I can't make ends meet!!

HAUGHTON7705

12 months ago My husband was in a well paid job but as things have gone on he was made redundant and couldn't get another job paying the same or more .

He has got a job now which unfortunately doesn't pay as much as before so as a result our budget is very tight. He is still looking for a better paid job but if you are out of work you know how it is at the moment and he is grateful he has a job at all.

I have used this site for months now and followed all the advice. Swapped lenders, credit cards and energy suppliers etc. I have even been on the am I entitled to benefits part. Which I am not by the way.

Cutting a long story short After I have paid the bills put petrol in the car and paid the childminder I only have £100 left for food weekly.

This is OK and we just about manage but there is no room for things like new shoes for the kids (I have 3) clothes, perscriptions, or the youngests weekly karate class. I feel like I am constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul.

I have looked and looked and can not see any improvement in the near future on how I can get extra money other than selling my body (Joke)

I feel such a failure any advice?

Please send me one of these someone :A A money angel.

Horace

Hi and welcome.

Can you post your SOA so that we can see what you are spending and what you have coming in, as this will be able to assist us to give advice. https://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html

Prescriptions - see if you can get a pre-payment card to last you 12 months, this works out cheaper than paying for prescriptions each time.

Keep a spending diary to see where your money is being spent, join a challenge e.g. make £10 a day and look at the up your income board.

Caroline73_2

If you post a SOA people cn see where cutbacks can be made.

£100 left over for food is no problem. I spend £50 on four of us, that's for all meals including lunches, with the exception of one take away a week.

sugarpants_2

Even after you both working you still have no money. So sorry hun.

I work part time and work from home so dont need to pay childcare. Could you do this? Work weekend/evenings? So no childcare to pay? How many hours do you work? Is it not worht being a SAHM and claiming tax credits till children are in full time education?

notenoughcash

Hi haughton, so sorry to hear you feeling so frustrated by it all.

How old are your kids? And do you do much/make time for 'family entertainment' ? This was an area where I saved loads of money, like instead of going out for tea and to the cinema we get ready as if we're going out but stay at home where it's warm and have make-your-own pitta bread pizzas for tea, watch a dvd we've borrowed from a friend with the lights out and munch on home-made rice crispy cakes or flapjack. So much cheaper and so much more fun! Plus something to cheer you up and keep you sane when things are feeling tough x x

HAUGHTON7705

My 'children' are a bottomless pit for food 6ft 4 inch 17 year old at college who isn't entitled to EMA and would love the latest trainers and clothes but I don't have the money for that. The other bottomless pit for food 14 year old who would also love the latest fashion but has to make do with hand me downs. My third is an 8 year old who is quite happy with his job lot, so they are not babies.

We stopped our life about November time when we knew what extra money we had we would need for Christmas. We have no savings as they have slowly dwindled. We have shares but they are worth next to nothing. The house is worth less than we paid for it and my husbands car is paid for but been unused for 3 months as we can't afford to run it and no one wants to buy it so it's catch 22 again.

I will try to post an soa as soon as I can.

Thanks for the support.

Smamfer

Have you double checked you are not entitled to working family tax credit?

100 pound a month for food is what a lot of people manage on with kids in this board so with some careful meal planning cooking in bulk and dropping down a brand you should have no problem gaining some extra cash here x

beanielou

Look forward to seeing your SOA.

HAUGHTON7705

Yes I double checked I am not entitled to working tax credit as we have earned to much this tax year already. As for the child tax bit I phoned to tell the benefits people my change of circumstances and they REDUCED it by £20 pw believe it or not.

We do cook in bulk already. I go to the butchers and greengrocers as these are much cheaper than the supermarkets and the local market or quality save for toiletries. I only go to the supermarkets for things like bread, milk or butter and yes like I said I have used this site a while so I have done the brand dropping etc and Savvy shopping. Thats why I can't seem to see a way to make ends meet because I am already doing what I have been advised via this site.

I will post my SOA soon as I looked earlier at the weblink at the top of this link and realised I have to put exact interest rates etc. So when I have dug out the paperwork for this I will do it.

Thanks again everyone it helps just to know other people genuinely do want to help.:beer:

Hatster

First of all, I wanted to say 'congratulations' on managing on your tight budget, and for cutting so many costs already. It's more frustrating when you get to this point than when you first realise that you need to save money, I think, because you've cut everything that you can think of, and you can get so snappy and cross (or at least I did - I remember raging at my ex-partner because he'd dared to eat a couple of eggs for lunch that I'd had planned to cook for our supper).

You said that your 17 year old would love to have some nice stuff - does he have a part-time job? I know that this isn't the easiest time to get a part-time job, but has he tried looking round, and maybe if he can't find one, he could look at setting up a little 'business' with whatever his talents are, selling people's stuff on Ebay for them, doing gardening, whatever it might be.

If it's any consolation, my experience of being the one in the class whose parents couldn't afford new things or holidays never did me any harm - in fact, it made me able to live very thriftily when I had to, and makes me very appreciative now that I'm in a much, much better situation. I can imagine your kids moan now and then, but it doesn't actually ruin their life to be hard up, no matter what they may think / say now.

RAS

Hi

We could help more if we saw the SOA.

Have you checked whther you can flog antyhting?
Are you signed up to www.freecycle.org (get the kids to explore)?

Have you signed up for www.quidco.com and all the other things in the boost your income thread?

Can you manourvre your debt around to reduce your interest payments?

have you spoken to any of the debt charities

have you reclaimed any PPI and late charges?