Household Budgeting

You may be worried if your budget shows that you have more money going out than coming in.  If this is the case then you need to take action to address this.  You could start by finding out if you can increase your income.  To see if you can increase your income, see the dropdown below. 

 
Take a look at what you are spending your money on and see if there are any savings you can easily make.  Ask yourself the following questions: 

• Can I cancel any subscriptions that I don't use or aren't essential?
• Have any of my contracts (such as phone, tv or broadband contracts) expired and can they be renegotiated to a lower amount? 
• Am I paying off debt and struggling with the repayment amounts?  See the dropdown below for help with debts.
• Can I save money by switching energy suppliers or fixing my energy costs?  
• Am I on the correct tariff with Yorkshire Water?  
• Can I save money on my weekly food shop?  

For useful ways to save energy and lower your fuel bills, visit the Doncaster Council's Energy Team website.

Doncaster Council's Energy Team advise people on how to save energy and help improve the energy efficiency of their homes.  They also give advice on energy switching and grants available to help save energy and money. 

You can contact the energy team on 01302 737053. 

You can ensure you are claiming the correct benefits by using this benefits calculator here.

If you are looking for work our World of Work team may be able to help you.

If you are already working you may be able to ask for an increase in your hours.  If childcare is one of the things stopping you from working more you can find information on childcare here.  Don't forget you may be able to claim help with your childcare costs.

If you are unsure whether you will be better off working more hours you can complete the benefits calculator above with your new hours to see what the difference would be. 

If you have other adults living with you, such as adult children, they may be able to help by contributing towards the household budget or by increasing the amount they contribute if they are already doing this.

There are a number of online budgeting tools to help you manage your finances. Use these links to complete your own household budget: 

Work out your budget - Citizens Advice

Money Advice Service Budget Planner 

Our Tenancy Support Team can also help if you need some assistance creating your budget or if your budget is worrying you and you require some advice.  You can call them on 01302 862050 or fill in this form. 

People get into debt for all sorts of reasons, for example, losing a job, taking on a caring role, becoming pregnant, separating from a partner or becoming ill or disabled. 

If you have borrowed more money than you can repay, or you have built up rent or fuel bills that you are struggling to pay, then you must take steps to sort things out. 

Don't bury your head in the sand 

The longer you ignore debt, the worse it will get. Help and support is available and you will be able to take control of your finances again and look positively towards the future. 

You can get support from the following organisations:  

Citizens Advice Bureau or by phoning 01302 499330

StepChange or by phoning 0800 138111

National Debt line or by phoning 0808 8084000 

Our Tenancy Support Team is also here to help if you want support getting help with your debt.

Whilst we cannot recommend any external company (especially as they may receive a fee for their work), we hope the information listed below will be helpful to tenants seeking more information. 

MoneySaving Expert - includes tips on how to save money on your food shop, information and tips on energy, switching broadband and mobile contracts and much more. 

Green Doctor - Groundwork’s Green Doctors help UK residents stay warm, stay well, and save money on household bills

Love Food Hate Waste - tips on how to save food and money.

YourlifeDoncaster - Lots of advice about help and support in Doncaster, including cost of living advice