Single mum - need advice please (soa posted)

sunnyflower

have you thought of having a car boot sale? Babies grow out of their clothes and toys so fast; maybe you chuck them up in the loft? Time to have a sort out?
If you are planning to work part-time, maybe you could childmind once or twice a week for extra income? Or how about recipricol child minding with someone else who needs help with child care?
lots of newspapers have free dvds at weekends, so look at those.
If you don't have and aldi/lidl near you try the basic or value brands, 9 out of 10 products are just as good as the expensive ones.
Maybe you buy a lot of convenience food? Try and plan a menu and buy only what you need, if time is short after work, cook your dinner the evening before and just heat it up.
We find it hard with 2 incomes coming in to look after our family, so don't be despondent, you are doing well to save!

Woodyrocks

Hey Cuba Cat. No worries about not having a video recorder, get on to freecycle and you should score one with a few days. Also do a search on the forum for surveys as there is loads of links to be found in threads. I came across a list earlier will go have a look and post the link in here...

Woodyrocks

Here is a link to start you off with 7 sites included. As I said look for more on the site x

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4775327&postcount=16

Spendi

Just to add about the contact lenses, mine were cheapest from asda, i was paying £25 a month for contacts from the opticians and now i get them for £72 for 6 months worth including solutions, and mine are toric lenses.

If you have an NHS exemption card with your CTC, then dont forget you get a free eye test and are entitled to free lenses on the NHS, simply have your free eye test and claim your free lenses by having them put into exsisting frames that you already own - no need to spend hundreds on new frames.

Ive done this now for the last two years

hugekebab

ok,

the credit cards; goto http://www.creditsearcher.co.uk/

you can put in what criteria you require eg 12 months free interest, itll give you a lis of all that do it. i transferred to the sony card, the form is online (linked on that site) and takes five min to fill out. they are desperate for debtees so you usually wont get a problem. do that tonight, ou could be saving money straight away.

benbenandme

make an appointment to see the lone parent advisor at the Jobcentre - they're fab!! They can look at what you would earn / be entitled to if you work fulltime / parttime and saves you wondering!! I found I would only be about £50 a month better off if I worked fulltime rather than 2 days a week - not worth it in my eyes as it would cost me more than that in childcare and at least I got to spend lots of time with ds.

Also have a look at the mystery hopping thread on here, its a great way of earning extra penies and can be done with a little one. It won't make you rich but may well help out a bit - I put the money I make from it into a separate account for birthdays/xmas so I don't need to worry about them each month.

Good luck and keep posting!:D

minimoneysaver

I was also thinking about that option curious moose. If you have a two bedroom place, could you and baby share for a few months and take on a short term rental just to help you out? You could get up to 75 pounds a week!

minimoneysaver

Just had another thought. Have you applied for council tax benefit through your local council office? Even if it is a couple of pounds a week... every penny helps! Do a car boot sale to get rid of some of your sons baby clothes. I did one today and only sold baby clothes from new born to 18 months and got 132 pounds profit for just four hours work.

katglasgow

I would definately print off Martin's article about childcare vouchers and take it in to your emplyers. My work have finally organised themselves into doing it and I am saving £63 a week!
Also, if you do decide to go part time, you could look at mystery shopping as others have said, I dropped from 5 days to 4 days last year and make about £70 a month MS with my DS in tow, its quite good fun and I enjoy spending the time with him. I was depressed for a while and resented the time I spent working and being stressed, when I reduced the working bit, reverything else balanced itself out and I feel so much better x

chevalier

Woodyrocks wrote: »

Here is a link to start you off with 7 sites included. As I said look for more on the site x

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=4775327&postcount=16

Hey thanks woody I have never been a link before:o (blushes)

Best of luck with the CSA. Can't understand why people won't pay. My dad and mum split up 36 year ago now. He is a bit of a wally but he stilled paid what the court said without fail.
Grr
chev