My Ongoing Challenge - To live with my means

savingholmes

I'm with you - bring on the weekend pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaase

Lurker1972

I have a dilemma.
I've mentioned before about wanting to try for baby Lurker & if the redundancy hadn't happened we would be actively trying - with winter coming its one way of keeping warm;)

Mr Lurker has debts which will probably run to term which is about 22 months & that will free up £650 a month:eek::j
BUT I really don't want to wait that long - might take a while to get recipe tight, ticking clock, time not in our favour etc.....yet I don't see how we'd manage if I wasn't at work ...which leads to the other part - job is fixed term so I think that would reduce Maternity pay...the controlling part of me says to wait until April when there is a chance the job could become permanent or at least extended.....

agghhhh - I know babies are expensive but we want one soooo badly...to wait or not to wait...that is the question.......

savingholmes

hi lurker - I would wait until you at least were in a job that was due to last long enough for you to reach your entitlement day. I personally wouldn't let debt stop me having kids - I didn't - but you do need to seriously consider how you would survive financially if you do take this route despite your OH's debt. HTH

This is an extract from the TUC website worksmart

Am I entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)?


You must meet the following three conditions in order to get SMP:

• You must have worked for at least 26 weeks by the end of the qualifying week (i.e. by the end of the 15th week before the week the baby is due) and;
• You must still be in your job in the qualifying week (although it does not matter if you are off sick or on holiday during that week) and;
• You must have been paid at least the Lower Earning Limit (for mothers of babies born on or before 14 July 2008 this is £87 and for mothers of babies born on or after 15th July, this is £90) per week on average in the 8 weeks (if you are paid weekly) or the two months (if you are paid monthly) up to the last payday before the end of the qualifying week.

I’m not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay. Are there any other benefits I’m entitled to instead?

If you are not entitled to receive SMP, you may qualify for Maternity Allowance (MA) and you should seek advice from your local JobCentrePlus office or Citizens Advice Bureau about your eligibility.
You can get MA if:

• you have changed jobs during pregnancy so have not met the qualifying period for SMP, or
• you do not earn enough to qualify for SMP, or
• you are unemployed or self-employed during your pregnancy, and

You have to have been working for at least 26 of the 66 weeks ending with the week before the expected week of childbirth, and in the time that you were working there were 13 weeks (not necessarily in a row) when you earned more than a certain amount per week (the amount changes every year).

If you are not entitled to receive either SMP or MA, then you may be entitled to receive other benefits such as Incapacity Benefit.
You may also qualify for Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit. To check these rights you need to contact your local JobCentrePlus or HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs – formerly the Inland Revenue), or you could talk to a trade union representative or specialist adviser.

Lurker1972

Thank SH, I know its sensible to wait another 6 months or so (at least) but am impatient & am concerned that it will take us a while which makes that 6 months seem even longer!!

Anyway - end of October & I've managed 12 NSDs which isn't bad, the 15 target COULD have been achieved if I'd not given in to the vending machine (avoided it yesterday though).
Despite Mr Lurkers attempt to derail grocery budget train, i can in under my revised weekly figure so there is still hope
Gas & Leccy transfer is complete, £22 a month saved there, assuming we keep usuage down of course. The heating has been on but is off again for now.
Have a couple more phones to recycle, have checked the prices available (including quidco) so thats just a job to be done once I've persuaded Mr L its ok to part with them!
Its probably about time to start working on Christmas present ideas...yikes!!! on the plus side its all paid for as I save for it monthly.
No progress at all on the weight loss, but not gaining either -theres always cakes & stuff at work so its very difficult to stay away from temptation - be interesting to see if I can abstain for a week & see if that makes a difference to next weeks weigh in! Used to have great self control....not sure where thats gone!

as always housework is calling, so time to get off butt.....

Lurker1972

Hump Day happiness all around! I do love Wednesdays, struggle with Tuesdays though!

November has started well, claiming 2 full NSDs, 3 if I don't incude DD payments

Meal plan also going well, with yummy leftovers being eaten for lunch today & tomorrow
Out to free fireworks tomorrow & have my folks over on Sunday which means mass tidying Friday & Saturday & a big strain on the grocery budget - have £57 to last the next 2 weeks but need meat which tends to cause the bill to sky rocket. aren't 5 week months fun?!
The lack or funds available for my petrol budget is causing a nervous twitch - its not that I go very far in my car so it shouldnt be a problem, but I have a 5p off a litre voucher from tesco that will run out before I need to refill (or will have the money for it) think I have over half a tank still...last filled up in September...:D

not done anything about recycling phones....but since Mr L has made a cuppa will go & talk to him about it now!

hope everyone is well out there
x

savingholmes

not sure what to say on the budget side - so will stick with wishing you a good time at the fireworks!

Lurker1972

well I can claim 5 NSDs already - 6 if I don't count DDs - not bad eh!
ventured into the new 99p shop yesterday with the intention of bargain buying, but in the end only 1 item caught my eye & the queue was Wayyyyy to long so my money stayed firmly in purse!

Thursdays fireworks were good, but the KFC treat ended up as a pricey pizza - luckily OH was paying but £90 later I felt quite faint!! Note to self, stick to local displays & come home to jacket spuds!

The Tesco mission was...not too bad under £32 which gives me a grand £25 for next week - am beginning to think its achieveable!! If my laptop wasn't poorly I'd be looking at old spreadsheets comparing what I used to spend.....& gloating on how clever I've become!

As for petrol - well, there's enough in the car until payday & there is money in the budget for petrol next month so I'll just have to let the 5p voucher go to waste - spending £45 i don't have to save £2 makes very little sense

Washing masine has been busy & I have stuff on the line dancing merrily away in the wind - hoping to avoid the tumble drier if I can - or at least limit it 20 minutes of finishing off time!

Thats pretty much by 'lunch' break over, must tackle housework.....

savingholmes

Hi Lurker - not quite sure what the £90 went on but I would be feeling faint too!

we were supposed to be going round a friends house for free fireworks and food but they cancelled due to the weather - we then spent £22 on our fireworks which the kids enjoyed. Hopefully they will remember.... I thought £22 was bad enough!

Hope you have a good weekend!

Lurker1972

savingholmes wrote: »

Hi Lurker - not quite sure what the £90 went on but I would be feeling faint too!

we were supposed to be going round a friends house for free fireworks and food but they cancelled due to the weather - we then spent £22 on our fireworks which the kids enjoyed. Hopefully they will remember.... I thought £22 was bad enough!

Hope you have a good weekend!

the £90 was pizza for 6 (the ex came too??!?!) @ place with shortest queue.....

we have sparklers tonight makes me feel like a little kid again!

savingholmes

we played with sparklers too! I love them too!