Survival....

Cookie_monster_7

I'm a sahm to our toddler and my OH has just been made redundant. We rent a flat we can no longer afford so we are going into survival mode. We are going to try to move out of the city to find a property we can rent for a lot less than we are paying now. We are not going to have a tv (so no licence) or internet :eek:. We will tell our friends and families that we are not buying presents for occasions. We will try to half our weekly food bill to £40. We will obviously both look for jobs.

Will our plan work. Can we survive like this?

From a very miserable cookie monster

madison's_mum

If he hasnt already get a claim in ASAP for job seekers allowance then housing benefit and council tax benefit. Also contact tax credit people and let them know what has happened they should reassess you.

pukkamum

My DH lost his job when my son was 2.
We had to live on £80 per week and do you know what it wasn't as bad as you might think.
We bought a veg box every week for £10 which would last all week.
We started shopping round for other groceries as we were time rich, money poor.
The highlight of our week was a trip into town where we would park in morrisons because it was free, each buy one thing from the pound shop, go to the library and share a pound pizza.
I actually look back on that time with a fondness though admittedly it was only for 6 mths and i don't think i would have been quite so happy to live like that much longer.
At the end of the day we had to pull together and work as a team and it really brought us close together as a family as we spent all our time together.
You can do it and you will survive just pull together and be glad you have each other.

jellyhead

sorry to hear that

How far do you want to move? What about an area where there's work? driving buses, perhaps? My dad drove taxis when he was made redundant, until he found another job similar to what he was trained in.

Have you looked into tax credits etc? https://www.entitledto.com I think it is ... also, will housing benefit cover your rent? There was a thread somewhere about local allowances, and it seems that you get more help if you're in a more expensive area.

Cookie_monster_7

Thank you so much for that inspiring post pukkamum, maybe it won't be too bad. We are talking about how, without the internet and tv (maybe ) we will have more time to spend together talking and also just reading and listening to music etc....stuff that we rarely do because the internet and tv are a bigger priority in our lives.

Cookie_monster_7

jellyhead wrote: »

sorry to hear that

How far do you want to move? What about an area where there's work? driving buses, perhaps? My dad drove taxis when he was made redundant, until he found another job similar to what he was trained in.

Have you looked into tax credits etc? www.entitledto.com I think it is ... also, will housing benefit cover your rent? There was a thread somewhere about local allowances, and it seems that you get more help if you're in a more expensive area.

Thanks for the sympathy. We are thinking about moving about 30 miles away from where we are now because the property is a lot cheaper to rent there, but I imagine the job situation is as bad. OH has thought about taxi driving but I think even that market in saturated at the mo but he will consider most things. We both have useless degrees (in nutrition) which are proving more of a hindrance than a help. I got turned down for a part time job in the body shop (am I over qualified? too much experience? I'm a mum?)

Thanks for the link. Housing benefit won't quite cover the rent hence the need to move. Its all very scary and confusing.

McKneff

Sorry about your situation and its good to see youre being positive about the situation and dealing with it sensibly. When you move try out
gardening, grow your own veg/fruit, baking, (using your degrees so not totally useless after all) knitting - you'll be fine, look on it as an adventure and another chapter in your life. Keep busy and good luck

ailuro2

Moving away from the jobs and transport isn't such a great idea.imho of course.

Could one of you get a start up grant to start your own business, something like advising nurseries on healthy eating initiatives? provide them with the meals yourself? Nutrition is something that is high on the agenda for lots of people, and showing them how to make nutritious food from cheap ingredients is a skill that can be sold in this current climate.

Just an idea, as you need to be flexible in your approach with a little one at home.

MrsTinks

Pop over to the DFW board and post your SOA - or even just do one for yourself to give you an idea of where you are and what you have/need to find. Look for cleaning jobs if need be... round here they still demand over £10 an hour which I think is a tad much but hey - apparently there is a market for it!

UKTigerlily

Dog walkers are always needed & would get you & the LO out in the fresh air! Good pay too!

Cookie_monster_7

Another sleepless night for me... my OH managed though.....how come men can sleep no matter what?:rolleyes:

Thanks for the cleaning and dog walking suggestions...I'll definitely try those. Ironing too....needs must, eh?:rolleyes:

Hmmm, not sure that trying to start up a nutrition business wouldn't be a bit risky at the moment. I will think about it though and talk to OH. Maybe as a sideline?

ailuro2...why do you think moving is not a good idea? The reason we are, well going to do it, is because we are paying £650 a month to rent a small cramped 2 bed flat. If we move about 30 miles away we could get something bigger for about £400 incredibly enough. I am trying to find somewhere that I'd have a library within walking distance and maybe a park or somewhere I could walk to everyday so my dd can play outside etc Without a tv I'll need free things to do close at hand. I sold my car last autumn to pay for Christmas and have survived fine without it because the buses here are so great but that won't necessarily be the case when we move so having a library, park and a local shop I can walk to should, I hope, help.

What would be the easiest way to sell some of our stuff? TV, tumble dryer etc? I was thinking of putting them on those advert cards in the supermarkets.