Debt

We recognise that having money worries and/ or being in debt can make you feel isolated, scared and anxious. It has a negative effect on your work, your health and your family.

Making that initial request for help is always the most difficult – but once you have made that initial call you have taken the first step towards getting the right help to a better quality of life.

If you have an emergency, i.e the Bailiffs are threatening to take your goods away, if you are struggling to make ends meet, or if your wages always run out before your next pay day - call Care First. We will give you the appropriate advice and direct you to the people who can give you the practical help that you need.

If you are in debt or worried about your finances there is free help available to you. (Our advice would always be not to consult a Debt Management Company as they will charge you for their help – and this is money that could be helping to clear your debt.)

Call Care first for advice and support. We will discuss the debt remedies and options that would be appropriate for you and explain how each one works.

Financial Statements - setting up a Budget

The first practical thing that you can do is to make a financial statement – these are also called Budgets. 

It is crucial to know how you are spending your money to see if there are any savings that you can make. 

Your budget needs to be accurate and you need to be completely honest about where your money goes.

Remember, no one else is going to see your budgeting sheet . This may be the first time you have done an accurate income and expenditure and you may find the result quite scary – however – REMEMBER, this is your first step towards dealing with your debt and moving on.

Our Budgeting Calculator

Your income

Your household income

You can enter weekly, 4 weekly or calendar monthly figures.

Any one off Annual Income Payments must be divided by 12 to get your monthly amounts. For example, if you are paid an annual bonus of £1000, you will divide this by 12 = £ 83.333, round this up to the nearest penny and this will be the figure you will enter - £83.34

 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Total income000
Pay after tax
Tax credits
Child Benefit
Pensions
Other benefits, e.g DLA , carers allowance
Any other income

Your outgoings

Your household expenditure

Any annual payments, i.e Television Licence, Car Tax etc must be divided by 12 for the monthly figure. i.e TV Licence is £145.50 therefore £145.50/12 = £12.125 per month. Round all your figures up to the nearest penny, so the amount you will enter for your TV licence will be £12.13 monthly.

 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Total expenditure000
Mortgage/rent
Council Tax
Water
Gas/electric/other household fuel
Phones
Internet
TV Licence
Houehold maintanance
Rental (household appliances)
Buildings and/or contents insurance
Groceries, cleaning and toiletries
Work lunch
School meals
Adult clothes and shoes
Childrens clothes and shoes
School uniform
School activities
Prescriptions
Eye/dental/medical costs

Your travel

 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Total travel000
Travel
Petrol/ deisel
Vehicle insurance
Road tax
Breakdown cover
Vehicle mainantance/mot
Bus/train fares

Your social life

 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Total social costs000
Childrens social activities
Adult social
Family social

Other costs

 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Total other costs000
One-offs/birthdays/christmas
Sundries/emergencies
Other costs

Your weekly, 4 weekly and monthly budgets

 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Your total income000
Your total outgoins000
 Weekly4 WeeklyMonthly
Surplus or negative income000