Should i get a wonga loan

thecassman86

I'll second swampduck's opinion above.

It is very frustrating but it sometimes is much more financially viable to not work than it is to work. But, while the system is like that it has to be worth considering.

Apart from the obvious benefits in saving on petrol and childcare, it's also much much easier to meal plan etc when you're at home for longer. You can start cooking the evening meal earlier in the day etc and it means you're available to make phone calls if needed.

Worth looking into, for sure. At least until the kids are older and no longer incur as much childcare costs.

bambos

Hi Summer,

Me again! Swamp duck and thecassman have made points that are very valid as when I looked into the costs involved in going back to work full time and it made me :eek: I evaluated and weighed up everything to see if I could make it work but I would have ended up paying more to work full time my husband already works full time and we have no one to look after both children after school and in the holidays (my daughter is already in school)

I have now got a part time weekend job which starts at 5am and finishes at 11am so I get weekend family time too. I work when my husband is at home which makes things a lot easier.

I have decided to do my training whilst I'm waiting for my son to start school (another 18months) and then when he does I will be qualified but will only work term time as child are would be a huge cost we simply can't afford EVER.

I think you have to be a little bit inventive and if that means working odd hours or working less to save money then so be it. It's not forever but you have to get by somehow.

ampersand

Hello summer33,

Well done for coming to these Boards.

I've just sent you a pm, but the essential is in my signature.

May I just highlight an example of the change you know you need to make?
'You know sometimes it's like you pick the kids up and take them the shop for sweets or a drink and there is £4.00 gone !!!!'

Why are you even doing this?
It's surely not what you want to see them doing as parents later?
You are in charge. You set the rules. Doing this cleverly is a great parenting skill.
Your children can still have choices.
I think the caravan and your justification for it are good, but only if it doesn't involve bad outlay, perhaps putting temptation spends in the children's way.
Let them choose fruit, for example, at Aldi for their own smoothies or similar. It's a home activity to look forward to.
Let them share the cooking - they can stuff their own apples for baking, for example. They loved your h-m wedges:-) Yeast is free at Tesco, so make simple bread. Everyone can put their hands in and knead and pull that dough around.
Learning to dress with style, find books and games, is just as well done at jumble sales and carboots for adults and children. Let them have a little budget, make their own mistakes.
Recycle, freecycle, upcycle.
Reading and games and activity - all free - are better than tv and x-boxes and social networking.
re:'dont you miss ordinary TV? I didnt know that though...certainly worth knowing though. Think the kids would be the problem and maybe hubbie.......I hardly ever watch the tv.'
Do you not listen to the radio? - you can do other things while listening. You're not anchored to one spot staring at something. You and hubbie are the parents; you say what goes. When children need to retreat to their rooms, it shouldn't be for tv.

' I hope and pray this will work.'
Of course I would wish the same, but summer - it won't, until you bite the bullet and have a deep MOT with OH on all of this. Start by ringing CAP -please say you will.

This whole exercise can become a glorious game and it's one that you will win.
CAPuk will ensure your budget gives you personal money too.
Now listen to those real people talking in the link - look for your nearest help there.

FireWyrm

kindofagilr wrote: »

Can you explain how this works please?? How come you are allowed to have a TV and prove that you dont watch live tv?

The law says you need a license to watch LIVE TV broadcasts only. You do not need a license to watch catchup services, dvds, bluerays, play on your gamestation or anything else. Simply owning a TV does not require a license of any sort.

Basically, I dont have sky, I dont have an arial and it isnt hooked up to anything else other than the PS3.

kindofagilr wrote: »

We watch sky atm, but also watch netflix, it drives me mad that I pay TV license and I dont even watch BBC lol (Do watch sky tho)

Just wondering if its an option for us too xx

Only if you ditch SKY and watch only catchup which is easy to do. I have diverted what I would have paid to sky into another account and so, when and if we want to watch something, we buy a DVD of it using that money. Otherwise, we watch the ondemand only.

kindofagilr

Thanks Firewyrm I will have a think about this xx

ampersand

Crucian - apologies; I had not seen your posts.

summer - many others will tell you what a brilliant job CAP do. Just watch those films in the link, please. 'might consider' looking at them is not enough for your situation.
You need a complete heads-up, but you have taken the first step by coming here.

summer33

Cotta wrote: »

Okay time for some tough love and I promise you that I'm telling you this for your own good.

You have made a catalogue of errors that have got you into this situation, simple cut backs are not going to resolve your problem and if you want to keep your house short of winning the lotto or getting some unexpected extra cash you need to listen to what you're being told.

Get rid of Sky, your TV licence (stop watching TV), sell your caravan, eliminate holidays, cut your grocery bills by £100, your electric by £20 and then get back to us.

Every suggestion that has been made to you, you've rebuked and if you're not careful at this rate you're going to lose your house and then you'll have to live in that caravan.

I'm sorry if this sounds cruel but you're getting good advice from people on here, take stock, cut back, reorganise your loans and you'll also need to get more money coming in.

The last thing I want is for you to be making posts on the bankruptcy thread but that is where you're going.

Thanks Cotta, I sorry that you feel that every suggestion that has been made I have rebuked. The only suggestion I cannot agree with is the selling of the caravan, and I am sorry if people do not agree ( I did say people would not like it when I mentioned it ) but I am not going to sell.

You have suggested doing a SOA with all the suggestions of the helpful people on here, so am going to do that later on tonight or tomorrow, and see how that goes.

I am really serious on reducing food costs, and selling as much as I possibly can, I am determined to do this.

You mentioned reorganising my loans, what do you mean? I am not able to get anymore credit. All our debts are on 0% apr, so what we are paying at going towards tha balances

I cannot get rid of the tv service as on a contract till November. I have tried and tried and cannot reduce the gas or elec in anyway. I have compared and British Gas is the cheapest provider for me.

summer33

swampduck wrote: »

I'm probably going to be condemned for even suggesting this!! :eek:But have you considered if it is even worth your while working?

Take a look at what you pay for childcare/petrol etc etc and then consider that if you were to move your children to a more local school and then stop at home claiming working family tax credit or whatever is available that you may actually end up better off. In some cases it is just not worthwhile for some people to work! I hate saying it but that's life sometimes.

My children are now grown up and while they were young we didnt have help for childcare fees/breakfast clubs/working tax credits etc so cold hard facts/accounting meant my husband stayed home as a house husband until the children went to school. Then he went back to work on nights so someone was around for out of school hours. You just need to do what is necessary to get you over this blip - if we had had the help that families get now back then - life would have been a whole lot easier for us.

It's just looking at things from another angle - it won't get you out of debt now but may just be something else to consider along with all the money saving ideas others have suggested. There is tax calculator available so you can play around with figures should you consider the possibility of not working. It may not be practical for you in real life but as a confirmed MSE user for some years now I have found that you learn to be creative and adaptable and think out of the box in your quest to be debt free!!

Swampy

Thanks swampduck for your suggestion.

Please believe me I have considered this many times. I have always worked since leaving 6th form. It is a worry for me giving up my job. I worry what if when I decide to go back to work, I cannot get a good enough paying job???

When I have ever contacted tax credits, you can never get a straight answer as to what they would give you in benefits, so dont know if would be ok giving up my job.

I have mentioned in previous post that I am moving my middle son to a school closer to home in sept, when my older son changes to senior school, but tonight hubbie and me have been discussing it to move them both in easter.

If we were to do this, the nursery our daughter goes to is over the road from the school and they do the breakfast and after school club, so debating to change them sooner and me just work 2 full days a week, which would in turn reduce the nursery fees and fuel costs........

I need to sit down and do the figures, but it is something we are considering.

thanks for suggestion swampduck

[Deleted User]

bsms1147 wrote: »

Talktalk would be phone/internet/tv/landline for ~£25

Add on the TV Licence, and it's ~£37.

[Deleted User]

kindofagilr wrote: »

How come you are allowed to have a TV and prove that you don't watch live TV?

You don't have to prove you don't watch live TV.

It's for them to prove you do.

Just wondering if its an option for us too xx

I'm afraid not.

A TV Licence is required if you watch/record ANY live TV, and Sky is live TV.