*** March make £10/ day challenge. ALL WELCOME! ***

sallyann0856

Extra hugs to the moneyspider and durham-mim x x x

I don't know if this will help anyone -- could certainly be difficult with ME -- but 2 and a half years ago I was reading, but not posting on, these forums and I was inspired to try to make £10 a day. I noticed in an earlier post that Nat mentioned dog walking and, funnily enough, that was how I decided to earn the £10 I wanted. So I ordered some business cards from Vistaprint (postage costs only). I then placed online free ads where ever I could (Vivastreet has given me the best results) and begged everyone I could think of -- from vets to petrol stations -- to put a few of my cards on their counter. I also printed off a small add to put on the Pets At Home noticeboard (for free). So all my promos cost no more than about £6.
I never did get to start posting on the £10 a day thread, as this soon turned into a small business I could fit around my Dad and DD. Once I had a couple of regular clients, I took out insurance (which is less than £80 a year and I pay by installments) - but other than that the overheads are small. Because I do pick up dogs from a little way away, there is petrol to consider -- but I keep that down by picking up my shopping or calling into the post office etc. on the way back (things I would have to have done anyway) and I refuse jobs that are off my "loop". Other things I buy are poo bags and balls -- cost next to nothing really -- and I take a large bottle of water, a bowl and some basic first aid stuff wherever I go, as well as a couple of spare leads (got most of my bits from charity shops or ££££ stores).
So now I walk a small group of dogs each morning and another group in the afternoons. Some days I go out 3 times if I have a lot of bookings (I seldom take more than 3 dogs at a time unless one is my own or the little angel I walk 7 days a week, as I just don't feel comfortable with any more than that). I also feed cats and small pets when their owners are away.
It certainly does not make me a fortune - I have to break my day up to keep checking on Dad and DD and I'm a right softie when it comes to deciding how much to charge (I take one dog for free because she is elderly and an absolute princess!). DD is always on at me to up my prices -- LOL, she's home educated and we've done a lot on Business Studies so I've probably taught her too well -- but I'm happy with the way things are at the moment. I still need to make extra (that's why I recently joined this challenge) because there's only me earning and our spends have been too high. However, this little business has saved our financial bacon -- and all thanks to the DFW boards!!!!!!!
If anyone wants to pm me for any advice on this, feel free. I am by no means an expert but will happily share what worked for me.

Sorry if I've rambled a bit but just thought I'd share.

x x x

Nicky_Noo_Na

Gosh, hugs to those of you who are struggling! Not sure I could cope with being given an allowance, I like making my own money and if I ever decided to give up work in the future we plan to have a joint account so we can both access the money. Sorry that it doesn't seem to be going so great for some of you and good luck with making all the extra pennies so you can do what you need!!

Nice story sallyann, you seem to have made it work for you. I keep toying with the idea of starting my own business but I don't like dogs so not really suitable for me, lol!!

Arrived home to £30 B&Q gift card from maximiles - lovely jublie. Only 52p till target!

nonudo

Sending big big hugs to anyone who needs it.

Monkeynut

:eek: MoneySpider - that sounds terrible. I don't mean that in a nasty way at all, but I just mean it must be horrible for you.

I know it's all too easy to say here, as opposed to living in the situation, but you should never stay with someone just because you think that is the only option.
There are always ways around these things, and if it's going to ultimately give you and your children a better life, then it's worth a struggle in the short term. Particularly when you are struggling already as it is.

It's a really unhealthy relationship finances wise, and doesn't sound very nice with his relationship, or rather lack of, with the children.
How is the rest of the relationship - day to day stuff?

JayneC

(((MoneySpider)))

I may be completely out of order and if so just ignore me, but you say in your post you'd leave if you got sorted financially. Have you looked into the financial support available if you did leave? If you're working more than 16 hours you'd get Working Tax Credits as well as Child Tax Credits and if not you'd get Employment Support Allowance or JSA as well as possible help with rent and council tax. I know it's not great depending on benefits but it would just be a support until you could get to a better position. Yes you wouldn't have much money but it would be yours and you can decide on the priorities.

It took me 25 years to get the courage to leave and when I look back I feel ashamed that I allowed myself to be treated like a doormat, and allowed my kids to see that too. And you know what? I'm ok and the kids are ok and I don't miss him (which is weird after 25 years).

If you don't want to/can't do that, then make a fuss - I wish I'd just made more fuss. Tell him straight how mean and cruel he is being.

AS I said sorry if I'm out of order and fel free to ignore me completely.

Whatever happens hope you get to a better place eventually xxx

Rosie

Evening all
Big hugs to all who need them especially Moneyspider.
Received a £5 amazon voucher today. Nothing else except for a NSD.
Will have to get motivated as I am a bit behind on this months target.

ms_night_ryder

hey all

been up cant sleep so decided to open a skybet account with all the free bonuses and won £12.67, withdrew that so adding it, also got paid £237 from my ms gig, with another payment today so so far im at £267

with 5.00 to add and then another ms payment, nothing else so far but you never know.

lolly101

THEMONEYSPIDER wrote: »

He earns a decent wage...

He's very controlling with money, when i reduced the car insurances monthly payments, he reduced my weekly payment.
i dont get a shopping budget, he insists on coming to do the weekly shop so i dont pocket any spare change ect.

I think he's worried that if i get back on my feet that i'll leave him, which i most likely will! and also thinks that i will gamble with any spare cash i get..I wont!

THEMONEYSPIDER wrote: »

My wages...who knows, ive not been paid yet. When i have earned cash from carboots ect in the past i learned quickly not to tell him the full amount i had earned, if he thinks ive got extra cash he becomes even more tight

Aww, Moneyspider! How awful. I bet he doesn't realise that you would already be better off financially if he wasn't around - his good wage means that you aren't able to claim any financial support that you would be entitled to (they assume that any money coming into the house is shared, and not kept by the earner!).

Like Jayne said, I would suggest using the benefits calculator... http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx If only out of curiosity, but also if he knows that you are losing money by having him around then he may be a bit more reasonable, and less likely to reduce the housekeeping money when your wages come in .

lolly101

Oh yeah, forgot to add - £4.40 discount and 20p roadkill

CountingPennies

Huge hugs to both TheMoneySpider and DurhamMim. Haven't really got time to leave a huge reply at the minute but i want you to know i'm thinking of you both and sending you HUGE (((((((hugs)))))))

Just recieved an email from ebay. Free listings this weekend for MOBILE LISTINGS ONLY

So if you have the ebay app on your phone, you get free listings!

£9 for me to add from a MS payment.