It is tough NOW. So how are we coping

Gigervamp

Yes, unfortunately the attitude of entitlement seems widespread.

meanmarie

Having read this thread yesterday I have added up all our income and find that it is a lot more than many of you are living on....albeit the euro is not quite as valuable as sterling, so I have set myself the task of doing a new budget on 80% of our income, prices are very different here for many things so it will be interesting to see how it will work out....will need a whole day to do it I think.

Congratulations to those living on really small budgets

Marie

rosieben

I’ve been living on incap benefit for the last couple of years. After years of a pretty good income, it was a bit of a shock to come down to an annual income of under £5,000; of course, I get help with my rent and council tax which is worth another £2,500 roughly each year. However, my kids are grown up, I don’t have the expense of travelling to work, buying work clothes, required office ‘socialising’, etc etc and I actually manage very well now because I live simply, by choice. I was often hard up when my kids were small but only through bad money-management on my part!

I really do feel for young families on a low wage or no wage at all, it must be heartbreaking and exhausting to always have that sort of worry on your shoulders.

hazzie123

I`m pig sick,I`ve been out of work since february,I`ve applied for 267 jobs and only had 2 interviews and not got the jobs either!
My boyfriend said today they had a meeting at his work and they are on about redundencies happening there too.

It`s getting really hard to get back into work,might have better luck swinging my handbag on a street corner!

ceridwen

I think that one of the most useful things one can do right now is - if there IS any "spare" income at all - then use it to make adaptations in case one ends up on lower income (courtesy of a job loss). I was sitting there today thinking "What would I advise anyone who thought their job might vanish at some point? Answer: clear debts/make sure you're well-stocked up with everything/check and re-check that the bills are the lowest you can get them to/start growing your own food as far as possible/check out cheap recipes for food and cosmetics"

....and then it struck me that thats exactly what I HAVE been doing over the last year or so - and I can see that obviously I feel a lot more insecure than I thought about my job :cool: - but I'm glad I've done these things "just in case"....

Its a lot easier to cope with low income if "you've seen it coming"....and prepared accordingly.

mardatha

.....and get your savings hidden !:D

pagangirl

I'm lucky I suppose - even living on that low an income - I have no kids, live in a 1 bedroom flat - much easier to heat that a house, and don't have to worry about repairs, as housing are really good.

I have found the best fare saver ticket to cover buses and trains - £52 pr month which is a great saver as I can spend that in 1 week with fares to/from work - 2 trains, 1 bus going/3 buses returning - each day.

Luckily I am not one of these people who HAS to have the most uptodate superdooperwhooper of everything that comes on the market. I am happy with what I have and only look to replace things when beyond repair.

Hazzie123 - hope something comes up soon hunny - keep trying !

kidcat

ceridwen wrote: »

I think that one of the most useful things one can do right now is - if there IS any "spare" income at all - then use it to make adaptations in case one ends up on lower income (courtesy of a job loss). I was sitting there today thinking "What would I advise anyone who thought their job might vanish at some point? Answer: clear debts/make sure you're well-stocked up with everything/check and re-check that the bills are the lowest you can get them to/start growing your own food as far as possible/check out cheap recipes for food and cosmetics"

....and then it struck me that thats exactly what I HAVE been doing over the last year or so - and I can see that obviously I feel a lot more insecure than I thought about my job :cool: - but I'm glad I've done these things "just in case"....

Its a lot easier to cope with low income if "you've seen it coming"....and prepared accordingly.

I have also started trying to persuade friends in precarious positions who struggle to save, that if nothing else they should put some cash each week on the supermarkets Christmas savings, I look on it that they will either have some money for food and essentials should the worst happen or they will have some money towards Christmas if they dont lose their jobs, it may not achieve much in the way of interest, but some people can simply not save and will spend any money they have.

eco

....and then it struck me that thats exactly what I HAVE been doing over the last year or so - and I can see that obviously I feel a lot more insecure than I thought about my job :cool: - but I'm glad I've done these things "just in case"....

Its a lot easier to cope with low income if "you've seen it coming"....and prepared accordingly.[/QUOTE]

I've been making these kind of changes for the last year and a half as well, I have saved more in this time than I ever have, not as much as I would like but I don't think I will be made redundant any day soon, thank God. Some people at work think I'm doing too much with the saving not spending, but I'm trying to look on the bright side and telling myself it is doing me good to budget.

It's good to read threads like this it makes me realise I could do better and helps make me focus.

[Deleted User]

Im on the totally shocking scale of income. But I think its an attitude change. I dont have debt, I save for everything I want and believe me by the time I want to get the thing Im saving for its normally reduced (ie a bed throw totally georgeous and a luxury, was £75, by the time ide saved for it it went down to £26.50 from BHS recently). I never pay full price for things, i wait. I do run a car, have a mortgage and live with my 20yr old son. My boyfriend has his own mortgage and property to. But despite all the bills i do save £100 in an isa, £30 in shares and £46 in a pension every month as well as save for 2 good holidays a year by budgeting. So even tho i earn £10000ish per year i still have a good lifestyle. I save on electric by cutting down and turning things off and food shopping i cook from scratch. Instead of living a luxury lifestyle on a lemonade budget i live a normal save and wait lifestyle (like my parents did) on a very low wage. My family dont cost a penny as love is free lol