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Help me cope?

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Hi im getting made redundant and my last day at work is this Friday. Ive known about this for a while and have been planning best i can as loosing my wage is a bit drop. i have stocked up all my cleaning items soap powder tolietries the first month, my cupboard last month (pasta bakes noodles beans & tins) and with my last wage ill fill my freezer. Ive got a batch coooking day on saturday (chilli, spag bol & lasagne) im not great a baking but have managed a few pies and some muffins and buiscuts the last few weeks and im getting better. There is me DH and DD (2) at home and it might be a little while on just one wage as struggling to work round child care but im hoping if we can pay the bills and i can keep us fed we will manage! Is there anymore i can do as im starting to panic a bit!

Thanks
Living the simple life
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Comments

  • Mrs_Vimes
    Mrs_Vimes Posts: 33 Forumite
    edited 16 February 2012 at 8:58PM
    Hi Tink,
    Sorry to hear about you losing your job. Sounds like you are organised already though there are some amazing experts on here who will probably be able to give you advice.
    My partner was made redundant a while back. We have no children so we don't have that expense.
    I use mysupermarket.com to compare special offers. Start the weekly shopping at Ald*. Head to the pound shops, H and B, BM and the like. Then go to As** or Morrys as needed.
    There is a Living on yellow reduced stickis which I think is brill. Also keep an eye on the buying groceries forum.
    The people on Old Style are the best for any advice I find and very kind with it.
    Good luck.

    Oooohh I've just noticed you aren't new - sorry if I have taught you to suck eggs!
  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Yes!

    A good place to start would be to whizz across to the Debt-Free Wannabe board and do a Statement Of Affairs (SOA).

    Even if you are not in debt they will take a good look at your budget and point out areas where you can reduce it by either cutting things out completely, or finding better deals for utilities, cards, phones etc.

    Then hit our Grocery Challenge sticky to work on reducing your household spend and be sure to work through the links in the first post which are all aimed to help.

    Best step you've taken so far...?

    Posting here! :)
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
    Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
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  • coldcazzie
    coldcazzie Posts: 1,407 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Tink, make sure you check if you're entitled to tax credits too and if you are, apply asap :)
    Rule 7: If you're not changing it, you're choosing it.
    MFW 2020: 1 Jan £92903.90 ~ OP £536.80/£500
    MFW 2021: 1 Jan £89281.21 ~ OP £404.62/£500
    MFW 2022: 1 Jan £85579.20 ~ OPs on hold.
  • Sorry to hear about your job, it's an experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. The things I learned during the year my OH was unemployed:
    Make sure you go to your Council offices and tell them about your change of circumstances, they can help with Council Tax which is a huge payment each month.
    Let your friends know you are looking for work, people hear about jobs before they are advertised and can tip you off to apply early.
    Although Tax Credits are great at the time, when my OH did get a job, we had to pay them all back as they are based around the tax system. Something you need to prepare for!
    Keep you chin up, things do work out! x
    Just when I'm about to make ends meet, somebody moves the ends
  • DundeeDoll
    DundeeDoll Posts: 5,218 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    As always, all good advice. One more I would add is, whenever we've been tight on money we've ensured we have a fixed amount of 'pocket money' per month.
    MrsSD declutter medals 2023 🏅🏅🏅⭐⭐ 2025
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  • McKneff
    McKneff Posts: 38,857 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Dont forget to go to the Job Centre on Monday to see if you can claim JSA.

    Had you worked for your company long.

    Are you sure you are getting all youre entitled to ie redundancy pay wise.

    Well done for doing all this forward planning.
    make the most of it, we are only here for the weekend.
    and we will never, ever return.
  • Tink_04
    Tink_04 Posts: 1,206 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Combo Breaker
    edited 17 February 2012 at 6:38PM
    Hi thanks for the reply's knew the OS lot would help out :) work was really sad today but I now need to channel my energy into keeping my home going! I'll get a small redundancy pay out and can claim cont based jsa allowance we get tax credits for dd but there will change as we loose the nursery element. I don't think I can get any help towards the council tax as dh works and we own the house. I think im panicking about the unknown and want to try and make the best of the situation to give dh less to worry about. If I can look after the house and food budget we can save that money.
    I have been reading some threads on here and have lots of meal ideas already :)
    Living the simple life
  • Sorry to hear that its a rough ride at the moment. The only things I can add to what you have already done and the suggestions here are:

    1. Do see if you will get increased tax credits now your wages have decreased.
    2. Do apply for council tax benefit - you might not think its worth it but what have you got to lose?
    3. Can you get bar/waitressing/cleaning work around your husbands hours so he has LO when he gets in
    4. Do find out the best times for yellow stickered items and go shopping around these times
    5. Look into you have received enough redundancy pay. If not you are entitled to 13 weeks (I think) of statutory redundancy pay - saw something on this a few months ago in the weekly newsletter
    6. agree with a statement of affiars and looking at what you do reduce/do without.

    and mainly keep your chin up, things will get better x
    DF as at 30/12/16
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    GC annual £449.80/£4500
    Eating out budget: £55/£420
    Extra cash earned 2025: £195
  • EstherH
    EstherH Posts: 1,150 Forumite
    If there are ways that you can cut back, maybe because you have used more expensive products rather than shopping around or haven't particularly had to watch the pennies before, then you may find that you aren't actually worse off by finishing work. The cost of travel, childcare, work clothes, lunches etc all take a big chunk out of wages. The hard bit is when you have already pared everything to the bone.

    We live quite well on a very small income. Hope it works out well for you.

    Esther x
    Second purse £101/100
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  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    EstherH wrote: »
    If there are ways that you can cut back, maybe because you have used more expensive products rather than shopping around or haven't particularly had to watch the pennies before, then you may find that you aren't actually worse off by finishing work. The cost of travel, childcare, work clothes, lunches etc all take a big chunk out of wages. The hard bit is when you have already pared everything to the bone.

    We live quite well on a very small income. Hope it works out well for you.

    Esther x

    Yes, a number of people have said that when the costs involved in actually going to work are taken into account - the overall budget deficit is nothing like as large as they thought it would be. It certainly doesn't equate to an entire income.
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
    Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence.
    DTFAC: Y.T.D = £5.20 Apr £0.50
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