This blog was kindly written by Financial Wellbeing Officer Hannah Wheeler.
‘I am a Financial Wellbeing Officer at Carer Support Wiltshire and Dorset, and I work as part of the Carer Money Matters Team. The Money Matters project is important to me as I am passionate about caring for carers, and I believe everyone should have the opportunity to be able to look after their finances through having access to information and support. Not everyone gets the same access to financial education or the time to put their money first which is why I think this project is brilliant.
I have always had a passion for helping people and giving advice. In college I studied Health and Social Care and since then have worked and volunteered with people being at the heart of whatever I do.
As it is Financial Literacy Month, I wanted to share my knowledge and tips on budgeting as it is something I use in my everyday life and helps me to manage my finances.
- Knowing what is coming in and going out of your account – You can’t budget without knowing what you’re working with! I like to do this in a spreadsheet, but you can also get a blank calendar and write when you have money coming in and when money needs to go out.
- Budgeting for big expenses throughout the year – There can be especially expensive times of the years like Christmas, Birthdays or car MOT time. I like to put away a little bit of money each month into a ‘pot’ for expenses that I know will crop up throughout the year, so I am not worrying when it comes to it.
- Plan your Monthly Variables – Things like shopping, petrol, bus tickets, can very throughout the month. Try to plan at the beginning of the month how much you want to spend on each and try to stick to it. For example, I have a shopping budget each week and plan those exact meals, any leftovers get put in the freezer and added to the meal plan the next week to save money.
- Prescription Season Ticket – If you buy more than 12 prescriptions a year you could save money by getting a prescription season ticket – Buy an NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate – NHSBSA
- Cancel Subscriptions you don’t use or have duplicates of – When writing out your budget and seeing what is going in and out of your account you may notice a lot of subscriptions, maybe some you have forgotten about or even some you have twice! Make sure to regularly check and cancel any that you don’t use.
During financial literacy month it is a good time to reflect on your budget and what you have going in and out each month. The Carer Money Matters Project is here to support you, we have resources to help you gain the knowledge needed to feel more empowered when it comes to your finances. Get in touch with our friendly team by calling 0800 368 8349 or emailing admin@carersupportdorset.co.uk.’
You can learn more about our Carer Money Matter project by clicking here.
