help!! so skint struggling with expenses

Lexxi

Is there any way you can get the MOT done at the local council garage, as they have no need to find fault for profit? We took our car to kwikfit after it failed the mot with the council and kwikfit took it on themselves to replace the brake pads which weren't even on the advisory! I'm not sure if you can do this with a taxi?

pixienix

Lexxi wrote: »

Is there any way you can get the MOT done at the local council garage, as they have no need to find fault for profit? We took our car to kwikfit after it failed the mot with the council and kwikfit took it on themselves to replace the brake pads which weren't even on the advisory! I'm not sure if you can do this with a taxi?

no our local council doesnt have a depot to do mot's, other boroughs do though in larger towns an cities. we have to use garages approved by vosa to do any repairs so no back street or mobile mechanics either! our mot's are stricter than the average road users mot aswell

Sharon30

Hi pixienix

I know what your going through as my husband is a taxi driver/owner driver. The work simply isn't there at the moment but we still have the same expenses to keeping the taxi on the road. The problem in this area is that a lot of people who have lost their job get a taxi badge then rent taxi's, don't blame them as like everyone else they are trying to provide for their families..........but more taxi's less work!!! His rental of radio is £100 per week and no allowances are made when there isn't a lot of work. My husband is working flat out just to try and make enough to get by. It's very hard and can be soul destroying. My husband is a hard worker and always has been but has decided to go to college in August to get a trade behind him but will have to continue working the taxi while attending college which is going to be really difficult. I know there isn't much work out there for tradesman either but my dad has a lot of contacts in this field of work and one of my dad's friends is going to take him out to gain experience first hand. It's not a short term answer but he's looking further down the line and hoping to get out the taxi business at some point.

Everything seems to go wrong when your down and like someone posted to leave the job also runs into other problems. Is there any family/friends who could help out with the kids so you could get some work during the busier periods?? Could you speak to an advisor at the local job centre to see what options are available if you can't manage to keep the taxi going?I don't know what else to suggest but wanted to wish you well and hope something works out for you soon...........maybe a job will turn up eventually!!

Good Luck

pixienix

PasturesNew wrote: »

I'm sure 25 years ago they were £20-25k where I lived, but that was probably with the car included.


I meant doing the job of sitting in the office, taking the calls and giving the jobs to the correct/nearest driver, keeping the "long distance jobs" log and keeping everybody informed what's going on. I saw this job advertised here 10 years ago for £2/hour, but then the minimum wage came in, so it'd be more now as it more than doubled when minimum wage started.

So, it's a job that's done, but is a taxi office job, not requiring any driving or a taxi.

thats the plate that would of cost 20-25k years ago, councils have deregulated and plates are worthless in the majority of boroughs, plates are for the car, badges are for the driver.

i see! shift are usually 12 hours in the office as a controller or telephonist so again, would have to find somewhere that offers jobshare term time work, which is where im struggling in finding a 'proper' job

Lexxi

pixienix wrote: »

our mot's are stricter than the average road users mot aswell

I figured they would be, can you drive more efficiently? I don't drive at all let alone a taxi so don't know if this is an option Or could you speak to your office and see if their fees are on a pro rata basis? as in we charge £400 for you working 40 hours, if you work 20 hours we charge £200. A set fee regardless of hours wouldn't be fair really

MrsE_2

pixienix wrote: »

believe me i would jack it in today if i could find a regular job that i could do around the kids, i've been looking and found nothing and i'm not being fussy about what i do either, i'll do anything as long as it pays the bills and puts food on the table

You're making £74 per day before expenses.

My DH is a cabbie, his expenses are close to £60 a day (he has an expensive car, but after that I should imagine they are all much the same).

You can't do it for £74 a day, you're almost paying to work:(

TBH with the cost of the overheads (& as we know they are flat no matter how many hours you work) you can't afford to do cabbing part time.

Hugs to you OP, seriously look for something else with your limited hours, as cabbing will always have to high overheads to work part time.

MrsE_2

Lexxi wrote: »

I figured they would be, can you drive more efficiently? I don't drive at all let alone a taxi so don't know if this is an option Or could you speak to your office and see if their fees are on a pro rata basis? as in we charge £400 for you working 40 hours, if you work 20 hours we charge £200. A set fee regardless of hours wouldn't be fair really

Its how it works.

Some places do a weekend rate for drivers who want to work weekends, but that wouldn't help the OP.

paulwf

OP if I'm reading your SOA correctly and putting in your *gross* income rather than net (because you are self employed and listing your expenses) the shortfall doesn't seem to be that bad.

If you switch from a £35 mobile to a £15 a month SIM (which will include more than enough minutes and texts) and ditch the Sky package you'll be £75 a month better off. Getting out of those contracts has to be an immediate focus, I'm not sure if it can be done but I'd be doing everything possible to ditch them.

I don't know much about cabbying but I would imagine your hours are the most unprofitable times, you are missing the commuters and the school runs. If you could put in a few more productive hours your SOA is going to look fairly balanced. Does the school run a breakfast club and after school club or can you team up with another parent to share some childcare duties? As most of your taxi expenses are fixed putting in another 10 hours a week will make a huge difference. So that would be my next priority, arranging a childcare swap with someone in a similar situation.

pixienix

Sharon30 wrote: »

Hi pixienix

I know what your going through as my husband is a taxi driver/owner driver. The work simply isn't there at the moment but we still have the same expenses to keeping the taxi on the road. The problem in this area is that a lot of people who have lost their job get a taxi badge then rent taxi's, don't blame them as like everyone else they are trying to provide for their families..........but more taxi's less work!!! His rental of radio is £100 per week and no allowances are made when there isn't a lot of work. My husband is working flat out just to try and make enough to get by. It's very hard and can be soul destroying. My husband is a hard worker and always has been but has decided to go to college in August to get a trade behind him but will have to continue working the taxi while attending college which is going to be really difficult. I know there isn't much work out there for tradesman either but my dad has a lot of contacts in this field of work and one of my dad's friends is going to take him out to gain experience first hand. It's not a short term answer but he's looking further down the line and hoping to get out the taxi business at some point.

Everything seems to go wrong when your down and like someone posted to leave the job also runs into other problems. Is there any family/friends who could help out with the kids so you could get some work during the busier periods?? Could you speak to an advisor at the local job centre to see what options are available if you can't manage to keep the taxi going?I don't know what else to suggest but wanted to wish you well and hope something works out for you soon...........maybe a job will turn up eventually!!

Good Luck

i wish your husband the best of luck, it will be difficult training and taxi driving, but if your area is like ours, there will be plenty of time to study while queing up on the rank, if you can get a space on there, lol
i moved 300 miles away from family and friends for our safety so it really is just me and the girls, the only way i can do the busier times is if i can get a child minder or a babysitter for friday/saturday nights but i'd probably end up paying them as much as i earnt extra,
hope things go well for you both, i think alot of drivers are looking to leave the trade

pixienix

MrsE wrote: »

You're making £74 per day before expenses.

My DH is a cabbie, his expenses are close to £60 a day (he has an expensive car, but after that I should imagine they are all much the same).

You can't do it for £74 a day, you're almost paying to work:(

TBH with the cost of the overheads (& as we know they are flat no matter how many hours you work) you can't afford to do cabbing part time.

Hugs to you OP, seriously look for something else with your limited hours, as cabbing will always have to high overheads to work part time.

its only the last 2 years i havent been able to manage working part time, it used to earn me a good living but with companies cutting back and peoples social habits changing, we're just sat on the ranks most of the day, if you can fit on there otherwise you're driving round wasting fuel waiting for a space!