How do I work out my budget?
It is a good idea to sit down and work out your budget on paper.
You may find it helpful to look at all your regular bills so you
know how much you need to pay out on a regular basis. This will
include:
• fuel and water bills;
• Council Tax;
• rent; and
• any other regular payments you are
making such as fines, loans, credit cards or catalogues.
What else do I need to include in my
budget?
You will need to include:
• Food and household shopping
• Clothes
• Travel costs, for example, to work
• Christmas and birthdays
• Car expenses such as petrol, car tax and
insurance
• Other insurances
• TV licence
I pay some things weekly and some things monthly – how
do I work out my budget?
Decide if you want to do a weekly or a monthly budget – but
don't mix them up.
• To convert weekly payments to monthly
payments use a calculator to multiply by 52 then divide by
12.
• To convert monthly payments to weekly
payments, use a calculator to multiply by 12 then divide by
52.
Where can I find out more about how to work out my
budget?
You can
visit the Moneymadeclear website to help you take stock of
your day-to-day finances and then use the
budget calculator to work out your budget.
You can also find out more about working out your budget on
the National Debtline website.
Also – visit our 'Manage
the cost of running your home' page for more information and
advice.
Am I entitled to any benefits to increase my
income?
If your children are under 20 and in full-time education, you
may be able to get free school meals for them.
Find out more about Free School Meals on Doncaster Council's
website.
You may also be entitled to a Mobility Travel Pass which would
entitle you to travel on all buses, trams and trains in South
Yorkshire, at any time (except on late night train services) for
free.
Further information about the mobility travel pass is available on
Doncaster Council's website.
Visit our 'Benefits' page to find out more.