I don't like Lidl or Aldi but we have used B&M but not for food. Got our garden swing from there a couple of years ago.
We have a Home Bargains near us and they do authentic Indian meals which I buy to take to work sometimes. They're quite cheap.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
Our food budget is £360 for 2 adults and 2 children, I'd really like to get that raised at the next review if I can. I also don't think I'm claiming for school meals, is £35 per month maximum or per child?
I know people tend to either love or hate Aldi but I do all my shopping there and there is rarely anything I want that I can't get there. I tend to buy all fresh and frozen meat, fresh fruit & veg, pasta, dairy, passata etc. It's all much the same as anywhere else, some of it better. I also did a comparison shop last week - exactly the same shop in Tesco would have been £21 more!
Is there anywhere we can see the CCCS guidelines or are they a closely guarded secret?
Mrs Pish-talk to your ip about the school dinners. Its 35 quid a child and our ip did it as soon as i asked because we forgot to include this in our original expenditure.
Go on beatmydebt.com for an idea on figures.
full and final accepted January 2015
iva agreed; August 2010
iva would have completed; August 2017
extra year thank's to NRAM
CCCS don't like their guidelines published unfortunately although I believe if you go on their site and input some details you can find them out.
Don't know if there is a maximum for school meals at all.
We gave our Aldi and Lidl a try last year and weren't impressed as they didn't have such a good range as Asda.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
It's been interesting reading the difference in allowances for food. We are a family of 4, 2x adults and 2x children (aged 11 and . Our allowance is £383.00 per month. We can't manage on that amount, but we are also allocated £35.00 for work meals, £20 dog food & £5 for newspapers (LOL)= £443.00 pm. I use all off this money together for our food shopping. Children not allocated school dinner money and I have to get packed lunch out off this money, and occassionally tuck, as I don't want them losing out. As parents you all know how difficult it is trying to find a healthy packed lunch for not much money!!!. I try to buy fruit from the local fruit and veg shop for freshness and meat from the butcher, but the prices are just increasing to much. I am hoping at our review, not until August, they might increase our allowance. We have two cars and only allocated £110.00 for fuel a month, that's a laugh when most of the diesel here in Norfolk is now costing £132.9p per litre!! It's payday today and both cars have just been filled up, mine was already half fuel but cost £37.50 and hubby's was on the red costing £59.00, now only got £13.50 left for fuel for rest off the month, I don't think so!!
Sam
F&F accepted 12/8/13 - Awaiting Completion Certificate
Thanks to everyone for your support. Could'nt have done it without you.
we are allocated an amount the we pay for child-care, if I reduce my child-care costs and put that towards shopping and fuel, say £5- - £80pm, but carry on claiming the same amount for the child-care cost, would that be wrong and lying?
F&F accepted 12/8/13 - Awaiting Completion Certificate
Thanks to everyone for your support. Could'nt have done it without you.
i would tell your ip that you are struggling and what you would spend the money on-that way you are justifying what you need it for so you wouldnt need to tell fibs-also i get 130 for petrol just for myself and i dont work so your fuel costs need to be raised.
full and final accepted January 2015
iva agreed; August 2010
iva would have completed; August 2017
extra year thank's to NRAM
youre welcome hammie1-the guidelines are exactly what they say-guidelines and not set in stone.If you need more than stated in your expenditure just let your iva firm know.The cost of living is shooting up and the figures set when our ivas were approved are well out of date now-and your firm will take this into account
full and final accepted January 2015
iva agreed; August 2010
iva would have completed; August 2017
extra year thank's to NRAM
what happens if they raise your expenses during an iva?
presumably the debtors get less money which i am sure they won't be happy about, so how do they get their money back ......or don't they?
If your expenses go up, then your payments may well remain the same or can be lowered by up to 15% without your IP having to resort to asking the creditors.
Unless the dividend drops drastically, your creditors are usually happy with what they get at the end of the day.
If there are going to be any problems, it is down to you and your IP to sort out a way forward with the creditors.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
For us we are hoping for a pay review in April, plus mortgage will change. However, fuel, food and utilities will change to increased amounts. Hubby has moved premises with his work so his fuel has gone up...but we made them aware of that. Food is obvioulsy costing more and the utilites have just increased the amount we pay to them each month.
Size, I must admit despite posting the asda cos for milk/bread we do buy ours from Farm Foods. Hubby needs milk for a gullet problem, and paying Farm foods rates is so much better. In fact he said that the taste of the milk from Farm Foods was creamier than Asda....so we staying with Farm Foods LOL.
. Our allowance is £383.00 per month. We can't manage on that amount, but we are also allocated £35.00 for work meals, £20 dog food & £5 for newspapers (LOL)= £443.00 pm. I use all off this money together for our food shopping. Children not allocated school dinner money and I have to get packed lunch out off this money, and occassionally tuck, as I don't want them losing out. As parents you all know how difficult it is trying to find a healthy packed lunch for not much money!!!. I try to buy fruit from the local fruit and veg shop for freshness and meat from the butcher, but the prices are just increasing to much. I am hoping at our review, not until August, they might increase our allowance. We have two cars and only allocated £110.00 for fuel a month, that's a laugh when most of the diesel here in Norfolk is now costing £132.9p per litre!! It's payday today and both cars have just been filled up, mine was already half fuel but cost £37.50 and hubby's was on the red costing £59.00, now only got £13.50 left for fuel for rest off the month, I don't think so!!
