortable position.

hopefully you won't have to make the choices for long!

tenchi-fan

sunflower27 wrote: »

I bought a laptop with my redundancy so I can easily look for jobs. The broadband is only 20e per month and my NTL comes to about 30 a month.

The internet can be an awful thief of your time. I got rid of it once.. best decision I ever made. It's actually better to go to the library and do some serious jobhunting! But yea, it would be a big sacrifice. The only way I reckon you could save money is by asking a kind neighbour for their code and throwing them a few quid a month, especially if you don't do heavy downloading. Just a though, but you're right, it's not a huge expense.

As for NTL.. hmm! I bought a freesat box and can pick up a lot of good English channels. Box, dish and installation came to €160 or so & then you won't have any more bills. But if you want a box that records it would be a lot more.

ntlbell

tenchi-fan wrote: »

The internet can be an awful thief of your time. I got rid of it once.. best decision I ever made. .

Indeed, the same as TV you can get into a bit of a routine watching rubbish day time television etc while out of work.

borderlinemeath

tenchi-fan wrote: »

The internet can be an awful thief of your time. I got rid of it once.. best decision I ever made. It's actually better to go to the library and do some serious jobhunting! But yea, it would be a big sacrifice. The only way I reckon you could save money is by asking a kind neighbour for their code and throwing them a few quid a month, especially if you don't do heavy downloading. Just a though, but you're right, it's not a huge expense.

As for NTL.. hmm! I bought a freesat box and can pick up a lot of good English channels. Box, dish and installation came to €160 or so & then you won't have any more bills. But if you want a box that records it would be a lot more.

+1 on the freesat box - ours was a one off purchase for €99, OH installed it. No more sky/upc bills.
I don't think I could go without my laptop or internet though, for job searching, entitlements, courses - it's only €20 a month and worth it imo.

tenchi-fan

borderlinemeath wrote: »

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+1 on the freesat box - ours was a one off purchase for €99, OH installed it. No more sky/upc bills.

It's great isn't it!
Just one thing to look out for, I was in Maplins and they were selling dishes for over €100. I bought mine in watters' in culloville for less than €40. A freesat box will set you back €35. And a guy to install it, to get a professional job (dish mounted to the chimney, wires taken in through the attic) will probably cost €70-80. A DIY job (like the people who prop it against the balcony in their apartment and run the wire through an air vent) would be free apart from a bit of cable!

sue345

sunflower27 wrote: »

I'm wondering if anyone has been able to budget and save on JSB?

Me and the OH are both unemployed, hes on BTEA and me JSB...to save money we moved to a cheaper flat, I know that you are looking to get someone to move in so that will def help with your finances!!

We organised a budget and have been sticking to it, were putting slightly more money aside for rent and bills (electricity & internet) totally €88 each a week, before the budget came in it was €96 and because of that have built up a slight kitty for emergencies....

We also stick to a budget of €40 for food each week and have a few shops that we go to for the best deals, including a butchers that does a €20 meat deal that lasts a few weeks...

That does mean though that we dont have a huge social life, but were lucky in that our local in Galway does €3 bavaria as with most of the pubs in town so it doesnt break the bank if you wanna go out for a few....

Because of the budgeting though Ive been able to save bout €20 a week and some weeks even €40 which helped in the run up to Xmas for presents etc!! Now Im starting all over again with the saving, even if its a tenner a week its still something!!

Im well aware that some people are in much harsher situations that us, we dont have a car, kids, or any mortage or loans to pay off but just to answer your question is it possible to save? I think if your smart bout it you can save a little each week....

borderlinemeath

tenchi-fan wrote: »

It's great isn't it!
Just one thing to look out for, I was in Maplins and they were selling dishes for over €100. I bought mine in watters' in culloville for less than €40. A freesat box will set you back €35. And a guy to install it, to get a professional job (dish mounted to the chimney, wires taken in through the attic) will probably cost €70-80. A DIY job (like the people who prop it against the balcony in their apartment and run the wire through an air vent) would be free apart from a bit of cable!

Ours is set up properly, OH is fairly handy. We have 2 boxes in different rooms tuned into the one dish so we have a choice of what to watch.
We're thinking of updating the dish though to one of the perforated ones that the wind blows through rather than the solid one we have (for the past 3 years).

Another little saving thing I do is make my own coffee in one of those insulated travel mugs. I love my takeaway coffee so I just make my own (real coffee) and bring that with me if we're heading out for the day or even bringing the dog out for a walk.

OP you can make soups and stews very cheaply and you can freeze portions for future use.
Do you shop in Lidl and Aldi? Aldi do great deals on fruit and veg for 69c each month. Even little things like a jar of Aldi honey is €1.79 in compared to €3.29 for the same size jar of boyne valley honey in Dunnes/Tesco.

Try getting into a habit of doing something every day, like going for a walk or even visiting friends and family, The more time you spend out of the house, the less electricity/heat you need to use. (it sounds mean, but it all adds up!)

sunflower27

Thanks everyone, great advice there. Really appreciate it.

I'm definitely going to start going to the butchers in future