Something Has Gotta Change

Evilyn_Waugh

It does tell a sad story about our nation when two people with a small child have to exist like this. Both go to work for the maximum practical hours, they don't have a lot of debt, and their life doesn't sound that exuberant - with cheap rent, hardly any luxuries considering they never go for a night out, and no improvement on the horizon looking at the SOA.

Having said that OP, though I sympathise with you, it probably is worth not being so defeatist. I'm sure with the right attitude there is more money to be made and those small changes do make a difference. You also have to look at the positives in life in terms of each other and the kiddie. At the end of the day, that's more important than keeping up with the neighbours who 99% for sure are doing it off the back of credit.

Quietgirl

If your childcare costs go up or down by £10 you can inform the tax credits. Reason I say this is because if your on the 80% towards childcare costs, then they brought it in I think it was last year that you get 90% help. My income including tax credits and help with childcare etc, is just a bit above yours and I get 90% towards my childcare which is £90 per week so I only have to find £9 each week to actually pay for my childcare. Just a thought hope it might help a little.

System

Ok, right, Some ideas I will have to look into, thanks all.

Ex-Spendaholic

H NIGuy, I'm in NI too. Sorry that I don't have any wonderful suggestions for you but I just wanted to show some support. You really brought tears to my eyes with your comments about being better off dead, wanting to lose a leg etc. I know it is really hard but please please don't think like this. You have young kids to look after. They need you. I know you are surrounded by people who appear better off but believe it or not there are some worse off. I know it doesn't seem like that but its the truth. OK some suggestions for you.

Go and see about the Credit Union. Yes I know you aren't meant to take more credit when on a DMP and I know borrowing more money is not the way to go. However things sound like they are at rock bottom. A few days away from it all would give you all a break. In the future why not look at camping for a cheap few days away. Ask around - someone will have a tent etc you can borrow. If not then ask on freecycle.

The oil situation is not likely to get any better unfortunately so I have no words of wisdom there. Your electric sounds as low as it can possibly be. I changed mine on to keypad powershift so that I wouldn't have a bill and also so that I would get half price electric after midnight each night. I run my washing machine and dryer then. It has brought my electric from £100 to £40 per month so it was worth it in my case.

Regarding the phones etc. I have Virgin Media. As I have threatened to leave them often enough I get the phone, TV and broadband for £9.43 per month. I don't use the phone, I use the free allowance on my mobile.

OK here is just a suggestion (again I'm not going to be popular for this). Ring Payplan and revise some of your figures. Put your rent up a few quid, your electric, oil etc. OK it is not the most honest way to do things and it will make your debt journey longer but if it frees up a few quid in the short term it may give you a bit of breathing space.

I suggest you do the same with the Inland Revenue.

Do you sell on ebay? Your kids must grow out of clothes all the time. You could get something for them. Maybe not a fortune but it all helps, doesn't it?

Another idea to give you both a bit of interest. Why not try entering competitions? There are thousands of them on the internet. Have a look at www.loquax.co.uk or www.theprizefinder.com. I'm not promising you that you'll have wads of cash arriving at your door immediately but you can enter for all sorts of things. The small prizes - DVDs etc are good for the kids for Christmas.

Cost of diesel is also a nightmare. Not much you can do with that other than drive less which I'm sure isn't an option with work etc.

Please think about going and seeing your Doctor if you are both really feeling bad. Do you get sick pay at work? You could take a week off just to get your head around things.

I hope things improve for you soon.

System

Ex-Spendaholic wrote: »

H NIGuy, I'm in NI too. Sorry that I don't have any wonderful suggestions for you but I just wanted to show some support. You really brought tears to my eyes with your comments about being better off dead, wanting to lose a leg etc. I know it is really hard but please please don't think like this. You have young kids to look after. They need you. I know you are surrounded by people who appear better off but believe it or not there are some worse off. I know it doesn't seem like that but its the truth. OK some suggestions for you.

Go and see about the Credit Union. Yes I know you aren't meant to take more credit when on a DMP and I know borrowing more money is not the way to go. However things sound like they are at rock bottom. A few days away from it all would give you all a break. In the future why not look at camping for a cheap few days away. Ask around - someone will have a tent etc you can borrow. If not then ask on freecycle.

The oil situation is not likely to get any better unfortunately so I have no words of wisdom there. Your electric sounds as low as it can possibly be. I changed mine on to keypad powershift so that I wouldn't have a bill and also so that I would get half price electric after midnight each night. I run my washing machine and dryer then. It has brought my electric from £100 to £40 per month so it was worth it in my case.

Regarding the phones etc. I have Virgin Media. As I have threatened to leave them often enough I get the phone, TV and broadband for £9.43 per month. I don't use the phone, I use the free allowance on my mobile.

OK here is just a suggestion (again I'm not going to be popular for this). Ring Payplan and revise some of your figures. Put your rent up a few quid, your electric, oil etc. OK it is not the most honest way to do things and it will make your debt journey longer but if it frees up a few quid in the short term it may give you a bit of breathing space.

I suggest you do the same with the Inland Revenue.

Do you sell on ebay? Your kids must grow out of clothes all the time. You could get something for them. Maybe not a fortune but it all helps, doesn't it?

Another idea to give you both a bit of interest. Why not try entering competitions? There are thousands of them on the internet. Have a look at www.loquax.co.uk or www.theprizefinder.com. I'm not promising you that you'll have wads of cash arriving at your door immediately but you can enter for all sorts of things. The small prizes - DVDs etc are good for the kids for Christmas.

Cost of diesel is also a nightmare. Not much you can do with that other than drive less which I'm sure isn't an option with work etc.

Please think about going and seeing your Doctor if you are both really feeling bad. Do you get sick pay at work? You could take a week off just to get your head around things.

I hope things improve for you soon.

Cheers for that, Its not that I want a holiday more the point of the thing if you know what I mean, I am due a Payplan review anyway as in the last year the price of everything has risen bar house prices.

As for ebay, never thought about selling clothes on there, we have a roof space full of baby clothes some never even wore.

tsstss7

nirelandguy wrote: »

Ok, right, Some ideas I will have to look into, thanks all.

Nireland guy does your wife work over 16hrs? I ask this as inputting your basic details into entitled to gives you a weekly tax credit entitlement of around £124.00 effectively meaning your wife working is not making you much if any better off (taking into account childcare costs). I assume this might mean you are not entitled to help with childcare costs as she works less than 16 hrs.

Might you not be better off if your wife tried to find a job outside of your work hrs and so saving childcare costs?

lynzpower

Go and see about the Credit Union. Yes I know you aren't meant to take more credit when on a DMP and I know borrowing more money is not the way to go. However things sound like they are at rock bottom. A few days away from it all would give you all a break. In the future why not look at camping for a cheap few days away. Ask around - someone will have a tent etc you can borrow. If not then ask on freecycle.

the problem is that if you borrow money whilst on the dmp it can fail and creditors will start asking for all of it back and throwing the DMP out.

Are you doing all the usual of Pigsback/ quidco/ etc.

have you thought about looking into matched betting?

the other option, esp as you have kids at home , could you advertise to do babysitting of an evening for your kids freind/ round the school gates. It mightnt cost very much but you could get the hourly rate whilst other parents are out enjoying themselves!

Ex-Spendaholic

Oh do get that stuff on ebay. You can sell individual items or bundle it all up in age groups. For example a pile of age 6-9 months clothes. It won't make you rich but it will provide a little spending money.

Was reading in today's Sunday World that 2 major builders here have committed suicide due to the state of things. Absolute nightmare.

Jules

I am due a Payplan review anyway as in the last year the price of everything has risen bar house prices.

In my recent CCCS review I was allowed to budget £100 per month for my oil. That was their suggestion not mine, I was budgeting £85, and I'm glad they did especially with the rises in oil price lately.

When you do the review be realistic with the costs and factor in forthcoming rises (electric is going up here again in Oct/Nov by around 14%), I have had to argue the point on more than one occasion with regards amounts.

Jules

pandaonmyshoulder

Hi, not really got much to say on your soa but to be honest most families are struggerling but some just stick their heads in the sand and put everything on their cc. I was ranting about the price increase on a tin of corned beef recently my eldest daughter who is 18 just couldn't understand what I was moaning about!

Thinking what you said about a holiday, why not collect the sun newspaper vouchers for a holiday for your family maybe a cheap break away would help. We've been on several of these holidays even over to Holland and France with our 4 children and they are good fun, we take our own food etc. and keep costs down. We are already saving up vouchers for an October break. Also we bought the News of The World today just to get the voucher for a free meal deal at ASDA, I always cook from scratch and we are a family of 6 and so the "meal deal" won't feed us all but it all helps. We only buy newspapers when there are offers like this.